Food & Hospitality World April 1-15, 2014

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EDITOR’S NOTE

Business transformers

I

t's that time of the year when prominent thought leaders in the hospitality industry unite in Mumbai to discuss the way forward, to understand what’s hot and what’s not, who are the real movers and shakers, who are the talkers and (not so much) the doers, the promise keepers and the promise givers. It’s an interesting mix of professionals from investors to owners who totally understand the nuances of the business to the few who are there just to gauge the pulse of the market. From business talks to networking, from investment intricacies to trends and tastes, whatever be the reason, HICSA in its 10th year is predicted to offer more than the regular tête-à-tête.

The industry today is going through its share of predictions and practices. There have been instances, wherein the obvious seems to be rather challenging while non traditional zones have emerged on the radar of growth and investments. India’s Tier II and Tier III cities are scripting their own story and leading brands are looking at the emerging India with seriousness. The over the top bullish phase of the past has been replaced by caution and control and the new announcements made by brands entering into new towns and cities are backed by some solid

HEAD OFFICE Food & Hospitality World MUMBAI: Rajan Nair, Dattaram Kandalkar, Manish S. Global Fairs & Media Pvt. Ltd 2nd Floor, Express Towers Nariman Point, Mumbai-400021. India Tel: 6744 0000 / 22022627 Fax: 022-22885831 E-mail: rajan.nair@fhwexpo.in; datta.kandalkar@fhwexpo.in manish.shringarpure@fhwexpo.in Branch Offices : NEW DELHI: Pranshu Puri, The Indian Express Ltd, Express Building (Basement) 9 & 10, Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, New Delhi - 110 002 Tel : 011- 23465670 Fax : 011 - 23702141 E-mail: pranshu.puri@fhwexpo.in Our Associate: Dinesh Sharma Mobile: 09810264368 E-mail: 4pdesigno@gmail.com

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FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD

April 1-15, 2014

“Changing guest expectations is driving hotels to evolve their IT strategy,to keep pace with customer demands.Smart technology can create exceptional experiences for guests ”

groundwork and homework. From sensible investments in property and places, hotels today are getting serious about investing in technology as well.

Though it is vital to invest in human resources, today’s hotels need to be totally clued in when it comes to technology. A fine balance of tech and touch is the most desirable combo. Technology trends, namely cloud services (that will enable even small hoteliers to avail the best technology at a fraction of installation costs), business intelligence (for making informed decisions about guest preferences and developing future strategies) and social media (enabling direct interaction with target client segment), will be areas to watch out for.

Further, technology has enhanced the concept of luxury - digital valet, IP based touch phone, in-room entertainment, etc, have brought a new dimension to hospitality.

Changing guest expectations is driving hotels to evolve their IT strategy, to keep pace with customer demands. Smart technology can create exceptional experiences for guests and technology can be a business transformer.

REEMA LOKESH Editor

Tel: 040-23418673/23418674/ 23418675 (Tele-fax)/66631457 Fax: 040-23418678 E-mail: ashwanikumar.shukla@fhwexpo.in

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CONTENTS INTERIORS & DESIGN

Vol 2 No.14 APRIL 1-15-2014 Chairman of the Board

Viveck Goenka Editor

Reema Lokesh* Assistant Editor

Steena Joy Associate Editor

Sudipta Dev CONTENT TEAM Mumbai

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Kahini Chakraborty Rituparna Chatterjee Kolkata

Joy Roy Choudhury DESIGN National Art Director

Bivash Barua Deputy Art Director

INNOVATION & YOU! AUTOMATION AND SYSTEM INTEGRATION IS ATTRACTING LOT OF CUSTOMERS, ESPECIALLY GREEN LIGHTING SOLUTIONS

Surajit Patro Chief Designer

Pravin Temble Senior Graphic Designer

Rushikesh Konka Layout

Ratilal Ladani Kiran Parker Scheduling & Coordination

Rohan Thakkar Photo Editor

Sandeep Patil MARKETING General Manager

Sachin Shenoy Marketing Team

Dattaram Kandalkar Rajan Nair Manish Shringarpure Ashwani Kumar Shukla Sreejith Radhakrishnan Pranshu Puri Yoginder Singh Ajanta Sengupta Marketing Coordination

TECH NEXT From implementation of cloud services to understanding customer behaviour through business intelligence solutions,hospitalitycompanies in India are opening up to adopting newtechnologies to future-proof their business and meet up with guest expectations (20)

Chandra Shekhar Sasi Kumar G Keshav Barnwal INTERNATIONAL FOOD & HOSPITALITY SALES

Soumodip Ghosh Rahul Bisht PRODUCTION

Holiday Inn New Delhi International Airport

P14: PRODUCT TRACKER SpineKare Mattress from Kurlon

A skillful investment

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INDIA TO SEE MORE TEA LOUNGES OPENING UP

08

MĂ–VENPICK DHARAMSHALA RESORT & SPA TO OPEN BY 2016

P29: MOVEMENTS Holiday Inn Mumbai International Airport

B R Tipnis Bhadresh Valia

MARKETS

P28: LIFE

General Manager Manager

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THE WELLNESS COMMITMENT WELLNESS USERS AROUND THE WORLD ARE STILL LOOKING FOR WAYS TO MANAGE AND BALANCE THEIR LIFESTYLE AND ITS DEMANDS

P13: NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK

Darshana Chauhan NATIONAL FOOD & BEVERAGE SALES

SPA & WELLNESS

P41: WEEKEND Scene and heard by Marcellus Baptista

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HRAWI OPPOSES HIKE IN EXCISE LICENSE FEE OF PERMIT ROOMS

EDGE

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ON THE GO CHECK-OUT SCANDIC IS THE FIRST HOTEL CHAIN IN THE NORDIC REGION TO OFFER DIGITAL CHECKOUT AT ALL ITS 154 HOTELS ACROSS THE WORLD

Food & Hospitality World Published for the proprietors, Global Fairs & Media Private Limited, by Vaidehi Thakar at Express Towers, Nariman Point, Mumbai 400 021, and printed by her at Indian Express Press, Plot EL-208, TTC Industrial Area, Mahape, Navi Mumbai. Editor : Reema Lokesh* (*responsible for selection of news under PRB Act). @ 2012 Global Fairs & Media Private Limited. All rights reserved throughout the world. Reproduction in whole or part without the Publisher's permission is prohibited.

MARKETS

India to see more tea lounges opening up Variety Food to set up 50 tea lounges by 2015 Kahini Chakraborty Mumbai INDIA COULD see a trend of more tea lounges opening up in the future. Speaking exclusively to Food & Hospitality World, Rishit Patel, director, Variety Food said, “There is definitely a trend for more number of tea lounges in the future, as India is traditionally a tea drinking nation. The growth is expected to be exponential. With newer varieties of teas entering the market, the consumer is now spoilt for choice. Tea is a beverage catering to all age groups and income groups.”

Ahmedabad-based Variety Food Products Distribution is planning to open 50 tea lounges

by December 2015, with an aim to fill in the void of organised tea lounges and establish a major market share. Presently VarieTea lounges are present in Ahmedabad, Surat and Baroda.

For their expansion, the company is looking at Maharashtra, Goa, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. Patel added, “The capital investment proposed for the tea lounges is `55 crore and `20 crore for setting up logistics, warehousing and back up support infrastructure. On an average the tea lounges would have 80-85 covers. The lounges will be principally owned in order to maintain consistency and quality. Franchising option will of course be considered, if they meet the criteria.”

Elaborating on the current

Rishit Patel

market size of the tea industry in India and the expected growth rate, Patel opined, “The current market size of branded tea is nearly `9500 crore. The expected growth

rate for this sector is about five per cent. However the lounge market, as per the consumer requirement 5,000 cafes/ lounges are required to fulfill the current Indian mar-

ket trend. There are currently 1500 cafes / lounges operating which are national/ regional, out of which 1250 cafes/ lounges opened within a period of last five years.”

Indian Culinary Institute to be headquartered in Tirupati Campuses in Kolkata, Pinjore and Noida FHW Staff New Delhi THE MINISTRY of Tourism (MoT), Government of India,

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has tied up with École Hôtelière Avignon for setting up the Indian Culinary Institute (ICI) in the country. “Currently, the training in food in

FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD

April 1-15, 2014

hotel management institutes is a minor part of the curriculum while the ICI will be a repository of every single recipe in India including even the smallest community and that would include research and training the people in all cuisines popular across India,” said Parvez Dewan, tourism secretary, Government of India, while inaugurating a seminar 'Think Tourism-Think India: Thought Leadership Meet,’organised by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM), in New Delhi recently. ICI is aimed at imparting top-notch training in food, and has been formally approved by the ministry.

The ICI building is expected

to be set up in two years and will be headquartered in Tirupati. There will be a campus each in Kolkata, Pinjore, Noida, informed Dewan.

Talking about the domestic tourism scenario, Dewan mentioned that out of the population of about 120 crore, India has about 105-crore domestic tourists as per 2012 figures which is expected to slightly improve when figures for 2013 are ascertained.

“Though India ranks at 39th spot in terms of foreign tourist arrival and 16th in terms of foreign exchange receipts, India has the highest per capita spend of a tourist in any country in the world,” he stated. With a view to lib-

eralise the visa regime, officials in MoT are busy finalising introduction of the electronic visa facility within this year as that would enable India to figure in the top four countries in global tourism.

The other speakers present at the event were Radu Octavian Dobre, charge d’affaires, Embassy of Romania; Nakul Anand, executive director, ITC Limited; Dipak Haksar, chairman, National Council for Tourism & Hospitality, ASSOCHAM and COO, ITC Hotels; Dr Ramesh Kapur, cochairman, National Council for Tourism & Hospitality, ASSOCHAM and CMD, AB Hotels, DS Rawat, secretary general, ASSOCHAM.

