[vc_row][vc_column width="1/1"][vc_column_text]By BW Hotelier YATRACOM, one of India’s leading online travel portals, today announced the appointment of Chakrapani Gollapali as Chief Business Officer, Holidays for the Company. Chakrapani, a former Microsoft India executive, will be responsible for the strategic direction, operational execution and the overall business results for the Holidays Unit of Yatra. This charter will enable Yatra to deliver an integrated organisational approach for product innovation and customer delight across the domestic, international and exotic destinations spanning across all it’s channels; Online, Contact Centers, Retail and Direct Sales. Commenting on the appointment, Dhruv Shringi, Co-Founder and CEO, Yatra said, ’We are thrilled to have Chakrapani join the leadership team and look forward to his vision in our continued strategic transformation to becoming a comprehensive service and product provider within the travel industry. He brings with him a legacy of outstanding experience in the technology and consumer businesses that will be key in formulating and driving our Holiday business, which is a vital area for the Company. We are certain that he will help pioneer breakthrough product innovation in the Holidays market with a focus on superior customer experience.’ With over two decades of experience in technology, mobile and consumer businesses, Chakrapani has had led several established and also incubating businesses. In his last role, he served as the Country General Manager for Microsoft India, leading all of Microsoft’s core consumer categories; Windows, Office, Windows Phone and Xbox across the Retail, Online, OEM and Operator Channels. He also spent 6 years from 2005-11 with Nokia as the General Manager of the E Series Smartphones business in India and also in the global organization that created the mobile payments business for Nokia and led the GTM for Emerging Markets and India. Earlier in his career 1999-2000, he also founded and ran for 3 years, an internet-start up; Office Infinity, in the consumables and supplies space and pioneered quite a few product and business model innovations. ’The online travel industry has evolved rapidly over the last decade with the growth of internet, broadband and mobile penetration. I feel excited about the opportunity to create fundamental product differentiation by leveraging new internet business models while also obsessing about delightful customer experiences at every stage of engagement’, said Chakrapani Gollapali. ’I hope to inject a fresh perspective to the business and help dramatically build scale while making Yatra the most preferred brand choice for holiday travellers in India’.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
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By BW HotelierSTARWOOD HOTELS & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. announced the opening of the highly anticipated St. Regis Mumbai. In partnership with Pallazzio Hotels & Leisure Limited, the hotel marks the entry of the St. Regis brand in India and South Asia. With this debut, the luxury brand has tripled its global footprint in the past decade to 35 hotels in the most coveted destinations around the world. ’The introduction of St. Regis to India marks a significant milestone for the brand’s expansion in South Asia, and Mumbai displays a robust demand for high-end hospitality from this increasingly affluent region,’ says Dilip Puri, Managing Director India and Regional Vice President South Asia, Starwood Hotels & Resorts. ’We are uniquely positioned to cater to the needs of a new generation of luxury travellers, offering an enriching experience informed by the brand's legacy.’ ’We look forward to a long-term collaboration with Starwood Hotels & Resorts,’ says Atul Ruia, Managing Director Phoenix Mills Ltd & Director Pallazzio Hotels & Leisure Ltd. ’Through its unparalleled service The St. Regis Mumbai provides an uncompromising experience to its guests ’ the global business travellers, connoisseurs of the good life, and aficionados of art and culture.’ ’Mumbai is emerging as a world-class travel destination, presenting the perfect setting for the St Regis brand,’ added Amit Bhosale, Executive Director, ABIL Hospitality Pvt Ltd. & Director, Pallazzio Hotels & Leisure Ltd. ’We feel that it’s a great opportunity to introduce the legendary brand’s bespoke services and programs to the well-heeled travellers of today and tomorrow.’ The St Regis Mumbai is located in Lower Parel, the city’s most premium commercial, residential and entertainment district. The hotel provides easy access to the commercial centers including the Bandra Kurla Complex and Nariman Point, as well as to the airport. The hotel’s design captures an urban aristocratic style, complemented by warm tones and specially commissioned art work which lends an elegant and stylish touch to the guest rooms and public spaces. Residing in India’s tallest hotel tower, The St. Regis Mumbai offers panoramic views of the bustling metropolis. The hotel includes 386 well-appointed guest rooms including 27 suites and, for extended stays, the property’s 33 residential suites feature a spacious living room, fully equipped kitchen and the option of one or two bedrooms. Following in the tradition of the St. Regis brand's legendary New York hotel, The St. Regis Mumbai features the famed hallmarks including St Regis Butler Service. Butlers provide round-the-clock anticipatory, yet unobtrusive service and customize each guest's stay according to their specific tastes and preferences. The St. Regis Mumbai houses nine elegant restaurants, bars and nightlife destinations. The afternoon tea ritual comes to life in the lobby which has a drawing room ambience. With the addition of local flavours and Indian estate teas, guests enjoy a distinct interpretation the classic afternoon pastime. Inspired by the iconic King Cole Bar at The St. Regis New York which was the birthplace of the original Bloody Mary, The St Regis Bar serves its own signature version of the iconic cocktail which embodies the bold spirit of the city by embracing spices like cinnamon and coriander to create a soulful Indian version of the classic.
