By Deepak Khera MORE-than two decades ago, there were only two distinct types of eating places in our country. One being the luxurious five star hotels and other being the free standing small eateries. Only handpicked professional restaurant companies were operating to fulfil the gastronomic need of its citizens. Sooner with the economy opening up, the pockets of the then conservative eating-out-families became bigger as people started to scout for newer places to spend time and money. While this on one hand not only led to the birth of many professional restaurants in the country but also served as a catalyst for many international restaurants chains who geared up to step into the Indian market. As their level of expertise increased, domestic restaurant brands started to give tough competition to five star hotels, which then started to focus on very high end spenders. In the budget and economy segment, free standing restaurants with great value-for-money meals became very popular with the locals as well as people travelling on business and holidays. This heavily affected the business of restaurants of the mid segment hotel who now struggled to cope up with the new freestanding players. With the restaurant business becoming more specialized, various restaurants became experts in hiring and training the staff and are producing great food within reasonably affordable prices. Their expertise surpassed those of the many small hotel operators as many suffered from losses in restaurant business. Many budget hotels saw this as an opportunity to sublet their Food and Beverage outlets, leading to a ’marriage of convenience.' Many formulae of profit sharing came into play, where the hotels would provide infrastructure and the catering companies would operate them, under their own brands. The agreements would vary from rentals only model to profit sharing, with minimum guaranteed rent to the space provider. There were two different terms which came into play, namely wet lease and dry-lease. In the former, the hotel pays for all the expense and keeps all the profit and would pay a management fees to the operator of the restaurant. In the case of dry-lease the hotel would provide the space only and all the other expenses would be borne by the operator. Leading from these two types of agreements, many in-between arrangements of cost sharing and profit sharing came into existence. These days too, many new combinations of agreements are being negotiated between the space provider (Hotel) and the operator (restaurant Management Company). Based on their location, the restaurants within the budget hotel are attracting a great number of local customers because of the diverse entertainment options they offer and great deals are paying far more in rentals and profit share to the hotel. Though there is no fixed formula of profit share but based on the projected business, various calculations have emerged for a mutually win-win situation. As more and more successful arrangements are come into existence we are expected to witness more of such professional arrangements. -The author is a hospitality consultant with 25 years of experience based out of the NCR.-
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By Bikramjit Ray ’THE Indian traveller today is the most sought after globally. Backed by rising spending power, a robust disposable income and an appetite for world-class experiences and brands, it is important that the industry as a whole recognizes the power and potential of the Indian traveller,’ said Nikhil Dhodapkar, Regional Director, Sales & Marketing, Accor India, (see photo) exclusively to BW Hotelier. India, is on track to triple its outbound travel to 50 million trips per year by 2020, according to travel industry sources. Dhodapkar was explaining Accor’s Optimum Service Standards program specifically implemented for the Indian guest. The program, which offers special extras for people from the subcontinent, is a variation of the optimum service program which was lanched for Chinese travellers in 2011 by Accor. The wooing begins with the stomach, that most important aspect of travel which everyone is touchiest about. ’The Indian ’Optimum Standards’ has been customised specially to make our Indian guests feel more welcome at our hotels. Select Accor hotels in key cities across Australia, New Zealand, Thailand and Malaysia offer guest specific services with a selection of Indian food items at their restaurants such as steamed rice, vegetarian dishes and curries,’ Dhodapkar said. Rolling out at participating Accor properties across Australia, New Zealand and Paris, the newest addition to Accor’s existing ’Optimum Service Standards’ program offers a variety of simple yet meaningful touches that matter most to the Indian guest. ’The projected growth in outbound Indian travel presents Accor with a tremendous opportunity. We are excited to welcome Indian guests at our hotels globally and committed to meeting their needs. ’Our aim is to show that Accor hotels not only welcome increased business from India but are prepared to invest considerable resources to ensure Indian travellers feel at home in our hotels,’ he said. Other services which will be offered at these select hotels include in-room amenities, Hindi-speaking reception staff, Indian TV channels, Indian newspapers, dialling