MARKETS

'HICSA 2014 is distinctly special from all previous editions of the conference' As Hotel Investment Conference South Asia (HICSA) celebrates its 10th anniversary, Manav Thadani, chairman – HVS Asia Pacific and founder of HICSA reveals that apart from an interesting lineup of keynote addresses, the convention this year will witnesses many interesting first-time discussions along with oft-debated important subjects. By Sudipta Dev What are the main highlights of the convention this year ?

HICSA is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, which makes it distinctly special from all previous editions of the conference. That apart, encouraged from the highly successful maiden event last year with 100 plus hotels owners in attendance, we are hosting and facilitating the second Hotel Owners Roundtable as a HICSA preevent on day one. The roundtable is an exclusive forum for hotel owners where they can engage with industry experts and brainstorm with others on various challenges pertaining to their hotel investments, hopefully paving a path to resolving them.

Additionally, we have a very exciting line-up of keynote addresses this year by Diana L Nelson, chairman, Carlson; Stephen Rushmore Jr, president and CEO, HVS; Nakul Anand, ED, ITC Limited; Rana Kapoor, founder and CEO, YES Bank and Rohit Verma, professor service operations management, School of Hotel Administration, Cornell University – all of who are speaking on topics of high relevance to the hotel industry in South Asia. Moreover, HICSA 2014 marks the turn of a decade since Marilyn Carlson Nelson, Diana’s mother, and Steve Rushmore, Stephen’s father delivered keynote addresses at the first ever HICSA back in 2005.

We shall also be conferring the HICSA Lifetime Achievement Award upon KB Kachru

this year, for his pivotal role in the development of international hospitality brands in South Asia, and for establishing Carlson as the single largest international hotel brand in India.

And last but not the least, we shall be announcing the winners of HICSA Hotels of the Year, an annual recognition for the most outstanding hotel developments in South Asia, and HICSA Hotels of the Decade – a special set of awards to celebrate excellence and distinguish the very best and the most iconic hotels built in the region in the last 10 years.

Are there interesting developments this time - in terms of speaker profiles, delegate participation, etc?

HICSA speakers are always handpicked ensuring that there is maximum takeaway for all delegates attending the conference. In addition to industry stalwarts such as Richard Solomons, Diana L Nelson, Gerald Lawless, Sébastien Bazin, Peter Meyer, Raymond Bickson and Nakul Anand amongst others speaking at the conference this year, we have representation from many new hotel companies such as StayWell Hospitality Group, Trump Hotel Collection, Rotana, Prestige Leisure Resorts, Apodis Hotels and Resorts, and Carnation Hotels to name a few.

We had close to 550 delegates attending HICSA in 2013, and we expect it to be similar this year. The delegate participation profile usually

HICSA speakers are always handpicked ensuring that there is maximum takeaway for all delegates attending the conference. HICSA is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, which makes it distinctly special Manav Thadani

comprises a mix of brands, owners/development companies, consultants, architects and design firms, banks/investors, those from hotel operations and media.

How are the business sessions different this year ?

Every year, a lot of thought and planning goes into the creation of the conference programme with inputs from both within and outside the HVS team. While some subjects may appear recurring, they are in fact the ones with the highest attendance always, as their relevance in the industry has remained consistent or grown over the years, such as sessions on management contracts, debt and equity financing, budget/economy hotels and the new entrants in the region’s hospitality industry.

In addition to these, we have some first-time/less common sessions on hotel development challenges, transac-

tions, conversions, leisure and wellness, extended stay market, hotel industry in India’s neighbouring countries and second generation hoteliers, keeping in mind the emerging significance of these in the current industry landscape.

Any other significant aspect about this year's conference programme that you would like to highlight upon?

Considering the challeng-

ing 2013 that went by for the hotel industry in India, we aim to discuss the issues we have been grappling with and focus on opportunities that lie ahead of us. In addition to hearing the views of hospitality leaders, we think it is important to engage experts from other sectors and have a healthy, forward-looking discussion.

This has essentially been the basis of the conference programme this year.

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April 1-15, 2014

MARKETS

Mövenpick Dharamshala Resort & Spa to open by 2016 Rituparna Chatterjee Mumbai MÖVENPICK Dharamshala Resort & Spa which was expected to open in 2013, might be officially opening its doors in the second quarter of 2016.

This upcoming 108 key newbuild property is located 2,400 metres above sea level in the upper reaches of the Kangra Valley in the Himalayan Range. Speaking on the differentiating aspect of this property, Lokesh Kumar, vice president – development and marketing - South Asia, Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts stated, “The sustainability

Lokesh Kumar

driven approach taken in the development of this project is set to be a differentiator in the Indian hospitality business. A few examples being - sourcing locally available materials in the construction process, in-

stalling energy-efficient systems to harness wind, solar and hydro power, and an organised procurement plan for locally cultivated produce once the hotel is operational.”

Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts is presently in talks to open properties in Mumbai, Udaipur and Jaipur and is also coming up with a new-build 170 key property in Kochi. “We look forward to making a formal announcement soon on the Kochi property and expect to open Mövenpick Dharamshala Resort & Spa by the second quarter of 2016.

For other India locations, since we are in the discussion

stage, we would be able to make an official announcement at an appropriate opportunity,” revealed Kumar.

Apart from India, properties under the brand are also coming up in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, which is part of their aggressive expansion plan in South Asia. “Speaking about South Asia in general; we have some exciting times ahead with properties being developed in Colombo - Sri Lanka, Dhaka and Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh.” The property in Colombo, Sri Lanka will have 180 keys, in Cox's Bazaar 280 keys and in Dhaka 275 keys. The Sri Lankan property

is expected to complete by end of 2016.

Regarding his views on the current hospitality scenario in India, Kumar shared, “The Indian hotel industry has a supply of around 180,000 keys this year. India currently receives only 0.3 per cent of total MICE business from across the globe which indicates the scope available for expansion and growth. I foresee continued growth in inbound travel from traditional feeder markets like the US and Europe contributing to over 35 per cent of total traffic and greater contribution from the Middle East and Asia including China.”

A conferencing venue of distinction Sudipta Dev Bristol A VICTORIAN Gothic manor that was built in 1856, Old Down Manor was burnt down almost a century later, only to be rebuilt again in 1971. Today the manor in the outskirts of Bristol city is an events and wedding venue of dis-

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tinction, with its own country park, a farm shop, and a cafe that turns into a popular restaurant in the evening. “We offer something very different as a venue. The conference facilities range from an exclusive meeting of top-ranking four people to 130 delegates,” said Carly Rudrum, head of business, Old Down

FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD

April 1-15, 2014

Country Park, Bistro & Manor, pointing out that they are looking at attracting both MICE and wedding guests from the Indian market.

“We can also organise clay pigeon shooting and archery as part of corporate activity. There is high speed Wi-Fi and great offering of food,” stated Rudrum.

The conferencing venues include: The Grand Hall, The Orangery, The Bernay’s Room (named after the previous owner), The Piano Room, and the indoor swimming pool area.

For larger corporate events and weddings, marquees can be put up on the sprawling lawns. With 13 bedrooms (eight in the manor and five in cottages), Old Down Manor can also be rented as a luxury homestay for short stay and weekend breaks.

The estate is an exclusive destination for weddings of varying budgets – from GBP 5000 to GBP 14,000. “Last year saw 55

weddings being hosted in the manor, while this year 70 bookings have already been made,” pointed out Rudrum, remembering to add that it is not an expensive venue.

The food is sourced locally for the Old Down Bistro as well as the events organised in the

manor. The Old Down Country Park offers woodland walks and quaint animal encounters (rabbits, guinea pigs, piglets and chickens). One of the highlights for all guests at the property is the panoramic view across the river Severn and Wales.

MARKETS

Organic Shop increases product portfolio Rituparna Chatterjee Mumbai ORGANIC SHOP, an online marketplace for selling certified organic products in India, is expanding aggressively in the India market by increasing its product portfolio. Presently it has 6,000 products and aims to increase it to more than 10,000 by end of 2015. For this purpose, the company has collaborated with Health Aid, a UK based manufacturer of nutritionally balanced supplements. Organic Shop has

Online Organic Mart. “Online Organic Mart is a dedicated online marketplace for certified organic, bio, herbal and natural products. The product range includes food, textiles, clothing,

cosmetics, health supplements and wellness products,” he mentioned.

Organic Shop also has plans to venture into the US market through a similar e-commerce

portal. For which the company will talk officially after April, 2014. As for logistics management for both the internatiional markets, he stated, “In Europe, we work on an outsourcing ba-

sis with our local affiliates taking charge of the key areas indispensable for any e-commerce business. Likewise, the US region will also have similar patterns of business divisions.”

Manuj Terapanthi

added around 125 products from Health Aid to its product portfolio. The range of products include vitamins, minerals, herbal supplements, essential aromatherapy oils and natural body, beauty and skin care products. Elaborating on this venture, Manuj Terapanthi, founder and CEO, Organic Shop stated, “This process of increasing our product portfolio is part of our overall strategy to offer the widest range of certified global organic brands and their products in India. With Health Aid, we aim to bring some of the international organic and natural product leaders to India to offer a mix of global products to Indian consumers.”

Furthermore, Organic Shop recently ventured into the European market by launching an e-commerce portal - www.onlineorganicmart.eu and has collaborated with an Europebased company TradeFormAir to look after the marketing and distribution under the brand

FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD

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April 1-15, 2014

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MARKETS

NCHMCT signs MoU with Swizerland based hospitality school Joy Roy Choudhury Kolkata THE NATIONAL Council for Hotel Management and Catering Technology (NCHMCT) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Ecole Hoteliere Lausanne, Switzerland to upgrade the quality of hospitality education in the country to global standards. The agreement, which has come into effect, will broadly a) review the existing curriculum, identify opportunities of improvement viz. knowledge and skill specific to the requirement of the global market and recommend new inputs; b) provide for faculty development on the new inputs including inculcating global standards of academic delivery; and c) create an academic audit of the implementation of the agreement. The council has convened a meeting of the principals/heads of the central Institutes of Hotel Management (IHM) to discuss / review the broad topics mentioned in the agreement and take it forward. This cooperation will help Indian students acquire better skills and international exposure, which will increase their employability in the industry and it will take Indian hospitality education to an international acceptable quality standard. According to the Planning Commission estimates, the tourism industry in India is growing at a rapid pace and during the 12th Five Year Plan ending 2017, a 12 per cent growth has been projected. This growth will result in requirement of 36 lakhs trained manpower for the hospitality sector, at various levels. The Planning Commission has identified tourism as the second largest sector in the country in providing employment opportunities for low-skilled and semi-skilled workers.

