SUHAIL KANNAMPILLY
Pool at The Fern Gir
Forest Resort, Sasan Gir
five globes – water conservation, energy efficiency, solid waste DOMESTIC MICE MOVEMENT
management, employee education and community awareness. HAS RECOVERED POST-
As a Group, we are actively involved in programmes like
#iamsurti, a community awareness programme to save every PANDEMIC AND IS DRIVING
drop of water which has led to a 2.5 million litres saving in a SIGNIFICANT VOLUMES
year and advanced locality management where the Fern
property is an active member in its locality. Community equity partnership and management contracts,” he discloses.
initiatives, often led by the Green Team, range from working
alongside local administrators and residents in planning LOOKING AHEAD
infrastructure projects to outreach projects in schools and With 90 hotels at present and a pipeline of 20 opening in the
cleanliness drives,” informs Kannampilly who religiously takes next two years, Kannampilly aims to reach the magical figure of
an annual holiday with family and spends the weekends with 100 soon. “Going forward, we want to increase our bandwidth
them too. “On work days, I try to get an evening swim which with two main objectives. One, driving volume business and
helps me de-stress after a day at the office,” he says. profitability to our existing hotels and two, upping the ante of
growth from the average 15 to 25 hotels a year. Our focus is to
Ask the Concept Hospitality CEO his mantra to stay get to the 150 mark by 2025,” he says. n
relevant in today’s world and he is quick to reply, “I distinctly
remember listening to an interview of late Arne Sorenson who
served as the President and CEO of Marriott International,
describing the Marriott chain in one word – ‘restless’. I remember
thinking that we have to be truly driven when the number one in
the industry is still restless. Our goal has always been to be
recognised as a partner of choice, an employer of choice and a
hotel of choice. That’s been our focus and we have a long way to
go to get there. As a partner of choice today, we are probably the
only Indian company open to all forms of engagement if the deal
is right for both. We are taking on properties on revenue share,
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51
OWNER’S PERSPECTIVE
CHANGING
WITH THE
TIMES
JW MARRIOTT AEROCITY BY BULBUL DHAWAN
OWNER SANDEEP GUPTA –
EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN, ARIA AS A second generation hotelier, he had his path carved out but he
HOTELS & CONSULTANCY – still wanted to prove his mettle. And he did it with élan. Today, JW
HAS ADAPTED CUSTOMER Marriott Hotel New Delhi Aerocity is not only a reflection of all that
NEEDS AT EVERY TURN OF Sandeep Gupta wanted to do in 2013 when the hotel was built but
HIS HOSPITALITY JOURNEY also a mirror image of his journey and evolution as a numero uno
hotelier.
Gupta, Executive Chairman of Aria Hotels & Consultancy,
began his career in the hospitality industry 24 years ago when he
started the construction of Hyatt Regency Kolkata in 1998. Once
the hotel opened its doors to the guests almost half-a-decade
later, Gupta decided to take the next step. With the desire to step
into the luxury market, he began eyeing the premium Aerocity
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52
SANDEEP GUPTA
Complex and in 2008 acquired the land where now stands the allows guests to relax. And post-Covid19, the property brought in
majestic JW Marriott Aerocity. well-known fashion designer JJ Valaya to open The World of Valaya
at the hotel in February 2021. The idea was to expand the offerings
When he set out to build this flagship luxury hotel nearly a to the guests in an attempt to make it a complete luxury destination.
decade ago, Gupta had passion, enterprising spirit, knowledge of
different cuisines and his father Sushil Gupta’s unwavering support JW Marriott Aerocity is a testament to Gupta’s growth as a
behind him. He used it to take the first mover advantage, making hotelier as at every turn, he has adapted his property with the
the hotel the first five-star luxury property in the Aerocity hospitality changing requirements of the customer while creating a benchmark
district. Cut to today, the property that completed nine years on for hospitality.n
October 18 is a hub for leisure travellers, MICE attendees, spa
lovers and food aficionados.
Over the years, the offerings that the brands provided
evolved drastically as also their working styles and culture. This
was no different for JW Marriott. Complementing these proactive
adaptations, however, was Gupta, who especially focussed on
F&B offerings at his property, considering his vast knowledge of
global cuisine, having travelled far and wide. He first delved into
the area with his venture, K3, dubbed the Food Theatre of New
Delhi. While many restaurants have live kitchens, K3 took it a notch
higher, with three of them, demonstrating Gupta’s understanding
of the trend of guests wanting to witness the magic in the kitchen
themselves.
Gupta’s focus shifted to the F&B segment recently again.
Taking note of the growing preference for Pan-Asian cuisine, he
decided to bring the iconic Adrift Kaya to the property by partnering
with Michelin Star Chef David Myers. Though he started the journey
to bring on-board Adrift Kaya a few years ago, the project’s
development was delayed due to the pandemic. It was finally
launched in May 2022. “This beautiful yet strategic union between
both Adrift Kaya and JW Marriott New Delhi is well underway to
become one of the most successful dining collaborations yet. This
is what we strive to attain – a modern Japanese dining experience
nestled inside one of New Delhi’s most luxurious properties,” says
Gupta.
Apart from several restaurants and lounges that JW Marriott
Hotel New Delhi Aerocity has boasted of since its inception, its
Quan Spa with multitude of Ayurvedic treatments and therapies
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53
LEAD STORY
The Leela Palace,
Udaipur
SAURABH RAI, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT,
PREFERRED HOTELS & RESORTS - SOUTH ASIA, MIDDLE EAST,
AFRICA AND AUSTRALASIA, FEELS THE NEED OF THE HOUR
FOR INDEPENDENT HOTELS IS TO MAKE THE MOST OF THIS
PERIOD OF RECOVERY
‘ALWAYS VALUE
RELATIONSHIPS AND
INVEST IN HUMAN
CAPITAL’
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54
SAURABH RAI
andBeyond Mnemba
Island, Zanzibar, Tanzania
The Fullerton Hotel,
Singapore
BY BHUVANESH KHANNA
THE BUSINESS and the landscape of travel and hospitality industry relationships as they are one of the keystones of the industry.
has significantly evolved, especially in the past three years. From a Rai’s stint with Preferred Hotels & Resorts started as Director
late adopter of technology, the industry has tremendously
accelerated its tech embrace. And the pace of change, with of Global Sales & Development for India and Middle East in 2008. A
continued growth across aspects like shared economy, a digital year later, he was promoted as Regional Director of India and given
nomadic community and mainstreaming of metaverse, is only going additional responsibilities when he was made the Regional Director
to get faster. “While travel experiences remain a play of five senses of South Asia & Middle East. His strong leadership skills and astute
for me, the jury is out there to see how experiential can the digital business acumen led to him taking over as the Executive Vice
world become. The power and relevance of relationships shall President, South Asia, Middle East, Africa, and Australasia in
prevail equally so in the physical as well as the digital world,” says January 2016 in the organisation. Ever since, the brand’s
Saurabh Rai, Executive Vice President, Preferred Hotels & Resorts development across the region has been phenomenal, with its
- South Asia, Middle East, Africa and Australasia. He is quick to add portfolio growing from two to 29 and strengthening its relationships
that the millennials and Gen Zs need to value and nurture with partners like The Leela Palaces, Hotels & Resorts; ITC Hotels,
Katara Hospitality and Palazzo Versace Dubai.
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55
LEAD STORY
Ashford Castle, Montage
Cong, Ireland Laguna Beach
The Leela Palace Borgo Pignano,
New Delhi Volterra, Italy
Preferred Hotels & Resorts (PHR), for close to five-and-a-half
decades, has been representing the finest and most diverse global
portfolio of independent hotels and independent hotel experiences.
Over this period, Preferred Hotels Association, created when 12
North American hoteliers decided to join hands in 1968, has
undergone a few changes in its avatar and rebranding. However,
since 2015, there has been one master brand, Preferred Hotels &
Resorts with five distinctive collections that allow one to craft their
own inspirations as they navigate the world in search of new
opportunities and memories. Today, PHR is the world’s largest
independent hotel brand representing 650 hotels, resorts and
residences across 80 countries.
Sharing his views on how can independent hotels differentiate
themselves, stay relevant and ensure profitability in a world of fierce
competition from established global and domestic hospitality
chains, Rai says, “The segmentation of hard brands, well-known
domestic brands and independent hotels itself is not as prominently
differentiated as it used to be historically. The lines have blurred over
time and they have entered into each other’s space as we see with
the hard brands’ introduction of independent portfolios. Clearly,
they have been attracted to the independent space and have been
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56
SAURABH RAI
Islas Secas,
Panama
convinced of its relevance to have made that entry.” maximising topline, managing costs efficiently and executing the
Likewise, the independent ones have pushed their way into brand promise. Working with a partner like PHR helps regional
groups and standalone hotels compete with the infrastructural
the business that traditionally was largely owned by big brands by strengths of large brands and gain global visibility without having to
advancing rapidly on aspects like architecture, product, design, invest themselves in expanded infrastructure like loyalty, technology,
locations, service, experiences, gourmet, wellness and global sales and marketing, among others,” he opines.
sustainability, opines Rai who began his career with The Oberoi
Hotels & Resorts and thereafter moving to The Imperial New Delhi Acquiring new members is a two-way exercise at PHR. “One
where he headed the sales and marketing initiatives. “In many is where we are constantly scouting for relevant prospects by
cases, the independents have surpassed big brands and assessing the market, keenly watching new construction pipelines,
established their dominance around the world. Perfect examples new hotel openings and renovated products, especially in markets of
from PHR’s own portfolio include The Leela Palaces, Hotels and strategic importance to us, be it large business cities or relevant
Resorts, The Fullerton Hotels, Montage Hotels & Resorts, Nordic leisure itinerary destinations. Two is whereby we get contacted
Hotels & Resorts that are absolute leaders in their markets at the directly by interested independent hotels that we assess basis
luxury level and are highly revered, awarded brands consistently objective and clearly laid out qualification criteria. Then, we scale our
holding prominent spots in global award listings,” says he, adding regional group partnerships as these brands grow, like the ones I
it is an even playing field now and independents will continue to named before, and additionally others like Tokyu Hotels in Japan and
stay relevant as long as they maintain authenticity and unique The Last Word Intimate Hotels and Safari Camps in Africa,” he avers.
charm while ensuring the highest level of service.
BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS
“Profitability has got little to do with whether the hotel is in With a wide network of sales, marketing, distribution technology,
the branded or independent space. Instead, it’s to do with efficiency regional teams engage and collaborate with member hotels across
of operation and effectiveness of doing business. It’s about
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57
LEAD STORY
Post Ranch Inn, Bentwood Inn,
Big Sur, California, USA Wilson, USA
36 key offices worldwide. PHR’s sales team is spread across the The Londoner
globe with domain expertise across corporate, leisure, groups and Hotel, London
MICE segments that drive business into its member hotels. “We
participate in most industry events and tradeshows and organise PHGMeetings.com, to showcase product and special offers. “We
multiple segment-focussed and geo-focussed roadshows every year incentivise bookers through specially curated I Prefer Planner
that our member hotels are invited to be a part of for direct relationship Rewards programme and then we attend groups-focussed events
building with clients and media partners. We manage a formidable and roadshows like IMEX to represent our brand and member hotels
number of corporate accounts and RFPs and have our own proprietary and also facilitate for them to participate with us,” he says.
programmes for corporate and leisure to channelise incremental
business into our hotels. Our global strategic partnerships in meetings LOYALTY PROGRAMMES
space and with travel management companies help get our hotels Rai feels a global loyalty programme that an independent hotel is
priority access and visibility,” says Rai. part of is one of the assured ways of reaching an ever-growing
segment of travellers around the world. “It is a cost-effective way
PHR has thoughtfully curated marketing campaigns, some for independents to garner direct bookings than rely heavily on
with an assured return on investment guarantee for its member third parties like OTAs. Another important benefit, especially as it
hotels. “Since the pandemic, our campaigns have been highly relates to I Prefer is a points-based programme. It serves as an
localised or regionalised, recognising the dominance of domestic and effective tool during corporate RFP contracting, given the
short haul travel. We invest in meta search on behalf of our member preference of corporate clients to stay at a hotel where they can
hotels in a way that complements their own investments,” explains earn loyalty points during business trips, which they can then burn
Rai adding that on the technology front, PHR is one of the largest on leisure trips globally,” shares Rai.
hotel brand partners worldwide of Sabre/ SynXis, with access to
priority product information and tech support. “We provide a fully
consolidated and seamless end-to-end electronic distribution
platform to our hotels and have multiple cost saving opportunities to
provide either a relevant product or a service,” he says.
INCENTIVISING EVENTS
On how is Preferred Hotels & Resorts helping its member hotels
leverage the return of weddings and MICE, Rai shares, “It is definitely
an important segment and we have an expert global Group sales
team to feed leads into our member hotels and work with them for
closure. Our strategic partnerships with meeting planners and
corporate accounts helps generate business from this segment.”
Preferred also has its own proprietary meetings platform,
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58
SAURABH RAI
Virgin Hotels, Virgin Hotels,
Dallas, USA New Orleans, USA
THE THIEF, Nordic Hotels of service promise of the brand. “Going forward, access to high
& Resorts, Oslo, Norway quality talent across levels is likely to remain top challenge for
service industry globally. Having a skilled and inspired team on
RECOVERY PERIOD AND FUTURE property is a huge differentiator,” he avers, adding they should
Regarding recovery, the EVP, Preferred Hotels & Resorts - South next invest in brand. “This includes overall investment in
Asia, Middle East, Africa and Australasia, says their success is communicating your brand story across audience groups via
directly and proportionately related to this one factor. “There has marketing, communication, PR, social and digital. It’s not enough
been staggered recovery. Some markets and destinations just to have a good product; you’ve got to be able to tell your
bounced back quicker with favourable government and travel story with an impact,” Rai says.
policies, return of air capacity and a well-coordinated effort
between government, tourism bodies, airlines and hotels. We Third, advises Rai, is investment in product. “We know
have closely monitored these trends and have acted swiftly by hotels have been cashflow fatigued coming out of Covid so there
identifying outbound business and the right destinations to plant is additional pressure. With a resilient V-shaped bounce back of
that business in. The key has been to successfully catch each the travel and hospitality sector, investment in product is critical.
business segment at the forefront of the recovery curve,” he We are observing some very high occupancies and rates in many
explains. countries and cities around the world, particularly in leisure
destinations. Hotels cannot afford to compromise the overall
Sharing his advice to independent hotels to make the value promise which simply is a function of the price they charge
most of this period of recovery, Rai says it is critical to invest in versus the product and service experience delivered. At some
human capital including recruiting, training, motivating and stage, the market is going to stabilise and then only the brands
upskilling as it is the team on property that are the true enablers that delivered good, consistent value over a period of time would
be able to retain customer loyalty,” he explains.
The independent hotels, he opines, need to make a
positive impact on environment and community to watch carbon
footprint and integrate sustainable practices in overall business.
“Not only is this critical, the traveller fraternity too is becoming
increasingly sensitised to the concept of conscious travel. Hence,
this will be the mantra to doing and growing business on go
forward basis. Finally, and equally important is continued attention
to experiential travel. This has been the home zone for the
independents – it’s highly localised, bespoke and immersed in
spirit of the destination. Therefore, one must retain authenticity,
tap into creativity and deliver fresh and enriching experiences of
place, people and product,” he concludes. n
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MEET THE GM
‘EXPECTING
INTERNATIONAL BRAND
PRESENCE IN NEXT
ONE-TWO YEARS’
MANAS V
KRISHNAMOORTHY,
GENERAL MANAGER, ITC
GARDENIA BENGALURU,
SAYS HE SEES A LOT OF
POTENTIAL IN THE CITY’S
HOSPITALITY MARKET
BY SAURABH TANKHA
BENGLAURU HAS always been known as India’s Garden City and
ITC Gardenia may be considered as a timely reminder of the same
– a hotel that beautifully defines its destination. The hotel is an
inclusive blend of contemporary design and international green
practices. Following its philosophy of “Forward to Green. Back to
Nature”, ITC Gardenia exemplifies ITC’s vision and is perhaps the
perfect example of finding the common rhythm between manmade
and natural environment.
“The LEED Zero carbon certification for the property is a
matter of huge pride as our journey towards Responsible Luxury
started with ITC Gardenia in 2009 when it was conferred the LEED
Platinum certification. Guests staying here consume lesser carbon
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60
MANAS V KRISHNAMOORTHY
ITC Gardenia,
Bengaluru
footprints as compared to any other hotel of this size. It is our Edo Restaurant
humble attempt to educate them on not only being eco-friendly but & Bar
also eco-responsible,” says Manas V Krishnamoorthy, General
Manager, ITC Gardenia Bengaluru.
The wind-cooled Atrium Lobby, with its vertical hanging
gardens, leads out to the Central Courtyard Garden in the midst of
which stands the multi-pillared Lotus Pavilion – its sloping roof
covered with a lawn of fresh green grass aptly referred to as a ‘Living
Room with a Living Roof’. “With facilities like iPad Interface for
controlling various in-room features and smart TV with access to all
primary OTT Platforms, the rooms and suites are artistically designed
along the theme of the hotel.
The property has 292 well-appointed rooms and suites.
“There are three categories of rooms, some of which have a
spacious balcony complementing the city’s weather. We also house
10 suites known as the Towers Suites which are each named and
themed around local birds. Additionally, we have three long stay
suites at the hotels – The Flamingo Suite, The Pelican Suite and the
Peacock (Presidential) Suite,” informs ITC Gardenia Bengaluru
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61
MEET THE GM
Signature Dishes - Edo Restaurant
Kebabs & Kurries & Bar
Mysore Hall
OUR MISSION AT ITC
HOTELS IS TO GUIDE
GUESTS ON TRANSFORMATIVE
JOURNEYS
General Manager, adding there are seven gourmet offerings that
promise an inspiring culinary experience, matched by warm,
personalised and efficient service. “Not to forget is the award-
winning Kaya Kalp – the spa that offers a selection of unique,
indigenous wellness therapies, inspired by the locale along with
traditional Ayurvedic and international treatments,” he informs,
adding about the round-the-clock fully equipped fitness centre and
a salon with offerings suited to both adults and kids. “We cater to
our discerning guests in all ways. Featuring a wide range of elegant
and spacious banqueting venues, the hotel plays the perfect host
for corporate meetings, elaborate social celebrations and stylish
events,” says Krishnamoorthy, an alumni of ITC Management
Institute, Delhi-NCR and WGSHA, Manipal who started his career
with ITC Hotels in 1999, followed by a stint as F&B Manager at The
Oberoi Hotels.
“Our mission at ITC Hotels is to guide guests on transformative
journeys that touch their spirits and enrich their lives. Framing itself
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62
MANAS V KRISHNAMOORTHY
Lotus Pavilion
Towers Suite 2018 as General Manager, ITC Windsor Bengaluru and then was
moved to ITC Gardenia in 2021.
as the destination authority, ITC Gardenia visualises the brand’s
mantra - Life is a Collection of Experiences. Let Us Be Your Guide. PRESENT-DAY HOSPITALITY LANDSCAPE
This is in line with our philosophy of WelcomArt under the aegis of As far as Bengaluru is concerned, Krishnamoorthy sees a huge
Responsible Luxury of promoting local art, culture and heritage to positive shift in hospitality. “With the airport expansion in place, I see
our discerning clientele. We strive to give guests the most intrinsic a lot of potential in the market in the next few months. Travel is
experiences available. Being deeply rooted in the culture of our city, bound to grow and the demand for rooms in the city will then further
we are proud of the vast heritage of Bengaluru and love sharing it in increase. I also believe we will get to see a lot of international brand
ways which delight and excite, while creating memories that last a presence in Bengaluru in the next one-two years,” he says.
lifetime. We create several indigenous experiences for the guests
staying with us – Nature Trails, Gourmet Trails and Shopping Trails, The recent events made a huge impact in the hotel’s target
all in line with our philosophy of – No one gives you India like we do!” audience as business hotels are no longer only catering to one
he shares. segment. Every hotel now caters to both business and leisure, no
matter the location. City staycations have now become a way of life.
Additionally, being registered as a Marriott hotel, the property “I believe there is more opportunity in business than ever before as
also taps into the international traveller segment who are loyalists of we have unlocked a new segment altogether – city residents. We
the Marriott Bonvoy Programme. “The above coupled with our have been able to unlock avenues that we never thought could be a
facilities and warm service makes it a hotel of immediate choice for driver of revenue for the hotel. In 2020, we introduced our Takeaway
our guests,” adds Krishnamoorthy who returned to the ITC Hotels in Vertical – making our branded cuisine available to our guests, from
the comfort of their home. We also launched our signature laundry
service – Lavanderia, making our superior service standards
accessible to non-resident guests. People now prefer outdoor
dining which also has worked in our favour given Lotus Pavilion, our
landmark restaurant which caters to this,” avers the GM.
FUTURE PLANS
Room occupancy, says Krishnamoorthy, is now reaching a buoyant
level with ADR as high as in 2019. “We are working towards making
the most of expanding markets with our revenue strategies. Given
the advent of city staycations, we will continue to focus on curating
experiences which will suit guest requirements. We are working
towards a Kids Programme which will focus on younger audience,
tapping into a new segment altogether,” he informs. n
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MEET THE GM
RADISSON BLU GUWAHATI IS
WIDELY ACCLAIMED NOT ONLY
IN EASTERN INDIA BUT WITHIN
RHG SOUTH ASIA,
SAYS GENERAL MANAGER
VISHAL JAMUAR
CREATING MEMORABLE
MOMENTS THROUGH
HOSPITALITY
BY BULBUL DHAWAN journey in the hospitality industry. With prior long-term
experience in senior positions at Taj Hotels and the Radisson
‘NEVER GET intimidated in adverse situations’ is the attitude Hotel Group, Jamuar set out to steer the ship of the Guwahati
with which Vishal Jamuar faces challenges as General Manager property in May this year. It was in 2014 that Radisson Blu
of Radisson Blu Guwahati. “Working in a hotel has its own Guwahati had opened as the first five-star hotel in northeastern
charisma. As a leader, you need to be a team player with strong region of the country. “Since its inception, the property has
people skills and meeting diverse challenges head on that can been very successful and widely acclaimed, not only in Eastern
tide over to favourable results,” he says about his 30-year India but also within RHG South Asia,” informs Jamuar.
