By BW Hotelier THE PUSA Institute of Hotel Management Alumni Association, PIHMAA, announced the line up for its stellar annual event, which will take place on September 19, 2015 at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Mahipalpur, New Delhi. PACE 2015 (PIHMAA Annual Conclave & Exchange) aims to get together Pusa IHM students from over six decades in an evening of inspiring discussions, fun, entertainment, cocktails and dinner. Kapil Chopra, President Oberoi Hotels; Puneet Chhatwal, CEO Steigenburger Hotel group; Raj Rana, CEO South Asia, Carlson Residor Hotels; Farhat Jamal, SVP West, Taj Hotels & Rahul Pandit, CEO Ginger Hotels will be the panelists for the first discussion on ’Are Hotels really keeping pace with the rapidly changing needs of today’s global traveller?’ which will be moderated by Mandeep S Lamba, Managing Director India, Hotels & Hospitality Group, Jones Lang LaSalle. The second discussion will bring together Sanjeev Kapoor, Celebrity Chef; Himmat Anand, Founder Tree Of Life Resorts & Hotels; Rajesh Bahrdwaj, Founder Junoon New York; Sudhir Gupta, Founder & CEO TLC Group & Sunil Bhu, Founder Flanders Dairy Products to address the topic ’With Gen Y increasingly being lured into entrepreneurship, how can real life stories inspire them in building a successful enterprise’? and will be moderated by Neena Chatrath, Founder Enhance Consulting. The Keynote speaker for the evening will be journalist, author and food writer, Vir Sanghvi. Followed by the knowledge session, the evening will unfold into a grand gala of entertainment, games, music and fun with the choicest spread of culinary delicacies and premium beverages. While making the formal announcement for the event, K B Kachru, Chairman South Asia, Carlson Residor Hotels and Chairman PIHMAA said (photo left): ’I am truly delighted to announce the holding of PACE 2015 on September 19th and am looking forward to the interaction with our alumni across several years and reconnecting with friends. PIHMAA is committed to working for the welfare of our alma mater , IHM Pusa and its students past & present. It is our endeavor to help PIHMAA in becoming a true ambassador for the college and its alumni.’ Mandeep S Lamba, Managing Director India, Hotels & Hospitality Group, Jones Lang LaSalle, & President PIHMAA (photo right) said, ’We want to ensure that PIHMAA becomes one of the strongest hospitality alumni associations and works in tandem with IHM Pusa to further enhance its leadership position as also for the goodwill, welfare and career interests of its alumni. Our alumni are true industry leaders as is evident from the names above and we wish to use these and other such leaders to inspire all our members in their career objectives.’
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By BW Hotelier STARWOOD HOTELS & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. has introduced Sheraton Grand, a new premier tier that recognizes exceptional Sheraton hotels and resorts. Starwood revealed the first ten Sheraton Grand properties, which span from Bengaluru to Beijing, Dubai to Edinburgh, Miyazaki to Seoul, Taipei to Bangkok, and Tokyo to Rio de Janeiro. By end of 2015, Starwood expects to have 50 newly-designated Sheraton Grand hotels around the world with plans for 100 by early 2017. Sheraton Grand is one of many initiatives currently underway for Sheraton 2020, a comprehensive plan designed to solidify Sheraton as a leading global hotel brand of choice, everywhere. As Sheraton Grand formally launches worldwide, the tier will also encompass a number of existing properties that historically list Grand or Grande in their title and also demonstrate the best of the brand. As part of the burgeoning network, the first Sheraton Grand Hotel in India is Sheraton Grand in Bangalore. Sheraton Grand Bangalore Hotel at Brigade Gateway is situated in a landscaped 40-acre neighborhood in India's IT capital, the property features a luxurious infinity pool, panoramic views of the adjacent Brigade Lake, and stately guestrooms that blend sophisticated earth tones with plush fabrics. The other properties recognized as Sheraton