‘Adaptability is the only way to survive change and keep moving on’

The lockdown in the state of Maharashtra has started to open in various levels and the hospitality sector is slated to open last as it requires a lot of planning and revised processes to be in place.  

We at Hotel Sahara Star will be re-starting the operations in the coming weeks and to make sure that all our guests and the team is safe and protected we have undertaken several steps which will be visible across the property. We have launched an initiative ‘You are our Only Concern’ as we believe that the safety and well-being of our guests will be the sole focus going forward. 

The entire hotel has undergone complete sanitization with industry approved sanitizing machines; the hotel has also installed alcohol based sanitizer’s and thermal temperature guns at all public areas, all guest rooms will have a 24 to 48 hour curing period, each of the team members will be equipped with high end health essentials like Safety Masks, Gloves and Personal Protection Suits. With social distancing being the new norm, several trainings have been undertaken for employees to be well versed with the new Standard Operating Procedures to be followed in this new era of hospitality operations. 

The Hotel is planning a phase wise opening to keep up the hygienic standards and also as a cost control measure. In Phase 1, limited room inventory along with one restaurant and in-room dining will be operational for guests, facilities like business centres, banquets, pool and gym will be operational as per the Government notifications. In the Phase 2 further room inventory will be added for the guests and operations for a specialty restaurant will be resumed. In the last and final phase, the hotel plans to resume with all the facilities in its full capacity. The completion of each phase will be marked by a milestone that the hotel team will achieve. 

The current times have proven to be a turning point as well as a learning curve for everyone in the industry and also at Sahara Star. We have always supported our team members and even in these tough times the morale has always been high. “Safe Me Safe We” is a campaign initiated by the hotel to educate & create awareness about health measures amongst our team members. These measures have been put into place for their safety and well-being along with making sure that they are well trained and equipped to service our guests and take care of themselves and their loved ones.

We have kept several precautionary measures in place for safety of our team members once the operations resume. Firstly we have advised them to use private vehicles if possible and disinfect all surfaces before and after the ride. Secondly complying with all the temperature and health checks at all entry points. Lastly small things will make a huge difference so starting changes at work and continuing them at home will help us keep the virus at a bay. 

The Hotel has also ensured that the team members receive emotional support during this trying period and have implemented various platforms for virtual connectivity, social celebrations, trainings, departmental competitions, etc. so that are charged and raring to get back to work.  We have always focused on the Little Things,  as Big Things always fall into place if Little things are well looked after. 

The hospitality industry will be now gearing up for a fresh beginning with a new strategy to win back the guests. MICE and weddings will have a slow start but will surely catch up in time. There will be safety and health protocols which every person will have to take care of; secondly the number of guests at an event will now be a limited number to maintain social distancing norms. 

Tourism within the country and outside has been the worst ever and with the domestic travel picking up pace slowly the hotel can target occupancy to the minimum for the first six months. The main revenue for the Hospitality Industry will only kick in once we see a growth in Airline travel, corporate movement, trade events, weddings, social events and all other MICE related activities.  This will only happen once a vaccine or proven medicines are introduced in the global market and on the basis of the recent Pharma activity we are hopeful to see positive growth from Jan/Feb 2021. 

The Hotel also extended its support to the vulnerable communities, healthcare and frontline workers amid the coronavirus crisis. The hotel donated essential commodities such as sanitizers, toiletries, towels, masks, gloves, housekeeping supplies to the quarantine Centre of the Seven Hills Hospital for 100+ rooms. Sahara Star dedicated its fleet of cars to the BMC department for their official use and as well as for safe commute of doctors, nurses and other first responders. The Hotel has also distributed vitamin C supplements to the 100 plus police force at the airport zone police department in a bid to boost their immunity and morale. The hotel has also empowered and equipped personnel from seven police stations right from BKC to Sahar Police Station (T2) with thermal temperature guns, which will enable them to keep a check on themselves while fighting a war against the virus.

There are many lessons that this lockdown has taught us, firstly it has taught us to be prepared and also brace ourselves for the worst possible outcome at times. Secondly, it has taught us to be brave and keep calm to overcome the problems as there is always a silver lining to each cloud. Last but the most important one is that adaptability is the only way to survive change and keep moving on.