Navigating through this pandemic has been a learning curve for all

The hotel business, as we know it today, has changed. Hospitality and taking care of others is at the very heart of what we do and who we are. But the world is heading towards a ‘new normal’ and the hospitality industry will see a shift in consumer behaviour. 

The last few months have been unprecedented, with the COVID-19 crisis affecting the lives and livelihoods of millions of people across the world, as well as having a huge impact on the travel, tourism and hospitality industry. While the state of affairs even today remains uncertain, and world economies are struggling to stay afloat due to lockdown situations across the globe, we have already started to put in place new standard operating procedures and have been strategizing to develop a game plan for renewed buoyancy post lockdown in the COVID-19 era.

If there is one thing that Hoteliers are known for and have shown repeatedly, it is their resilient spirit! We have constantly stayed in touch with our guests through regular phone calls, social media tools, video conferencing facilities, etc. to make them feel secured, reassured and to let them know that we are available to address any concern or query that they may have about the hotel.

The wellbeing of our staff, guests and partners remains our top priority, and elevated standards of hygiene and cleanliness are already a given at Accor. At Sofitel Mumbai BKC, servicing the guest’s primary need for health, safety and hygiene has and will continue to be our main focus. Social distancing measures throughout the hotel and specifically in public areas have already been implemented, with demarcations in the lobby, restricting the number of guests in an elevator, meetings with only a limited number of people, etc. Everyone is provided with sanitizers, masks and gloves, and thermal contactless temperature checks have already been implemented to provide additional protection for all our guests and staff. Frequent disinfection of all high contact surfaces like elevator buttons and public restrooms, an enhanced in-room cleaning programme, regular deep cleaning of upholstery, carpets, and washing and treatment of all bed linen at high temperatures, will be reinforced. Training and education of staff is also a critical aspect, to ensure all employees have the skills and understanding to protect themselves and our guests.

In the times that we currently live in, the fear of travel and crowded spaces will affect people and their behaviour, for some time to come. Standalone restaurants are usually smaller in area than hotel restaurants and hotels have traditionally been perceived to have better levels of hygiene and cleanliness. Given the choice, in all probability people would be more inclined to dine out at a hotel rather than a standalone restaurant, due to which we may see a rise in demand for hotel restaurants. I am quite optimistic that the restaurant and bar business will improve for hotels, as we are in a better position to effectively put into practice social distancing norms, which most of the freestanding restaurants may not be able to do, mainly because of space constraints. To take advantage of the new opportunities, we plan to be more innovative and competitive in concept and pricing. There will also be a shift away from buffets at the multi-cuisine all-day dining restaurant and à la carte menus will gain popularity. Additionally, the demand for in-room dining is expected to substantially increase, as guests will prefer to dine within the safety and confines of their own room, away from other guests.

The travel industry, impacted by any crisis in the past, has seen that the recovery was primarily driven by the resurgence in domestic travel. International travel may still take a few more months to commence and while intra-country flights have recently sparsely opened up, it is expected to be extremely unpredictable over the coming months, as people would be hesitant to fly. Since overall demand will continue to be low for some time, marketing offers such as Staycation packages, weekend stays through attractive pricing and highlighting our hotel safety measures to domestic travellers and local feeder markets, will be a vital first step to help boost the initial occupancy levels. The Chinese domestic market is already showing signs of a rebound, where occupancy levels are improving and expected to grow; similarly, hopefully, the domestic market for us too will show a faster and immediate rebound, post easing up of the lockdown restrictions.

To embrace our current situation in this new reality, it is imperative for hotel leaders to adapt their leadership styles to suit the need of the hour. Safeguarding the interest of employees will continue to be at the epicentre with Accor and it has become even more pertinent for us to work as a team, have open discussions with our employees regarding our business, share any upcoming plans and encourage collaborative partnerships to create an environment that offers hope, trust and transparency. Hotels run 24x7x365 and in doing so, they incur high fixed costs in terms of payroll, energy expenses, maintenance, etc. We will continue to perform cost-benefit analyses for the year and relook at efficiencies within areas that have a significant bearing on profitability, with critical inputs from different department heads.

In the wake of this global pandemic, not only are we looking after our internal guests, but we are also looking out for our fellow citizens. The team at Sofitel Mumbai BKC, together with the owning company Shree Naman Group, donated 4.5 tonnes of sanitizers to help combat the novel Coronavirus, through the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund and local government agencies, with the aid of our Khadi-Clad Superheroes from the local Police Station. This was the moment of truth and a humbling opportunity to live and embrace the ‘Heartist’ spirit that our Accor values have taught us.

As hotels continue to take preventive measures and adjust to the new normal, navigating through this pandemic has been a learning curve for all, teaching us to adapt and take care of our guests, while strictly practising social distancing. Having said that, I see an opportunity in this situation to set up new standards and benchmarks of service delivery. I strongly believe that our people will continue to play an integral role in guest engagement, even post the COVID-19 era. While technology can drive efficiencies and reduce costs, and usage of innovative digital contactless systems will continue to grow, the roots of hospitality are embedded in human interactions and relationships, which are unlikely to go away in a hurry. Personalised service from the heart will continue to remain at the very core of hospitality that drives loyalty and enhances guest experiences.

Extraordinary times call for extraordinary actions. We are in this #ALLtogether, stronger than ever, and have to be optimistic with a positive outlook to overcome the challenges ahead. Leaders in hospitality will have to persevere and push their individual boundaries to find their own winning formula in these ever-changing times. Guests are and have always been at the forefront for us, and we are eagerly waiting to welcome them again soon to Sofitel Mumbai BKC.