In the first episode of the third season of BW HOTELIER’s webBLAST series, The GM Show, titled Future of Hospitality in India's Capital: Challenges & Innovations, distinguished hoteliers got together to discuss the future of hospitality in India’s capital – a city that not only shapes but reflects the essence of our nation’s hospitality ethos. From luxury to innovation, from challenges to ground-breaking solutions, the aim was to uncover the evolving trends shaping the landscape.
The show began with the host, Bhuvanesh Khanna, CEO – BW Communities, BW Businessworld, introducing industry stalwarts – Amaan R Kidwai, Area Manager North - Luxury Hotels & GM, ITC Maurya, New Delhi; Abhishek Panshikar, GM, The Oberoi, New Delhi; Sharad Datta, GM, JW Marriott Hotel New Delhi Aerocity; Daniel Dolatre, GM, Hyatt Regency Delhi and Harkaran Singh, GM, The Leela Ambience Convention Hotel Delhi. The moderator for the show, Anupam Dasgupta, Area VP - North India and GM of The Leela Palace New Delhi, then took over the baton. The discussions included various topics ranging from business, revenue, challenges to industry-based issues.
Starting the discussion with the emphasis on growing need for sustainability Kidwai, stated “Renewable and sustainability in our day to day activities is the way forward, being aware of investing in technology to lessen the burden on the environment is our way.” Datta, further in the conversation added to it, stating, “Consumer expectations has shifted towards personalisation and sustainability.”
When asked about the use of technology in the hospitality industry to drive guest experiences, Panshikar shared, “A lot of hotels are adapting IoT and they are integrating this technology. AI also has tremendous potential for the hospitality industry and can make a difference on how we can use the data obtained from our guests.”
Datta, talking about Aerocity’s journey in the hospitality industry, shared, “It has been nothing short of extraordinary. There are a lot of hotels and retail spaces in Aerocity today. The juxtaposition is its connectivity with major hubs such as Gurgaon and Delhi.” He further elaborated on the brands expanding success, saying, “There’s tremendous opportunity for hospitality and retail or dining experiences. India’s largest mall which is opening soon will add huge dimension to Aerocity.”
Meanwhile, Dolatre shed light on the topic of driving experiences through guest experiences, “The younger people look for experiences in restaurants which are not available in hotels. They prefer freestanding restaurants and to be able to compete with that is hard. Also, their cost structure is very different. Competing in terms of offerings and the cost structure is immensely difficult.”
While addressing the challenges and issues in the hospitality industry, moderator Dasgupta explained that the biggest challenge is to hire and retain good talent to which Panshikar added that the industry has to look at alternative markets for recruitment.
As the show proceeded towards the topic of MICE facilities came up to which Singh observed, “We, as a country, have to now position ourselves in a way that we are ready for large conventions.” To this, Datta added, “MICE is a cornerstone of our business. Leisure is something that we can’t take away and guests are continuously seeking experiences.”
The show culminated with Bhuvanesh Khanna thanking the panellists for sharing their thoughts and views on the subject and informing about the next GM Show at 5:30 pm the same evening on the topic of Classic GM Strategies for Metropolitan Excellence in Luxury and Economy.
