New Appointment Announcement at Eastin Easy Vita, First International Hotel, in Vita Sangli District

Arun Sharma

Satish Mishra

Mr. Kabir Mehra is delighted to announce new appointments at Eastin Easy Vita, namely Mr. Arun Sharma as Food and Beverage Manager and Mr. Satish Mishra as Accounts Manager.

Academically qualified with a degree in Hotel Management Catering Technology & Tourism, Arun Sharma brings along, diverse experience of over 10 years with in-depth knowledge, experience, and training in all aspects of food and beverage operations.

With over 12 years of experience in the Hospitality industry, Satish Mishra started his hospitality career with Sayaji Hotels in 2008

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‘Dubai Assured’ recognizes establishments complying with health and safety protocols

Dubai has launched a compliance program to certify and recognize hotels and retail establishments, F&B outlets, and attractions that have implemented all public health protocols for the prevention and management of COVID-19. 

The initiative is part of efforts to showcase Dubai as one of the world’s safest destinations as it continues to receive tourists following the city’s reopening to international visitors on 7 July.

A verification and validation process has been established in collaboration with the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism), Department of Economic Development (Dubai Economy) and Dubai Municipality for issuing the ‘Dubai Assured’ stamp to the hotel and retail establishments, F&B outlets and tourist attractions that have complied with health and safety guidelines issued in accordance with the preventive protocols outlined by Dubai’s Supreme Committee of Crisis and Disaster Management.

The specially designed ‘Dubai Assured’ stamp, to be issued free of charge, will have a validity of 15 days. It can be renewed every two weeks upon further verification by inspectors from the relevant authorities. With the reopening of many public and private facilities and amenities, including beaches, shopping malls, restaurants, swimming pools, and golf courses, and the resumption of popular activities like water sports and camping, the ‘Dubai Assured’ program will cover all key tourism touchpoints across the city. Over 1,000 establishments have already been inspected for compliance with relevant guidelines, as part of the program, making them eligible to receive the ‘Dubai Assured’ stamp.

The stamp is a visual mark reassuring guests that safety and hygiene measures prescribed by the authorities have been complied with across all tiers and categories of tourist and resident touchpoints such as hotels, attractions, retail, food & beverage, and leisure and entertainment. The establishments can feature this stamp in their marketing communications.

Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General, Dubai Tourism, commented: “The successful strategy adopted in combating the pandemic, based on the vision and wise leadership of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and the follow up of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, has helped create an environment that is conducive to reopening our city to tourists from 7 July. Nonetheless, the health and safety of our residents and visitors remain our utmost priority. The compliance program we have rolled out across the hospitality sector with the wholehearted support of Dubai Economy and Dubai Municipality is not the only testament to the continued efforts being made to further enhance health and safety standards but is also a confidence-boosting measure to reassure travelers that Dubai is one of the world’s safest destinations.

“With health and safety foremost on the minds of travelers when selecting their destination, the ‘DUBAI ASSURED’ seal is a simple yet critical mechanism to ensure tourists enjoy a smooth and safe experience at every stage of their journey, from arrival at our airports to their departure from Dubai. The Safe Travels stamp Dubai received recently from the World Travel & Tourism Council further validates the city’s efforts to implement stringent hygiene and safety protocols and align itself with international health and safety standards and best practices,” HE Almarri added.

Sami Al Qamzi, Director General of Dubai Economy, said: “The outstanding commitment demonstrated by commercial establishments in complying with precautionary measures has contributed significantly towards Dubai being able to reopen for business and welcome visitors in spite of the global pandemic threat. In fact, we have seen stronger coordination and co-operation between the government and the private sector, and a new level of preparedness in Dubai. Safety, stability, and resilience are paramount in the new scheme of things, and ‘Dubai Assured’ is an inspiring statement that Dubai has strengthened its credentials as a safe destination and global hub for tourism, retail, and leisure.”

Dawoud Al Hajri, Director General of Dubai Municipality said: “Dubai Municipality is taking effective steps to promote health and safety and facilitate a gradual return to normal life in a safe environment. We are committed to ensuring that tourists can enjoy a comfortable and safe stay in hotels in Dubai. We have outlined precautionary measures for all hotels to ensure their guests can enjoy activities in all its facilities including beaches. We continuously follow up to ensure compliance with precautionary measures as part of making sure all hotels in Dubai are prepared to receive guests with the highest standards of hygiene and safety.”

According to a survey by global consulting firm HVS on future destination selection, 85 percent of travelers will prioritize their travel plans based on the destination’s reputation and the action taken by its government in managing the pandemic including safety and security measures and the quality of the healthcare system and services.

