By BW Hotelier THE INDUSTRY website AirlineRatings.com has awarded Lufthansa as the ’Best Long Haul Airline (based in) Europe’ second time in a row. The highly respected editorial team also honoured Lufthansa as one of the Top Ten airlines globally. These awards acknowledge the best in the airline industry, helping passengers to choose who to fly with in the coming year. A panel of experienced industry experts judged based on the best in comfort, innovation, value and safety across all classes ’ Economy, Business and First Class. As a result, Lufthansa stood out on the innovation that has resulted in exceptional performance in market position, customer service, financial performance, fiscal management and operational safety. ’For decades Lufthansa has been a pillar of dependability, safety, inflight service and environmental leadership. AirlineRatings.com editors were unanimous in their praise for Lufthansa’s leadership in the industry in aircraft selection, product innovation and dependability,’ said Geoffrey Thomas, Editor-in-Chief of AirlineRatings. He added, ’Lufthansa is a technology leader constantly seeking ways to make travel safer and more environmentally sustainable, yet affordable. The excellence continues with the airline’s subsidiary Lufthansa Technik, the world’s leading independent provider of maintenance for the world’s airlines.’ Jens Bischof, Member of the Lufthansa German Airlines Executive Board and Chief Commercial Officer of the Lufthansa Group said, ’We take pride to be Europe’s No. 1 as this award reconfirms our leading position as a quality airline. Thanks to a product-investment programme of more than 4 billion AUD over the past few years, our customers enjoy a consistent state-of-the-art product, at the airport and onboard our entire fleet.’ He added, ’This award especially goes to our crews on board and on the ground, whose personal service makes for an outstanding travel experience every day. This recognition given by Airlinratings.com for a second year in a row motivates us to continue to go the extra mile.’ Recently, Lufthansa has been presented with other important awards as well. During the World Airline Awards in June, they came top in the categories ’Best Airline Transatlantic’ and ’Best Airline in Western Europe’. The airline also received the award for ’World’s Best First Class Airline Lounge’. Business Travel Awards 2015 honoured Lufthansa with the title of ’Best short-haul Airline’. With innovations such as the Premium Economy Class and the new Restaurant-Service in Business Class, Lufthansa have taken further important steps to becoming a 5-Star Airline.
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By BW Hotelier K B KACHRU, Chairman, South Asia, Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group was felicitated with the prestigious ’Franchise Leader of the Year’ award by World Franchise Congress, recently. The selection committee included top leadership of corporate houses including PepsiCo. The committee presented their shortlisted nominees from several diverse industries to Ernst & Young subsequent to which the Finalists were concluded upon. This award has been given for his pivotal role in establishing Carlson Rezidor as the largest international hotel company in India. Nilesh Mitra, Senior Director-Human Resources, South Asia, Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group also got an award of ’Excellence in Human Resources’ during this forum for his ability to manage the emerging talent strength across brands and leading transformation by building a culture of empowerment leading to high levels of ownership and strong performance. Photo: KB Kachru (third from right) with his award at the function held recently.
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By BW Hotelier BERNARD MARTYRIS, Chief of Human Resources of VFS Global, has been appointed as the Group Chief Human Resources Officer of Kuoni Group. Kuoni Group is VFS Global’s parent company. In his new role, Martyris is responsible for the overall Group’s HR strategy, leadership development, and talent and performance management. Martyris joined VFS Global in 2004 and led the corporate HR function of Kuoni Group on an interim basis from 2013 till the beginning of 2015. He will be based in Dubai from where he will concurrently continue in his current VFS Global role. This move comes as part of amendments made to the management structure of the Kuoni Group as part of the accelerated implementation of the Group’s strategy. As part of this strategy, the three divisions of Kuoni Group will be made more autonomous and accountable for their respective businesses. Martyris has over 35 years of experience in handling human resources and over two decades of experience in the hospitality industry. He has held long standing senior management positions at the Oberoi Group and at the Taj Group of Hotels. Through his association with the Tata Group, Martyris also served as an independent Director on the Board of Tata Coffee in 2003. On the international front Bernard was the first Indian HR professional to be invited to join the HR Council of the Conference Board of USA, which includes the top HR professionals of Fortune 500 companies. Additionally between 2007 and 2009, Martyris held the position of Chairman of the HR Committee of the Bombay Chamber of Commerce. Martyris graduated from Xavier Labour Relations Institute (XLRI) in 1976.