HRAWI opposes hike in excise license fee of permit rooms FHW Staff Mumbai IN RESPONSE to Maharashtra government’s proposal to increase the license fee of permit rooms and wine shops, the Hotel and Restaurant Association of Western India (HRAWI) in Maharashtra has filed a writ petition in the Bombay High Court opposing the proposed hike.

In February, the Maharashtra Government had proposed to hike the license fee of permit rooms and wine shops by as much as 50 per cent. This had come in for heavy criticism from the hospitality industry which had termed the proposal as regressive and a certain death knell for the hotel industry.

DS Advani, president, HRAWI, said, “Hotels in Maharashtra are one of the most taxed in the world. The industry cannot bear any more burdens.

As it is, the hotels pay an aggregate of direct and indirect taxes

UNWTO and the International Hotel and Restaurant Association (IH&RA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that aims to enhance cooperation in a number of initiatives related to the hospitality industry, including the Nearly Zero-Energy Hotels (NEZEH) Project, supporting hotels in improving their energy efficiency and reaching nearly zero energy levels.

April 1-15, 2014

close down and employees will lose jobs, besides the gross tax collections will witness a drop.”

License fee for permit rooms is proposed to be increased from `366,000 to `544,000 and that for beer shops, from `95,000 to `150,000.

HRAWI has been engaging with the government at various levels to rationalise license fees and taxes. Kamlesh Barot, immediate past president, HRAWI, said, “The complacency that the Maharashtra state always gets into for such anti-tourism policies, is due its gateway privilege geographical position, that it ranks in the highest among all states of India on tourist arrivals. Small stimulants to hoteliers will show a major effect due to sheer numbers in revenue maximisation, but the mindset on tourism with the government is missing, albeit at a cost of our hotel industry’s progress, an example being this hike in the excise fee.”

UNWTO inks MoU with IH&RA FHW Staff Mumbai

10 FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD

to the tune of 38 per cent overall, compared to five to seven per cent taxes in countries like Japan and China. We have now reached the stretch point. If the proposed hike in fees comes into effect, many hotels will shut down. Hence, we’ve taken this step to protect the interests of the hotel industry and will hope for justice.”

HRAWI has informed all its hotel and restaurant members regarding the development and requested to await the outcome of the case before renewing their excise license. Gurbaxish Singh Kohli, vice president, HRAWI, said, “As it is customers have been complaining of high costs.

Any more increase and they will entirely stop visiting permit rooms. This does not mean that they will stop consuming alcohol; it will merely result in customers opting to drink at their houses or shifting to spurious liquor or country liquor. Consequently a lot of permit rooms will

The MOU was signed by UNWTO secretary-general Taleb Rifai and IH&RA’s president Casimir Platzer, on the sidelines of IH&RA’s 51st Annual Congress, coinciding with the 1st World Hospitality Day. Taleb Rifai said, “The hospitality industry is a fundamental part of the global tourism sector and a key vehicle for economic growth and job creation around the world. IH&RA has long been a strategic partner to UNWTO and this MoU will al-

low us to cooperate even closer towards our common goal of driving positive changes in tourism.”

Casimir Platzer said, “This partnership agreement marks a new milestone for IH&RA and will serve as the umbrella for the potential joint cooperation between both the private and public sectors for the best interest of the hospitality industry. Our role as the world's hospitality association is further strengthened by this UNWTO endorsement.”

MARKETS

JustEat.in eyes Tier II-III cities for expansion Kahini Chakraborty Mumbai JUSTEAT.IN, an aggregator of restaurants that offers home delivery services, is testing the waters in Tier II and Tier III cities in India for its expansion plans.

Presently, the company has close to 3,000 partner restaurants servicing 26 cities in India. Speaking to Food & Hospitality World, Ritesh Dwivedy, founder and CEO, JustEat.in said, “We are look-

ing at both geographic expansions as well as increasing our restaurant listings in each of the cities that we are present in. Our target is to add at least 15-20 per cent more restaurants in each city.” The company's biggest source markets are Bengaluru, Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Pune, Chennai and Hyderabad, and is marginally present in some Tier II and Tier III cities.

The company has seen good growth over the last

three years. “As our business is cyclical in nature, October, November and December are peak months of growth for us,” he added. This year, the company is focusing on becoming a mobile first company. “In January 2013, our mobile orders were three per cent of overall orders, and as of January 2014, it’s close to 30 per cent. In developed markets where JustEat.in operates, the mobile to web orders are 50:50 right now.

With India currently touted

as becoming the world’s fastest growing smartphone market, we believe that it will reach the 50:50 ratio by 2015,” Dwivedy opined.

Commenting on the competition of online food ordering/delivery picking up in India, he said, “Food deliveries in India are growing faster than dine-ins. From a restaurateur’s perspective, the margins are two-three per cent higher in deliveries, and spare kitchen capacity can be

for serving those who want to eat at home. The future seems bright for this business in India, as we are trying to catch up with developed markets, where 30 per cent of deliveries take place through online channels.

Also, with India becoming the fastest growing smartphone market in the world, we are positive that the business of online takeaway services will see phenomenal growth in 2014 and 2015.”

Asian hotel prices witness downfall by 2 per cent FHW Staff Mumbai THE AVERAGE price of a hotel room around the world rose three per cent during 2013, according to the latest Hotels.com's, Hotel Price Index (HPI). This means there have now been four years of steady rise in hotel prices since the substantial falls during the financial collapse of 2008/9.

The HPI in Asia fell by two

12

per cent, which was good news for inbound travellers to the region as it continues to offer some of the world’s best value hotel accommodation. The depreciation of the Yen, Rupee and Rupiah, coupled with a decrease in inbound visitors to China contributed to this result, although outbound travel from China remains buoyant.

There also continues to be a longer term trend of more travel within the region.

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Johan Svanstrom, president, Hotels.com brand, said, "According to UNWTO (the United Nations World Tourism Organisation), international tourist arrivals in 2013 grew by five per cent to a record global figure of 1,087 million, well above expectations. The growth in global hotel prices we are reporting today reflects that trend. There is no doubt that European hotel prices were some of the most badly affected by the economic fallout.

However, most indicators now show that the economic squeeze is easing, if not yet completely over.”

Latin America registered its strongest result yet, with a five per cent increase in hotel prices, and has now overtaken its previous peak set just before the global economic downturn.

With reports stating that emerging markets are showing solid economic growth, prices rose as demand intensified.

Higher occupancy levels recorded in many areas helped the North American HPI climb

The HPI in Asia fell by two per cent, which was good news for inbound travellers to the region as it continues to offer some of the world’s best value hotel accommodation. There also continues to be a longer trend of more travel within the region three per cent, matching the global rise.

"Looking ahead, one phenomenon impacting global hotel prices in 2014 is the huge rise in the number of sports fans travelling this year, with the Sochi Olympics and Para Olympics in February and March and the FIFA World Cup in Brazil in the summer," he added.

Hotel rates in Europe and the Middle East grew by two per cent. With many financial indi-

cators showing that the European economic recovery is gathering greater momentum, several of the destinations worst hit by the downturn have seen their prices stabilise, with some experiencing healthy increases.

The Pacific region was level.

Softer domestic corporate travel in Western Australia, coupled with the drop in value of the Australian Dollar towards the end of the year, had a dampening effect on the overall average.

NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK

Holiday Inn New Delhi International Airport INTERCONTINENTAL HOTELS GROUP (IHG) has announced the opening of Holiday Inn New Delhi International Airport. The 265-room hotel offers large rooms with 37-inch LED TVs, ipod docking stations, media hubs and complimentary Wi-Fi for all guests staying at the hotel. There is 8000 sq ft of function space available, including four meeting rooms and the Grand Ballroom, which can also be divided into three smaller function rooms. Other facilities include - a fitness centre, with steam and sauna facilities, an outdoor swimming pool, Sohum Spa and four different food and beverage experiences - Viva, the all-day dining restaurant; Viva Deli, for quick bites; The Hangar, a lounge bar; and a specialty restaurant.

The Deltin, Daman DELTA CORP has announced the launch of The Deltin in Daman, a 176-room property which will offer various facilities such as luxury suites, four gourmet restaurants, three bars, 8,000 sq ft of high-end retail space, a luxury spa, and multiple banqueting facilities. The hotel will boast of the Emperor Restaurant (serving Asian cuisine), Vegas (a multi-cuisine restaurant), Whiskys (a VIP lounge with a collection of single malts), The Poolside Bar (bar serving Mediterranean style grill and barbecue). The Deltin will also provide about 30,000 sq ft of MICE space catering to large events such as corporate conferences and weddings.

OZO Chaweng Samui OZO CHAWENG SAMUI has opened on the Thai island of Koh Samui. Located on the popular and central resort area, Chaweng, the new OZO will be the brand's first resort in Thailand. OZO Chaweng Samui’s ‘Snooze Zone’ consists of 208 guest rooms, including ocean facing ‘Dream Beach’ rooms giving direct access to the Chaweng beach. The resort offers up-to-date amenities including IPTV, a multimedia connectivity panel and free WiFi internet access throughout the property. The hotel’s recreational facilities include – the swimming pool Splash, the gym Tone, two restaurants – EAT and Spot including a gourmet burger restaurant ‘Stacked’ and a beach bar.