Even during his short tenure at the property, his time has
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64
VISHAL JAMUAR
The Lobby
NesAsia
been fruitful, says the Radisson Blu Guwahati GM. “To lead a The Great
committed, passionate and ambitious team is exciting and I’m Kebab Factory
proud to represent the beliefs of the brand,” he says, adding,
“Over a period of time, I’ve been able to foster a culture of When it comes to guest experience, Jamuar’s emphasis
creating a high-performance and sustainable organisation that remains on the philosophy of ‘Experience the Locale’. “Guwahati
meets its strategic and operational goals and objectives.” is one of the fastest growing cities in India and the performance
of the market has been fantastic. ‘Experience the Locale’ truly
UNIQUE PROPERTY highlights it being in the Gateway to the North East and localising
Located near Deepor Beel Wildlife Sanctuary (1 km) and the hospitality experience for guests,” he avers.
Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary (2.5 km), the hotel offers a one-of-
a-kind stay experience amid Nature. “We cater to multiple According to Jamuar, the hotel provides a nostalgic
segments, from sports fraternity, government sectors, PSUs to feeling by being an urban resort creating a calming space to
leisure clientele, business travellers and corporates. Our hotel is avoid the cluttered city life. “We create memorable moments
considered as an oasis within the city periphery. There are 196 where guests feel at ease, experience the locales and enjoy the
spacious rooms and suites with amenities like tea-coffee facility, brilliant basics along with innovative culinary offerings,” shares
24-hour room service and a complimentary fruit basket,” informs Jamuar.
Jamuar.
Speaking about his property’s position with respect to
increased competition, the GM says, “The hotel lives up to its
image in terms of products, services, guest satisfaction and
revenue. The wide scope of innovation and creativity this award-
winning hotel provides makes it one of the most prominent
hospitality products in Northeast India.”
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65
MEET THE GM
Xobha
Cafe B-You The Courtyard
DRIVERS OF REVENUE at lobby level. In addition, The Patio is the ultra-modern bright
At Radisson Blu Guwahati, F&B is an important part of business, glass restaurant and Dolce, the Bakery and Patisserie.
contributing 45-50 per cent of total revenue. Jamuar shares the
hotel carries out several new promotions as well as food “We are exploring all sales channels to increase our
festivals. This, along with, ample banqueting options within and revenues while working hard to optimise our major costs without
outside the hotel, makes a difference to the revenue pattern. affecting the quality of services. The hotel’s revenue is related to
The property has F&B outlets including Café B You, the multi- service standards, upkeep and maintenance of the core
cuisine all-day dining restaurant, The Great Kebab Factory, Nest product. With growing competition, we focus on each and every
Asia, the Oriental specialty restaurant and Reign, the lounge bar revenue generating stream and re-energise existing and proven
revenue generating methods,” says Jamuar.
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66
VISHAL JAMUAR
Business
Class Room
The
Swimming Pool
DEALING WITH POST-PANDEMIC CHANGES Patio Vertical
Radisson Blu Guwahati has over 40,000 sq ft of venue space
for meetings and weddings. As Covid19 impacted big managed to uplift the hotel experience by digitalising as much
gatherings for weddings and MICE, hotels had to think of as possible from arrival to departure. From here on, technology
innovative ways to generate revenue, says Jamuar. “People is going to create hotel comforts in future. The exponential
had to give up key rituals during the pandemic and now that increase in guest experience and comfort will come from those
pent-up demand is back and possibly going higher. The who seamlessly integrate physical experience with the digital
wedding industry too is booming and with festival season one,” Jamuar opines.
nearing, guests are ready to spend,” shares the GM. “There are
a lot ot queries for upcoming season as demand for destination Finding the right people and developing right skillsets
weddings is in trend. Since Guwahati is situated in the and competencies are the key for a sustainable future, even
Northeast, many consider it as a venue for destination events,” though finding the right choice can be a challenge sometimes,
he adds. feels Jamuar. “The business of hospitality is about creating
memorable moments and that is only possible by highly
However, Jamuar says this sudden burst of celebratory motivated, engaged and happy individuals. Revenue falls in
demand sometimes collides with supply chain backlogs, place if the first part is taken care of, it is all about understanding
workforce shortages and inflation. “Getting skilled manpower is human emotions,” he avers. n
a major challenge and we face challenges in terms of inbound
logistic. Our business is constantly evolving, guests have many
choices nowadays and these aspects play a major role to keep
up with guest expectations,” he shares.
“In addition, the pandemic served as an accelerator for
already existing trends and pushed people further into
e-commerce. For hotels, the period accelerated creation of
contactless points, bringing digital and electronic kiosks and
POS instead of human agents and massive growth in
digitalisation-powered by mobile applications. We have
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67
MEET THE GM
CREATING
MEMORIES,
ONE GUEST
AT A TIME
NISHANTH VISHWANATH,
GENERAL MANAGER, THE
RITZ-CARLTON PUNE, SHARES
HIS MANTRA FOR BECOMING
A SUCCESSFUL HOTELIER
The Lobby BY BULBUL DHAWAN
UNDERSTANDING YOUR brand, your customer and successfully
delivering on the brand promise sets the foundation towards
becoming a successful hotelier, opines Nishanth Vishwanath. The
General Manager, The Ritz-Carlton Pune is quick to add that they,
at the property, aim to inspire life’s most meaningful journeys by
creating lasting memories and extraordinary moments. “Our
customers belong to the rising global affluent tribe and have an
affinity to going beyond the everyday. The curation and execution
of these memorable moments during their journey is a finesse.
However, it is a skill one must have to be a successful hotelier,”
adds Vishwanath who started his career with Renaissance Mumbai
Convention Centre Hotel in 2001 as part of the F&B team
“My passion and creativity allowed me to move up the
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68
NISHANTH VISHWANATH
Ritz-Carlton Pune
Aasmana Outdoor Bar
ranks across Marriott International’s myriad brands in the last two Carlton Gold Standards which are evident at every guest touchpoint
decades. Over the years, I’ve been part of many core pre-openings throughout the hotel, preserving its position as one of the finest
task force assignments and a recipient of several notable luxury hotels in the country. “With the markets starting to reopen,
recognitions. During my operational tenure, I have enjoyed my role driving occupancy has been one of our key focus areas, along with
in building F&B reputation and establishing Renaissance Mumbai enhancing the positioning of our award-winning restaurants with
and JW Marriott Pune as leading conference and wedding venues sustainability at the forefront,” he says.
in the country,” he shares.
Sitting majestically next to one of the oldest clubs in the
After a stint at JW Marriott Hotel Bengaluru as Director of country, The Poona Club which has a glorious 136-year history
Operations, Vishwanath took over General Manager for Courtyard dating back to 1886, The Ritz-Carlton Pune with its striking
by Marriott Chennai. “My last role as Area Director - Operations for architecture and skyline views makes for strong attraction point.
South & East India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, gave impetus to Vishwanath has been the skipper of the property since March
my growth and appointment into the luxury market. At The Ritz- 2021 and it has been his constant endeavour to enhance the
Carlton, Pune, I’m entrusted with leading the dynamic luxury team nature of hospitality at the hotel.
in order to sustain the hotel’s positioning as one of the most
preferred destinations for the social and business elite in the FOOD FOR THOUGHT
country,” he says. “The Ritz-Carlton Pune is a gateway to iconic memories, enveloping
guests in the sounds, flavours and imagery of a culturally vibrant
Vishwanath adds that it has been his constant endeavour and modern city. Celebrating the region’s distinct culinary scene,
to enhance the nature of hospitality at the property with The Ritz-
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MEET THE GM
Aasmana
Ukiyo The Spa
AASMANA, THE ROOFTOP the hotel captures the essence of the destination with five signature
LOUNGE, CAPTIVATES GUESTS dining experiences,” avers Vishwanath, adding gourmet world
cuisine at Three Kitchens Restaurant and Bar welcomes guests by
WITH VIEWS OF THE GOLF offering three residential-style kitchens while the modern Japanese
COURSE AT THE POONA CLUB restaurant, Ukiyo, features a long sushi counter and robatayaki grill
complemented by an expansive selection of sake. “The Ritz-
Carlton Tea Lounge brings the custom of afternoon tea to the city
and Aasmana, the rooftop lounge, captivates guests with
180-degree views of the golf course at The Poona Club and
inventive adaptations from the royal kitchens of India. The recently
opened Alta Vida is India’s first restaurant residency, showcasing a
rotating line-up of international chefs,” he informs.
As Vishwanath keeps sustainability topmost on his priority
list, the property works with indigenous produce from local
farmers of Maharashtra who grow fruits, herbs, vegetables,
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NISHANTH VISHWANATH
Bar Seating Club Lounge
ONE CONCEPT FOR OUR
BUSINESS IS CLEAR –
EMPLOYEE AND CUSTOMER
ENGAGEMENT IS CRITICAL
Premium Suite
edible flowers and microgreens using traditional techniques and 2021 with MICE business as there was a certain disinclination to
sustainable means. host events but the beginning of 2022 ushered in residential,
corporate and social events and from June onwards, regular
EVENT SPACE wedding events have resumed at the hotel.
The hotel has around 35,000 sq ft of venue space for meetings
and weddings. “The banquet facilities are suited to gatherings of CHANGE IN DEMANDS
all kinds, from business meetings to social affairs. With access to The year 2020 was a challenging one for the hospitality industry,
a beautiful outdoor foyer and deck area, the ballrooms are perfect opines Vishwanath, adding, “As global pandemic continues and its
for intimate gatherings and romantic weddings alike. While the impact on many organisations remains unknown, one concept for
pandemic restrictions were set in place, the hotel never ceased to our business is clear – employee and customer engagement is
do business and we could host intimate affairs while ensuring the critical. Our typical customers are affluent leisure guests and top
highest levels of hygiene, safety and social distancing protocols corporates who are looking for personalised experiences and
were followed,” informs Vishwanath. services. We like to call this a rollout of the micro-vacation. With
the domestic leisure travel segment breathing life into India’s
On the hotel’s performance in terms of events during the hospitality industry, we are on the road to full recovery.” n
pandemic period, the GM says that there was a downward trend in
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71
BEYOND BORDERS
I‘NHODSHPAITKAALIITSYGMROAWRKINEGT
EVERY YEAR’
DANIEL MUHOR, GENERAL MANAGER, THE WESTIN DHAKA,
SAYS THE PROPERTY IS HOSTING A SIZEABLE NUMBER OF
BUSINESS TRAVELLERS, ESPECIALLY AFTER THE
TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS WERE LIFTED
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THE WESTIN DHAKA
Taste Restaurant
BY SAURABH TANKHA AS MOST GUESTS ARE
BUSINESS TRAVELLERS,
THE HOSPITALITY industry in Bangladesh is witnessing a never- TYPICAL STAY AT THE HOTEL
before boom as the Asian nation turns into an important business IS FOUR TO FIVE DAYS
hub, not only of the region but the entire world. With the
increasing arrival of business travellers from all around the globe, Muhor who, as the property’s General Manager, ensures every
the hospitality industry is getting more investments than ever in guest walking in returns home happy and satisfied. Muhor
its five-decade plus of existence. Though industry experts feel started his career 25 years ago as a restaurant manager at Le
the country is underserved in terms of quality hotel Meridien, Rialto in Melbourne with a stint at The Westin Gurgaon.
accommodation, they are optimistic that it will soon meet the Since 2019, he has been working as Cluster General Manager
growing demand for luxury hotels. A number of industry giants for The Westin Dhaka and Sheraton Dhaka. Muhor says the
have already set foot in Bangaldesh and a few more are likely to hospitality market in Dhaka is very promising and has been
open their doors for guests soon. growing every year. “At present, we are observing a huge
number of business travellers coming to Dhaka, especially after
One among the established hotels is The Westin Dhaka, travel restrictions have been lifted. However, we find very few
the country’s most preferred and only wellness focussed premium leisure travellers coming to the capital due to the city being a
five-star hotel. It is located in Gulshan 2, Dhaka’s emerging and
dynamic business and diplomatic district with corporate offices,
embassies and high commissions, shopping, dining,
entertainment and historic landmarks in close proximity. From
offering menus for healthy meals made with superfoods at the
restaurants to providing room amenities that help guests sleep
better at night, everything revolves around living healthy at the
hotel, be it the guests or the associates. Every room and suite of
the hotel includes the Heavenly Bed and Bath for which the
Westin brand is globally famous. Just 8 km from the international
airport, the property positions itself as the best F&B destination
in the city with world-class restaurants and bar.