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By BW Hotelier WITH THE days turning colder, many start to think about taking a quick family break. To help ensure that travellers make the most of their much needed vacation time, Hotels.com, online accommodation booking website, has compiled a list of travel tips to ensure your holiday is a memorable one! Travel light: It is always best to pack light. You might have to run-up and down hundreds of stairs to catch a train with a heavy bag or spend additional money for those extra kilos of baggage. Talk to your well-traveled friends or a stylist at a fashion store to help you plan your wardrobe for your holiday. Pack the essentials: The items below are a must-have in your travelling bag for winter: Woolens: Stylish and trendy jackets, cardigans, scarves, leather boots and caps to keep you warm. This will also accentuate your winter getaway look and can be matched with different attires. Skin care: A nourishing moisturizer to protect you from dry skin is a must. Do not forget to carry a good waterproof, high-factor sunscreen if traveling to beach destinations and a medicine box for emergency. Arrive at the airport early: Winter is a busy season for airports. You are bound to face long queues, delays in parking and so on. Hence, it is always safer to arrive a little early and give yourself enough time to complete the formalities. Online check-ins are also recommended. Keep a check on your flight status if traveling to cities where fog is a nightmare. Look out for last minute deals: If your trip is planned at the last minute, do not worry! Last minute deals on hotels can save you a considerable amount of money. For instance: Hotels.com app for smartphones and tablets gives you access to 20,000 last minute deals on popular hotels worldwide. Make use of loyalty programs: Winter vacations tend to be longer in duration. Hence, it is best to be a part of a loyalty program and make use of the points you accumulate on your holiday. For instance: If you sign up to the Hotels.com loyalty program, Hotels.com Rewards, you can get one night free for every 10 nights stayed. Choose your destination wisely: While the Swiss and Alps continue to remain travelers favorite, to grab a best bargain it is advisable to opt for an off-beat destination. One can also find some amazing deals to these locations as they are not the most sought after destinations by travellers. Skiing holiday: Another option for a last minute winter break is to head off on a ski holiday! By not booking your trip until the last minute, you can ensure that there’s plenty of snow in your chosen destination ’ making sure that your trip will be a great getaway. Whether you fancy heading to a resort in France or want to head over to the mesmerizing valleys of upstate New York and Denver in USA, there are some great last minute deals available ’ especially if you can be flexible with your dates. When to book: Booking 2 months in advance is ideal if you opt for a popular destination as last minute availability might be a constrain. If you have to travel at a certain time or have a specific room or hotel requirement, booking in advance will mean you won’t have to compromise on your day of departure, or any other element of your break ’ as you can choose your hotel or hotel room type, destinations and holiday length. Opt for the middle weeks rather than traveling at weekends to keep costs as low as possible. Compare airline options: It’s simply down to the fact that a large part of the holiday cost is driven by the air fare, and airlines have some great sales to attract passengers for those months. It’s vital you compare various airline options for all the deals and offer.
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By BW Hotelier ZUBIN KARKARIA, CEO of VFS Global, has been appointed as the CEO of Kuoni Group ’ VFS Global’s parent company effective November 5, 2015.- He is the first Indian to be appointed as the head of the 109-year old travel services company, and will concurrently continue in his function as the CEO of VFS Global. He will continue to be based in Dubai, UAE. Kuoni is in the midst of implementing a strategic directional shift whereby it has exited from its traditional tour operating business and is increasing its focus on three core activities ’ global travel distribution, destination services and visa services ’ in all of which it holds leading positions. After exiting the tour operating business, Kuoni is aiming to accelerate the implementation of its new corporate strategy, and that will be one of Karkaria’s key priorities in his new role. Karkaria founded VFS Global in 2001 and expanded the company successfully as global leader in visa services for governments worldwide. Within the Kuoni Group the VFS Global Division has shown the strongest growth and profitability. VFS Global serves 32 client governments, with 314 visa application centres across 19 cities in the country. The company has served the Government of India since 2008, in 8 countries.