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By BW HotelierAMIR NAHAI is appointed AccorHotels Chief Executive Officer Group Food and Beverage. He will be a member of the Group’s Executive Committee. Amir will be responsible for the F&B business worldwide. He will work closely with the regional CEOs and the Global Marketing teams to redefine our Food & Beverage objectives and strategy for each region and brand. He will also be responsible for rolling out Food & Beverage concepts. This appointment will be effective from September 1st 2015. Commenting on the appointment, S-bastien Bazin, AccorHotels’ Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, declared: ’Rethinking in-depth our Food & Beverage offer is one of our priorities to ensure the success of AccorHotels’ transformation. In his previous roles, Amir actively worked along with us to establish the right diagnosis and I am very glad of his joining us to accelerate the implementation of our new F&B strategy. His international experience and his extensive knowledge of the hotel-restaurant field will be great assets to assist our teams in the rolling out of our strategy as well as to position our catering offer as a truly differentiating factor for our guests, partners and employees.’ Amir Nahai is American. He holds a BA in Government from Dartmouth College and an MBA from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth. Amir Nahai was previously a partner at Bain and Company’s New York office, and has more than 15 years of experience with the strategy and management consulting firm in the hospitality, gaming, media/entertainment and technology sectors. Throughout his career, he has supported clients across the globe and has worked out of multiple offices in the US (Boston, New York, Los Angeles), Asia (Singapore, Thailand, India, China) and Europe (Paris, London).
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By BW HotelierYOU CAN call it a landmark in Mumbai’s restaurant landscape. The Kebab Korner restaurant has been in existence since 1971, when it operated out of what was then called Hotel Natraj. The hotel has changed a lot in nearly four and a half decades. It’s now the InterContinental Marine Drive. The restaurant too has gone in for a refurbish, shutting shop for two months to be relaunched once again. ’Kebab Korner has for the last 44 years enjoyed loyal patronage and grown to become an iconic Indian restaurant in Mumbai. This year we wanted to give back to the restaurant with a new design and reinvented menu,’ according to InterContinental’s General Manager, Manas Krishnamoorthy. Renovation of the 2000 sq ft restaurant which sat 80 guests started in May 2015. ’We completed the entire renovation in the record time of 2 months, but had been planning the process of change for almost a year,’ Krishnamoorthy added. At the heart of the new restaurant are two centre tables (which when combined transforms into a large 12 seater). These two tables in old world wood finish with patina green framework stand in testimony of the classic heritage of the restaurant. This special central section is crowned by an island ceiling clad with old utensils made of tin and metal joined together by the latest in nail work. The main seating booth, strategically positioned to afford a view of both the diners and the tumultuous sea, is in deep royal velvet blue adding a feel of regal grace. Subtle elegance with bursts of colour sprinkled across the restaurant create classic contrasts. The capacity of the restaurant remains the same and so does the food. Indian Master chef -Kebab Korner, Chef Irshad Qureshi told BW Hotelier, ’Unravelling this glorious cuisine, yet retaining its delightful aura of surprise, the freshness of its natural ingredients, subtle flavours and colours of vibrant India, is a challenge which I continue to relish. It gives me immense joy to share these epicurean pleasures at Kebab Korner.’ The menu has been crafted by Qureshi, and takes diners on a culinary journey, traversing Lucknow, Old Delhi, Kashmir, Hyderabad, Punjab, Rajasthan, Kolkata, Goa and Agra. ’With the changing times we wanted to reinvent Kebab Korner to be an amalgam of the new with the old. The new decor and menu retains the authentic essence and adds a contemporary avatar,’ Krishnamoorthy said in conclusion. Photo: The New Look Kebab Korner.