At the helm of affairs here is Australian national Daniel
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BEYOND BORDERS
Reception Lobby
busy cosmopolitan,” he shares. Though the property has been The Ballroom
home to guests from all across the globe, a majority of them
come from North America. “After that, a significant number also provide special offers for Indian travellers through our
comes from Asia and Europe. As most of the guests coming to website and OTAs from time to time,” he shares.
the hotel are business travellers, typical stay at the hotel is
between four and five days,” informs Muhor. Apart from room SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVES
occupancy, 55 per cent of hotel revenue comes from F&B which “Everything we, as a Marriott International brand, do is about
includes banquets, restaurants, weddings, outdoor catering sustainability. As a Serve 360 drive, we have our own Sustainability
and airport lounge sales. & Social Impact Goals which we plan to achieve by 2025. We are
constantly trying to limit our carbon footprint by implementing
Muhor shares that the hotel is, at present, receiving a various initiatives and modifying the hotel by installing energy
good number of inbound international travellers. “Even during efficient systems to reduce energy consumption round-the-
the pandemic, we fared better than our competitors as we were clock. We consume and encourage the usage of locally sourced
quick to implement the health and safety related initiatives by the ingredients and seasonal products. To avoid waste, we buy
Health Ministry and our own ‘Commitment to Clean’ programme
by Marriott International. Around the pandemic, we saw very few
international travellers coming to Dhaka. So we came up with
exciting staycation packages for the locals. Over time, these
packages were enjoyed by a significant number of local guests
which minimised our losses for not having a large number of
inbound international guests,” he says.
INDIA MARKET FOR THE WESTIN DHAKA
“Over the years, a significant number of Indian guests –
corporates, celebrities and VIPs have stayed at The Westin
Dhaka. Around 10-12 per cent of our guests are from India. To
reach out to the Indian market, we are constantly being
supported by our GSO and NSO teams based in India. Indian
corporate accounts are secured locally by our sales team. We
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THE WESTIN DHAKA
TO REACH OUT TO THE INDIAN
MARKET, WE ARE CONSTANTLY
BEING SUPPORTED BY
OUR GSO AND NSO TEAMS
BASED IN INDIA
The Pool
Executive Suite The Fitness Centre
exactly what we need to. We have reduced the use of plastic populations, women, people with disabilities, veterans and
wherever possible. We encourage guests to reuse hotel sheets refugees,” he says.
and towels,” Muhor informs, adding that the property will soon
provide toiletries in reusable bulk containers rather than single- BOOKING TRENDS AND CONSUMER PREFERENCES
use packets. After the travel restrictions were lifted, the property started
receiving a large number of international business travellers. “The
“By using intelligent systems for office processes, we have volume is increasing day by day as the demand for international
gone paperless. Every year, to create awareness regarding climate travel is very high right now. To give confidence to our guests to
change we participate in Earth Hour with our guests and come back to the hotel, we are maintaining our ‘Commitment to
associates. We also help the community by executing cleaning Clean’ initiative to provide the safest environment possible. For the
drives and by providing food, toys and clothes for the local guests, we are also promoting our weekend staycations to
underprivileged from time to time. We also help the community by drive rooms, spa and F&B business,” says Muhor. n
continuously recruiting and developing the youth, diverse
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COVER STORY
The Mansion,
Hyatt Regency Delhi
WEDDINGS PLAYED A KEY ROLE
IN KEEPING THE INDUSTRY
ACTIVE DURING THE PANDEMIC.
WE TRACK NEW TRENDS,
The Leela Palace DEMANDS AND CHALLENGES
Bengaluru THE SEGMENT ENTAILS NOW
BACK WITH A BAND
BY BULBUL DHAWAN
DESERTED NOISELESSS roads - with no soul in sight, not even a source of revenue for hotels. Despite all the restrictions and lower
decibel of sound coming from near or far. A wedding season without number of attendees, they helped the industry remain afloat in its
bands belting out the latest dance numbers from Bollywood is hour of darkness.
something unimaginable in India. And yet, this was the reality back
in 2020 when the pandemic hit us. With ceremonies and guest lists “Weddings was the only segment where we were able to
reduced almost to a nil, weddings almost became a private affair, have some activity. In Maharashtra, the initial capping was for 25
often happening at lawns inside homes or private farmhouses. pax a wedding. We went out-of-the-box to make arrangements for
However, as soon as the lockdown began lifting, weddings too these, even undertook the decoration work to keep the venue and
started getting back their pomp and gaiety, thereby breathing a people safe and free of harm’s way. Weddings helped us sustain,”
fresh lease of life into the hospitality industry, which had taken a says Santanu Guha Roy, General Manager, Radisson Blu Resort &
major slump. And until travel resumed, weddings were the only Spa, Karjat. Barun Gupta, Director of Sales and Marketing, Hyatt
Regency Delhi, says, “As uncertainties about international travel
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76
WEDDINGS & MICE
Fairmont Jaipur
continued to loom large during the pandemic-induced lockdowns, BALANCING COST TO SCALE
we witnessed an upsurge in Indian weddings being held in domestic Though weddings kept the industry alive, smaller weddings meant
destinations. Our hotel heavily banked upon this social segment to lower revenues. “Our cost remains the same regardless of the size
keep the cash reserves intact at that precarious time. This was the because there are air conditioning and other expenses. Moreover,
only segment that was working during that period. Due to the protocols demanded that we spend a little more on ensuring
government guidelines and restrictions on the number of guests, safety. We had to keep people in the hotel, our staff could not go out
though weddings had become small, they didn’t stop. We hosted so we had to maintain bubbles for that. And, everything has a cost
many small intimate residential weddings – some just had 25-50 attached to it. Managing finance was a bit challenging since one
people. Overall, the wedding sector contributed in a big way to keep cannot charge smaller wedding parties much,” says Sharad Datta,
us afloat in those unprecedented times.” General Manager, The Westin Mumbai Garden City.
Agrees Madhav Sehgal, General Manager, The Leela Palace Interestingly, what happened during the pandemic changed
Bengaluru: “During the pandemic, wedding segment contributed the course of future weddings as is evident from the comments by
majorly to hotel revenues. Weddings supported us when regular Rajat Sethi, General Manager, ITC Grand Bharat, Gurugram, “People
business travel had come to a complete standstill.” India has several are now choosing destination weddings but they don’t make it a
beautiful properties that are apt for holding weddings, ranging from day-long-affair with a large number of guests. They have full
luxury and exotic to heritage and iconic destination and for many, engagement with their relatives and close friends for two-three
weddings are a primary source of revenue. For instance, Fairmont days, for which they move to a hotel - apart from the wedding, all
Jaipur would be organising at least 102 weddings by December 31 pre-wedding events are also held at the hotel. In this case, the cost
this year and 74 of these have already been arranged. For this per head goes up because the numbers have reduced but the
property, weddings and MICE account for 70 per cent of the overall cost for us remains the same because people are spending
business. the same amount on lesser number of people.”
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COVER STORY
Haldi Ceremony at
ITC Grand Bharat
YOUTH-DRIVEN WEDDINGS notice a trend of advance planning. Immediately after the pandemic,
Apart from small weddings, many other trends have emerged post- the queries for potential bookings were coming just a month or two
pandemic, the key one being the bride and the groom are now on before, but now people are planning at least four to five months in
the driving seat when it comes to planning their wedding. “The advance,” says Gupta adding the scale and magnitude of these
clientele nowadays has gone digital. All the decisions are taken by events has also changed. “Live streaming is a popular option for
the bride and the groom. Their friends come from all over the world guests who are not able to travel from distant destinations due to
and everyone carries four different gadgets as a result of which we unavoidable reasons,” he says. “Weddings have evolved from earlier
have to invest a lot in technology. Younger clients want to have times where these used to be showcase events with huge guest
super-luxurious venues but are very cautious about their spending, lists and elaborate food spread. In post-Covid era, there is growing
and conscious about sustainability aspects. We have to work demand for chic, private weddings. This coupled with the
accordingly,” says Rajiv Kapoor, General Manager, Fairmont Jaipur, precedence of quality over quantity and a sense of minimalism has
which is among the most popular wedding destinations in India. created a platform for luxury hotels,” avers Sehgal.
The young have their own ideas about décor as well as cocktails.
“Subtle colours are much in vogue. The bar is no more a regular “Hybrid weddings with limited number of guests and an
feature. Cocktails are now made as per the choices of the to-be- online telecast of the ceremony along with takeaway meals which
wedded couple and are named after them. So, there is a lot of started during the pandemic has also gained momentum. While the
personalisation happeneing in all aspects,” shares Rajesh Namby, on-site weddings can never go out of fashion, we definitely expect
General Manager of Raffles Udaipur. to witness many hybrid or virtual weddings as well,” opines Bhagwan
Balani, General Manager, ITC Grand Central, Mumbai.
Destination weddings in remote locations are also in demand.
“Our property is witnessing wedding parties not only from nearby ARRANGING WEDDINGS
regions but also from Delhi; there is one even from South India,” Now this can be stressful. For arranging weddings, most hotels
says Rajesh Rajpurohit, General Manager, Radisson Blu Resort choose to have teams assist guests through the experience.