instructions to India, the closest Indian embassy or consulate information, Indian restaurant menus with location maps, as well as concierge assistance designed to meet the need of travellers from India. Participating hotel brands featuring the new program include Sofitel, Novotel, Mercure and Ibis in key Australian and New Zealand cities such as Sydney, Gold Coast, Brisbane, Cairns, Melbourne and Queenstown. In Paris, properties with dedicated offers to Indian guests include Pullman Paris Montparnasse, Pullman Paris la Defense, Pullman Paris Centre ’ Bercy, Novotel Paris Tour Eiffel and Novotel Paris Est. More than 12 hotels in key city and resort areas around Australia, New Zealand and 4 in Paris have already been accredited for the program. ’From an overall standpoint almost 25 per cent of our bookings come through outbound Indian travellers, and Accor is only looking to increase this revenue. Future plans include adding more hotels and improve our services with the implementation of new programs as well. Accor continues to identify key hotels from main cities like Paris, Berlin, London, Nice, Frankfurt, Barcelona, Amsterdam, Thailand, Dubai and Abu Dhabi.’- Dhodapkar concluded. Bikramjit Ray is Executive Editor, BW Hotelier
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By BW Hotelier RAKESH PRASAD has been appointed Executive Sous Chef at Novotel Ahmedabad, located on the Sarkhej-Gandhinagar highway. Prasad specializes in world cuisine and has 12 years of experience in the kitchen. Before moving to The Novotel, Ahmedabad, Prasad was working at the Kenilworth Hotel, Kolkata as Executive Chef. Prasad, passed out of the Institute of Hotel Management, Goa and has worked in The Grand, New Delhi and Suryaa Palace, New Delhi as well.
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By Praveen S Chauhan’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’ VASTU SHASTRA, is a belief system used in architecture and construction which can be traced back to ancient Indian traditions. Vastu is known to incorporate traditional Hindu and in some cases Buddhist beliefs-to bring in positivity, wealth and well-being in businesses, buildings and locations. The principles of Vastu should be used while planning a venture in the world of hospitality to prevent the subsequent business from running into losses as a result of faulty planning. The infrastructure of any hotel or restaurant, if not aligning with Vastu principles, may fail to attract guests or generate a profit. Thus, it is always advisable to integrate vastu principles during the planning stage of a hotel or restaurant. However, if your hotel or restaurant is already constructed, here are a few Vastu suggestions that you can follow to generate more business. The overall shape of a hotel or restaurant should be a square or a rectangular with the main entrance either in the east, north or north-eastern direction. The storage room for the business should be strategically located in the south-west corner of the building and specific for hotels, the beds in the room should be placed in a direction so that the head of the guest is in the south or the west direction only. Technology-centric equipment like air conditions, generators, transformers and the kitchen should be located in the south-east corner of the hotel. Also, having a fish tank or a water feature in the very same corner (south-east) ensures profitability and affluence. The use of warm colours like orange, yellow, cream and brown used in the interiors as well as menu design are considered to bring positive energy to the establishment, while the excessive use of cooler shades like grey and green may gradually lower profits. The author is a Delhi based Astropalmist
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By BW Hotelier THE Wyndham Hotel Group, will be opening 10 new properties under the Ramada Encore and Howard Johnson brands set to open by 2017 in India. The properties would be at Gurgaon, Darjeeling, Greater Noida, Jaisalmer, Pali, Lonere, Dharmapuri, Bangalore, Chennai and Trivendrum. A joint statement by Geoff Ballotti, President and Chief executive officer, Wyndham Hotel Group (see photo), and Deepika Arora, regional vice president- Indian Ocean, Wyndham Hotel Group also stated that the key to success in India lies in the strategic relationships forged with partners and the group was looking to deepen those relationships and expand further. Six Ramada Hotels would be built under a strategic partnership with Expat Projects & Development Pvt. Ltd (for two properties) and with Creative Buildwell Private Ltd, Swift Financial Results Limited, Vardhman Infra Developers Pvt. Ltd and Expat Leisure &-Resorts Ltd (one Hotel each). Wyndham Hotel Group was also going to build one Days Hotel & Suites property with Akruti Developers; one Days Hotel property each with Saras Hotels Pvt. Ltd and Mohyideen Hussai Fisal. They also announced that they would build a Howard Johnson Hotel with Unique Mercantile Pvt. Ltd. The Wyndham Hotel Group already have 24 properties totaling around 2,587 rooms under the Ramada Wyndham Hotels and Resorts operational in the country. They have a further 33 properties of 3,853 rooms under construction, This new signings will take the Wyndham Hotel Group tally to a total of 43 properties with around 4.841 rooms in India.
