Exclusive Interview | Amardeep Singh, General Manager, The Oberoi Cecil, Shimla
/“We need better education platforms for hospitality professionals – It is unfortunate that most of the hotel schools have not evolved the way the Indian hospitality industry has evolved in the last decade.”
Introduction:
A small-town boy who grew up in the eastern part of India, joined the hotel school in 1998 and post finishing school in 2001, joined The Oberoi Udaivilas as a pre-opening team member in F&B service. 2003 to 2005 finished management training program from Oberoi Centre for Learning and Development. 2005 to 2014 worked in areas and handled various assignments - front office, food and beverage, revenue management before handling the first hotel as a Hotel Manager in 2014. Love to play golf and travel.
Editor: Tell us about your journey. How did it all start?
I always wanted to be part of the armed forces however as luck would have it I landed into hotel school and there has been no looking back since then. I was always fascinated with the way hotels would work and loved to accompany my father on his trips just for the sake of staying in a hotel. Thus, when the armed forces did not work out the next option was joining the hotel industry as I was not the one who would want to be an engineer despite coming from a family of engineers.
Editor: What do you think it takes to succeed in this industry?
To succeed faster one needs to learn to fail fast thus it is important to never let go of your appetite to take calculative risks, it is equally important to question the status quo of course not in a disruptive way.
Editor: What are the attributes you look for while selecting or hiring? If someone wants to work with you, what should they do?
Attitude! Passion! Humility! Eagerness to learn! Someone who believes that it is very important to give your family equal time as you give your workplace. Knowledge is something that can be taught however right attitude cannot be taught.
Editor: What is the single factor that got you your promotion?
I have always believed that promotions, increments, or new assignments are byproducts and as a leader, one needs to have a bigger scheme of thoughts. For me what is more important is that you leave your legacy behind and touch each individual’s life and more often when you follow this you are able to achieve your goals whether it is your company`s or your own personal goals. It is very important to celebrate your achievements but one must learn to forget them after some time and always chase what you want to achieve next, this would always keep you going. Your performance is as good as that of the newest kid on the block.
Editor: What are some of the trends you see impacting the hospitality industry?
The pandemic has changed the conventional way of operating the hotels. The world has learned the new way of working from anywhere thus corporate travel would take time to get back on its feet. Leisure destinations would do better weekday occupancies as well. We, humans, are a resilient lot, and sooner the travel whether leisure or corporate would come back online.
Gradually digitalization, wellness, and sustainability will take centre stage in hospitality. Restaurants whether stand-alone or in hotels should not only look at the dining-in options but also explore e-commerce platforms to tap the “At home service”.
Editor: Tech is now an enabler for great hospitality. Can you share with us some of the technology that you use that helps in enhancing the guest experience?
Technology is an enabler no doubt and there are great examples of what a guest would experience – from check-in to check out there are numerous examples. Two things which one should always remember from the old era – first that personalization and, customization cannot be, and second that you cannot substitute the human task force with technology. The greatness of the hospitality industry is the human to human interaction, creating memoirs and this cannot be diluted.
Editor: Two things you would like to change in the Industry.
Sustainability – Industry needs to start looking at the sustainable operating procedures in a bigger way than what it is right now. From going solar to using chemical-free amenities to emphasizing and propagating sustainable practices for the employees and the customer the list can go on and on.
Better education platform for hospitality professionals – It is unfortunate that most of the hotel schools have not evolved the way the Indian hospitality industry has evolved in the last decade. The existing modules have to be revisited and have to be modified as per the current hospitality trends. Western countries would look out for Indian talent when it comes to IT professionals, Engineers, Doctors, etc. but not when it is about hoteliers especially in the luxury segment.