Dharamshala. “Talking about Hyatt Regency Delhi specifically, we However, wedding planners play a key role. Many hotels choose to
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WEDDINGS & MICE
Banquet, ITC Facade shot of Ghats of
Grand Central Yamuna at ITC Grand Bharat
IN THE POST-COVID ERA,
THERE IS A GROWING
DEMAND FOR CHIC AND
PRIVATE WEDDINGS
Presidential Suite,
Raffles Udaipur
partner with certain wedding planners, having kept them on their get any questions we have about their protocols answered in
panels, such as Radisson Blu in Karjat. However, others, including advance,” she adds. Thereafter, the wedding planner and the hotel
Fairmont Jaipur, Radisson Blu in Dharamshala and Raffles Udaipur, staff is in constant touch. “We arrive at the hotel three days in
choose to allow guests to bring their own wedding planner. advance to oversee the venue and plan the decor. Everything is
discussed in detail, including the menu, buffet, laundry, sound
“No wedding is complete without the partnership between system, luggage, and bride’s entrance,” says Saxena.
the hotel, the family and the wedding planners. Hotel does its job of
providing the rooms, dining and memories while wedding planners “Hotels play a crucial role in the lives of wedding planners
look at decorations, arranging the events and artistes, DJs and the and both have to work as a team,” says Prerana Agarwal Saxena,
concept of the wedding. And all of it is done according to the dream Founder of wedding planning firm, Theme Weavers Designs.
and the budget of the guests. All three of them are highly important
to make a wedding event a success,” explains Kapoor. The revamped wedding industry is now piggybacking on the
youth’s desire to have more customised events with an intimate list
“Hotels play a crucial role in the lives of wedding planners of attendees, and hence, they are willing to pay extra to enhance the
and both have to work as a team,” says Prerana Agarwal Saxena, experience of their guests. For India’s hotel industry, this is an
Founder of wedding planning firm, Theme Weavers Designs. “As opportunity like no other to showcase creativity to an already willing
soon as the hotel has confirmed, they send out an email outlining goldmine of clientele and prove why the country is the hub of
the procedures to avoid any tricky situations. On the other hand, we topnotch hospitality. n
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COVER STORY
ON ROAD TO
RECOVERY
MICE EVENTS ARE WELL ON THEIR WAY TO
RECOVERY AS CORPORATES RESUME PHYSICAL
MEETS AND CONVENTIONS
Vayu Boardroom, ITC
Grand Bharat
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WEDDINGS & MICE
Ballroom, ITC
Grand Central
BY BULBUL DHAWAN
ONE OF the major revenue spinners for the tourism sector, MICE he says. Agrees a visibly happy Rajiv Kapoor, General Manager,
also took a beating when the pandemic hit us. While the wedding Fairmont Jaipur. “I am a strong believer of one-on-one meetings.
industry kept itself afloat by reducing its size and numbers, MICE We are seeing very high number of people coming physically,” he
events went down and under. With everyone opting for work says.
from home (WFH) model, this was only expected. It took time to
bounce back, but now MICE is seeing a definitive upward The Radisson Hotel Group too is witnessing a strong
trajectory, opine industry leaders. Also, some locations, like boost from social MICE across all its hotels. Corporate travel
Raffles Udaipur, are gaining the most-favoured status for MICE leads the demand with MICE and MSME bookings picking up
events. pace, especially in Tier I and Tier II cities like Bangalore, Pune,
Mumbai, Goa and Chennai. It also witnessed an increase in MICE
“We have started to emerge as a go-to destination for bookings across leisure destinations like Mussoorie, Dharamsala,
MICE. Actually, the WFH model adopted during the pandemic Lonavala and Visakhapatnam where organisers are looking to
have made many companies realise its usefulness, particularly in club work and play. “Since MICE has a long lead time, we know
saving the overhead expenses that come with office. These future occupancy levels will be strong as well,” says Zubin
companies have continued with the WFH mode; the money they Saxena, Managing Director and Vice President of Operations
thus save is then utilised in taking the team out to different South Asia, Radisson Hotel Group.
locations for meetings,” says Rajesh Namby, General Manager,
Raffles Udaipur, adding that MICE will no more remain limited to The Westin Mumbai Garden City is witnessing a lot of
meetings in rooms, and meals. “A lot more is slated to happen,” sales meetings lately. “Sales meets and MICE events have come
back very strongly. Now, we are experiencing pre-pandemic
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COVER STORY
Ballroom setup,
Hyatt Regency Delhi
numbers,” says General Manager Sharad Datta. “As far as MICE EVENTS ARE NOW
training meetings are concerned, these haven’t bounced back as ALSO HAPPENING IN TIER II
per our expectations but then we do see a little uptrend,” he
adds. AND TIER III CITIES, AND
NOT JUST METROS
Stressing that virtual MICE events are here to stay, Rajat
Sethi, General Manager, ITC Grand Bharat, Gurugram, says, sector,” says Saxena.
“Virtual meetings are more convenient and cost effective for the Another trend being seen in the post-pandemic world is
companies. It saves time and travel cost for employees.” But,
informs Sethi, that corporates are now also looking at holding that MICE events are now also happening in Tier II and Tier III
physical meetings. “Corporate MICE has surely picked up. cities, and not just metros, which gives participants an opportunity
People are looking at not only holding meetings for corporates to relax as well as hold serious in-person business meetings.
and senior leadership, but also for induction of new people and
training for personnel,” he avers.
“MICE travel has become more individualised, and
personalisation will remain the most important way to deliver
delight, even long after the pandemic is behind us. Moving
ahead, technology will be a concrete and fundamental solution
to achieve the goal of attaining contactless events, while
retaining a personal touch. Sustainable practices paired with
viable commercial strategies will be the strongest pillars that
accelerate growth and consideration for the domestic MICE
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WEDDINGS & MICE
THE MICE INDUSTRY
SEEMS TO HAVE BOUNCED
BACK TO THE PRE-
PANDEMIC NUMBERS
Oval room, Hyatt
Regency Delhi
The Mansion, Hyatt focus now shifting from Europe to Asia Pacific region, India is on
Regency Delhi the verge of becoming a regional leader in MICE tourism. As a
result, most of the states here are coming up with big conventions
“This trend is likely to continue further as business and leisure and exhibition centres that are at par with international standards
happening together is a good experience,” shares Rajesh and are capable of hosting world-class events,” says Barun
Rajpurohit, General Manager, Radisson Blu Resort Dharamsala. Gupta, Director of Sales and Marketing, Hyatt Regency Delhi.
He can vouch for his resort recently hosted the three-day National
Conference of State Tourism Ministers. Kochi recently launched the Lulu Bolgatty International
Convention Centre while Mumbai has its Jio Convention Centre.
INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDED Delhi has three such spaces – India Expo Mart (already in
With corporates looking at far-flung areas for holding MICE existence); the Pragati Maidan grounds (being renovated) and
events, there is an urgent need to build requisite infrastructure. India International Convention and Expo Centre (being built on
The government needs to develop smaller cities as well in Dwarka Expressway) at a proximity of 10 minutes from the
addition to metros so that MICE events can be facilitated. In international airport.
other words, the infrastructure in the country needs to be
supportive of the growing corporate demands for events. As “Cities like Varanasi, Agra and Pune are being prioritised
Namby says, “MICE industry seems to have bounced back to by the government to better equip them to host MICE events.
pre-pandemic numbers and corporates are organising big These centres are driving city-wide movements and are the
conventions. Unfortunately, related infrastructural development biggest contributor of high revenues for respective cities and
leaves a lot to be desired in these cities. In fact, a lot needs to be states. Big conventions drive a lot of business within a city,”
done even in Udaipur – the city doesn’t have many places that adds Gupta.
can hold several meetings under one roof.”
“The past few years have been a game-changer for
“The MICE sector is growing, but in pockets. With the domestic MICE as corporates and the events sector started
exploring multiple pockets around the country, aided by
government initiatives that promoted local travel and experiences.
The Indian hospitality industry has taken several strides toward
developing a robust MICE facility and today its contribution
reflects heavily in the bottom line. With globally benchmarked
standards and immersive local experiences, domestic properties
will continue to attract the MICE traveller, especially given the
diversity and vastness of tourism offerings that India houses,”
puts in Saxena.
The need of the hour, feel experts, is a realistic approach,
clear strategy and moving forward within defined periods and
solid plans which will help the country become an attractive
MICE destination in the days to come. n
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‘NEED OF THE HOUR
IS TO BRING MORE
TRANSPARENCY’
BY RUHAIL AMIN
TALENT IS THE FIRST and the only organisation of its kind as an industry body but there are four or five
SOMETHING which seeks to bring together the country’s key points we need to focus on. The most
THAT WE HAVE leading event management, sports management important one is to become more visible. We
TO WORK ON and brand activation companies, MICE and want to become a unified voice that is heard
AND THEN SKILL wedding planners, experiential marketers, across the industry. We want to deliberate,
DEVELOPMENT entertainment professionals, artist management liaise and talk to the governments, both at the
ASPECT OF THE companies and international counterparts on Centre and the state levels so that they know
GOVERNMENT the same platform, Event and Entertainment the value we bring to businesses. Every industry
WILL BECOME Management Association (EEMA) was has some ministry that they fall under but
IMPORTANT incorporated in 2008. Over the years, EEMA unfortunately it’s not the case with us. We aim
has been instrumental in organising the coming to keep raising the issue on priority.
together of industry stakeholders at its annual
convention EEMAGINE and has instituted We want some position in policy making,
EEMAX, the industry premier award ceremony some of which was started by Sanjoy Roy
to recognise excellence in the event and during his tenure. He is a part of a few
experiental marketing space. committees in FICCI and by virtue of him being
in those committees, there is an opportunity to
Samit Garg, Co-Founder & Director, interact further. So, government engagement is
E Factor, was recently elected unopposed as a priority. The other major problem that the
the new President of EEMA. Excerpts from an industry faces today is talent. Covid, over the
interview: last two-and-a-half years, has displaced talent.
The problem existed earlier but the pandemic
As you take on the new role, what are your aggravated it. Talent is something we have to
top priorities? work on and then the skill development aspect
There are 30 agendas that we need to pursue of the Government will become important.
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84
SAMIT GARG
Do we see EEMA adding new events, IPs to a certain extent. It is the need of the hour to THE LAST TWO-
to its annual calendar? bring in more transparency in our industry. The AND-A-HALF
EEMA has always been very active on these more legitimated our practices, the better the YEARS WERE
fronts. The last two-and-a-half years were value of our businesses will be and so will our CHALLENGING
challenging as we were unable to execute standing. AS WE WERE
initiatives we would have taken otherwise. With UNABLE TO
environment becoming more conducive to hold How are you planning to bring in more EXECUTE
events, there will be more on-ground associations and event companies under INITIATIVES
engagements from EEMA. your fold and push representation further? WE WOULD
There has been a sustained effort on that front, HAVE TAKEN
A significant part of the event industry is especially over the past four years. There was OTHERWISE.
still operating in an unorganised way. tie up with many regional associations and we WITH THE
How do you plan to address this issue? are planning a few more over the next six ENVIRONMENT
It’s a very relevant path of what we have to months. I think there is a need to relook at the BECOMING
pursue. However, let’s accept that such prequalification of the members so that the MORE
practices will not change overnight. The good spectrum of participation becomes wider and CONDUCIVE,
part is that there is conversation already diverse. THERE WILL
underway to deal with this issue and this BE MORE
largely happens in the wedding business. Also, What is your message to the industry ON-GROUND
this practice is mostly prevalent in the smaller peers? ENGAGEMENTS
cities. I believe an active process has to begin Everyone needs to come forward and FROM EEMA
now and there are many people involved in this contribute as at the end of the day, it’s a
chain, entrepreneurs and individuals, even the collective effort and I seek support from
government and we are ourselves to be blamed everyone. n
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REBUILDING
MICE TOURISM
IN INDIA
BY AMARESH TIWARI
MICE OR THE CONCEPT of MICE tourism is the result of sector and one of the fastest growing sectors
BUSINESS globalisation and economic reforms. The of tourism industry. India ranks 26 with the total
TOURISM IS A convention industry is a major revenue provider convention industry at around US$ 280 billion,
HIGH VALUE, to the tourism industry and now one of the according to ICCA.
HIGH VISIBILITY prime pillars of tourism industry.
NICHE TOURISM The MICE industry is considered a major
The World Economic Forum sprang a component that makes up business travel and
SECTOR happy surprise with its prediction that the tourism. Global Business Travel Association
Indian economy will become the third largest in revealed India’s annual growth in business
the world by 2030, only behind the USA and travel stood at 11.4 per cent, the largest rise
China. The economic parameters prevailing in among the top 15 business travel markets
the country is helping India to emerge as a big globally. According to a KPMG report, India is
market for the MICE industry and players in now a US$ 30 billion business travel market
MICE segments have geared up to realise the and expected to more than triple by 2030.
potential this sector offers.