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By BW Hotelier AFTER Rakesh Sarna, it seems that Ratnesh Verma, Senior Vice President, Real Estate and Development for Asia Pacific excluding China, Taiwan and Mongolia, at Hyatt is on the move. Industry sources, who wished to remain anonymous, have told BW Hotelier that Verma is moving to a senior position with Whitbread hotels based out of Dubai, UAE. After graduating from Delhi University, Verma completed his chartered accountancy and company secretariat degree. He joined Hyatt Regency New Delhi as assistant director of finance. In 2003, Verma took over as Area Vice President Operations South Asia and became Senior Vice President, Real Estate and Development for Asia Pacific in 2008. The UK-based Whitbread group, owns the Premier Inn chain of hotels, in the mid to budget segment of the trade, as well as Costa and is looking to expand in Asia aggressively. When contacted by BW Hotelier, Verma refused to make any comments on whether he was actually moving or the veracity of our source. We did not get any response from Whitbread UAE either.
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By Sumeet Taneja In an era where consumers are the focus, the hospitality sector has evolved from being a mere product design to an avenue offering experiential elements. Traditionally directed at the ’physical’ aspect of the product, the industry is now geared to face new-age consumers; who not only demand consistent delivery of the brand promise, but are also more aware. Additionally, conventional marketing is less effective with each new generation that comes along; hence ’all-about-me’ marketing has now moved to ’guest-centric’ marketing. For the ’Global Trotter’ and business traveler, who seeks a central location and proximity to business hubs, a hotel’s strategic position plays a prime role. Vivanta by Taj, Gurgaon, for instance, is-strategically situated within 20 minutes drive from the IGI Airport with proximity to malls, Cyber City, golf courses makes it an ideal hotel for those constantly on the move. Technology is imperative and in an internet age, free Wi-Fi connectivity is a must. Every hotel today is Wi-Fi enabled, whether complimentary with rooms or at an additional charge. We offer free internet services to guests with an option to premium upgrade at a charge. Upgrading of IT systems regularly and ensuring data security that provides for guests’ privacy are other aspects to be considered. Developing a multi-channel approach with increasing use of mobile and smart phone technology gives way to Hotel or brand specific software applications. Keeping this need of global travelers in mind, Vivanta Hotels and Resorts have successfully launched a mobile application, where booking online and browsing hotels under the flagship brand has become easy. Updating content online on company website and leading travel portals are other key drivers, while embracing the influence of social media by active participation has also aided in buzz creation and captivating potential tech savvy guests. The current genres of travelers are cosmopolitan and think beyond hitting the sack when in an upscale hotel; hence experiential elements need to be infused with their stays. For instance Vivanta by Taj, Gurgaon offers such guests options such as a weekend wellness getaway, JIVA spa ’Jagr’ treatment for jet alleviation ideal, going organic with the ’Buddhist Peace’ menu or Yoga for tranquility. For those who have been bitten by the wanderlust bug, experientials have to be designed beyond the hotel’s four walls and can range from cultural expeditions to those with a gourmet touch or even adventure escapades.- Witnessing the rise of female travelers, hotels have now moved to gender-based needs of guests. For the urbane female guest who forms a key client segment, Vivanta by Taj, Gurgaon appeals to their ’forever Fun and young’ attitude with the ’21st-Century Princess’ concept, where they are received with a quirky welcome drink and get personalised check-in service by a female guest executive. They have a choice to stay on lower floors and offered female friendly products in their rooms. Finally with rise in climatic changes, guests today are more environmentally aware; ’Going Green’ has become a consumer mantra, where in each hotel is doing their bit for climate conservation. As an environmentally responsible brand, we use eco-friendly laundry products, our garden waste is utilised to create manure and waste is responsibly disposed. Sumeet Taneja is General Manager, Vivanta by Taj, Gurgaon