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By BW Hotelier ASSORTED SPICES from India, fossilised bird dropping and even an Australian didgeridoo. These are just a taste of the most memorable souvenirs received and bought by travellers from around the Asia, Middle East and Africa (AMEA) region, according to the multi-part Holiday Inn Souvenir Study. In the third and final instalment, which polled 900 jetsetters from Australia, India, Japan, the Middle East, South Africa and Southeast Asia, respondents describe the trinkets, tokens and, in some cases, throwaways, they’ve received from friends and loved ones returning from abroad. On a scale of love to hate and from wacky to wonderful, local keepsakes like Vietnamese coffee and African drums scored high on the ’love it’ scale while educational or novelty items like sushi shaped USB flash drives scored a chuckle but not pride of place on a recipient’s mantelpiece. Also revealing an interesting insight, the Souvenir Study shows souvenir preferences and wackiness/wonderment are not mutually exclusive, particularly since magnets of global landmarks ’ those cheap and cheerful items on every traveller’s souvenir list ’ though considered wonderful, are generally not thought that highly of. On the bright side, people across the region are happy to receive food and art or antique pieces reflecting an authentic experience. Similarly, travellers who embrace the element of surprise are fans of wacky souvenirs, such as a sheep’s wool belly button warmer from New Zealand. LeeLin Teo, Brand Marketing Director (Holiday Inn Brand Family) at InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) said, ’These insightful and sometimes humorous results from the Holiday Inn Souvenir Study helps us delve into the psyche of travellers from across this diverse region through the sort of souvenirs they both buy and like to receive. They want to bring home a part of their travels and share their experiences with friends, family and colleagues. By uncovering the type of souvenirs that travellers prefer to receive, we want to inspire our guests with clever ideas when shopping around for souvenirs. ’Love them or hate them, wacky and wonderful souvenirs are simply memorable, proving that there are more ways than one to leave a lasting impression. From this research, we will look at how we can help our guests find the perfect and most memorable memento from their travels.’ The first two parts of the study reveal the ’Evolution of Souvenirs’ as well as the ’Value of Souvenirs’, which investigates souvenir-buying habits and preferences of travellers from across the region.
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By Rashmi Pradhan TAJ HOTELS Resorts & Palaces opened its second property in Pune, The Gateway Hotel at Hinjawadi. The property marks the foray of PSC Pacific, a Paranjape Schemes (Construction) Ltd. in the hospitality segment. The Gateway Hotel Hinjawadi Pune will be the 28th Gateway Hotel of the group and first in Pune. With an investment of Rs 115 crore, the 150-room property is under the management of Taj Hotels Resorts & Palaces for a period of eight years initially. Farhat Jamal, Senior Vice President - Operations (West India) & Africa, Taj Hotels Resorts & Palaces, informed that there are two Gateway Hotels in the pipeline; Ajmer and Corbett, to open soon. ’We are scouting for opportunities in metros and tier II cities. We are happy to bring the Taj brand of hospitality to a second location in Pune. The Gateway Hotel is the full service upscale brand of the Group. We are excited to be present in new emerging locations like Hinjawadi,’ he added. Spread across three-acre of the ten-acre of commercial area, The Gateway Hotel Hinjawadi Pune is located in the heart of the IT corridor of Pune and off the Pune - Mumbai Highway. The hotel is easily accessible from the industrial areas of PCMC, Talegaon and is 45 minutes away from Chakan MIDC. Shashank Paranjape, Managing Director, Paranjape Schemes (Construction) Ltd. said, ’We are involved in the real estate business and hospitality is an obvious extension. The launch of The Gateway Hotel Hinjawadi Pune is a significant milestone as we foray into the hospitality industry. We are delighted to partner with the Taj Group.’ Speaking about the target audience, Albert Rebello, General Manager, The Gateway Hotel Hinjawadi Pune, said, ’We will be promoting the property as a leisure and business hotel. Its close proximity to the Blue Ridge Golf Course, Mall and movie theatre and local sight-seeing areas around Pune will make up for an ideal leisure getaway destination. We are hoping for an encouraging weekend business from Pune and Mumbai. The hotel is an ideal option for business travelers as well as guests looking for conferences and weddings. A unique offering would be the availability of night conferences considering the timing of the IT and BPO industry, a first in the city. The hotel offers more than 5500 sq. ft. of flexible meeting and event facilities.’ The F&B options- includes a cosmopolitan mix of international cuisine and authentic regional home-style delicacies at the all-day diner Buzz, savour contemporary Chinese and Thai cuisine at the Sian which will open soon or relax over a few drinks at Swirl the cocktail lounge bar. For the wellness seekers, Buzz offers an Active Foods Menu. As a part of the unique regional cuisine offering, The Gateway Hotel Hinjawadi offers Maharashtra’s Varhadi cuisine at Buzz. The deli offers an exquisite selection of short eats, active chocolates, customized options of cakes, pastries and creatively presented desserts.- The hotel is equipped with a gymnasium, swimming pool, spa and salon and, a fitness centre. The author is Assistant Editor of BW Hotelier. Photo caption: (from Left to Right) Albert Rebello, General Manager, The Gateway Hotel Hinjawadi Pune; Shashank Paranjape, Managing Director, Paranjape Scheme and Farhat Jamal, Senior Vice President - Operations (West India) & Africa, Taj Hotels Resorts & Palaces.