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PRODUCT TRACKER

SpineKare Mattress from Kurlon KURLON has introduced its latest product- New SpineKare which is a specialised product that is specifically manufactured to tend to the users spine. Made of memory foam, rubberised coir and bonded foam, the mattress is designed and developed using ZPP i.e. Zero Pressure Point Technology. The mattress is the first of its kind mattress which is made of memory foam with therapeutic and healing benefits. Memory foam layer in the mattress readily adapts to body and creates a mould to support the spine. The mattress comes priced at `36,965 for the King size and has a five years warranty.

Ucrown2 from OSIM India OSIM INDIA has launched uCrown2, the anti-stress head massager for relaxation and better well-being. OSIM uCrown2 is inspired by traditional head massage that is designed to target specific acupressure points on the head and neck to effectively relieve tension caused by stress and fatigue. The product has three automatic stress reduction programmes. OSIM uCrown2 is ergonomically designed and priced at `14,000 in Maharashtra.

Puratos India PURATOS INDIA has introduced two products- TegralPuravita Whole Wheat Mix and the Carat Coverdark Compound. The TegralPuravita Whole Wheat Mix is a 100 per cent whole wheat bread mix. This product has been introduced as consumers are now much more aware of the nutritional value of carbohydrate products. The second product, the Carat Coverdark Compound is a compound chocolate for truffle and enrobing soft products. Puratos has created Carat, a high quality range of compounds for the professional market.

200 kva diesel generators from Cooper Corporation COOPER CORPORATION, an engine major has launched a 200 KVA range of cost efficient and silent revolution in eco-friendly diesel generators under the brand name 'Cooper ECOPACK'.

The low fuel consumption generator is lighter in weight, smaller in size and engine meets with US and European emission norms. Cooper ECOPACK gensets, are available in power ranging from 10KVA - 200 KVA. The entire range goes up to 200 KVA powered by two, three, four and six Cylinder Cooper engines. The engine has an advanced control module which monitors all critical parameters of the engine. The Cooper ECOPACK is efficient and consumer friendly.

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INTERIORS & DESIGN

INNOVATION & YOU! With a goal to constantly keep improving their customers lives through meaningful innovations, Sumit Joshi, marketing head, Philips Lighting India talks about how automation and system integration is attracting lot of customers, and the growing trends for green lighting solutions in the market

By Kahini Chakraborty

J

ust a single touch is all it takes to create that perfect experience; indeed lighting not only affects people's mood but also enriches the overall ambiance of the surrounding. Not only can it enhance a set up but can also ruin some favourite moments. For instance, a living room is the soul of a home, hence lighting should be a perfect mix of task, general and ambient lighting. Bedroom lighting on the other hand should be soothing, soft and warm to complement the different moods while relaxing, watching television or reading a book.

Hence Philips Lighting India develops its products locally to suit the Indian market requirements, says Sumit Joshi, marketing head, Philips Lighting India. For instance, he continues, Philips LivingColors helps to create striking light effects for different occasions. Philips ColorKinetics range offers professional LED lighting systems in various types, form factors, and output levels. The Philips ColorBlastPowercore high-performance LED wash lights combine rich, saturated and colour changing effects with a simple installation.

ColorBlastPowercore offers a single solution for both indoor and outdoor applications.

Highlighting on the latest lighting solution trends, Joshi states that the LED market has been growing in India and is receiving slow but a positive growth. “With the advancement in technology and lighting going

16

Sumit Joshi

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digital, consumers are seeing tremendous potential in the LED lighting segment. LEDs are becoming the one stop solution for all lighting requirements, since they are not only restricted to home decor purposes but also cater to professional segments like street lighting, retail and industrial lighting,” he adds. Home automation is another technology which is quickly picking up pace and is set to transform the living standards. One touch technology and automated controls allows a lot of flexibility to consumers to utilise the products functionally without affecting the

pockets for regular maintenance costs. Philips offers a unique range of lighting solutions for the hospitality sector too.

Hospitable services From lamp and lighting installations to control solutions, Philips is a one stop shop for ambience and convenience, claims Joshi, adding that, “As a green energy enthusiast, we recommend green technology solutions to our clients.” In the hospitality segment, the company has closely worked with ITC Maurya Hotel, Delhi providing them with energy efficient LED

lamps which have subsequently reduced their lighting energy consumption and helped them with their green journey. “Cafe Ludus in Delhi is the recent project that we completed. The Philips Color Kinetics ColorFuse LED and Philips Dynalite controls provide a soothing and inspiring lighting experience to the guests. The tourist attraction places like India Gate and the historic Salt Lake Stadium were given lighting makeovers in the past two years,” reveals Joshi.

According to him there are various opportunities for reducing energy consumption and costs

INTERIORS & DESIGN in hotels. For example, lighting consumes 42 per cent of the electricity of a hotel and yet 70 per cent of hotel lighting is energyinefficient. However, gradually the hospitality sector is adopting green practices and are looking forward to more and more ecofriendly solutions for their hotels. “Hotels and restaurants are increasingly adopting LED lighting solutions which transform ambiances and are cost effective,” he informs.

Consumers in India too are increasingly adopting LED lighting solutions. “The users today are looking forward to smarter and energy efficient homes, offices, retail outlets, thereby, going for LED lights,” he reveals, pointing out , “The growth in demand and sales of our LED lighting products is a testimony to the awareness of consumers and their receptiveness towards the promising LED technology to light their homes and workplaces alike.” Philips offers a broad range of full-featured, energy-saving light products and solutions that reflect the best in energy saving technology available today, including the world's most energy efficient halogens, tublights, and high-quality compact fluorescents (CFLs), LEDs, etc. The green solutions offered

by Philips reduce costs, energy consumption and CO2 emissions. “Automation and system integration are attracting a lot of customers,” he points out. While Philips Dynalite system gives ultimate control and savings to hotels around the world, Philips Dynalite control solutions ensure lights are only used when needed, at a level that minimises energy consumption, without disturbing the guests’ comfort.

Philips Dynalite, he mentions, is the first choice for many of the world's major hotel groups.

Some of the world's most iconic buildings and landmarks feature Philips Dynalite systems. “To meet the increasing demands of our customers, we have also opened India’s first experiential professional lighting store, LightNext in Chennai. LightNext enables one to experience how lighting has progressed and developed over the years. The inhouse trained personnel assists

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and guides the customer across industries through their decision making process,” Joshi informs.

Social responsibility Keeping in mind the local power supply conditions and infrastructure engineering, in order to accelerate tourism in In-

dia, the company has taken keen interest in enhancing the monumental aesthetics. “Philips Lighting India in the past has lit up India Gate, New Delhi in 2012 and Gateway of India in Mumbai on January 24, 2014,” he mentions, stating that, “Tourists are attracted primarily by the archi-

tecture of a city as it becomes the show-window to the culture of a destination. With our range of innovative LED products, we aim to enhance the architecture of the city and create experiential and inspiring public spaces.”

The lighting technologies used are not only visually pleasing but

also energy efficient and reduce operational costs. “As a leader in the lighting sector, such initiatives perfectly sync with our message that Philips stands for‘Innovation and you’; and our goal is to improve people’s lives through meaningful innovations,” he concludes.

SPA & WELLNESS

The wellness commitment In the current day and age, spa and wellness users around the world are still looking for ways to manage and balance their lifestyle and its demands, which makes it imperative for providers to offer more specialised services

By Martha Wiedemann

W

HEN STUDYING what the customer wants from the spa and wellness industry, we first have to understand where the industry has come from and where it currently stands. It is the demands and desires of the user that have shaped the industry so far. This tremendous growth in demand has come about due to the im-

18

proved lifestyle this industry has offered its users in terms of wellbeing and the prevention of ill health. The spa industry as we know it today began with a strong focus on physical fitness, external beauty and grooming.

It was a lack of consciousness in the way people were living which resulted in an increase of related diseases, causing doctors and health practitioners to ad-

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vise patients to address and implement the necessary lifestyle changes. The health industry was also making us aware of the dangers of various lifestyle habits such as smoking tobacco, the lack of exercise and high calorie diets with poor nutritional value. The message became widespread and the spa and wellness industry soon became a source for solutions pro-

viding methods and specialists on how to achieve such lifestyle changes. They offered various exercise programmes, dietary advice and weight management, specific detoxification, even rehabilitations and cures, all under the concept of alternative healing. A new birth came about in the industry where spas became more diversified and specialised in what they offered. The user

could choose medical spas, detox spas, destination spas, resort spas or beauty spas, and the list did not stop here.

So where have we arrived today in terms of our health, and what do we want from the spa and wellness industry? We have become dependent on the industry to provide us with lifestyle solutions and well-being. Aside from longevity, we want to

combat the ageing process, improve our quality of life, prevent disease, and receive some guidance in our spiritual awareness, all with a pure and holistic approach. Today’s spa and wellness user is still looking for ways to manage and balance their lifestyle and its demands. Disorders are brought about by excessiveness. We are bombarded by information and communication. There is a lack of the true human connection and we seem to be drifting further from individuality, true meaning and purpose. The ailments may be changing, however, there continues to be a deficiency of consciousness in the way people are living.

How can we as an industry provide and work at improving and rectifying these disorders?

Firstly, one has to be well in order to give wellness. Secondly, we have to address the entirety of the individual and not aspects of their ill health. Thirdly and most importantly, we should assist each individual to live with a greater consciousness in all of

their choices and as a result, participate in their own well-being.

How does Palace Wellness look at being current in what it offers its clients? As a resort spa and wellness centre, we paid attention to the fact that each individual is unique in their lifestyle. Their experience with us may be periodical and for a limited time span. Our guests are usually specific with choosing the destination of our centre.

As we are set within a prominent resort hotel, we are conscious of their holiday experience. Having noted all of these points, we still have a specialised wellness team of professionals who are able to guide and assist each guest through a journey of well-being with the holistic care. The design of the centre is detailed with natural elements and merged with the magnificent purity of nature at its best. The centre is flooded with inspirational views of the Swiss Alps, natural light and fresh air. Even its design offers harmony and balance. The space can be enjoyed by all ages,

Martha Wiedemann

either individually, in groups socially or by families.