Grand Hotel are Sheraton Grand Beijing Dongcheng Hotel, Sheraton Grand Hotel Dubai, Sheraton Grand Edinburgh Hotel, Sheraton Grand Rio Hotel & Resort, Sheraton Grande Ocean Resort, Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit, Sheraton Grande Taipei Hotel, Sheraton Grande Tokyo Bay Hotel, Sheraton Grande Walkerhill. ’Sheraton is Starwood’s largest and most global brand, and as we continue our work to firmly keep Sheraton in the spotlight, we recognize the need to better match guest expectations for the brand around the world,’ said Adam Aron, Starwood CEO on an interim basis. ’Sheraton Grand celebrates our standout hotels and helps us further reinforce Sheraton as a trusted voice in global travel.’ ’We expect many of our Sheraton hotels to achieve the Sheraton Grand designation, and we will work with our owners to open new Sheraton Grand hotels or renovate existing properties to ensure a consistent and exceptional experience in our new premier tier,’ said Dave Marr, Global Brand Leader, Sheraton Hotels & Resorts. ’The worldwide network of Sheraton Grand will promote growth and lure more high- end travelers for the Sheraton brand globally, and we look forward to welcoming 100 Sheraton Grand hotels by early 2017.’ Photo caption: Front Row, Left to Right:-Vineet Verma, Executive Director, Brigade Hospitality (Owning company), Nirupa Shankar, Director, Brigade Hospitality (Owning company), Dilip Puri, Managing Director India & RVP, South Asia, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Saurabh Bakshi, General Manager, Sheraton Grand Bangalore at Brigade Gateway.
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By Rashmi Pradhan THE BUSINESS session, ’Mumbai: Are we utilizing the optimum potential of the Indian outbound’? at SATTE Mumbai West 2015 witnessed panelist including Sudhir Patil, Founder & Director, Veena World; Karan Anand, Head Relationships, Cox & Kings; Sheetal Munshaw, Director, Atout France India and Carl Vaz, Director-India, Dubai DTCM. The session was moderated by Ajay Prakash, President, IIPT India. From the tourism point of view, Mumbai has always been perceived as the financial capital, aviation hub and major department port for Indian outbound travelers. National Tourist Offices (NTOs) prefer Mumbai when setting up their offices. Outbound departures from Mumbai stand at 3.7 million that’s 22.46 per cent of the Indian outbound market. Together with Ahmedabad, the total share of India’s western region in the outbound market is 24.6 per cent, which could easily increase to 30 per cent, according to the panelists. The session focused on whether NTOs and airlines need to change their approach to tap the potential of catchment areas like Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara, Pune, Nashik and Nagpur or has the saturation point been reached. The session discussed in detail, the increasing share of outbound tourism from Western India. Karan Anand, Head Relationships, Cox & Kings said in order to boost Indian outbound 3Cs are important: Connection, Consular Service and Communication. The main travel segments are FIT, GIT, business and luxury. Short-haul destinations were key to growth and numbers whereas long-haul were key to traveler spend. Apart from volumes, travelers also needed to stay longer, according to Anand. Sudhir Patil, Founder & Director, Veena World said, ’India is a 365 day source market,’ while Sheetal Munshaw, Director, Atout France India claimed 60 per cent of Indian visitors to France were from Maharashtra and Gujarat. ’We set out visa facilities right and now travelers can avail of a French visa in 48 hours. Last year, France received 400,000 Indian visitors and we are focusing on MICE and enhancement of room nights. The awareness about the vineyards in Nashik have paved way for vineyards in France,’ he added. The author is Assistant Editor of BW Hotelier.- Photo:-(Left to Right)-Ajay Prakash, President, IIPT India; Karan Anand, Head Relationships, Cox & Kings; Sheetal Munshaw, Director, Atout France India; Sudhir Patil, Founder & Director, Veena World; Carl Vaz, Director-India, Dubai DTCM, during their session.
