AKASH BHATIA | Cluster General Manager | Ramee Group of Hotels | Kingdom of Bahrain
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Tell us about your journey. How did it all start?
After graduating from The Institute of Hotel Management, my first job was as a Sales Executive with the Lemon Tree Hotel Group. There has been no looking back since then. I climbed through the ranks and after three years was given the opportunity as General Manager for Red Fox Hotel, which was a new brand launched in economy segment by Lemon Tree. I was overwhelmed by the faith and trust the organisation showed in me at a young age of 25.
“The highest point of my career so far would be receiving the Best Young General Manager Award from FHRAI”
This promotion to General Manager brought with it immense challenges, learning, and roadblocks from running the hotel to being accepted by the hotel team as their leader. I believe it was the passion and determination which kept me going to overcome and succeed. I would always be thankful to my seniors for their guidance and support. It was a proud moment for me to accept the National Tourism award for the best hotel in its category by Honourable President of India. After this, I took up various positions at their properties in Bangalore and Gujarat under upscale and midscale hotels.
As I take on this new role of Cluster General Manager with Ramee Group of Hotels in Bahrain, I look forward to a new journey, new expectations, new culture and a new way of thinking. I am sure that this new learning experience will make me stronger and more confident than ever. I will treasure these learning for years to come.
What do you think it takes to succeed in this industry?
No two days are same when you are in hotel industry. Every day brings with it new challenges, new opportunities, new people with whom comes new expectations. It is the passion and your conviction to serve and create wonderful customer experiences which will take you far in this industry. Nothing is more exciting than serving and making customers happy.
What are the attributes you look for while selecting or hiring? If someone wants to work with you, what should they do?
What matters to me most is the attitude with which he looks at his job. I recruit people for attitude and train for skills. As professionals in the service industry, they should understand that they are not doing their jobs to please the bosses. It is the customers we aim to please and delight.
“What matters to me most is the attitude”
What according to you can trainees do while they are training at hotels to make it a win-win for them & the hotel/unit?
I believe training is your first stepping stone in the hotel industry and to get the best out of it is in the hands of the trainee. During training the trainees are put through a lot of pressure situations and the managers will usually be silently observing you. My advice would be not to get afraid and take each situation as a challenge and to keep in mind that the ultimate goal is the satisfaction of our guests. It is like preparing you for the future and hotel is always on the lookout to hire the best. The learning from these training will help you immensely when appearing for interviews and securing a good job for yourself.
What are some of the trends you see impacting the hospitality industry?
Technology is advancing at a faster pace than ever before, and this is changing both the expectations of patrons as well as the way in which the hospitality industry conducts in its business. Also, social media is now a big influence on how people travel these days. Guests are more affluent nowadays and they have high expectations. It is also about making emotional connections with the guests to enhance their experiences and make them come back again.
Tech is now an enabler for the great hospitality. Can you share with us some of the tech that goes into creating your guest experiences?
Keeping abreast with the changing technology is the need of the hour. Hotel guests no longer see Wi-Fi as a perk, but as a must-have when they check in at a hotel. We at Ramee ensure a better and faster Wi-Fi infrastructure so that our guests can do business and use their technology devices with ease. We are also in process of developing a new app for the chain that will enhance the overall guest experience.
Two things you would like to change in the industry.
This industry is already changing at a rapid pace and for the better. There is nothing that I would like to change as I believe with the industry, we are changing every day. However, I would like to point out that hospitality is still not viewed as a good career option, especially in India which is really sad and I would like to encourage youngsters to keep hospitality as a part of their career choices.
What can we expect from Ramee Bahrain in the coming year?
“We are currently looking to expand our F&B business which is our core competence with the launch of new outlets and venues.”
Nevertheless, we are also focussing on adding inventory to the current portfolio through our upcoming service apartment which is likely to be operational by end of this year. The group is also eyeing expansion in other Middle East countries. We thrive to become the best in the business and create a pleasant experience for our guests.