The facilities are diverse with an indoor pool complete with diving facility, an outdoor pool, whirlpool and Jacuzzi. It has a well-equipped fitness centre with personal trainers to guide and assist with specific programmes, a yoga room also with instruction. Palace Wellness has a complete wet zone or spa area with hot and cold stimulating therapies. Next to this is a relax-

ation room created for those peaceful meditative moments. In addition to this there is a ‹Treatment Centre› complete with 10 treatment rooms, two of which are spacious spa suites, a private Hair Spa, a Pedi Spa, a beauty room and body treatment rooms, all set around an Alpine garden. The spa suites are designed for couples and are equipped with private jacuzzis, sauna, steam room, private garden, bathrooms and its own treatment facilities. A variety of head to toe treatments offer therapeutic and beauty care by an experienced team of therapists. The products are predominantly of natural and organic ingredients aimed at achieving the required results for each of the therapies. Nature, ancient wisdoms, modern science and the experienced human touch are all instrumental in delivering beauty and well-being within the Treatment Centre.

Aside from the therapeutic care, Palace Wellness offers outdoor sports for the winter and for the summer season. As well-

ness is also about stimulating the sense of play, it offers ice skating, curling, tennis, basketball, volleyball, outdoor chess and table tennis and even an indoor pool table. There is a kids’ club and playground with experienced staff to entertain our young guests. The wellness space is also equipped with a restaurant to service its clients in their spa attire. A shop with wellness products, swimwear, sports attire, specialty items for kids and holiday gift ideas completes our guest’s needs during their stay.

The aim of Palace Wellness is to provide for the growing need of its clients and to remain current in this fast evolving industry: Today, it is a special haven or sanctuary for anyone who wants to enhance their state of well-being for a moment or through a journey of transformation.

(The writer is wellness advisor, Palace Wellness at Badrutt's Palace Hotel, St Mortiz, Switzerland)

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cover )

TECH NEXT From implementation of cloud services to understanding customer behaviour through business intelligence solutions, hospitality companies in India are opening up to adopting new technologies to future-proof their business and meet up with guest expectations

BY SUDIPTA DEV

“We have taken the guest experience to a level above” Louis Sailer GM, The Leela Palace New Delhi

F

ROM the best luxury properties in India to smart business hotels, technology is being a game changer in many ways. While cloud technologies are impacting operational efficiencies in hotels, the fast paced evolution in-room systems continue to enhance guest experience. The future will see greater adoption of cloud services, while trends like Big Data analysis (to understand guest behaviour and demands) will become more and more important. Social media will of course con-

20 FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD April 1-15, 2014

tinue to be a dominant influence in the industry.

For hotel companies, business intelligence (BI) will be a critical factor in the years to come. “BI enables organisations to gather quantifiable data on each area of the organisation and analyse it in a way that yields information they can act on — helping them enhance decision making, improve performance, mitigate risk and sometimes even create new business models is growing in importance,” says Ajay Gamre, corporate IT consultant for Alila Hotels & Resorts. The key technology trends to watch out for are - cloud services, social media, mobility and globalisation.

Operational goals for IT include

technology to generate revenue, lower expenses, and differentiating one property from another.

Redefining luxury Luxury hotel chains are understanding the need to integrate smart technology with their services. “We have taken the guest experience to a level above with the personal welcome message by the general manager on the in-room internet protocol based touch phone, use of smart technology like iPads, iRemotes and hands-free bathroom phones. The hotel further offers a comprehensive inroom entertainment system called Digivalet wherein guests can watch movies, listen to mu-

sic, play games and browse internet on the superior quality Sony television," says Louis Sailer, general manager, The Leela Palace New Delhi. All guest rooms and suites offer the comfort of iRemotes and iPads that bring a unique and a cutting edge experience to access information and enjoy worldclass entertainment. Apart from this, the hotel guestrooms incorporate internet protocol phones, mood lighting system, Sony HD LCD television sets with Blue-Ray compatibility and heating and cooling controls for all rooms. “The IP based touch phone placed beside the executive table in the rooms and suites make life a lot easier by enabling guests to check flight

(

THE MAIN FOCUS

details, weather information, stock market updates and more.

This interactive phone showcases details of hotel features – butlers, spa, F&B, etc, and in and around the city,” adds Sailer.

Talking about the security technologies he informs that the hotel is outfitted with state-of-the-art security surveillance and scanners for cars and humans at critical entry points. The guest elevators are enhanced with restricted access ensuring greater security. “The Leela Palace New Delhi further brings the luxury of the capital’s only temperature-controlled rooftop infinity swimming pool to enjoy the seamless use of highest technology,” mentions Sailer.

The constant endeavour at

The Leela Palace New Delhi is to work towards integrating the smartest technology that adds to the comfort of discerning travellers. “Also, on our radar always are the systems and technology that our employees use to create these exceptional experiences for our guests. Our IT experts look into ever detail and aspects to pioneer change that allows us to leap towards the next step for others to emulate,” states Sailer. He believes that while most attentive service and exceptional experience are indicators of absolute luxury, but in an era of bouyant technological measures where most guests are tech savvy, it is imperative for the luxury hotels to intertwine smart technology with

their services for the added comfort of the guests. “Technology has brought significant changes in this industry and will continue to drive change and innovation from the hotel floor to the corporate boardroom. Hotels that embrace technology will definitely gain a competitive edge in this rapidly changing world. I believe that the future of technology seems to be of one gadget that enables control from the entry, light system controls to all other gadgets in the room,” adds Sailer.

A luxury hotel group like Alila Hotels & Resorts has always had strong focus on technology. Every new hotel sees the implementation of latest technology to ensure that both the

hotel and guests benefit from it.

“Also by using the latest products and technology we do not have to worry on the vendor / partner support as since the products are new in the market there is ample support and we do not need to worry on the end of life aspect," says Gamre.

Transforming business It is important to choose technology that helps to transform the business rather than burden the bottom-line, along with of course providing value add to the guest experience.

Shwetank Singh, regional vice president – South Asia, Premier Inn points out that while the advantages of technology adoption are unfathomable, there is a cost

“BI enables organisations to gather quantifiable data” Ajay Gamre, Corporate IT Consultant, Alila Hotels & Resorts

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cover ) attached to it, which sometimes becomes a thorn of contention between the technology solution providers and the investors.

“The same is true in the case of hospitality products as well.

Technology throws up alternate cost effective tools to overcome every possible challenge from time to time,” he adds.

Cloud technology has made it possible for small and medium scale hoteliers to get all their online distribution activities integrated without really bothering about big upfront investments to set up IT infrastructure in house. “The technology is a convenient model especially for players in the SME segment who do not have the budget to deploy the entire IT infrastructure in-house. The Indian hospitality industry has changed tremendously in recent years.

Technological innovations are some of the biggest drivers behind this change. Speeding up decision-making, facilitating guest reservations, widening information access, improving payment options, and managing outsourcing processes, technological innovations lead to ever higher efficiency levels. Technology in hotels is increasingly giving them a cutting edge over their competition. Rooms become multi-functionary and can be used flexibly, as an entertainment centre or as an office,” informs Singh. IT implementations in the hospitality sector still needs to evolve more and transform the business or industry so that it can reap the benefits of emerging technology trends.

The major challenges for this are the legacy applications that are still prevalent in the industry which are not able to catch up with the new trends.

It is also a known fact that hotel developers keep the priority for IT as the lowest among the other expenditure whilst building a hotel. “This attitude needs to be changed sooner to make IT as business transformer,” asserts Singh.

New implementations Those hotel companies who have understood the effective-

ness of technology for their business, have a strong focus on investing in new implementations, this could range from major initiatives like establishing their data centre to minor upgradations in the existing systems. Recently, Premier Inn has locked down the laptops/desktops using Symantec Endpoint protection manager. This has helped in protecting the devices against any security breach or virus/malware attack from the portable/removable storage devices. “This is interesting as to achieve this functionality we may had to buy a different solution altogether, but meticulous analysis of features of existing Anti Virus Software (Symantec Endpoint Protection) helped us to tweak this out without any spends, “ informs Singh. The other notable implementation is the PMS in the company's private cloud and DR felicity for the Exchange server.

Alila Hotels & Resorts has just procured and installed a web based Wi-Fi Controller along with New Access Points having the N technology that can cater to the latest smartphones and tablets, in the market. “The Wi-Fi controller helps us to monitor the bandwidth usage along with capturing the MAC ID of the device used as per government norms. We also get to know looking at the webbased screen which access point is working and which needs trouble shooting. This also makes the team more efficient in their approach and through this process we can service our guests' needs more effectively.

We provide free internet in all our hotels worldwide as a service to our guests hence; we need to ensure it works seamlessly for our guests. We are working to

Shwetank Singh Regional VP – South Asia, Premier Inn

“The technology cycle is so much faster than the hotel refurbishment cycle” Gopal Rao, Director Sales and Marketing, South West Asia, IHG

“We believe in upgradation from time to time” Suraj Kumar Jha GM, Holiday Inn Mumbai International Airport

move all applications on the cloud for seamless connectivity and a better security. Users can access all our applications online through a good internet connection and stay connected even while travelling or in some other location,” says Gamre, adding

that the second area of the future IT implementation is to work on their own PMS to save costs to the owners on the PMS as the license costs are huge.

Gamre is particularly proud of his company's own data centre.

“Since some of our applications are cloud based and cater to users which are in various locations within India and abroad we needed to have a data centre which will cater to various requests as web services, VPN (Virtual Private Network), etc.

Now things are much easier with remote access, screen sharing applications and Skype," he says. The data centre also has a biometric access to monitor unauthorised access.

