Customer outlook is watchful, yet anticipative: Samir MC

To sustain in the on-going crisis, the hospitality industry had to go through a major transformation. How do you see the future of the sector moving ahead?

Indeed the year 2020 has been very transformational, be it with regards to the turmoil that the pandemic caused to individuals, businesses and the world itself or the innovative and disruptive measures most took to survive it- be it re purposing objectives, finding solidarity in teamwork, bringing in creativity to customer experiences, and improvising to offset competition and actually just stay afloat.

Year 2021, will just be a furtherance of the above, of firming up the improvisations initiated and creating stronger foundations. Year 2021, will also be a year of hope, were the world hopes for respite from the pandemic and normalcy to return again, the medical practitioners hope for a vaccine, mankind hopes for a miracle and the unshackled traveller hopes to travel.

In the face of the pandemic, how have you managed to cement your relationships with the different stakeholders?

The pandemic taught us to communicate better with our stakeholders both internal and external. To ensure we put our best foot forward, we focused on what was truly important for us—the safety and well-being of our employees, customers, vendors, partners. Amidst an unsettling business environment we had to don multiple hats at the same time – a consultant, a coach, a comfort provider and a friend, re-adjusting and simulating our strategies, adopting a quick thinking in the face of uncertainty, yet keeping in mind the sentiments of the hotel ownerships, our team members and associates.

Various steps with heighted levels of urgency were initially taken to support hotel ownerships and vendor partners. We channeled our energies in being a team player and advisor to them, helping them create balance in times of stress, handholding them on occasions. We approached their issues one at a time, suggesting coarse correction in light of their core objectives, and keeping pace with a rapidly changing business environment, government directives and the general landscape.

Our team has also cemented its efforts in driving new avenues of business due to changing buyer and travel behavior, and working closely with our hotels to revive business across the portfolio.

2020 has been a challenging year for the hospitality industry to say the least. In hindsight, what is your take?

2020 has indeed been a great educator for all of us in the hospitality industry, irrespective of the years of experience we brought in, the pandemic has given us all many new learnings.

The importance of trust came up even more prominently be it guests looking for the assurance of safety and hygiene or stakeholders looking at you for enhanced support and collaboration

Another key learning was on the need to be agile, as what worked so far wouldn’t necessarily work during this time and hence constant unlearning and learning and adapting has been the key.

Gratitude has been another element which has come to the fore. More than ever before, I am grateful to my colleagues in the corporate support teams as well as hotels for being together and riding through these challenging times.

More importantly, nothing is permanent, good times and bad times. So enjoy and appreciate the good times and ride through the bad times with a positive outlook.

Fortune Park Moksha, McLeod Ganj

Technology has clearly been the biggest disruptor and with on-going crisis, adaption of technology has become a necessity. Please tell us about the new age tech that has been implemented at the properties for seamless guest experience?

We have introduced many new approaches to adjust to the ‘New Normal’ and ensure a safe and hygienic hassle-free stay for our guests.

Besides digitalizing most of our communication and offerings in the market place to drive business, some innovative steps that Fortune hotels have undertaken to ensure guest safety include contactless check-ins, sanitized-sealed rooms, QR codes enabled communication in rooms, digital menus, contact-less payment options and much more.

However, all these will come with a simple caveat, nothing beats a personal touch and we continue challenging ourselves in building guest experiences with low touch but high connect.

How was the year 2020 for Fortune Park Hotels in terms of occupancy and RevPAR?

Customer Outlook is watchful, yet anticipative. Some travel has begun. Businesses have opened up yet remain cautious. Essential travel is happening. Not all corporates are travelling, but business is slowly opening up. At Fortune Hotels, the occupancies have seen a steady rise since September and have grown healthier in Q3 as compared to the earlier part of the year. Each month we are seeing an increase in occupancies over the previous month, which is a positive trend considering the world is still combating the pandemic and travel is still fragmented.

What will be high on the agenda for you in 2021? What major plans and developments have you set in motion for Fortune Park Hotels in the year 2021?

Consolidation and new hotel signings is the buzzword at Fortune Hotels. We recently launched a Fortune Park hotel in the quaint town of Dalhousie and a New Year opening is anticipated for our hotel in Hubballi. Besides this, we have signed four properties last year, one each in Deoghar, Tiruppur, Haldwani and Candolim and are looking forward to associate with a few more before the financial year comes to a close. We are a proud Indian chain, well established across all parts of the country and with a very strong understanding of the nuances of the various markets. Over the past few months, we have been seeing an increased interest in our brand and confident of sharing further updates with you on signings in the near future.

Fortune Select JP Cosmos, Bengaluru

What are the key trends that you have noticed among the travellers?

While the businesses are open and so is the travel mindset of many people, customer is still divided between being anticipative, pragmatic and carefree. There has been a distinct change in the mindset, preferences and buying behaviour. But safety and well-being remain paramount factors is assessing value propositions offered by businesses. Customer is price focused and hyper personalization oriented packages are driving business. Revenge travel and and the ‘drive-to destinations’ segment is seeing steady movement. Festivals and long weekends are seeing more visitors; short travels to near city locations, accessible getaways are being favoured. Offerings around motorable holidays, multi-generation travel, wellness and well-being with flexi rate plans are being more appreciated. 

What do you feel can be done to grow brand ‘Incredible India’ especially post Covid-19?

India is a land of multiple experiences, ranging from snow to beaches, forest reserves to deserts, and most importantly a wide plethora of heritage and historical landmarks, indeed a delight for the experiential traveler.

While we have seen a lot of focus on domestic travel, with the current pandemic restricting international travel, this is the perfect opportunity for the various players in the hospitality sector to reinforce the beauty of destinations and the experiences therein to attract domestic travellers to appreciate the various facets of Incredible India.