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By Rashmi Pradhan THE BUSINESS session ’Western India-Untapped Domestic Tourism’ at the 4th edition of SATTE Mumbai West was moderated by Murari Mohan Jha, Editor, T3. Among the panelist were Satish Soni, Joint Managing Director, Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC); Pawan Jain, Deputy Director, Rajasthan Tourism; Pandurang Taware, President and MD, Agri Tourism Development Company Pvt. Ltd.; Yusuf Poonawala, Vice President ’ Bharat Dekho Duniya Dekho & Inbound, Cox & King and Abhijit Patil, Chairman, Raja Rani Travels. Domestic Tourism is the backbone of the tourism industry. It has always emerged as a savior for the industry in case of unfavourable circumstances such as global economic depression, unrest in source markets and so on. Analyst have suggested giving a thrust to domestic tourism to maintain the resilience of the industry. States such as Madhya Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh and Karnataka, among others, have been focusing on the domestic market and reaping the benefits. However, Western India is yet to tap the potential of the domestic tourism, Western India has a miniscule 10 per cent share of the domestic tourism market. The session discussed on where the industry is lacking and corrective measures to be taken. The session threw light on the potential of domestic tourism in western India and ways and means to tap the same. Abhijit Patil, Chairman, Raja Rani Travels, asked for a tourism policy specific to Mumbai. There is a need to focus on connectivity. ’It is important to focus on children in order to tap the family segment,’ he added. Yusuf Poonawala, Vice President ’ Bharat Dekho Duniya Dekho & Inbound, Cox & King said, ’There is a potential and tremendous demand for tourism destinations in the western region however, awareness of the destination is not there.’ Satish Soni, Joint Managing Director, MTDC, commented that the state was working on Tourism Policy for Maharashtra which should be unveiled by end of 2015. The policy is designed to invite stakeholders and investment opportunities in the state. ’We will launch the Scuba Diving Centre in Tarkali by October 1. We are in the process of upgrading the existing resorts and coming up with new MTDC resorts at tourist destinations,’ he added. Talking about the new Tourism Policy for Rajasthan, Pawan Jain, Deputy Director, Rajasthan Tourism, said that the new policy is pro-investment and hotel industry. The panelist agreed that connectivity and awareness is important to boost domestic tourism. Photo caption: The business session in progress, from left to right: Pandurang Taware, President and MD, Agri Tourism Development Company Pvt. Ltd.; Abhijit Patil, Chairman, Raja Rani Travels; Satish Soni, Joint Managing Director, Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC); Murari Mohan Jha, Editor, T3; Pawan Jain,-Deputy Director, Rajasthan Tourism; and Yusuf Poonawala,-Vice President ’ Bharat Dekho Duniya Dekho & Inbound, Cox & King. The Author is Assistant Editor of BW Hotelier.
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By Rashmi Pradhan UBM INDIA’S travel trade show, SATTE New Delhi’s companion event SATTE Mumbai West was inaugurated by Ram Shinde, Minister of State, Maharashtra at the World Trade Centre in Mumbai. The 4th edition of SATTE Mumbai West (August 18-19, 2015) witnessed the participation from 6 State Tourism Boards, 6 National Tourist Offices and players from hotels, technology, airlines and tour operators. Also present was Satish Soni, Joint Managing Director, Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC). Addressing the delegates, Shinde said, "Events such as SATTE are unique opportunities for the tourism industry and its stakeholders. We always look forward to opportunities for growth and increased awareness." The key exhibitors were Rajasthan Tourism, Maharashtra Tourism, Chhattisgarh Tourism, Uttar Pradesh Tourism, Jharkhand Tourism, Madhya Pradesh Tourism, Turkish Culture and Tourism Office, ENIT Italian National Tourist Board, Tourism Malaysia, Tourism Fiji, Neemrana Hotels, OYO Rooms, ZO Rooms, Interglobe Aviation Ltd. (Indigo), Internet Moguls, Tea Estate India, Grade One Events, and United Travels and Tours from Singapore, amongst others showcased some of the latest destinations and offerings at the trade show. Yogesh Mudras, Acting Managing Director, UBM India, said, "India's western region comprising of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Goa and adjoining areas receives over 10 per cent domestic and 25 per cent foreign visits, according to reports. Furthermore, Mumbai, apart from being the financial capital and the gateway to western India, has emerged as the only Indian entry in the Asia Pacific to figure in the top 10 fast growing cities by international overnight visitors, according to the Global Destination Cities Index chart’. As many as 4.75 million people have done overnight stays in Mumbai during the first half of this year which is likely to record the highest number of international visitors who broke journey in the last five years, according to Mudras. ’SATTE Mumbai West is aptly poised to offer ample opportunities to the travel trade community to further push their business and tap the potential of this city and the region's tourism market’, he added. The author is Assistant Editor of BW Hotelier.-
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By BW Hotelier BRAJESH KUMAR has been appointed as Chief Engineer of Crowne Plaza New Delhi, Mayur Vihar. With over 25 years of experience, Kumar started his career with Indian Navy. He then moved on to work with brands like American Express, Double Tree by Hilton and The Lalit. His last assignment was with Country Inn & Suites as Chief Engineer. He hails from Delhi and enjoys swimming, playing volley ball and keeping himself updated on current affairs.