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By BW Hotelier INTERCONTINENTAL HOTELS Group (IHG) and IL&FS Skills have launched the second IHG Academy branded training centre under their partnership in Kalimpong, West Bengal. The first branded training centre was launched in New Delhi last year. The Kalimpong centre is set to be one of the largest talent development centres under the IHG Academy programme, attracting young talent from the rural areas of Northeast India. IHG Academy is a collaboration between IHG and local education and community providers, which aims to provide local people with skills development and employment opportunities at more than 4,900 IHG hotels across the globe. There are now over 900 IHG Academy programmes across more than 60 countries globally, and 25 IHG Academy programmes across India. The collaboration with IL&FS Skills is IHG’s first vocational programme in the country. Under the partnership, IL&FS Skills provides IHG approved vocational hospitality training across the country. Participants are first trained to IHG's rigorous and world-class standards in a classroom setting whilst learning about the Indian hospitality sector, followed by on-the-job training to put what they learnt into practice. They are then given the opportunity to apply for full-time roles at IHG hotels across the country. To date, the IHG Academy partnership with IL&FS has skilled 44 students across nine batches, and 47 students are undergoing training in the current batch. Nearly 60 per cent of graduates from the programme have joined IHG hotels across the country in full time employment. The IHG Academy programme supports the national Skill India Campaign, which aims to equip 500 million Indian nationals with skills by 2022. Shantha de Silva, Head of South West Asia, IHG said, ’As one of the largest hotel companies in the world, we are in a great position to help train local talent and increase the proportion of employable workforce for the hospitality industry. We do this through IHG Academy, which is a core pillar of our Corporate Responsibility strategy. Over the next 12 months our target under our IHG Academy partnership with IL&FS is to train 100 students across the country. With this rebranded centre in Kalimpong we are confident of drawing more young local people from Northeast India to undergo our high standards of hospitality training and we are delighted to be able to do our part in skilling local talent to support the growing tourism industry in India.’ IHG currently has 22 hotels open across four brands in India: InterContinental, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express. A further 47 hotels are due to open in the next three to five years. Photo caption: The batch of August 2015 poses with Shantha de Silva, Head of South West Asia, IHG (back-row, third-from left) and others.
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By BW Hotelier HOTELS IN the Asia Pacific region experienced positive results in the three key performance metrics when reported in U.S. dollar constant currency, according to July 2015 data compiled by STR Global. Compared to July 2014, the Asia Pacific region reported a 2.1 per cent increase in occupancy to 70.7 per cent, a 1.1 per cent rise in average daily rate to US$105.12 and a 3.2 per cent increase in revenue per available room to US$74.34. Performance of featured countries for July 2015 (local currency, year-over-year comparisons): India reported increases in two of the three key performance metrics. Occupancy in the country increased 5.4 per cent to 61.4 per cent; ADR was down 0.7 per cent to INR5611.01; and RevPAR increased 4.7 per cent to INR3447.08. China reported nearly flat performance. Occupancy in the country increased 0.1 per cent to 69.9 per cent; ADR was down 1.7 per cent to CNY522.27; and RevPAR decreased 1.7 per cent to CNY364.93. Year-to-date supply growth (+4.6 per cent) is slightly outpacing demand (+4.3 per cent) in the country. Preliminary accounting results from the National Bureau of Statistics of China showed GDP growth of 7.0 per cent for the second quarter of 2015. Maldives experienced increases in each of the three key performance metrics. Occupancy increased 0.3 per cent to 63.1 per cent; ADR was up 2.3 per cent to MVR8,221.88; and RevPAR rose 2.6 per cent to MVR5,186.50. July was the country’s first month of positive occupancy performance since January 2014. Year-to-date supply growth (+1.2 per cent) has significantly outpaced demand performance (-8.5 per cent). As a result, year-to-date occupancy has decreased 9.6 per cent, and RevPAR is down 9.5 per cent during that same time. Singapore experienced a 1.9 per cent increase in occupancy to 87.4 per cent but decreases in both ADR (-3.1 per cent to SGD279.59) and RevPAR (-1.3 per cent to SGD244.34). According to STR Global analysts, Singapore has seen a reduction in overseas travellers and low demand from business travel. Externally, increased demand for conferences in Bangkok, Thailand, along with more Chinese travellers choosing Europe over Asian destinations, has contributed to year-to-date performance decreases in Singapore. Thailand saw the largest year-over-year increase in occupancy (+30.5 per cent to 76.5 per cent) of any country in the Asia Pacific