'Hospitality has always been about the connection'

Nagesh Chawla Jul 21, 2020

Patience is a virtue and time the best healer. Ever since our founding over nine decades ago, health, safety and well-being have been the epitome of our approach towards hospitality. This diligence to adhere to and commit to the highest standards of hygiene for our guests and associates alike is what made us accept the challenges that arose with COVID 19, and anchored us to overcome them with sheer determination.

It has undoubtedly been an extremely adverse time for all of us, but with the support of my teams who have diligently stayed strong throughout we have been able to implement changes gradually. The criticality of the pandemic acclimatized us to changes we never thought were possible otherwise. The age of digitization was primarily the future, but now we have more reasons to adapt to what they call ‘The New Normal’. Albeit hospitality as an industry is going to have to swerve through these winds of storm, we are ready to face it head on and welcome our guests and associates back to what they will consider a safe haven.

With the lockdown, we had time to identify a different approach towards the entire dimension of the hospitality experience. We looked at areas where we could improvise and worked on them. Marriott Internationals’ global program, ‘Commitment To Clean’ helped in paving our path to revolutionize the entire guest experience considering the protocols to ensure a 100 per cent safe environment.

Being a cluster property, at Renaissance Mumbai as well as Marriott Executive Apartments, we have adapted new Standard Operating Procedures and protocols. We presumed all possible scenarios from a guest purview and learnt how to counter them and with multiple ideas from everyone on the team, we identified touch points and areas we needed to focus on, to ensure a seamless gradual opening.

From the guest’s arrival experience, room hygiene to the in-room dining and restaurant dining, we have taken in to consideration each department and have trained them with the guidance of a Cleanliness Champion that we have identified. Our priority to always keep our guests and associates safe remains the same if not more and we do not entail to deter from it the least.

Renaissance Mumbai has been known for around two decades for being a MICE Venue with the largest convention centre and meeting spaces of over 1,30,000 sq ft. with an expansive outdoor area with the beguiling view of the Powai Lake complemented by the Hiranandani skyline, ours culminates as an oasis in the city that never sleeps.

It is a given, the pandemic has impacted our revenues drastically and conventions being the major revenue generating driver, we have faced losses; however, we have identified alternate measures to recover and build on this gap created. We focused on our prime and strongest factor - the conventions with its spaces can comply with the government norms of social distancing.

My teams have left no stone unturned in utilizing this time to gauge the possibilities of alternates in terms of Food & Beverage requirements, Theme breaks, vendor management and aligning them complying with the New Norm regulations. We have also identified virtual tours and site inspections for guests as an option to view our majestic complex property. The R.E.N Meetings App, which is a digital Meeting Services App has been created to ensure the meeting experience is a success. The app connects you simply and discreetly to our team of R.E.N. Meetings Experts at the drop of a hat before, during, and after your event; anytime, from anywhere.

We have resorted to using our home delivery through Marriott’s IP ‘Marriott On Wheels’ and have recently started safe and contact-less home delivery to ensure that our guests are seamlessly connected with us.

In order to minimize costs, we have re-evaluated costs and our expenditure and taken measures to control the same, within teams and departments. With minimal staffing requirements and certain cutbacks on staff privileges, we are trying our best to minimize cost. Electricity is also a large factor to reduce cost and the usage of efficient electric appliances in all areas is another way to marginalize the cost. Even the most minute of saving is an achievement in itself, our teams are mentally prepared to multitask and have come together stronger, now more than ever to contribute in our efforts to save the most.

In the forthcoming future, domestic tourism will be at the hilt of the hospitality industry; as travelers would prefer to stay within the state and country. We have worked on garnering deals and packages on staycations to let families choose when they would want to come and stay with us, while we have given them the flexibility of booking at discounted rates with our Save Now, Stay Later offer. This pandemic has made us prioritize that our life comes first and fathom the importance of family which in our otherwise fast paced lives was impossible. We want our guests to understand that we realize it too and want to work on it being the perfect safe getaway for them.

While resorting to luxury even, safety plays a key role and guests will tend to prefer in-room dining to sitting in a restaurant with strangers from different domains, there is a need to ensure a seamless contact-less experience. To not only regain the confidence, but also assure them at the same time that we care and we will do everything is our spectrum to ensure the delivery of the same.

Nevertheless, we are working on getting our restaurants completely sanitized and deep cleaning measure are being undertaken so we are ready to welcome our guests when they are ready! From social distancing in restaurants to digitized menus and sanitized cutlery, we are guaranteeing each touch point is reviewed to ensure optimum safety.

There are numerous takes on how we can best move forward and adapt with the changing circumstances. Albeit, our core belief in hospitality has always been to focus on serving others, with a smile. We have been tending to that and we surely need to continue with the same determination and vigil to take care of each other during such adverse times. Our smile still remains the same behind our masks, and we accept new greetings, our hearts still extend the same warmth.

Hospitality has always been about the connection and bond one shares with a guest and associate alike, and with a pandemic, each day is a learning in itself. The more the challenges, the better the understanding of how we need to deal with them, we are taking each day at a time and for those that we have found a solution for, we are dwelling and practicing to just make ourselves better in that paradigm. I couldn’t emphasize on how important a team is, now more than ever. At Renaissance Mumbai, the only thing that prevails is the bond and synergy between people and teams. A flagship property like ours is another game changer in the industry, with 773 keys and the manning to run the same is not an easy task. Building morale is of utmost importance in such dire times and our teams have constantly been in touch partaking activities to help them understand these adverse times and how to overcome them.

I cannot emphasize enough on how much my teams have contributed this entire time; taking care of in-houses guests, staying away from their own families for months to ensure that their guests are comfortable, they have been true warriors! We have catered to long stay guests with an occupancy close to 50% throughout the lockdown and learned with them, to overcome and come out stronger together.

In order to serve the community we were adept with our promise of ‘Spirit to Serve’ and we have been contributing in serving the doctors and staff of Powai Hospital and the Powai Police Station with meals throughout the pandemic and lockdown. While their safety is of prime importance, my teams have given me the assurance that they can overcome any challenge and we can do it together. I have so many instances of my staff that I can recollect who have individually contributed to Old Age Homes by cooking food for the homeless, helping out in their society or just volunteering to assist wherever needed. It is the true spirit of hospitality that I have seen – from teams working in-house and also those who are staying back home – each one has contributed selflessly and it is so overwhelming to be amongst such a dedicated and assiduous team.

We all need to realize that our life is extremely important and that taking care of ourselves and our loved ones needs to come first, before anything else. We have individually seen a lot, but I am confident that each one has learned a lot too. There is a new perspective come about and we have managed to stand strong through a global pandemic and we are sure to move ahead stronger. It has also helped people reconnect with their loved ones, which they never could otherwise, and it has taught us to value others even more so now.