Editor: Tell us about your journey. How did it all start?

It started as early as the 1990’s when I used to visit my mentor and uncle at the hotels he managed in Hong Kong & Malaysia on my personal holidays with my family. I used to enjoy the whole heart of house tours that he would take me through in the hotels he ran. In addition, eating out once a week at established restaurants was a family tradition growing up which fueled the ambition of joining the service industry. The passion for hospitality got sown in those early days which then transcended into me joining The Oberoi Centre of Learning & Development in 1998 for a two-year management program.

Editor: What do you think it takes to succeed in this industry?

A true passion for service; An innate ability to grasp concepts quickly; Anticipation of another human being’s needs; Attention to detail in every sense; and a Drive to be the best at what you do while staying humble.

Editor: What are the attributes you look for while selecting or hiring?  If someone wants to work with you, what should they do?

A perfect recruit should show an intense willingness to learn regardless of skill level; Display humility; Have a keen ear to listen well and clearly; Be a good communicator; and above all, love human beings and have a strong desire to serve others.

Editor: What is the single factor that got you your promotion?

My proactive nature coupled with my ability to grasp skills quickly. I suffer from a desired disease needed to be the best in our industry called “Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder” which fuels my attention to detail, whilst I always stay the eternal Optimist!

Editor: What are some of the trends you see impacting the hospitality industry?

The focus will shift more heavily to Leisure travel and Leisure destinations. Business travel will decline going forward as the Work From Anywhere model thrives. Further, boutique hotels with smaller inventories where social distancing is easily possible will fare better along with reputed hotel brands known for their safety and hygiene protocols

Editor: Tech is now an enabler for great hospitality. Can you share with us some of the techs that go into creating your guest experience? 

For the front-end user and guest, we like to keep technology simple and not complicate the experience. It has to be foolproof and personalized. For example, you check in at The Oberoi Beach Resort, Mauritius and your mobile devices connect to the internet and wifi immediately without a user name and password. Removing this login step has been hugely appreciated by all our guests. At the back end, we have an SAP-based system in place which is a true solution for all our needs.

Editor: Two things you would like to change in the industry.

Have a competing website to TripAdvisor called Guest Advisor, where we as hoteliers can rate and comment on our guests just like they do about their experience with us. ☺ On a serious note, I wish competitors in a destination share more information about each one’s general business as ‘together we are stronger. The hospitality industry also needs a stronger and more focused boost from a country’s tourism board to ensure continued growth in the pie that needs to be shared by all. The focus also has to be broad and not targeted just at the pie crust and filling. The small layer of icing on the cake is as important as the sponge and fondant layers.