To rebuild MICE tourism in India,
MICE, also known as Business Tourism, policy-makers, Ministry of Tourism, Government
is a high value, high visibility niche tourism of India and the state governments need
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86
AMARESH TIWARI
to do the following: makers from international associations/ GLOBAL
1. Focussed marketing of India as a preferred organisers BUSINESS
MICE destination through 4. MoT to support FAM tours for conference TRAVEL
planners to familiarise them with MICE ASSOCIATION
a) Allocation of budget in Ministry of infrastructure available in India. Financial (GBTA)
Tourism (MoT) for promotion of MICE assistance needed for air tickets, REVEALED
accommodation and local transport etc for INDIA’S ANNUAL
b) To brand India as a MICE destination hosting the conference organisers and for GROWTH IN
under the tagline, Meet In India showcasing India’s MICE infrastructure BUSINESS
5. MoT through domestic India tourism offices TRAVEL STOOD
c) Participation at international MICE to assist in the logistic arrangements for pre AT 11.4 PER
trade shows like IMEX Frankfurt, IMEX and post conference tours CENT, THE
Las Vegan, IBTM Barcelona, AIME 6. Permit reception counters at airports to LARGEST
Melbourne, IT&CMA Bangkok. India’s receive delegates arriving for participating at RISE AMONG
presence at these shows creates international conferences THE TOP 15
interest in India among global buyers 7. Allowing free entry of delegates at ASI BUSINESS
looking for new destinations with monuments participating in pre- and post- TRAVEL
unique offerings conference tours MARKETS
8. Permitting one event per international GLOBALLY
d) Release of advertisements in leading conference at an iconic outdoor venue like ASI
international medical/ academic monuments in different cities
journals (New England Journal, The 9. Ministry of Tourism may request all Central
Lancet, The Journal of the American Government Ministries to bring one international
Medical Association and MICE congress to India
publications; print & digital) 10. Classification of Convention Venues by
MoT with a representative from ICPB on the
e) MICE branding at airports Committee
f) Assistance of MoT for the development 11. Dedicated MDA for MICE operators for
targetted global markets
of MICE creatives for release of 12. Export status for MICE sub-sector
advertisements, films, collaterals and 13. Formal Skilling Fund for developing MICE
development of a global and domestic talent and graduates
media plan to reach the target audience 14. One proposed MTZ to be MICE focussed
for positioning India as a MICE 15. Support for MICE FAM trips to get global
destination buyers into India
2. Welcome dinner and cultural programmes 16. GST rating of zero for forex earning MICE
– MoT to host Welcome Dinner for 500-800 events
delegates for prestigious international 17. City Convention Bureau across country to
conferences and organise a cultural programme be given MICE Export support. n
to showcase India’s rich cultural heritage. This
will be an attractive offer for conference AUTHOR BIO: Amaresh Tiwari is
planners. Managing Director, AT Seaons & Vacations
3. Support of MoT for site inspection of Pvt Ltd and CEO, Meetings & Incentives World
venues by international conference organisers
to finalise India as the destination for
forthcoming conferences/ events. Support by
way of international air tickets (executive class),
accommodation for the site inspection team
which normally comprises three-four decision-
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87
A CUT ABOVE
THE REST:
BOUTIQUE
HOTELS IN
INDIA
BY SHOBA MOHAN
SOME YEARS ago, I was invited to a private that we have now, they were often promoted
screening of a movie, The Electric Moon, at the worldwide through personal endorsements, quite
British Council in New Delhi. It was about a effectively I must add. In the RARE Community,
couple who owned a luxury wildlife lodge Kipling Camp in Kanha opened in 1984 while
somewhere in Central India. Directed by Pradip Chapslee in Shimla was the eighth heritage Hotel
Krishen and starring Naseeruddin Shah, Roshan in India as early as 1974.
Seth and Leela Naidu, this film won the award for
the Best Feature Film (English) at the National What sets them apart: When we began
Film Awards 1992. Though the film was a satire RARE India in 2003, we were already promoting
on Western tourists visiting India, some of the small and boutique hotels as a part of the travel
scenes depicted Indian hospitality and how the company. Those were interesting times and some
owner hosts tried very hard to manage challenges of the best options had owners as your hosts,
and preserve the image of India at that time. who did a swell job and ended up as friends of the
There were several lodge owners in the audience travellers for life. I remember Sitla Estate, The
and the collective guffaws were testimony that art Cottage-Jeolikot, Jilling Estate, etc. were some of
indeed imitates life. the first owner run boutique homestays and hotels
I had the privilege to discover. Rajasthan had
The point I am making is that this was already begun to convert many of their forts and
1992 and the movie was set on an owner-run palaces into heritage hotels. Kerala actually began
lodge where curated experiences were evident. with endorsing homestays very strongly, the word
The boutique hotel idea existed in India in some boutique began to be heard more frequently in the
form or fashion for a very long time, they just did travel industry sometime in 2007. And all of a
not need or have the marketing chutzpa you see sudden, small to medium hotels began to
today. For one, they were few and concentrated in concentrate on the concept, design and
popular tourist areas like close to national parks, experience. When the focus changed from what
temple towns, hill stations and coasts. Besides, in you wanted the guests to see to designing what
the absence of marketing tools like social media your guests were seeking based on their nationality
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88
SHOBA MOHAN
or their connect with India, boutique, bespoke, to know who he was and why his turban was red THE BEST THING
curated and artisanal began to take shape. Form and a few times larger than his head. Stories sold ABOUT A SMALL
and uniqueness began to set in, design principles rooms for hotels. Community stories became OR MEDIUM
began to be refined inspired by the location of the important. BOUTIQUE
hotel, experiences formed the crux of the hotel HOTEL IS ITS
and off-beat often meant a tough last mile access Around this time, the conversation around ABILITY TO
which travellers did not mind if they were going to ethical travel, eco-tourism and sustainable travel SHIFT GEARS
experience something rare and local. was growing louder. Though Responsible Tourism AND ADAPT
Awards were already set up at WTM, in India TO THE NEW
Difficult access just added some extra Outlook Traveller began looking to award those PARADIGM
romance to the destination. However, connectivity who set world standards in sustainable travel in
continued to pose a challenge for road travel. But 2016. Boutique hotels were now serious
many of the boutique hotels helped thread long competition for the large chain hotels who also
itineraries together, thereby breaking long drives came up with boutique offering but in the high-
into four-five hours bits that was also enhanced by end luxury segment. The undeniable fact is that
the guests’ anticipation of staying in a boutique boutique hotels, small or medium and owner run,
retreat or hotel. The curious thing is that some of from design and location were easily aligned with
the attributes that a boutique hotel is known for, the hotel idea of sustainability from design and
like its unique design, meant that it did not look concept stage. To implement goals like elimination
anything like the usual hotel such as imposing, of single use plastic, conserving water, aiming for
wide entrances, reception and lobby, offered a fuel efficiency, training local communities for
very personalised service, the design and décor service in the hotel was fairly easy and rested with
were unmatched and finally the cuisine and the owner hotelier who often did a great job in
experiences built the character for the hotel and setting up training or hiring a few people who took
the destination. up the challenge as an opportunity.
The stories around boutique hotels: The boutique hotels were tested for their
Around 2009, there was literally a twist in the tale mettle during the pandemic. Should they close or
as we began to sense a story behind every hotel open to the travellers after the first lockdown?
and probably were the first company to begin Most opened and how! Everything we highlighted
highlighting stories in the narratives around the about a boutique hotel like large estate and small
hotel and the destination. Not that these were not keys, away from the cities and close to
mentioned before, of course the story of the king communities, small enough for a buy-out, etc.
and queen, or a folk lore associated with the area found favour with the domestic market and
did exist but it was not a part of the narrative of a business was brisk by August 2020. The best
hotel. This was about the time when boutique thing about a small or medium boutique hotel is
hotels were multiplying and boutique began to get its ability to shift gears and adapt to the new
tagged along with forts, palaces, lodges and paradigm, bring down prices, adjust their offering
camps. And the stories were plenty, the destination and welcome the domestic market and they were
was the big story, the logo was a story, the owner’s not disappointed.
story, concept and design story and so many
other stories that awaited exploration were So as the gloom of the pandemic lifts and
curated as experiences. tourism makes an exciting recovery, the age of the
boutique hotels seems to be at its peak. A large
Around this time, marketing of small hotel group like Taj Hotels has set up a boutique
brands began to gain credence and with social brand with Ama Trails, a new experiential hotel
media messaging becoming stronger, content group The Postcard Hotel with an opulent service
was being crowned the king. Art photography and ideology and design came into existence, smaller
beguiling copy about the hotel and the destination chains are expanding to manage a string of hotels
delved into these stories, which were picked up and many more maverick hoteliers are being born
for promotions and as talking points for with their first boutique hotel which may have
presentations. It was not that some of these been set up in the pandemic. n
things were not done before, but highlighting
them and talking about them became important. AUTHOR BIO: Shoba Mohan is
Not just an image with a turban, the media wanted Founder, RARE India
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89
OPERATING METRICS TO
RETURN TO PRE-COVID
LEVELS IN FY2023
BY VINUTAA S
THE IMPROVED NOTWITHSTANDING THE potential impact on
OPERATING demand with further Covid waves, if any, ICRA
LEVERAGE expects the industry’s revenues and margins to
return to pre-Covid levels in FY2023. The demand
ALONG WITH is expected to stem largely from domestic leisure/
SUSTENANCE transient travel, although recovery in business
travel and Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs) will also
OF COST- support occupancy. ICRA expects Pan-India
OPTIMISATION premium hotel occupancy to be at 68-70 per cent
for FY2023, while the ARR is expected to hover
MEASURES around Rs 5,600-5,800. The improved operating
WILL SUPPORT leverage along with sustenance of cost-
MARGINS AND optimisation measures will support margins and
ACCRUALS FOR accruals for hotels.
