‘I trust my team to take excellent decisions’
A true leader comes in many forms, each with their own mantra for success. For Manas Banerjee, General Manager, Radisson Blu Indore, being a leader means leading the team to a performance-driven culture while genuinely caring about employee well-being. “My team knows what’s best for the organisation and self-development. I trust them to take excellent decisions and meet their own needs and give guidance if it is asked for and lead by action to achieve organisational goals while balancing them with individual career goals,” he elaborates.
Located in the Vijay Nagar neighbourhood, Radisson Blu Indore is less than 20 km from Devi Ahilyabai Holkar Airport and in close proximity to several business parks. The hotel’s primary target market, therefore, is the metro cities. “The city is well-connected by road which is great for industrial hubs and SME businesses,” adds the GM. He further shares that the local and domestic business has evolved over time and shown humongous growth, both in corporate travel and wedding segments.
Knowing Radisson Blu Indore
With time, the offerings at the hotel have evolved in line with the requirements and the trends. “Health and safety have always played an internal role in the hospitality industry but Covid19 has fundamentally changed the way we live and, in turn, has highlighted how important hygiene and safety are. Offering hand sanitisers at all guest areas has become the norm and is expected by guests. On technological front, we replaced the restaurant menu with a scanner QR code. To provide a safer and more hygienic environment, the hotel has removed non-essential items from rooms to limit touch points and focussed on local offerings,” shares Banerjee.
The hotelier who comes with an experience of 23 years with nine in general management role across brands of Hyatt, IHG and currently Radisson. He has also been a part of rebranding exercise of the first lifestyle hotel of Hyatt – Hyatt Centric Bangalore. His core strength is innovative F&B operations, pre-opening and revenue management in difficult markets to deliver results as expected by the brand and the owners.
USP
Radisson Blu Indore’s focus has been on small details that make a big difference to inspire unforgettable experiences. “We provide unparalleled service, comfort and style while creating meaningful and local handcrafted experiences, designed specifically for business and leisure. Our ‘Yes I Can!’ service philosophy lies at the heart of our interactions with guests, setting us apart from the competition,” he says.
The property conducts lifestyle engagement programmes with guests for associate wellbeing as a consequence of the learnings from the pandemic. “The industry has learned some valuable lessons during the pandemic on how to navigate these challenging times such as multiskilling, minimalistic luxury and handcrafted local experiences along with healthy food offerings,” he explains.
Understanding Indore market
The MP city is a place where culture, industry and nature converge. “There are industrial areas, religious sites and historical places in and nearby Indore that are worth a visit. The recent industrial development has shown a boom in SEZs around Pithampur and Dewas. The IT industry has slowly started moving to Indore and a few of the large MNCs have setup their offices here,” explains the GM, adding the hospitality industry as seen a significant increase in domestic business travel post-pandemic. “The holiday season has increased the demand for leisure travel. In comparison to metropolitan areas, an upward trend has been observed in customised wedding and conference packages. We did selectively upscale business with value for money, accompanying bespoke luxury. Banquets have seen an increase in the wedding segment,” he avers.
Hopes for 2023
Heading an upscale hotel in the city centre in Indore, Banerjee is looking forward to a successful year for the hospitality industry. “I believe it is the year when the hospitality industry will witness a boom. India’s G20 Presidency will add to its high performance. It is estimated that in 2023 more than 200 meetings involving officials from the countries will be organised in India across 50 cities which is great. With economy reviving from Covid19, it is expected to be better than 2022,” he says.