Changing guest expectations The rapid pace of technology innovations has changed the expectation of guests which is a challenge that most hotel companies constantly face. Free, fast Wi-Fi is a hygiene factor for most guests. They also expect to be able to book online and do other hotel-related tasks on whatever device they happen to own. “Hotels must therefore provide the expected amenities and keep pace with innovation in order to ensure web-based features work on a wide range of devices. Our belief is that the days of hoteliers trying to make the hotel room mimic the home are over; it is just not feasible to keep up. What you put into the room today will become outdated very quickly as the technology cycle is so much faster than the hotel refurbishment cycle,” says Gopal Rao, director sales and marketing, South West Asia, IHG. He points out that a minimalist strategy works with three key technology basics in-

More guests would need multiple device connectivity. The biggest challenge hotels are facing is the issue of bandwidth. We are working towards higher bandwidth to provide guests uninterrupted connectivity

22 FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD April 1-15, 2014

“Technology throws up alternate cost effective tools to overcome every possible challenge”

room in place: Great high definition TV; high quality bandwidth; and media panel that can allow the guest to connect their devices to the TV though USB, many power charging sockets, etc.

Increasingly, guests will bring-their-own content (BYOC) and device (BYOD), so it is about enabling them to easily connect to the internet. Rao remarks that attraction for broadcast TV is also changing into 'on-demand' with players such AppleTV, GoogleTV and Netflix.

“The current programmed channel broadcasting of content will evolve in the very near future. Technology in the room is not a sustainable competitive advantage. Having said that, India is on a different stage of maturity, as guests have a different expectation of hotel rooms. They expect hotels to provide a higher level of sophistication in experience above what they have in their homes, so they may still expect more cable channels, videos on demand, etc,” states Rao. As a business hotel, one of the features in all the rooms at Holiday Inn Mumbai International Airport is the iPod docking station. Besides serving as a charger, it has in-built speakers to connect with the iPods, and also has an alarm clock. The LCD screens in each room are retractable and have a media hub. “All the rooms are sound proof and have electronically controlled window shades for the bathrooms. We believe in upgradation from time to time.

In the room, the guest is provided with Connectivity Panels to connect their laptops, iPods/ iphones, video cameras and gaming consoles to the in-room TV. We also provide banqueting facilities equipped with superior technology,” says Suraj Kumar Jha, GM, Holiday Inn Mumbai International Airport.

Hotels have to gear up to adapt to various technologies which change quite frequently.

Jha avers that hotels worldwide are increasingly integrating technologies and are offering business and leisure travellers futuristic conveniences.

GM SPEAK

The pied-piper of Kochi Strategically located amidst a growing IT hub, Crowne Plaza Kochi has been gaining prominence since its inception a year back.

Sanjay Kaushik, general manager of the property talks about the recent infrastructural developments in the city and strategies to attract the booming MICE segment and augment the brand's growth in a competitive environment

By Rituparna Chatterjee

F

rom the bustling cosmopolitan cities to hill stations, India has diverse destinations offering beautiful backdrops for business meetings. To tap the growing MICE demand, the country is continuously increasing its MICE facilities, ranging from world-class convention centres and airports to business hotels with state-ofthe-art conference halls. One of the additions to this portfolio of offerings is the Crowne Plaza Kochi, which officially opened its doors on January last year.

Ideally located on the NH 47 Bypass with easy access to the International Container Transshipment Terminal, Infopark, Fort Kochi, and 33 kilometers away from the Cochin International Airport, Crowne Plaza Kochi has become one of the premium business hotels in the city. “The hotel caters to MICE, FITs, leisure and corporate travellers and its location offers easy access through Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi, which is an IT hub,” opines

Sanjay Kaushik, general manager, Crowne Plaza Kochi. The hotel boasts of 269 rooms including 14 suites, a health centre, outdoor swimming pool and spa, and 14 meeting rooms covering 24,000 sq ft of space and having a capacity to host up to 900 people. For the property as well for other hotels across the city, the Middle East is a big market with huge potential. “Business is promising as the European market is growing especially Spain. For Kochi, the Middle East is a big market and every hotel will get a fair share of the business,” states Kaushik, adding that, Crowne Plaza Kochi has been getting many bachelor guests from the Middle East during Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calender observed by the Muslims as a month of fasting.

Infrastructural boost Apart from the huge potential for tourism from the Middle East, the hospitality sector in Kochi is also poised for more

Sanjay Kaushik

growth with numerous infrastructural projects coming up in the city and in other Southern states mentions Kaushik.

Currently, the Royal Dutch Shell’s India unit is in the process of building a floating liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal off Kakinada in a joint venture with Reliance Power by 2014 to harness the huge potential for gas imports in India.

Furthermore, the metro rail construction is also underway to connect Aluva and Pettah in Kochi. The construction which began in June 2013 and is scheduled to be commissioned in 2016 will run a 25 km long

route. In addition to this, a proposal has been made to extend the route to SN Junction in Tripunithura. Adding to these projects, is the proposed expansion of the naval base of the Vizhinjam port, which received in-principle approval from the state government last year.

Apart from these project, Kochi is also expected to get a boost in hotel inventory with international hotel chains like Hyatt Hotels & Resorts and Movenpick Hotels & Resorts planning to open properties under their respective brands in Kochi.

“2014 is a prosperous year for the hotel industry in Kochi since

Business is promising as the European market is growing especially Spain. For Kochi, the Middle East is a big market.

Crowne Plaza Kochi has been getting many bachelor guests from the Middle East during Ramadan FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD

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GM SPEAK

these infrastructural developments will bring in a lot of corporate travellers into the city.

Presently, Kochi has an advantage since its demand is higher than supply. However, this market will saturate in the next two years unless medical and education tourism opens in full swing to combat the future stagnancy in the market, new markets are explored, more cohesive PPP model is encouraged and new initiatives are taken up by the state government to create demand through more infrastructural developments,” says Kaushik.

Strategic alliances With increasing demand for rooms and the presence of many international hotel brands in the Kochi hospitality market, the strategy for hotels to get a fair share of the market is by working together, reasons Kaushik. For this purpose, Kaushik has formed strategic alliances with the general managers of Holiday Inn Cochin and Le Méridien Kochi so that the convention centres of the three hotels can be shared to host large conventions and accommodate large MICE groups. This mutual alliance has been bringing the spill over business to the hotel. “Currently, we are working with Le

Méridien Kochi to pitch in for the rubber conference,” he mentions. The hotel has also tied-up with hospitals which has helped it in contributing its share to medical tourism in the city. “We have also formed strategic alliances with hospitals wherein we act as a facilitator,” he mentions.

The hotel presently gets 30 to 40 per cent of the business on its own, 12 per cent comes from the OTAs, which is increasing continuously, and a percentage comes in from the spill over. Furthermore, Kaushik has also reserved a small percentage of the hotel's room inventory to cater to those customers who share a long-standing relationship with the hotel. “This in turn will help create a strong brand image,” he states, adding that, “Five to 10 per cent of the rooms are reserved as buffer for relationships and emergencies.” With an average occupancy rate of 55 per cent, the hotel witnesses highest occupancy during September and March. As for his strategy during the off-season, he states, “We have our special rates for the wholesale market, since most companies do their MICE events during the off-season. Our focus will be on MICE, the wholesale market

24 FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD April 1-15, 2014

and the Arab segment – both the upper segment which travels during the monsoon season and the lower segment which travels during the off-season.”

To tap the booming MICE segment of Kerala, IHG is also in the process of developing a national sales office in India based in Gurgaon wherein a national sales team will be deputed in Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru initially to primarily focus on different MICE segments like IT, pharmaceuticals, FMCG to name a few. “All the segments will be handled by different marketing sectors. Travel agents who do MICE events will be our focus, since Kerala has a lot to offer to the MICE segment. We will advise the travel agents to do pre and post event tours within Kerala, which in turn will give us an edge over all other MICE markets in India,” reveals Kaushik.

As for his plans for the hotel in 2014, he reveals, “We will focus completely on MICE and medical tourism. IHG has national sales teams and regional offices in Dubai which looks after the Middle East market.

This year we are participating in ATM, Dubai and we are going to take all these supports to market Kerala and then Crowne Plaza Kochi.”

EVENT TRACKER DATE

EVENT

VENUE

April 2 – 4, 2014

Vinaria

Plovdiv (Bulgaria)

April 2 - 8, 2014

Wine & Gourmet Japan

Tokyo (Japan)

April 4 - 6, 2014

Salon du Chocolat- Zurich

Zurich

April 4 - 6, 2014

Sugar Paris

Paris

April 6 – 9, 2014

Vinitaly

Verona (Italy)

April 6 - 9, 2014

Enolitech

Verona (Italy)

April 8 - 10, 2014

China International Green Food & Organic Food Exhibition

Beijing (China)

April 8 - 11, 2014

FHA Singapore

Singapore

April 9 – 11, 2014

Siberian Beer. Soft Drinks

Novosibirsk (Russia)

April 10 – 13, 2014

Ibatech

Istanbul

April 11 – 13, 2014

Tea and Coffee World Cup Europe

Warsaw (Poland)

April 11 – 13, 2014

Tampere Wine Fair

Tampere (Finland)

April 13 – 14, 2014

Natural Products Europe

London

April 22 – 24, 2014

Expovinis Brasil

Sao Paulo

April 22 – 24, 2014

Pivovar (Brewer)

Moscow

April 24 – 27, 2014

Bonsai Slovakia

Nitra (Slovakia)

May 6 - 8, 2014

Coffee Fest- St Louis

St Louis, Mo (USA)

May 22 - 24, 2014

BIOFACH China

Shanghai (China)

May 30 – June 1, 2014

Seafood Processing Europe

Brussel

June 1 – 30, 2014

Semana Verde de Galicia

Silleda (Spain)

June 12 - 14, 2014

Food Hospitality World

Bengaluru

June 24 – 27, 2014

Fispal cafe

Sao Paulo

June 26 - 30, 2014

Dalian Tea Fair

Dalian (China)

August 14 - 16, 2014

Hong Kong International Tea Fair

Hong Kong

September 4 - 6, 2014

Expo Chocolate

Mexico City

September 7 - 9, 2014

Speciality Chocolate Fair

London

September 24 - 26, 2014

COTECA

Hamburg (Germany)

Sept 28- Oct 26, 2014

BIBAC Expo

Antwerp (Belgium)

October 23 - 25, 2014

Triestespresso Expo

Trieste (Italy)

November 1, 2014

Seoul International Cafe Show

Seoul

November 14 - 17, 2014

Gluten Free Expo

Brescia (Italy)

January 8 - 11, 2015

Expo Natura

Istanbul (Turkey)

May 3 - 6, 2015

TuttoFood

Milan

October 2015

Organic Trade Forum

Cologne (Germany)

FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD

25

April 1-15, 2014

TECH TALK

On the go check-out Scandic is the first hotel chain in the Nordic region to offer digital check-out at all its 154 hotels across Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and Poland, which has significantly enhanced customer experience

H

O S P I TA L I T Y Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) Europe in association with Hospitality Technology Europe had recently announced the first ever Top 20 extraordinary minds in sales, marketing and technology across Europe. Leading Nordic hotel group, Scandic was the winner in the category “The digital winner” for its online check-out solution.

