Exclusive Interview | Hitesh Nareda, Operations Manager, Premier Inn Doha Airport

Introduction: Hitesh Nareda is an Alumni of IHM Jaipur. Core Operations personnel has 14 years of experience in the industry. to sum it all 4 pre-opening/rebranding’s, 4 Luxury properties and 2 business properties,3 countries, 3 resorts, and 3 city hotels. Now working as Operation Manager for Premier Inn since 2018. 

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

I always had an inclination towards connecting with people, making friends, having great conversations, and learning from their experiences, I had understood by then that I needed to find a profession where I could maximize the use of my natural skills.

I was always a focused individual and had my priorities set, so straight after finishing school I enrolled in the Hotel Management JEE exams which I cracked, and then completed my Bachelors in Hospitality and Hotel Administration from IHM Jaipur. 

I started my professional journey as a Management Trainee with Starwood (now Marriott) at Four Points by Sheraton Jaipur where I was trained in all departments of the hotel from cleaning rooms to managing rates and revenue and to top it all it was a Pre-Opening Project so management trainee + pre-opening in the first job it definitely couldn’t get better than this.

Incorporated with loads of learnings I moved to The Westin Sohna Resort in NCR as a Front Office Executive and experienced luxury operations and managing groups and large volume operations, I was promoted to a Duty Manager and then I received an international opportunity to move to Africa.

I moved to Uganda as a Cluster Duty Manager was then promoted to AFOM for the largest resort in East Africa comprising of 447 Keys, multiple F&B and entertainment outlets, and a massive landscape.

I arrived in Qatar in 2013 and have been here since then, I did the pre-opening of Zubarah Boutique Hotel and was in charge of the Front Office and Revenue after which I moved to Katara Hospitality and rebranded their flagship resort property – Sealine Beach, a Murwab Resort managing the front office operations.

I moved to Premier Inn in 2018 as an Operations Manager for their 2nd property in Qatar. Premier Inn is a British hotel chain and the UK's largest hotel brand, with more than 72,000 rooms and 800 hotels. I am responsible for running the daily operations and managing all the departments in the Hotel.

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

Passion, Consistency, and Adaptability

I think that to succeed at anything in life firstly you need to be passionate about it, if you aren’t then the goal becomes unclear. Top it up with consistency which is delivering each and every single day, month, and year a constant standard of professionalism. Lastly with the ever-changing dynamics in today’s world, one needs to be receptive and adaptive to the new technology which deeply affects the industry and also the ever-changing guest expectations.

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

Skills can be taught but attitude cannot – with that statement I personally look for people with the right attitude. Commitment is another attribute that I look for while hiring someone, if the person is disengaged then even the best cannot be of any help to you. It’s always a team that drives a hotel and someone who is not aligned with the team goals will always remain dead wood however bright the candidate is.

Hiring at mid-level I do give equal weightage to Attitude and Experience.

The candidate needs to have a clear understanding of why would they like to take up a particular opportunity and be honest during the interview, in today’s generation there are many individuals who are working for the sake of it and do not have a clear goal set for themselves unless you don’t know what you want to achieve how will you be motivated to get up and go to work every single day.

Editor: What advice would you give to a young, aspiring hotelier for their internship?

Going for an internship is the most sensitive time for a budding hotelier, I have personally come across many people who realized during training that along with the glamour also comes extreme hard work and had to change their industry forever.

Ensure that you complete training in all sub-departments, as an individual you have a skillset which unless you practice does not emerge out, you may realize in the middle of your training that you are better off as a Front of the House person and that liking towards kitchen was only because your colleagues told you that you cook well.

Passion will drive you for years, search for the section where you can align your passion with.

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

The new normal has reshaped the industry wherein the priority has now moved from Luxury to Safety, instead of guests focusing on amenities or entertainment activities available in a property are more focused on the safety and Hygiene standards. 

The National Tourism council in Qatar has made it mandatory for all establishments to be certified by the Qatar Clean program.

The team is vaccinated or not, how crowded is the place – the preference has now shifted towards secluded or properties in the outskirts instead of city center properties.

The Global slowdown of travel & tourism has resulted in redundancies in the hospitality industry as well as giving rise to various opportunities wherein multitasking has become a vital part, Managers handling more than one department is the basic new normal and understanding that it results in better efficiency and creates better growth prospects for the individual whilst saving a good percentage of expenses for the owners is a Win-Win for everyone.

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

It’s a beautiful industry and there shouldn’t be any change to it, however, it should evolve and adapt with the need of the hour, with already a global pandemic ongoing and understanding its effects it’s high time that we start focusing on reducing our carbon footprint, becoming sustainable and environment friendly. Certain hotel brands do focus on these aspects as well as CSR, however, this should be now a common goal for the industry to pioneer as well as to show a reflection to the guests on how they can also contribute and create an impact. 

Editor: What is your favorite interview question and why?
‘Why’ 

Though it sounds very cliché but ‘why do you want to apply for this position is my most important and favorite question.

The answer to this absolutely varies for each individual and provides me a full in-depth understanding of the attitude, skillset, reasoning, and thought process of the person, how determined he is, and does he have a clear path set for himself, it all just amalgamates into one question if answered well.