region as well as significant growth in RevPAR (+34.5 per cent to THB2,493.66). ADR in the country increased 3.1 per cent to THB3,260.93. Demand growth (+31.9 per cent) outpaced supply (+1.1 per cent) in July, and year-to-date, demand growth is +25.2 per cent compared to supply growth of +1.7 per cent. Comparable months from 2014 saw strong demand challenges due to political turmoil. Performance of featured markets for July 2015 (local currency, year-over-year comparisons): Hong Kong, China, saw decreases in the three performance measurements: occupancy (-8.8 per cent to 79.8 per cent), ADR (-12.7 per cent to HKD1,416.12) and RevPAR (-20.4 per cent to HKD1,129.47). STR Global analysts note a significant decline in international arrivals as reason for a 4.9 per cent year-to-date demand decrease in the market. Japan and Australia have also become cheaper destinations as the Hong Kong Dollar has a fixed exchange rate with the U.S. Dollar. Sanya, China, reported increases in occupancy (+9.2 per cent to 56.1 per cent) and RevPAR (+6.2 per cent to CNY407.52) but a drop in ADR (-2.7 per cent to CNY725.87). The increase in occupancy is due to increased inbound tourism, say STR Global analysts. However, the decline in ADR is due to intensive competition caused by July supply increases. Sydney, Australia, experienced increases in the three performance metrics: occupancy (+3.7 per cent to 84.2 per cent), ADR (+6.9 per cent to AUD190.62) and RevPAR (+10.9 per cent to AUD160.42). According to STR Global analysts, Sydney properties have focused on rate in order to maximize revenue. Supply in the market has remained relatively flat since January, whilst demand has increased 2.0 per cent during the same time period. Tokyo, Japan, saw a 1.0 per cent increase in occupancy to 87.5 per cent as well as double-digit growth in ADR (+14.5 per cent to JPY17,807.44) and RevPAR (+15.6 per cent to JPY15,585.04). Year-to-date demand in Tokyo has increased 4.2 per cent, while supply has grown 2.8 per cent. STR Global analysts point to high market compression with limited new supply and a weak Japanese Yen leading to a surge in international leisure arrivals as main reasons behind the strong performance in Tokyo. Photograph purely representational. Excerpt from-the report:-GlobalHotelReviewCC_Media_July_2015
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By BW Hotelier AFTER SUCCESSFULLY running the unit as Hotel Manager since August 2014, Vikas Oswal was formally announced as Crowne Plaza Mayur Vihar’s new General Manager. Oswal has over 24 years of experience in the industry and has been associated with brands like Hyatt, Taj, SPHC, Starwood and of course IHG. Oswal’s career with IHG started in 2004, when he joined the InterContinental Bali as Executive Chef. He was then transferred to Crowne Plaza Today, Gurgaon in the same capacity in February 2009. While at the Crowne Plaza Today, Gurgaon, Oswal switched roles to become Director Food and Beverage in April 2010 and then Executive Assistant Manager in April 2012, a role he carried over the Crowne Plaza Greater Noida in January 2013. Oswal’s last position before being promoted was as Hotel Manager of the Crowne Plaza Mayur Vihar, a position he held since May 2014, till his promotion. Oswal is a 1991 graduate from IHM Bhubaneshwar. An accomplished professional with diverse experience. Oswal specialisation lies in start-up, pre-openings, hotel operations and risk management.
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By Bikramjit Ray THE LEELA Ambience Gurgaon Hotel and Residences is well known for its quality of F&B. In an effort to grow brand value and of course make full use of the Mall that it is constructed atop, the hotel has recently started a small pastry outlet, the Leela Patisserie at the Ambience Mall, where it sells the hotels confectionary products. The outlet, which is opposite the TM Lewin showroom, has a few tables and around half a dozen chairs, but aims also to get the shopper to buy and take home or wander around the mall with the cakes, pastries, breads and fine chocolates on display. Michel Koopman, General Manager of the Leela Ambience Gurgaon Hotel and Residences (see photo) told this reporter that he expected to make Rs 1.5 Crores from the outlet in its first year. The shop is the first such offering by the hotel. With two brilliant confectionary masters, pastry chefs Pablo Moralis and Partha Bose, in their kitchen, the only place you could taste their products would be at one of the hotel’s legendary buffet spreads. While the current avatar of the outlet promises a whole range of products from single origin chocolates to specialty cakes and pastries and of course freshly baked breads, Koopma told this reporter that much more was in store. The passage which connects the hotel to the mall, according to Koopman is being developed to become a larger outlet with seating. ’It will have glass walls and have all our confectionery products and much more,’ he said. The sky was the limit and even a champagne service was in the works. There is no timeframe yet as to when things will get moving, but one things for sure, it will be the NCR’s sweet spot. The author is Executive Editor at BW Hotelier.
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