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By BW Hotelier Four Indian cities, led by Jaipur, are in the Top 100 of the annual Reputation Ranking of a leading online hotel search site,-Trivago.co.uk. Jaipur ranks 29th in the global list led by Sanya,China. The other Indian cities in the Top 100 are-Bengaluru at No. 75, Mumbai at No. 85 and Delhi at No. 94. Singapore features lower than Delhi at No. 99 and London fails to make the cut. Clearly, tourism numbers are not in sync with this ranking of reputations because Delhi's popularity as a travel hub is way below London's or Singapore's. The list of 100 cities, which is published at the beginning of each year, ranks global destinations according to the reputation of their hotels. Each destination is given an index, which is based on over 140 million hotel reviews and ratings aggregated from over 200 booking sites worldwide. In order to make the comparison fair, only hotels with at least 60 reviews and cities with at least 130 hotels are included. Topping the list is Sanya, China has the most highly rated hotels in the world, with an index of 86.94 per cent. The city on Hainan Island has become a popular tourist destination in recent years, due to its tropical climate. The destination contains a large number of high rise resort hotels, which are typically praised for their value for money, excellent facilities, friendly service and beautiful location. Value for money seems to unite these destinations, with eight of the top ten boasting an average price per night of less than -100 during 2014. Hanoi, in second place, has an average price per night of just -39. This suggests good value plays a key role in determining hotel popularity, with guests more likely to rate a hotel favourably if they feel like a good deal has been achieved. Trivago.co.uk, compares rates from over 700,000 hotels on over 200 booking sites worldwide and claims to be the world’s largest online hotel search site.
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By BW Hotelier ’2014 was a great year for travel; with uniform growth across destinations and all category of hotels,’ according to Amit Taneja, Chief Revenue Officer of Cleartrip (see photo). A phenomenal 165 per cent growth in traffic and 100 per cent growth in transaction volume was witnessed-(YoY, Q3’14 vs Q3'13), he added. According to the recently released Cleartrip Quarterly Accommodation Insight--hotel room rates in this quarter (Q3’14) went up on an average by 5 per cent in non-metro destinations and the average room rate in metros witnessed a 10 per cent growth, as a result of higher business and leisure traffic. The two long weekends--Gandhi Jayanti and Christmas resulted in a 500 per cent growth in check-ins with destinations like Goa, Mysore and Jaipur leading the pack. To help customers plan their breaks, on the go, Cleartrip recently launched an added feature of weekend getaways on its iOS and Android apps. Early data from it suggests that though Mumbai has a higher proportion of destinations in the city’s vicinity, destinations around Delhi and Bangalore have contributed to more than double of the transactions. Mobile bookings, usually a last minute resort, were being used for Advance reservations as well. The stats reflected that almost a third of hotel booked on the app were made 15-days in advance. It also saw a higher preference for book 4 and 5 star hotels for mobile users, in comparison to those who booked on desktops. With the travel market expected to pick up further in the coming quarter along with better-than-ever consumer sentiment, Taneja fervently believed that the growth in the accommodations segment is likely to sustain further in the coming year. ’The channel shift of consumers from booking accommodation, from traditional offline channels to online and mobile channels, will accelerate further in the coming quarters,’ he hoped.