Scandic Hotels has 154 hotels in operation across Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and Poland, with a total inventory of 29,566 rooms.

The online check-out system is now available at all hotels in the chain. With just a few simple clicks on their smartphone or computer, guests can quickly pay their room, minibar and restaurant bill when it suits them, gaining a welcome bit of extra time in the morning. Scandic estimates that in the first year it will see half a million digital check-outs. In the following year, Scandic expects to see that number double. This is because the service is so simple to use that it gives guests immediate added value.

Last summer, Scandic conducted a pilot project at Scandic Park in Stockholm, where the new mobile check-out solution was evaluated and fine-tuned.

The pilot project was well received and now the mobile check-out system is being rolled out at all Scandic’s hotels. All that is needed to check-out with a smartphone is for the guest’s telephone number or email ad-

dress to be registered at checkin. The night before check-out, guests receive a text message and can check their bill, add purchases from the minibar, update their address details and pay for their stay. The receipt is forwarded by email and the keycard can simply be dropped off at reception on the way out.

“It feels great to be the first to make this move, but the important point is that this is something guests have been waiting for,” says Frank Fiskers, CEO, Scandic. “Checking out is seen by many guests as the tiresome part of a hotel stay and it is sometimes associated with queues and morning stress. Now we are offering guests a smart shortcut that gives them a more pleasant start to the day. They can check out when it suits them, and some guests will no doubt check out the evening before so they can enjoy a more leisurely breakfast.”

The hotel industry has so far been cautious and rather slow with its digital services, mostly focusing thus far on making it easy to book hotel rooms by computer and mobile. However, these days many Nordic guests take it for granted that they can manage their bank accounts and shop for, book, rearrange and pay for travel on their smartphone. Scandic saw check-out as a natural place to start. The feedback from the guests has also been positive.

“It’s definitely time for us to give guests added value they appreciate by exploiting the almost infinite possibilities that digital technology now offers,” says Johan Michelson, vice president, brand and products, Scandic.

“We will continue adding more digital services, and right now

26 FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD April 1-15, 2014

With just a few simple clicks on their smartphone or computer, guests can quickly pay their room, minibar and restaurant bill when it suits them, gaining a welcome bit of extra time in the morning we’re looking at check-in and conference booking, although as I said, this is all at an early stage.”

“This is an important tool for improved convenience, making stays easier for our guests. Many people are familiar with similar solutions in other contexts, such as banking and airports. It feels only natural that we should offer the same facility at our hotels.

We believe guests will appreciate being able to check out on

their smartphone instead of standing in a queue in the morning,” comments Olle Söder, project manager, Scandic.

The hotel industry has so far taken a more traditional approach to this technology and no-one has taken the leap in offering the service at all their hotels. Scandic will now be the first hotel chain in the Nordic region to provide a simple and worry-free self-

service option at all its hotels.

Scandic has chosen French company Ariane Systems as its supplier. Ariane focuses exclusively on self-service solutions for the hotel industry and has around 1500 installations in Europe. Together with Ariane, Scandic has reworked the service to ensure a better experience for users with a focus on fast mobile solutions.

TECH BYTES

Hotels.com redesigns app for iOS7 The new interface can help customers manage their travel budget and preferences better

H

OTELS.COM has re-designed its iPhone and iPad app for iOS7 to provide a new interface which makes the mobile booking experience even quicker and easier for its customers. The new app puts an easy-to-use map at the heart of the hotel search, enabling users to find a hotel in the right location. It is easier than before to find local deals even for last minute bookings. The new app makes extensive use of high

resolution imagery, and the booking process is now smoother, with the app remembering customer details and securely storing payment information.

Adam Jay, VP, global product, Hotels.com comments, “At Hotels.com we are committed to delivering the best possible customer experience throughout everything that we do. With our app, across mobile, Kindle and tablet, our representation is growing in proportion to our overall bookings. Hence it is critical that our apps make it

easy and fun to find and book the right hotel. Our latest update for iOS7 has created a highly intuitive user interface, making it even easier to find the perfect hotel. It is quick for customers to access any information they might need, and there is advice and inspiration from the millions of genuine customer reviews available through the app.�

With the Hotels.com app, customers are given the choice to pay for their hotel at the time of booking or once they arrive at the hotel, enabling cus-

tomers to manage their travel budget and preferences. Further functionality means that Hotels.com customers can easily access their account to check future, current and past bookings without needing to be online.

Other upgrades to the app for iOS7 include improvements to the user experience when it comes to in-app access to Welcome Rewards, Hotels.com’s award winning customer loyalty programme. Since its launch in the US and Latin America in 2008 and the exten-

sion to all Hotels.com sites worldwide in 2011, Welcome Rewards, the industry leading customer loyalty programme, has attracted more than 10 million members, who have collectively redeemed over one million free nights. The new update to the app now makes it easier for users to navigate their Welcome Rewards account and reap benefits of the service.

The Hotels.com apps offer customers access to more than 260,000 hotels worldwide in more than 25,000 destinations.

HUMAN RESOURCES

A SKILLFUL INVESTMENT Seeking to proactively build their 'Talent Bench Strength' across geographies, functions and levels, Starwood Hotels strives to provide meaningful career development for individuals. Ritu S Verma, regional director- human resources, South Asia, Starwood Asia Pacific Hotels & Resorts tells us why the company has always believed in attracting, developing and retaining talent

By Kahini Chakraborty

T

HE BATTLE for market share in the future will be fought over talent', this statement made by the regional vice president Dilip Puri, holds true, firmly believes Ritu S Verma, regional director - human resources, South Asia, Starwood Asia Pacific Hotels & Resorts. Reasoning the same, she explains, that the demand for manpower during this period will be much more than supply and this will lead to escalated career growth, innovative ways of hiring and focus on productivity. Hence keeping this in mind, she adds, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide launched the Asia Pacific Recruitment Day in 2012 which has been successful till date in attracting top talents across multiple functions to explore a range of employment opportunities. “This day was piloted in 2012 across 100 hotels located in 50 cities and it attracted 16,000 candidates in the very first year. In the next year the event grew bigger and India was a part of it. The event successfully attracted 20,000 candidates across the division,” she mentions. However this year Starwood Asia Pacific Recruitment Day has been renamed as Starwood Careers Day to reflect Starwood’s talent strategy that goes beyond talent attraction, to include talent development and talent retention.

This year Starwood Careers Day was held on March 21, with the region’s goal to fill about 25,000 positions at all levels and functions in over 260 hotels by the end of 2014. In India, Starwood Careers Day took place in 17 properties across key cities such as Gurgaon, Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad, Chennai, Bengaluru, Dhaka, Kochi, Jaipur, Ahmedabad and Coimbatore.

“Starwood Careers seeks to proactively build our Talent Bench Strength that spans across geographies, functions and levels, while providing meaningful career development for individuals,” she affirms, stating that, for them, it is the right attitude and aptitude that have always been the important parameters taken into consideration while recruiting. “We at Starwood hire candidates who have the potential to learn, evolve and grow with the company, those who are willing to embrace the Starwood Cares culture and make a valuable contribution while realising their own personal and professional

Doing their bit

Ritu S Verma

aspirations,” she asserts.

When asked about the major gap between theoretical and practical knowledge provided by hospitality institutes in India, she quickly replies, “I strongly feel that the curriculum in the hospitality colleges has not moved along with the changes in the industry and hence when students come to practical working scenario they have to unlearn many things and then

We hire candidates who have the potential to learn and grow with the company, and who are willing to embrace the Starwood Cares culture

28 FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD April 1-15, 2014

learn the new way of doing business and service. Most of the IHM colleges are government run and hence the industry should get together to work with the government body to revamp the curriculum.”

So what is Starwood's HR system policy and strategies with recruitment? To which Verma says, that the company has a multipronged strategy for recruitment which is a part of their overall HR strategy of ADR (Attract, Develop and Retain).

“We route all hiring (both internal and external) through our Global Recruitment Portal – Star Finder. Some of the key initiatives driven to recruit are –External Bench Strength; Internal Succession Planning; Management Trainee Programme; Starwood Class. Today Starwood is recognised as a best employer and has become an inspirational company to work for,” she boasts.

The programme is organised under three distinct clusters of tracks: the Executive Track, the Mid-Management Track and the Entry-Level Track. Under each Track, career paths are mapped out by profiling critical job responsibilities and key competencies required for the specific roles. For every Track the candidates goes through a mix of development experiences compris-

ing of classroom learning, self-directed e-learning, on the job coaching, mentoring and project based learning. Cross department exposure is provided and organisation-wide mobility is encouraged. “The programme also nurtures cross cultural sensitisation and diversity, which is critical for a global company,” she mentions.

Tackling attrition Even though attrition rate is high, hospitality is a business that will continue to grow, she opines, adding, “India is a under hotel market, and hence the need for quality lodging will always be there.” Hence Starwood has rolled out the Next Gen Service Culture - a re-imagined approach where associates learn and think differently and navigate their own path anchored by the company's promises and service essentials. “It combines classroom with experiential and tech driven self-paced learning.

In terms of expectations of associates, we have to be sensitive to the fact that they are more aware, tech savvy and socially connected. We need to speak to them and their needs to have them stay engaged. Also in the future we need to move beyond work life balance towards a company that can provide opportunities for smooth and seamless work life integration,” she believes.

