‘Hospitality Industry in India Suffers from Identity Crisis’
I WISH to position JW Marriott Sahar as a trend setter, break conventional wisdom and stereotypes to delight our internal and external stakeholders”, says Dietmar Kielnhofer who has been recently appointed as the General Manager at JW Marriott Mumbai Sahar. With 30 years of experience in the industry across Africa, Europe, the Middle East and Asia, Kielnhofer possesses major strength in hotel operations, marketing, food & beverage, human resources and finance.
Kielnhofer holds a MBA degree from the University of Leicester, England and a Ph.D. in Business Management from the American University of London. “I was eager to learn about the business aspect of a hotel. What are its revenue management strategies, how to manage cost and expenses without compromising quality and standards and how to successfully position your brand in an increasingly competitive environment? These questions fascinated me when I was young,” says Kielnhofer.
Speaking about his plans at JW Marriott Sahar, he said, “The year 2017-2018 is going to be an exciting one. The plan for the forthcoming quarter is to further grow each of our business segments and take them to new heights with particular focus on the MICE and wedding market. We will seek to explore newer associations with luxury brands and organizations that align with our brand voice. We will continue to augment our e-commerce efforts, digital and traditional marketing initiatives by exploring new initiatives that further enhance our brand image.”
According to Kielnhofer, as a luxury business hotel located besides the Chhatrapati Shivaji International terminal in Mumbai, it will continue to drive revenue from business travellers and all major multinational companies.
Elaborating more on the targeted segments, he said, “With a wide range of meeting spaces as well as the large room inventory that the hotel has to offer, we will continue to leverage on the MICE segment. Wedding groups too, will be a key space to focus on. With over 56,000 sq.ft of indoor and outdoor space, world-class food and beverage options, contemporary décor, spacious rooms, and amazing Spa and stylish interiors offer a befitting ambiance to suit weddings.”
Speaking about the competition, for Kielnhofer it is all about listening to the needs and wants of the customers and finding the sweet spot. “JW Marriott Mumbai Sahar finds its competitive edge in superlative guest service and state-of-art technology to be able to provide truly a world class experience,” he added.
After working with several international hotels, Kielnhofer thinks the hotel industry in India suffers from an identity crisis. “The Indian hotel industry has enormous scope in further leveraging their rates given the rising demand and disposable income in the target audience. The problem is the rates are too cheap and that diminishes the value proposition. It needs more confidence in its ability that it can charge higher, competitive rates. With higher room rates comes prestige, status and better returns for owners and operators like,” he further added.
Kielnhofer believes that in any situation, striking a balance is imperative. The only concern for him as a challenge is the critical shortage of talent. “The hospitality wars of the future will not be fought over customers but over talent,” he stated.
Kielnhofer concluded his conversation on a positive note for the hospitality industry in India. He says, “I see unlimited revenue potential, the present room rates are cheap when comparing to other Asian, European and US cities. The hotels are world class, the service is certainly better than in Europe and the US. Indian hoteliers get a raw deal as far as rates are concerned; currently it is a bargain hunter’s heaven. Demand in the foreseeable future remains bullish and the investment climate, thanks to Prime Minister Modi, will remain buoyant. The best is yet to come.”
 (1)_20240917184605_original_image_17.webp)
_20240917154814_original_image_20.webp)