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By Sourish Bhattacharyya AFTER HIS successful debut at the JW Marriott, New Delhi Aerocity, Korean-born American celebrity restaurateur Akira Back-(see photo)-is planning his next foray in India, this time in Mumbai, at the MGM Grand’s Bellagio Hotel coming up at upscale Maker Maxity in the Bandra Kurla Complex. Akira’s signature contemporary Japanese restaurant, Yellowtail, is one of the star attractions at the Bellagio Las Vegas, that hotel famous for its dancing fountains and cameo appearances in innumerable Hollywood films. The chef-entrepreneur, who’s famous for his tuna pizza on a tortilla base drizzled with truffle oil, now owns and operates five restaurants, including his newest in Jakarta, and he says his next destinations are definitely Dubai and Bangkok. ’When I first came here, I had one restaurant; now, I have five. We are underdogs no more,’ he says. Akira is back on a whistlestop visit, which will culminate in an evening of cocktails and snacks on February 7 (after Delhi has voted and it’s no longer dry). A new order, meanwhile, is taking charge of the JW Marriott Akira Back. Jason Oh, the ever-smiling Korean American who seemed to have settled down very well in his Vasant Kunj digs, has gone back home and been replaced by Dae Hyeon (’Danny’) Kim, who, apart from being a master of sushi and sashimi, is Delhi-NCR’s first chef certified to handle the potentially poisonous fugu. Kim was a chef at Akira Back’s Kumiat the Mandalay Bay Las Vegas and then returned to his mother country, South Korea, to work at top-notch restaurants. ’His resume is really, really impressive,’ Akira assured me. Next to leave will be the very competent Kurt Nyren, who will join his wife, who’s due to deliver their child in May, back home in America. Nyren will be replaced by Corey Asato, a chef from Waipahu, Hawaii, who also has a Las Vegas connection ’ he’s a hotel management graduate of the University of Nevada ’ and Back insists that he ’really wanted’ Asato to stay back because he’s so good at his job. ’The next time I come, my pastry chef will be with me,’ Akira says, clearly indicating what his next big priority is. Well, if the new dessert on the Akira Back menu, Coconut Panna Cotta on a thick pool of berry compote, is anything to go by, then we are in for good times. ’Our food is getting better, our service is getting better,’ Akira adds with a touch of well-deserved pride. His mini chicken tacos drizzled with a finger-licking good tomato ponzu sauce make you want to keep digging them. The tuna pizza drizzled with truffle oil definitely tastes better each time I have it. You can make a meal out of the Red Dragon Rolls, which come packed with crispy shrimp tempura, kanikama (crab stick) and spicy tuna, drizzled with kabayaki (sweet soy) sauce and tempura crispies. And the miso-marinated black cod with pickled parikko (cucumber) providing a sort of a textural counterpoint? What can one say about it except exclaim, ’I bow to you, master!’ Is Akira planning to roll out a new menu? ’You can expect tweaks, but I won’t do crazy things. Now that we are known, people are copying us, so we have keep going up a little notch,’ he says. My next two questions make him break into a smile. Has seen India beyond the perimeter of the hotel? Does he propose to include Indian spices in his culinary repertoire? ’The next time I plan I come and visit India, I plan to stay here for 14 days ’ seven days to work, seven days to explore India,’ he says, and then: ’Indian spices? We are working on them!’ His hopeful smile makes one make a mental note of what to look out for. I can see that Akira loves his association with India. ’The energy here is great,’ he says, as we look around to see a restaurant buzzing with activity on a dry day. Ankur Chawla, the hotel’s bright-eyed beverage manager, informs me that the Congress chief ministerial hopeful, Ajay Maken, was at the restaurant with his friends on the previous night (he may not win the election, and I feel bad for that, but he certainly has good taste!). As I turn back to Akira, he completes his train of thought. ’We haven’t had much of a turnover,’ he says pointing to the busy kitchen. ’I haven’t lost any staff because they believe in our concept.’ That’s good for them, I thought. It won’t be long before they shine in kitchens around the world. Sourish Bhattacharyya is Consulting Editor, BW Hotelier
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