Besides the standard precautionary measures of social distancing and wearing masks at all times by guests and employees, Dubai hotels have deployed stringent disinfection measures covering contact points in lobbies and other areas including restaurants and swimming pools. Entrances have been fitted with equipment for contactless screening of guests. Mall operators are using advanced technology to minimize risks including the use of thermal scanners and cameras to monitor traffic at entry points. Public parks and beaches under Dubai Municipality have reopened with strict guidelines for visitors while restaurants are allowed to serve guests with reduced seating arrangements and the enforcement of a distance of two meters between tables.

Dubai has also deployed a wide range of preventive measures across all other customers facing high-frequency touchpoints of visitor and resident interaction in line with detailed reopening guidelines for both government and private establishments.

Zurich based F&B veteran launches support fund for Indian Hospitality Employees

Considering the limited support available for hospitality workers in India following the COVID- 19 pandemic, Zurich based Michael Butler, former corporate director of food and beverage for Europe and India at Hyatt Hotels Corporation has decided to start a fund to support hospitality employees living in India.

Butler is asking for support from anyone across the globe who would like to contribute by donating what they can afford.

Starting from July 20, spread across several days, Butler will also walk 265 km from Zurich to Geneva, wearing a chef coat to show solidarity and support for the hospitality colleagues. He believes this will help raise more awareness and generate contributions for those who are in need.

"Remember, India does not have furloughs or the social security department that provides income or stimulus checks from the government," said Butler, describing his initiative on his LinkedIn page.
He said India has been very close to his heart for many reasons and he has been fortunate to have been able to work with great minds in the field of hospitality in the country.

"I have seen and read various news articles and guest sentiment reports. I came across one that had mentioned many restaurants and hotels have been forced to close again with the risk of 30% of them being shut permanently. I started to make my own enquiries and could see that the Indian Hospitality workers were running out of money."

Butler said he then came up with the idea of walking from Zurich to Geneva. "I hope that through this initiative, we can support many Indian hospitality workers who have lost their jobs – I am hoping we can demonstrate that globally we can get through tough times together and show that hospitality is an industry where people can pull together to help others colleagues who are going through tough times.”

The fund has been set up online and the process will entail the requesting employee submitting an email with an attachment of their relieving letters from past employers. Preference would be given to non-management workers and those who were laid off the earliest. Butler said he will also validate the claims with local support teams to ensure the neediest and deserving ones get support at the earliest.

He has also created the F&B support forum group on LinkedIn and will also seek the support from the forum members to validate the requests for aid and help generate some funds. Based on the application requests, Butler will work with the local support teams to validate the requests and will grant the aid to employees who have been out of a job for the longest time owing to the pandemic and those who will benefit the most from the aid amount. In cases where there are multiple earning members in the same family, the fund will support the ones who are single earners.

The fund has been created in late June, and Butler will officially launch it through the walk on July 20.
The status of the fund collection can be seen in real-time. Those interested can also donate through Paypal.

Brenton Hotel introduces new culinary leadership team

Key Take Away

RI Andy Ross, Managing Director of the Brenton Hotel, the new 57-room luxury boutique hotel on the harbor opening in July 2020, announced the appointment of Kevin Wood as Executive Chef and Emily Brakenhoff as Food and Beverage Director. Ross said, “Kevin and Emily are the perfect teams to bring to life every culinary touchpoint at the Brenton. 

With nearly 35 years of experience in the restaurant industry, Kevin Wood was previously the Executive Chef at Newport’s iconic White Horse Tavern, “America’s Oldest Tavern”.

Emily Brakenhoff brings nearly 10 years of front-of-house restaurant operations and guest relations expertise to her new position at the Brenton Hotel.

For More Information Click Below :

whatsupnewp.com/2020/06/brenton-hotel-introduces-new-culinary-leadership-team/

Kevin Wood ,Executive Chef & Emily Brakenhoff ,Food and Beverage Director

Vikram Aditya Singh joins The Leela Palace Udaipur as General Manager

Key Take Away

The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts has announced the appointment of Vikram Aditya Singh as the General Manager of The Leela Palace Udaipur. 

He comes with a rich experience of over two decades wherein he has been associated with some of the iconic domestic and international hotels.

Singh has spearheaded many successful projects and has risen to fame with his distinguished approach and proficiency.

For More Information Click Below:

www.hotelierindia.com/operations/11221-vikram-aditya-singh-joins-the-leela-palace-udaipur-as-general-manager

Leisure and Hospitality drive jobs number higher

Key Take Away

The employment rate decreased slightly and job numbers rose for the first time since the coronavirus crisis began.

The May jobs numbers showed an unexpected jump in payrolls as certain sectors like leisure and hospitality made a comeback that dramatically beat estimates and surprised economists and market observers.

Non-farm payrolls jumped 2.509 million in May, compared to an expected loss of 7.5 million. Leisure and hospitality sectors, which had been hit sharply by the coronavirus’s shutdowns, added 1.239 million jobs, the largest rebound. Food services and drinking places employment grew by 22%.