HOTELS The industry witnessed a healthy start to
FY2023, with 60-62 per cent occupancy in
premium hotels in H1 FY2023. It was up from
~40-42 per cent in FY2022 and closer to pre-
Covid occupancy of 62-64 per cent in H1
FY2020. Pan-India ARR stood at ~Rs 4,800-
5,000 in H1 FY2023 as against Rs 4,200-4,400
in FY2022. It still remains at a 10-12 per cent
discount to pre-Covid levels on an average,
although a few high-end hotels and leisure
destinations witnessed ARRs spike to higher
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90
VINUTAA S
than pre-Covid levels. The demand recovery four-five months. However, the premium hotel LEISURE
has been sharper than expected, and was supply pipeline is expected to grow only at a DESTINATIONS
aided by leisure, transient passengers, MICE/ five-year compounded annual growth rate AND GATEWAY
weddings and pick-up in business/ diplomat (CAGR) of 3.5-4 per cent, adding about 15,500 CITIES
travel and FTAs. Some cities also witnessed rooms to the Pan-India premium inventory of WITNESSED
traffic from specific events in Q1 FY2023. While ~94,800 rooms across 12 key cities that ICRA STELLAR
weddings/ social MICE have picked up in tracks. This will facilitate an upcycle, as demand OCCUPANCY
FY2022, corporate MICE picked up in the improves over the medium term, and supply IN H1 FY2023.
current year, with the opening up of the lags demand. The current inventory growth is MUMBAI AND
economy. While some part of it could be from significantly lower than the growth of over 15 DELHI HAVE
pent-up demand, a majority of it is likely to per cent witnessed during FY2009-2013, after CONSISTENTLY
sustain going forward. The logistical the global financial crisis. REPORTED
convenience and hygiene alertness are likely to OCCUPANCY
favour hotels as far as weddings are concerned. Rebranding of midscale hotels has OVER 70 PER
added to premium supply. Further, a significant CENT SINCE
Leisure destinations and gateway cities part of recent inventory through management MARCH 2022
witnessed stellar occupancy in H1 FY2023. contracts/ operating leases. Also, not many
Mumbai and Delhi have consistently reported acquisitions were witnessed during the Covid19
occupancy over 70 per cent since March 2022. period, as ECLGS has supported liquidity
Business travel markets like Bengaluru and hoteliers, and very few hotels have been shut
Pune with a large part of the demand from down permanently. However, some projects by
service sectors have also picked up. Chennai players with weak financial profiles and those in
and Hyderabad have benefitted from weddings/ markets like Bangalore, where demand pickup
social MICE and pickup in diplomat/ business has been slower, have been shelved. The per
travel. With improvement in demand and room cost has increased by 10-15 per cent
occupancy, ARRs have also witnessed sharp because of cost inflation, leading to higher
YoY increase in H1 FY2023. ARRs are likely to project costs for the same inventory. n
witness sequential improvement across markets
in H2 FY2023. Although H1 FY2023 was among AUTHOR BIO: Vinutaa S is
the best periods for the industry since the onset Vice President and Sector Head,
of Covid19 pandemic, the RevPAR remains 13- Corporate Ratings, ICRA Limited
15 per cent lower than pre-Covid19 levels and
at about 35-40 per cent discount to the FY2009
peak. For midscale hotels, the occupancy
recovery has been slower, due to presence in
Tier II markets.
ICRA expects debt metrics to go back to
pre-Covid levels in FY2023 supported by better
accruals. While some companies have already
raised funds (predominantly by way of equity),
more announcements on fund raising can also
be expected for deleveraging. Nevertheless,
RoCE is expected to remain a sub-cost of
capital at least for the next four years.
The demand uptick has resulted in
pickup in supply announcements and
commencement of deferred projects in the last
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91
THE EUREKA
MOMENT: MICE,
WEDDINGS ARE
THE FUTURE
THE GLOBAL BY SURESH KUMAR
MICE INDUSTRY
There is nothing more deceptive than an this segment also offsets seasonal tourism
SIZE IS obvious fact. challenges and provides additional avenues for
ESTIMATED TO domestic tourism and leisure travel, expenditure.
REACH $1,337.4 – Arthur Conan Doyle
The global MICE industry size was
BILLION WHILE THE above quote applies to all aspects valued at $805 billion in 2017 and is estimated
BY 2028, of life, it is perhaps best exemplified in the to reach $1,337.4 billion by 2028, registering a
REGISTERING A hospitality industry. The industry that’s driven CAGR of 21.3 per cent from 2021 to 2028. (ref)
CAGR OF 21.3 by customer expectations, new emerging
PER CENT technologies and is strongly influenced by As per a 2019 report on MICE Market in
FROM 2021 events and trends that have always been in a India¹, the estimated market size of MICE in India
TO 2028 constant state of change/evolution, though the was Rs 37,576 crore in which nearly 60 per cent
scale is now faster than ever before. came from MIC ie meetings, incentives and
conferences. The estimated market size from
Among the various segments within the events/ exhibitions is reported to be in the tune of
industry, MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Rs 4,800 crore from space rental with a multiplier
Conferences, Exhibitions) is globally considered impact to economy in terms of accommodation,
as one of its key market segments and an traveling, communication, advertisement,
important contributor to national economies, remuneration to skilled work force etc.
through income and employment generation
directly and indirectly in related hospitality Weddings are also a major industry in
services. As a year-round business prospect, India with ‘The Big Fat Indian Wedding’ known
across the world for the destinations, the
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92
SURESH KUMAR
extravagantly designed and planned venues online and offline has perhaps never been THE GLOBAL
and the scale of events. Though largely an greater than in the past few years. While the LANDSCAPE
unorganised sector, a report by KPMG in 2016, trend of moving smaller gatherings to virtual FOR THE MICE
estimates Indian wedding industry worth Rs spaces started rising occasionally, the demand AND WEDDING
3.68 trillion and growing steadily. for ‘hybrid and virtual’ events skyrocketed due INDUSTRY
to the pandemic. Digital/ online platforms were CONTINUES TO
India, therefore, has a wide portfolio of used extensively by companies, to stay EVOLVE AND
offerings, with its geographical and cultural connected, operate businesses and over time GET MORE
diversity leading to greater potential for also to conduct MICE events that were cost COMPETITIVE
positioning as a MICE and Wedding destination. effective. What started as a necessity is likely to
In addition, there is also robust demand in India continue in the long term on account of the
across industries, including the growth in flexibility, cost effectiveness and larger outreach
medical tourism sector as estimated to increase this mode offers, thereby greatly impacting the
at a CAGR of 21.1 per cent from 2020-27, and MICE industry.
the travel market to reach US$ 125 billion by
FY27 from an estimated US$ 75 billion in FY20. As the Covid19 crisis appears to ebb,
with a rapid decline in cases, the hospitality,
This, however, is not new information MICE and Wedding industry is on the path to
and has been a repeatedly stated fact. Isn’t it recovery with hotel brands rapidly expanding
funny therefore, how the obvious and oblivious their presence, even in newer locations (Tier III
are so close? Traditionally, larger brands had cities), in-person conferences and tradeshows
consciously shunned away from the Band- witnessing large turnouts and weddings/
Baaja-Baraat business citing exclusiveness and banquet venues have started registering record
privacy for their high paying guests. The past growths.
two years however, have altered the course and
method of doing business, resulting in brands The global landscape for the MICE and
now ‘rediscovering’ the potential of this Wedding industry continues to evolve and get
segment and reinforcing it as an essential more competitive. In order to optimise
aspect of product formulation and owner opportunities in the industry in India and
investments, while continuing with their ‘asset- improve positioning on the global scale, there is
light’ growth strategy for speed and scale. a need for a more focussed approach in
Leading cities for MICE events have so far development, investments, process and service
mostly been key metros but Tier II and Tier III standardisation for every touchpoint of MICE/
locations are also fast catching up. Weddings.
The pandemic had a major impact on However, while we work towards getting
the global travel, hospitality, MICE and Wedding ‘back to business’ and regaining business
industry and India was no different. Strict profitability, with the increasing demand and
lockdowns led to partial or complete ban on approaching festive season, it is important that
travel and closed borders, resulting in shutdown the circumstances, challenges and learnings
of businesses and challenge to livelihoods. As from the past two years propel us to revisit and
per an industry survey² done at 160 hotels reimagine our product development/
across India, more than 60 per cent of hotels formulations and investment strategies, so as
shut down temporarily in the first two months of to ensure that desires of the ever-evolving
the pandemic, with only those serving essential ‘business of profit’ do not lead to the large
services operating. While a majority resumed ‘investments and owners’ suffering, i.e. more
operations after July 2020, continued than ever before, now is the time to ‘Invest
restrictions on gathering numbers/ capacity Wisely’. n
further impacted business and in particular
MICE, Wedding segment. AUTHOR BIO: Suresh Kumar is
Founder, KUE Management Services and
One of the greatest impacts of the Mentor, ROSAKUE Hospitality (Boutique
pandemic across segments was the accelerated
pace of digital transformation. Convergence of Lifestyle Homes)
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93
DID YOU KNOW?
THE WORLD’S
LARGEST HOTEL
With 7,351 rooms, the First World Hotel, Genting
Heights, Malaysia, is the largest hotel in the world
by the number of rooms. Founded in 2001, the
hotel is spread over 28 floors. The First World
Hotel comprises two towers with 3,164 standard
rooms, 2,922 deluxe rooms, 649 triple deluxe
rooms, 480 superior deluxe rooms and 136 world
club rooms. The hotel has broken the Guinness
World Record for the largest one in the world not
once but twice. It was outdone by the Las Vegas
Palazzo expansion but emerged on top in 2015
again after renovation. The expansion added
more rooms along with entertainment and dining opportunities. It is one of
the most visited hotels in Malaysia where guests can have access to various leisure
options including a cineplex, karaoke facilities and a theatre. The hotel also features
a business centre for conferences and meetings.
THE WORLD’S
SMALLEST HOTEL
At 570 sq ft, the Eh’häusl Hotel in Amberg,
Germany, is the smallest hotel in the world. It can only
accommodate two guests at a time. Built in 1728, the
building served an important purpose in the Bavarian
town of Amberg. At the time of its construction, in order
to get married a couple had to own a property. For
those that couldn’t afford buying a conventional piece
of property bought the Eh’häusl. Erected between two
existing houses, the narrow space was not planned
to be a home but a temporary address to appease the
town council’s bylaw. Once a couple got married, the
house could be sold to the next couple in line.
MANDEEP S LAMBA AND DIPTI MOHAN
INDIAN HOTEL SECTOR:
OPPORTUNITIES
KNOCKING AT THE DOOR
BY MANDEEP S LAMBA AND DIPTI MOHAN
THE INDIAN hotel sector is finally seeing renewed growth after same period in 2021, while remaining only 3-5 per cent lower
months of low occupancy and falling average rates due to the than pre-pandemic levels. The strong recovery in occupancy
pandemic. In the first eight months of the calendar year 2022 and average rates has helped India-wide RevPAR to reach
(YTD August 2022), nationwide occupancy was in the 57-59 per Rs 3,200-3,400, reflecting growth of over 120 per cent
cent range, 20-22 percentage points (pp) higher than the same compared to 2021.
period in 2021 and only 6-8 pp lower than 2019. The strong
recovery in demand is driving consistent increases in average MONTH ON MONTH REVPAR RECOVERY
room rates, with hotels, particularly in the leisure segment, THROUGH THE PANDEMIC
outperforming pre-pandemic average rates. Meanwhile, the The upcycle in the sector is clearly underway and is expected to
resurgence of corporate travel and large-ticket conferences and last for the next four-five years, as demand is spiralling while
events is reshaping the fortunes of commercial markets and supply growth is relatively low, which is a significant difference
popular MICE destinations. As a result, the country’s YTD from any previous disruptions that took place be it the 9/11 US
August 2022 average rates were 42-44 per cent higher than the terror attacks, GFC crises or the Mumbai terror attacks wherein
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95
the supply continued to grow. This augurs well for the sector Government also plans to soon introduce the National Tourism
because, as shown in the graph below, hotel performance in Policy for sustainable and inclusive tourism growth in the
India is highly sensitive to supply and demand dynamics. country. The hotel sector should develop strategies to take
advantage of the short- and long-term opportunities that are
INDIAN HOTEL SECTOR: SUPPLY, DEMAND emerging as the Indian tourism industry gains momentum.