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By BW Hotelier SUBROTO GOSWAMI has been appointed as Executive Chef at Crowne Plaza Greater Noida. Chef Goswani will be responsible for the kitchen operations of the hotel under the leadership of Area General Manager ’ North, Greesh Bindra. With an experience of over 30 years Chef Goswami has worked with some of the best brands in the industry. Chef Goswami specializes in Italian and Indian (new age) cuisines. Being a perfectionist, it has been his constant endeavor to bring innovation and creativity on the table. His flavours are an inspiration from his learning from all over India and the world, having worked with brands like The Oberoi, Hyatt, Trident, Radisson and The Lalit across India. Holding a Diploma in Hotel Management from IHM Kolkata and Kitchen Training programme from The Oberoi School of Hotel Management (now known as Oberoi Center of Learning & Development) he likes to pursue his hobbies like travelling and photography in his leisure time.
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By Rashmi Pradhan WITH 70 hotels across 48 destinations, Sarovar Hotels & Resorts is all set to open two new hotels in the Western Region ’ Bhavnagar (Gujarat) and Dahisar (suburban Mumbai, Maharashtra). Speaking to BW Hotelier, Sanjeev Shekhar, Regional Director - Sarovar Hotels and General Manager, Hotel Marine Plaza Mumbai, said, ’Sarovar Portico at Bhavnagar in Gujarat will be operational by end of this year. The property is targeted at business clientele and will have 90 rooms. The property at Dahisar, which will be a Hometel, will be operational by mid-2016. Also targeted at business clientele, this property will have 120 rooms. Both will be managed by Sarovar Hotels.’ He further said that Sarovar is looking at opportunities in various cities and in talks with owners for management contracts. Shekhar who is responsible for Maharashtra, Goa and Gujarat markets informed that Sarovar Hotels has 18 hotels operational in the Western Region. Talking to us about marketing strategy, Shekhar said, ’Once a year, Sarovar Hotels undertake a huge campaign. Last year, we spent over Rs 4 crore. We believe that it is important to have constant presence in the market as there are international and domestic players entering in the market and it is important to have top of mind recall with the owners and customers.’ Besides yearly campaigns, promotional activities like food festivals and events are organised by individual units on a regular basis, he added. Shekhar mentioned that hotel aggregator, OYO Rooms had approached Sarovar Hotels to sell their inventory. ’We are in advance talks with OYO Rooms, the concept looks interesting and hopefully if things move in right direction, the deal will be finalised by the end of month,’ he said. Speaking about the market in South Mumbai, Shekhar said, ’There has been a big shift of business from South Mumbai to Bandra Kurla Complex and suburban areas like Andheri and Malad. There had been an initial loss of business, but we are marginally ahead of last year in terms of occupancy not ARRs. We are expecting a rate correction of 10-15 per cent in October this year.’ The bookings for Hotel Marine Plaza is mainly corporate driven, who contribute to 50 per cent of occupancy, Shekhar stated, 20 per cent bookings are made through OTAs, 15 per cent via travel agents and the rest from walk-in guests. 15 per cent is leisure clientele. The author is Assistant Editor of BW Hotelier.
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