The challenge for restaurants reopening is that they must do so with some measure of social distancing in place; being restricted to lower capacities could pose a threat to many more hospitality jobs coming back.

For More Information Click below :

money.yahoo.com/leisure-and-hospitality-drive-jobs-numbers-higher-142522323.html

Payroll gains were broad-based in the May 2020 jobs report.money.yahoo.com/leisure-and-hospitality-drive-jobs-numbers-higher-142522323.html

The summer season begins - Accor is working hard to provide a wide variety of flexible and safe destinations

Key Take Away

Accor anticipates that more than 70% of its global network will reopen by the start of July. Accor has also seen renewed interest in travel demand, with hotel reservations doubling.

Guests who have booked a non-flexible rate directly on the ALL.com reservation site for a stay until June 30, 2020, can change their reservation to a future date (within the next 18 months) at the same hotel or receive a voucher for the full value of their stay for later use.

Business Plus and ibis Business cards will be extended by six months from the expiry date.

For More Information

www.hospitalitynet.org/news/4099036.html

Rajesh Namby appointed as general manager of The Lodhi, New Delhi

Key Take Away

The Lodhi, New Delhi has announced the appointment of Rajesh Namby as the general manager of the hotel. Having rich experience spanning over two decades in the hospitality industry. He was associated with renowned hotel chains like The Leela, Hyatt, Hilton, and Taj Group.

His last assignment was as general manager of The Leela Palace. He was associated with the Leela Group for 17 years and was an integral part of their culinary operations. Under his leadership, The Leela Palace, Udaipur saw new developments and consecutively won several accolades.

For More Infomation

www.hotelierindia.com/operations/10973-rajesh-namby-appointed-as-general-manager-of-the-lodhi-new-delhi

Centara Hotels & Resorts makes food donation to the Thai Government’s Public Relations Department

Key Take Away

Thailand's leading hotel operator recently donated 1,500 food boxes to the Thai Government's Public Relations Department

When a consumer buys a Centara cash voucher for a future escape, Centara will add a further 50% value to the purchase.

For more information:

www.hospitalitynet.org/news/4098708.html

Marriott to launch a virtual meeting offer

Key Take Away

Starting with Australia and New Zealand, Virtual Meetings by Marriott Bonvoy Events aim at offering clients a large scale of remote meeting possibilities.

A new adaptation for the world number one to the world after COVID-19 pandemic.

For More Information

hospitality-on.com/en/mice/marriott-launch-virtual-meeting-offer

Plant-based meat maker Growthwell snares $11.4m in Temasek-led funding round

Key Take Away

Plant-based meat manufacturer Growthwell Group has clinched US$8 million (S$11.4 million) in a funding round led by Temasek to set up local research and development (R&D) Centre and to launch a new product line with an Israeli start-up.

Started in 1989, Growthwell specializes in vegetarian food solutions for food and beverage businesses and organisations in Singapore, Australia, India and the United States.

For More Information

www.straitstimes.com/business/companies-markets/growthwell-snares-114m-in-temasek-led-funding-round

Time for the Hotel Industry to “Remove the Box”

The hotel industry is one of the worst-hit industries during this crisis. A lot of studies have been conducted to help us understand the impact on the economy and our organization's bottom-line. Industry experts, through their various associations, have predicted that the average hotel occupancy in Malaysia for the year will stand at around 25% or less.

According to a recent study by Malaysia Association of Hotels (MAH), the industry is looking at a potential loss of RM6.3b in rooms revenue alone. Assuming rooms revenue accounts for 60% of the total hotel revenue, with F&B and other income accounting for the remaining 40%, the industry is facing a RM10.5b in potential losses.

MAH represents about 1,000 hotels out of the 4,880 hotels registered with the Ministry of Tourism Arts & Culture (MOTAC). However, these 1,000 hotels with 164,000 rooms represent 56% of total rooms inventory available throughout Malaysia.

 The number of hotels closing for business is increasing by the day, indicating not only loss of business, but also loss of jobs. The current estimate is that 1 million travel industry personnel (including hotel, airline, cruise and travel agents) will lose their jobs by the end of this year.

While we take stock and moan how the hotel industry's poor prospects, let us focus our attention on what we can, and should, do moving forward.

According to a study by the University of Singapore Technology and Design, China is expected to be the first to get back to normalcy while Malaysia's magic date is predicted to be July 6. Whether we like it or not, we should look at China as one of our main feeder markets, besides the domestic market of course. Consider appointing representatives or affiliates based in key cities in China to work with online platforms and mainstream travel agents there and start re-promoting Malaysia as a destination. Hoteliers need to actively prepare for this, and as soon as China reopens its doors, hotels must already be "Chinese friendly" at all service touch points

A financial reprojection is necessary to understand your hotel's new breakeven point. We often hear that the breakeven point (BEP) in an operating hotel is at 40% occupancy levels

At least for the short to mid-term, hotels will be looking at domestic travellers as a main source of customers. This will indeed be the fastest strategy to regain some occupancy. Malaysians still love the "Cuti-Cuti Malaysia" short getaways

Hotels may in the near future need to be certified "Social Distance Compliant" by authorities after they have practised and passed SOPs set by authorities. This is going to be very similar to the HALAL certification we see displayed on public areas. This could be something we will all be used to in the near future.