AND REVPAR TREND
According to the most recent industry data, room demand INDIA’S G20 PRESIDENCY ADVANTAGE
increased by more than 55 per cent year on year between India will hold the G20 Presidency for one year beginning
January and August 2022 whereas room supply increased by December 1, 2022. Over 200 G20 meetings are expected to be
only 1-3 per cent. The demand will continue to grow by double held across 55 destinations in the country during this period.
digits due to strong domestic travel and the gradual return of The Indian hotel sector stands to gain significantly from this
inbound tourism, but we anticipate supply to grow at a CAGR of development, as there will be substantial incremental demand
only 3-5 per cent over the next six to seven years. This, coupled for hotels in the cities where the meetings will be held.
with India’s strong economic outlook, will, in our opinion, help Additionally, the government intends to make the most of this
the Indian hotel sector achieve occupancy of 70 per cent in chance to promote India as a top travel destination worldwide
2024, after a wait of nearly two decades, despite several by showcasing the history and cultures of these places, which
challenges such as inflationary pressure, the possibility of a will benefit the hotel industry in the long run.
recession in the US and Europe, and manpower shortage. We
also anticipate the ADRs to finally cross the previous high BLEISURE TRAVEL IS BACK IN BUSINESS
witnessed almost 18 years back in 2007. Bleisure travel – business travellers extending their business
trips by a few days for leisure tourism activities – is expected to
OPPORTUNITIES ARE KNOCKING AT grow at over 19 per cent CAGR globally in the next ten years
THE SECTOR’S DOOR and is a segment that has gained significant traction post-
The Indian Government is once again placing more emphasis Covid19. This segment is expected to gain further momentum
on the expansion of the tourism industry, which is predicted to as international business travellers and high-profile MICE events
contribute US$250 billion to the country’s GDP by 2030. The return to the country. As a result, it is critical that the hotel
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96
MANDEEP S LAMBA AND DIPTI MOHAN
INDIAN GOVERNMENT IS
ONCE AGAIN PLACING MORE
EMPHASIS ON THE EXPANSION
OF THE TOURISM INDUSTRY
sector, particularly traditional business hotels, recognise the RISE OF MEDICAL TOURISM
opportunity and create special packages and offerings by The relaxation of international travel restrictions and the
incorporating more leisure elements into the experience to falling rupee is expected to increase medical tourism in
attract corporate guests looking to extend their trip. Providing India. As per the Invest India website, the country aims to
customised experiences to meet the evolving needs of the become the world’s top medical tourism destination, tripling
business traveller will give them reasons to stay longer, helping its revenue to US$13 billion in four years. During the
the hotel sector to generate more revenue and guest loyalty. pandemic, hotels and healthcare facilities, the two key
stakeholders in this growing segment, successfully
REINVENTING CITY TOURISM collaborated to provide quarantine services. The two sectors
Indian cities such as Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru took longer to should now build on this success to provide medical
bounce back post-pandemic compared to leisure destinations as travellers with a seamless medical tourism experience.
they are heavily dependent on corporate and MICE segments. City Developing dedicated hospital-hotel mixed-use projects and
tourism boards and the hotel sector must collaborate to develop patient hotels designed to meet the needs of medical
strategies to attract more leisure tourists and bleisure travellers, travellers, as is common in Scandinavian countries, could
particularly domestic visitors, going forward. Increasing marketing be a profitable business model in the future and help the
efforts by using social media and influencers, leveraging VR and country realise its true medical tourism potential.
AR to enhance tourist experience, and regularly hosting must-
attend events can help cities to shift the narrative about city Finally, the often-overlooked opportunity to multi-skill
tourism, by giving tourists new reasons to visit or to extend their hotel employees is a great way to address the staffing issues
business visits to club leisure activities, rather than viewing the city in the hotel sector, especially in the post-pandemic world
as merely an entry, exit, or transit point. where staff shortages are worsening, and companies are
looking to reduce staff-to-room ratios. Employers can
RETURN OF THE ‘BIG FAT INDIAN WEDDING’ reduce labour costs, improve efficiency, and increase
The ‘Big Fat Indian Wedding’ is making a comeback after two operational flexibility, while employees gain new skills that
years of incredibly personalised and intimate weddings, with will help them advance in their careers. Multi-skilling also
several hotels already sold out for the upcoming wedding season. prepares employees for higher-level positions within the
Couples who postponed their weddings for the last two years company, which aids in succession planning while increasing
due to the pandemic and related restrictions are now going all employee loyalty and motivation and can help companies
out in terms of their wedding budgets. Furthermore, due to the retain their human capital in today’s fiercely competitive
difficulties associated with visas and the high cost of international environment. n
travel, many couples seeking celebrity style destination weddings
in picture-perfect foreign locations are turning to luxury and AUTHORS’ BIO: Mandeep S Lamba is President (South
upscale hotels and resorts in India for their wedding ceremonies. Asia), HVS ANAROCK and Dipti Mohan is Associate Vice
President – Research (South Asia), HVS ANAROCK
BWHOTELIER SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022 www.bwhotelier.com
97
SALES & MARKETING
I‘NLEIINSDUTIRAOEWDDOIELSWLTCEINLOLAN’TTIIONNUSE
RAMESH DARYANANI, BY BHUVANESH KHANNA
VICE PRESIDENT, GLOBAL
IT WAS the realisation that connecting with people brought him joy that
SALES, ASIA PACIFIC AT led Ramesh Daryanani to pursue a career in hospitality, an industry he
MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL had no plans to venture in to begin with. So when an opportunity
SPEAKS ON HIS APPROACH, knocked his doors, the finance and accounting graduate, didn’t think
twice. “If all these years that I have been able to sustain professionally
RECOVERY TRENDS IN should be attributed in my ability to keep the head down, focus on the
AREAS UNDER HIS CHARGE job and get behind the details,” says Vice President, Global Sales, Asia
Pacific at Marriott International.
AND WHAT HE EXPECTS
FOR THE INDIAN INDUSTRY The journey, however, has not been easy. “When I look back at
my career with Marriott, I feel fortunate as the organisation delivers the
IN THE NEAR FUTURE promise to look after its people and I’m one of those examples,” he
shares. For Daryanani, professional approach has always been to
balance revenue and guest satisfaction. He believes these metrics and
components are what allow the business to sustain and grow because
focussing solely on revenue does not help in protecting and growing
owners’ assets to deliver expected returns.
BWHOTELIER SEPTMBER-OCTOBER 2022 www.bwhotelier.com
98
RAMESH DARYANANI
Tipplers Bar, Four Points by
Sheraton Navi Mumbai Vashi
INDIA HAS BEEN GREAT FOR BUSINESS
TRAVEL DUE TO THE PRESENCE OF FORTUNE
500 COMPANIES AS WELL AS IT BEING
KNOWN AS AN OUTSOURCING DESTINATION
PREDICTING TRENDS things up to be ready for inbound travel as and when it returns. “While
Daryanani feels with depreciating Rupee, rising airfares and limited that will happen soon, commercial inbound is going to kick in a lot
airline capacity, the next-gen Indian traveller will opt for domestic travel sooner than the leisure segment,” he shares.
over an international flight. This is a trend, he predicts, will be here for
another year-and-a-half. “Moreover, only 6.5 per cent Indians possess FACING CHALLENGES
a passport today despite Indian Government issuing 12 million every Before the pandemic, Marriott International was focussing on placing
year so that will be another reason,” he says, adding, MICE too will India on the global map as a destination for meetings, events and
witness a strong comeback soon. “The chances of missing out increase leisure while trying to navigate aspects like infrastructure, ease of entry
manifold for those who intend driving revenues by organising meetings and visa approvals. “The pandemic helped to an extent and there has
and events. It needs to be done now,” he opines. been some progress. However, the focus now is on how to accelerate
it. India has always been great for business travel due to the presence
For 2023, Daryanani predicts a lot more outbound travel. “The of Fortune 500 companies here as well as it being known as an
visa officers are going to process visas a lot faster, especially as the outsourcing destination,” says Daryanani, adding that despite this,
world now needs to plan better as China is not in travel plans presently. aspects like history and architecture in India remained either unknown
The country will start travelling in second half of 2023. Till then, the or low down on visitors’ priority list.
world will need India. Also, like Indians in India have been exploring
their backyard, Europeans in Europe have been doing so too. The As the industry didn’t expect the recovery to be so quick, there
Americans have been visiting Europe while Australians are either has been dearth of talented people to drive it on a safer plain. “There is
travelling within their country or visiting Hawaii, Fiji and Thailand,” he an additional task of figuring out on how to inspire new talent to join the
shares. This trend, feels Daryanani, will give the industry time to set industry as well as ensuring they get trained and are ready to deliver the
BWHOTELIER SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022 www.bwhotelier.com
99
SALES & MARKETING
WE ARE AHEAD
OF COMPETITION
IN TERMS OF
PLANNING
Romano’s, JW Marriott
Mumbai Sahar
experience at the earliest,” he says, adding one needs to be passionate JW Marriott Prestige Bengaluru
to be a part of this profession. “We are trying to find such passionate Golfshire Resort and Spa
people. The passion for hospitality, the experiences you have here and
how holistic it makes you as a professional is what we’re trying to catches customer preferences to enable the brand to enhance their
imbibe in new talent,” he explains. travel experience based on their preferences. Marriott Bonvoy, the
Group’s travel loyalty programme, is an attempt to be a part of the
Another challenge for the Group is to re-educate people about customer’s journey from start to finish, he shares, adding, “We’re not
its brands and create awareness about the offerings through its loyalty there yet but I think we are ahead of our competitors in terms of
programme. “Now that the country has opened up for travel and planning for that journey and seizing some of those opportunities.”
people are hunting for hotels to stay, Marriott wants to re-establish itself
at the top of the mind of these travellers by introducing a few new With 169 million members across the globe, Marriott
initiatives and sustaining the old ones like credit cards and Marriott International is trying to create value for them by looking at what they
Bonvoy on Wheels,” he says. can do with the points. For this, they have introduced experiences like
using points to receive personalised greetings from an IPL player.
ON ROAD TO RECOVERY “Guests can access these via Marriott Bonvoy programme and it’s
Daryanani shares Australia as a destination surprised him with its great to see these programmes evolving to add more value,” he says.
recovery, beginning February. And not only Australia, even Korea,
Indonesia and Singapore, riding high on domestic travel, bounced Another initiative that Marriott International has undertaken is
back well. “The reason: it is easier for travellers to enter these countries co-branded credit cards, currently offered in Japan and Korea and
which is driving the demand,” he reveals. In India, he shares that the soon-to-be-launched worldwide. Daryanani elaborates that with these
Group has hit 71 per cent occupancy and it is up on the ADR as cards, users can have a meal at a Marriott hotel and earn points on
compared to the 2019 levels. credit card or they can use previous points to pay for that meal. “As it
is tech-enabled currency, people like it. They understand the use of the
Elaborating on regional trends in India, he shares the southern programme and how it benefits them across all parts of a travel
region, primarily Bengaluru, Chennai and Hyderabad, are witnessing a journey,” concludes Daryanani. n
rebound as companies are bringing people back to offices. Thus, it is
driving travel and leading to a lot of meetings and event businesses in
South India. He shares that drivable destinations from bigger cities
have fared well. “Also, all leisure destinations will continue to do well.
We have witnessed record occupancies in Goa, Mussoorie and Jaipur
and I don’t see the trend shifting. If anything, it puts a few Tier 2 and
Tier 3 cities on the national map as people are exploring places where
they can travel easily on weekends,” he explains.
CREATING VALUE
The Group is also upgrading its app to encourage guests to do mobile
check-ins and offer increased guest-hotel interaction. The programme
BWHOTELIER SEPTMBER-OCTOBER 2022 www.bwhotelier.com
100
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