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DHIREN SAVLA, Chief Information Officer (CIO) of VFS Global and SVP & Head of Global IT (Shared Service Centre) for Kuoni Group, has been appointed as Group CIO of Kuoni Group. In his role, he is responsible for providing strategic leadership to the IT function and strengthening the company’s global IT delivery model across geographies.
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By Rashmi Pradhan WITH 25 years in the business, 13 of those with Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Anuraag Bhatnagar is looking forward to his new role as Area General Manager India, Starwood Hotels & Resorts and General Manager of St. Regis’s first South Asia hotel recently opened in Mumbai. Speaking on the transformation process for the hotel, which used to be the Palladium before, Bhatnagar said, ’We had three to six months to plan and prepare before starting full-fledged operations under the St. Regis brand. Since the hotel was already operational when Starwood took over the management, there were multiple challenges. We had to upgrade and enhance the kitchen and ensure that back areas and food production didn’t suffer. While enhancing associate lockers, we also had to ensure that associates didn’t suffer. We have made significant changes not only in terms of design but also things that matters to guests. We invested and created a butler pantry on each floor to ensure quick service for our guests. We also created the also infrastructure to support the service. Then we changed the lobby to a drawing room and changed the supporting kitchens to support the drawing room.’ Bhatnagar shared his marketing strategy telling us that the hotel was focusing on selling its 39 residential suites. ’It is a unique product; a hotel within a hotel. We have a separate sales strategy for each of the segments including MICE, corporates, weekend travelers, and weddings,’ he added Bhatnagar told us that St Regis as a brand was a first in India, and that they were working hard to change the mindset of the customer. ’We had a high pre-opening budget of which 20 per cent was kept aside for training and orientation. All our associates including myself underwent a brand immersion training. Investment on associates’ training, brand emersion and educating the associates on St. Regis rituals is crucial so that it becomes the part of our DNA,’ he said. When asked about his journey with Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Bhatnagar said, ’It has been an amazing journey. I am primarily from the F&B department and it’s been a great learning curve for me. My last assignment was as the Area General Manager for Westin Mumbai--another enhancement in terms of how to compete with other established global brands in a tough competitive set up where you have the best international brands all in a 5 to 10 kilometre radius. I believe that journey has lead to this. Starwood entrusting me with the responsibility of leading the first St Regis in South Asia, which is a fantastic opportunity.’ The author is Assistant Editor of BW Hotelier.
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By BW Hotelier HILTON BANGALORE Embassy GolfLinks has appointed Parag Sawhney as General Manager. Sawhney has over 15 years of experience in hotel operations including general management, food and beverage management, front office management and guest relations across the Middle East, United Kingdom and India. Most recently, he was General Manager for Hilton Chennai. Sawhney began his career as a management trainee in Pune, India, at Hotel Kundan Palace and then at Holiday Inn. After stints at Grand Maratha Sheraton in Mumbai and Renaissance Hotel in Dubai, he joined Hilton Worldwide in 2006 on being appointed Front Office Leader at Hilton St. Anne's Manor, United Kingdom. He proceeded to take charge as Front of House Manager at the hotel, before moving on to Hilton London Green Park as Deputy Hotel Manager. Parag relocated to India in May 2013 and joined Hilton Chennai as Director of Operations. Parag earned his Bachelor's Degree in Hotel Management and Catering Technology from Dr. D Y. Patil Institute of Hotel Management, Pune, India, and Master's Degree in Business Administration from Oxford Brookes University, United Kingdom.
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