Here's how hotels are redefining the tea experience for their guests while adding to their revenues

The entire process of growing, hand-picking of leaves, careful sorting and harvesting is fascinating and a premium-grade cup of tea commands a fitting price

Tea is not just therapeutic, but great to taste, besides being zero calories.” The rise and rise of gourmet tea Hotels serving teas beyond the regular Earl Grey and Darjeeling have helped popularise gourmet teas. Cafes and restaurants in hotels now serve single estate teas and unique blends

The making of a gourmet tea

Brewing a good cup of chai is an art and everything lies in how well it is balanced. Bala Sarda, Founder & CEO, Vahdam Teas believes gourmet tea is much like fine wines

At the Emperor Lounge, The Taj Mahal Hotel - Mansingh Road, 26 tea varieties are served, from Panch Dhatu Tea to Rooibos Apple

“A good cup of tea should be brewed at the right temperature, served in beautiful teacups from a stunning teapot, and feel fresh to the palette.”

As wellness finds its way to the centrestage of people’s lives, particularly after the COVID-19 scare, tea, with its various health benefits, will find increased acceptance.

The hotel tea experience 

At Port Muziris, Kochi, A Tribute Hotel by Marriott, guests are treated to an unusual tea tasting session at Kettle, the tea lounge. The cellar holds several varieties of teas inspired by Muziris’ spices and floral heritage. Jasmine, a common flower around these parts, lends itself to a delicate tea. Hibiscus-imbued tea leaves, a green variant flecked with saffron, the not-to-be-missed blue tea made by infusing tea leaves with the butterfly blue pea flower, and lavender-infused teas are part of the extensive cellar.

The cellar at Port Muziris, Kochi, A Tribute Hotel by Marriott, holds several varieties of teas inspired by Muziris’ spices and floral heritage.

With Mister Chai, we went all out to ensure that the typical chai time is a far more luxurious experience.” Among its offerings is Kali Mirch Chai, served with the Colaba Fish Fry Sandwich. ITC Maurya's rooftop Pan-Asian restaurant - Tian, asked Anamika Singh of Anandini Tea to work with its chef de cuisine to put together a tea-paired menu. The hotel now has a regular teatime service delivered at the room by designated butlers, exclusively for those who check-in at the women-only Eva Floor. For its executive floor guests, it has a dedicated tea lounge named Samaya, where the house blends are particularly popular.

The Lounge & Terrace on the lobby level of Four Seasons, Bangalore introduced the rarefied experience of loungy, relaxed afternoon teas to Bengaluru. In-house tea sommelier Mousumi Sharma has put together blends such as Apple Cinnamon Dust, Wild Berry Tales, Chocolate Mint and Orange Blossom, along with the classic

The art of pairing

Nair believes that each tea has its defined list of food accompaniments. High-Tea in Britain is said to be an extravagant and lavish affair,  accompanied by garden sandwiches,  scones, tarts, pies and cake. The rise and rise of High-Tea show how widely appreciated and accepted this mid-evening meal is.

The art of pairing the right food with the right cup of tea requires the sommelier to have some practice and a well-defined, sensitive palette

They  are best paired with very light food  such as white fish like sea bass or mild cheeses and desserts. Pakoras or a hot plate of vegetarian fritters go incredibly well with a piping cup of spiced chai, according to Samuel Massey, Director of Food &Beverage,Vivanta New Delhi, Dwarka.

Coronavirus lockdown: Hilton partners with Zomato, Swiggy for food deliveries

Hilton, a leading global hospitality company, has partnered with top food aggregators Zomato and Swiggy for home delivery of its signature dishes to customers, following a safe and contactless delivery practice. Currently, six Hilton properties are operational for food delivery via Zomato and Swiggy including Conrad Bangalore, Conrad Pune, Hilton Garden Inn Gurgaon, Hilton Chennai, DoubleTree Ahmedabad, and Hilton Mumbai.

Hotel's select delivery menu across cities features the top 20 signature dishes from the most popular F&B outlets of Hilton Hotels in those cities, at special delivery prices. Hilton claims to have always followed stringent hygiene protocols, and due to the outbreak of COVID-19, is taking all necessary precautions to ensure utmost safety in the delivery of food to its customers

Hilton will also be offering a curated delivery service for private parties and gatherings. Deliveries under this service will be done by Hilton's staff using company-owned vehicles