Creating Locale Experiences Through Hyatt Centric

EARLIER THIS year, Hyatt Hotels Corporation announced the rebranding of Hyatt Place Goa/Candolim to Hyatt Centric Candolim Goa, marking the brand’s second hotel in India. Located in prime destinations across the world including New York, Miami, Madrid, Tokyo and Chicago, the Hyatt Centric brand serves as a launch pad to destination exploration and discovery for millennial-minded travellers. The lobby lounge is a launch pad providing guests with information about the most sought after food, nightlife and activities the destination has to offer. BW Hotelier, in a recent interaction with Rajesh Malliya, General Manager, Hyatt Centric Candolim Goa, learnt more about the Hyatt Centric Experiences and how the brand plans to cater to the need of new-age travellers.

How do you market your property differently from others?

Hyatt Centric is a lifestyle hotel brand that serves as a launch pad to the destination. The Hyatt Centric brand was born out of the need for Hyatt to service and target a new customer mindset: “savvy explorers” who are curious-minded travelers that want to be in the middle of the action and feel like they are tapped into the best of the destination. Our hotel and services are uniquely designed to capture the spirit of its surrounding culture, tapping eager-to- explore business and leisure travelers into the local scene while cultivating an environment that invites discovery.

What are the recent trends you are witnessing among the travelers in Goa?

For Goa, there has been shift in the sources of business due to the increased cost of accommodation and transport options and easy availability of new global destinations. Goa has witnessed certain inbound markets moving out however there have been positive trends from emerging inbound markets as well. To add to this, domestic travelers continue to show a strong growth in their spending patterns & frequent holidays which has helped sustain the demand in Goa. This shift has infact made the business more dynamic.

Explain to us about the Hyatt Centric Experiences?

We offer unique in-house experiences and amenities, and guided off-site excursions that allow guests to truly immerse in the locale, such as scuba diving, heritage walks and food tours that highlight the best Goa has to offer. It all started with a passion for sharing our favourite local spots and stories with our guests that inspires us to create the perfect launch pad for savvy travellers, introducing them to a Goa that Goans love.

Brief us about your occupancy rate and ARR?

In the first year of operations, our main focus is to the positioning of the brand in the North Goa market. ADR and Occupancy is just a number and the key focus will be mainly to deliver the Hyatt Centric experience to all our guests making us the most preferred hotel. We will be all eyes and ears to our guests and take their feedback as a gift and work on enhancing the existing experiential elements. You never know when a wonderful idea or experiential element may be put forward by one of our guests which may look simple but be very impactful, which we are very open too as at the end of the day it’s the guests that matter the most.

What are the new offerings for foreign clientele?

Hyatt Centric Candolim Goa is a centrally located hotel that works best for guests visiting for leisure or adventure and exploration; corporates for meetings or offsites, or long stays to completely experience the state. Being in the middle of the action and always on-hand to serve up insider knowledge, intriguing tidbits and providing comfortable stays make us a unique home base.

The changes made during the renovation help us cater to a wider audience, Hyatt Centric Candolim Goa is open to all who want to explore and enjoy Goa like a local, including millennials, young professionals & couples, friend circles and families. We have a new category of rooms, that have balcony’s facing the garden, pool or beautiful view of the hills, a new banquet facilities – Jade Wine a 2991 square feet modern ballroom with state-of-the-art facilities, Isle de Sol - a 663 square feet contemporary flexible space and Jardim  - a 2411 square feet outdoor banquet space that can be used during the non-monsoon months of the year.

Brief us about your future plans with the property?

Hyatt Centric Candolim Goa opened its doors on 3 January, 2019 and the response has been inspiring so far. Guests have appreciated our services as we believe in not only providing comfortable stays but also providing customised experiences in every way we can - be it providing personalised menus, in-room amenities or detailed travel itineraries. We will work towards achieving and building on the experiences we offer this year.