MOVEMENTS Holiday Inn Mumbai International Airport MK KHAN has joined as the food and beverage manager at Holiday Inn Mumbai International Airport. In his last stint he was associated with The Gateway Hotel Residency Road, Bangalore in the same capacity. He started his career with Crowne

earlier worked with Stamford Hotels & Resorts, Australia; Stamford Grand Adelaide, South Australia; Stamford Plaza Adelaide, South Australia; Heritage Hotel & Towers, Auckland, New Zealand; Skycity Auckland, New Zealand and Shangri-La Kathmandu.

Hilton Bangalore Residences

The Westin Mumbai Garden City SHIKHA KHANNA has been appointed as housekeeping manager at The Westin Mumbai Garden City. She has completed her Masters Degree in Hotel Opera-

MK Khan

Kalyan Ghanagam

director of human resources and Chef Sameer Luthra as executive chef. SHIV BOSE comes with over a decade of experience in the hotel industry, with his most recent and successful stint at Starwood Hotels & Resorts as operations manager- South Asia.

Meanwhile KALYAN

VIKAS SHARMA has been appointed as general manager at the Hilton Bangalore Residences. The property is scheduled to open in the first quarter of 2014. In his former role at Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Sharma was general manager for Aloft, Bangalore. Prior to this, he was the general manager for The Chancery Pavilion, Bengaluru. Previously, he has held several positions in food and beverage operations with Taj Hotels Resorts & Palaces in Mumbai and Bentota, Sri Lanka. He also served as the director, food and beverage, for InterContinental, New Delhi, and was

joined Evason Ana Mandara as the resort’s executive chef.

In 1982, Huynh headed to New York and lived with an upstate family that owned an Italian restaurant. He trained and worked there, moving up the ranks from sous-chef to executive chef. Three years later, and still at his chef post, Huynh decided to follow in his father’s footsteps and study architecture. In 2001, Huynh opened his own restaurant, named Bao 111. Soon after, he added Mai House restaurant to his portfolio.

Plaza Surya New Delhi and later joined The Imperial New Delhi.

He has also worked in JW Marriott and The Leela Mumbai as well.

Novotel Kolkata Hotel and Residences RAJ KAKARLA has been appointed as general manager, Novotel Kolkata Hotel and Residences. He has a comprehensive experience of 23 years in the hospitality industry and hails from National Council for Hotel Man-

Shikha Khanna

tions and Accommodation from IHM. She has over 11 years of experience in the hospitality industry. Her last assignment was at Grand Hyatt Mumbai.

Aloft Bengaluru, Cessna Business Park Aloft Bengaluru, Cessna Business Park has announced three appointments – Shiv Bose as executive assistant manager, Kalyan Ghanagam as assistant

Raj Kakarla

agement, India. Before assuming the current responsibility, he worked as a general manager in Oakwood Premier Prestige Bangalore and Oakwood Residence Whitefield Bangalore. He has

Chef Sameer Luthra

Bede Barry

GHANAGAM, formerly the assistant director of human resources at Sheraton Udaipur Palace Resort & Spa, has held HR and training roles for The Westin hotels in both Mumbai and Hyderabad.

CHEF SAMEER LUTHRA brings his vast culinary expertise to the newly launched Aloft Bengaluru Cessna Business Park. He is a seasoned chef with over 12 years of experience serving in various hospitality, food and beverage positions around the globe. He started his career in 2001 as a management trainee with the Taj Group of Hotels.

nounced the appointment of BEDE BARRY as general manager of the property. Originally from Australia, Barry has more than 25 years of experience in the hospitality industry, working in luxury hotels throughout Europe and Southeast Asia. He studied at Salburger Hotelfachschule hotel school in Austria, where he received a diploma in hotel and restaurant management. He then went on to work primarily in the rooms division for Hyatt Hotels and Resorts in Tokyo, Shanghai, Singapore and Hong Kong. In 2010 he moved to Macao to take up his most recent position as general manager, Grand Lapa Macao.

Conrad Macao, Cotai Central Evason Ana Mandara Shiv Bose

FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD

Sands Cotai Central has an-

part of the pre-opening team at the Radisson Hotel, New Delhi.

MICHAEL BAO HUYNH has

Chateau Saint Martin & Spa DUARTE BON DE SOUSA has been appointed as general manager of Chateau Saint Martin & Spa in Vence. While FRANCK FERIGUTTI has been appointed as executive chef of the property's Michelinstarred restaurant Le SaintMartin. They will take up their positions at the hotel for the opening of the season on April 18, 2014. Sousa and Ferigutti holder of Meilleur Ouvrier de France (MOF) - already head up the senior team at the Oetker Collection’s sister property L'Apogée Courchevel which opened in December 2013.

FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD

29

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weekend

Scene and heard

With Marcellus Baptista

Cheerful lot

Sonakshi Sinha and Manish Malhotra at the LFW opening show at Grand Hyatt

IT WAS ALL very cheerful at the special Stoli lounge at LFW. The pre-show cocktails for designers like Manish Malhotra, Narendra Kumar and Tarun Tahiliani attracted the swish set. On offer were cocktails prepared with Stolichnaya premium vodka as the base, crafted by mixologist Shatbhi Basu. The six styleinspired cocktails had names like Te Amo, Picante, Crazy for Luv, Flame o' the forest, Hot Wired and Perla Azul. Enjoying the experience at the Stoli lounge were the likes of Kalki Koechlin, Kangana Ranaut and Amisha Patel among many more. And the good news is that these cocktails would also be available in select bars around town.

Stylish start THE FASHIONABLE HOTEL GRAND HYATT was once again the centre of attraction as it was the happy venue for the Lakmé Fashion Week Summer/Resort 2014. It all began with the opening show by celebrated couturier Manish Malhotra who spun his tale of romance, colour, style and creativity on the catwalk. ‘A Summer Affair’ was what the designer called his collection and what you saw was summer in full bloom with a recreation of a mini forest comprising tree trunks curved along the ramp, clumps of blossoms and creepers flowing from the ceiling and an arch of foliage at the entrance to the ramp. Unfolding before your eyes were around 60 ensembles, ending with showstopper Sonakshi Sinha in a long floor-kissing sheer black kurta with splendid white embroidery.

Kareena Kapoor and models at the LFW grand finale at Grand Hyatt

Trendy ending

Kalki Koechlin at the Stoli lounge at LFW

AFTER PRE-SHOW cocktails at China House it was time to head to the garden lawn for the LFW grand finale

by Rajesh Pratap Singh. Inspired by Illusions, Lakmé’s statement for the season, it was a superb interplay of light on colour makeup conceptualised with the new Lakmé Absolute Illusion range. Mirrors framed with flickering diyas occupied the centre of the ramp, setting the mood for the finale. Pastels and metallic yarns, glass weaves, black and midnight shades with shimmering silver highlights was what you saw. And the shining showstopper was Kareena Kapoor who was dressed in a rich long sleeved V-neck and low-back shimmering black gown.

Magical mix ART AND MUSIC MAGICALLY came together at Arola at JW Marriott as Absolut Elyx and Sanjay Gupta presented ‘In An Artists Mind IV’ by Gallerie Angel Arts. Guests glanced at the artworks curated by Reshma Jani and Shwetambari Soni, sipped luxury vodka cocktails, had a bite of Spanish delights by Chef Sergi and enjoyed the live saxophone music. Viewing the wondrous artworks and photographs by Sanjay Gupta were the many guests like Arjun Rampal, Anupam Kher, Tusshar Kapoor, Krishika Lulla, Manasi and Rohit Roy, Gulshan Grover, Vivek Oberoi, Kunal Kapoor, Schauna Chauhan and Brinda Miller.

Sanjay Gupta, Reshma Jani, Shwetambari Soni and Anu Gupta at the art event at Arola

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April 1-15, 2014

weekend

E V E N T S

SPECIAL INVITE On the occasion of International Women's Day, Marriott International invited women achievers for an exclusive event with professional golfer and Arjuna Awardee Shiv Kapur

NEW CHAPTER Rajiv Duggal, senior VP - tourism, hospitality and leisure, Lavasa Corporation received the PATWA international award for emerging destination in India for Lavasa from Taleb Rifai, secretary-general, United Nation's World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and Sagar Ahluwalia, secretary general, PATWA

GROWING INTEREST Cecilia Oldne, global brand ambassador and head –

COMING OF AGE L-R: Shatbhi Basu, India’s first lady bartender along with

international business and communications, Sula Vineyards’ hosted an exclusive Degustation Dinner in collaboration with Justwine on the occasion of Sula Vineyards wine launch in China, at Chaohuang Restaurant in Guangzhou

fashion designer Nishka Lulla prepare cocktails at Stoli Lounge at Lakme Fashion Week Summer Resort 2014, held in Mumbai

STAR-STUDDED NIGHT L-R: Edward Tracy, president and CEO, Sands China; SHOW OF SKILL Indian Culinary Forum in association with ITPO organised the Culinary Art India 2014 , an award ceremony, held at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi.

The ceremony was held to award the winners of the four-day culinary competition wherein 250 chefs competed under 15 different categories

42 FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD April 1-15, 2014

Janet Tracy; Kevin Spacey, American actor and Best Buddies supporter; and Anthony Kennedy Shriver, founder and chairman of Best Buddies International walked the red carpet at The Venetian Macao, before attending The Venetian Ball 2014: A Night of Glitz and Glamour, where Tiffany & Co was the presenting sponsor. The event raised funds for Best Buddies Macao – a chapter of Best Buddies International

REGD.WITH RNI NO.MAHENG/2012/42381, REGD.NO.MH/MR/SOUTH-383/2013-15,PUBLISHED ON 2ND & 17TH EVERY FORTNIGHT, POSTED ON 2, 3, 4 & 17,18,19 OF EVERY FORTNIGHT POSTED AT MUMBAI PATRIKA CHANNEL SORTING OFFICE.