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

As a young hospitality aspirant, just graduated out from IHM Trivandrum, it all started 11 years ago with Vivanta by TAJ in Kerala - India, where I was a Trainee in 2009. Those days with the Taj are what moulded me into the passionate hotelier who I am today. Most of the Indian hoteliers would agree to the fact that TAJ and its legacy is an irreplaceable teacher by itself. That is where I got the exposure to almost all operational departments starting from Front Office to Kitchen Stewarding.

Later from there, I took a quick stint into Sales & Marketing where I learned the business nuances of our industry. During this journey, I have been into different sectors including construction, travel & tourism etc in India, Qatar, Bahrain & now in Oman.

As a hotelier, I feel accomplished in my professional life, only when I am with this fascinating industry, because for me it’s not just a career, instead it is a lifestyle and passion. I’ve been with Ramada by Wyndham as a Sales Executive, IHG as a Business Development Executive, Group HR Manager for VKL Hospitality which owns & manages a couple of hotels in Bahrain including Best Western & Park Regis and now with Royal Tulip which is part of Louvre Hotel Group as a Learning & Development Manager, heading the hotel’s Talent Management which is an astonishing experience as it was a pre-opening role.

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

Passion, Dedication & Perseverance is my slogan to succeed in hospitality along with an optimistic mindset where we try to extract the positivity from every challenge we come across. Hospitality is an industry with an abundance of leadership styles, one needs to know what style suits him/her and youngsters need to get into a mentorship with such leaders because they bring decades of experiences and unimpeachable & inspiring stories to share with us.

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

Degrees do not matter; The Attitude is the key in hospitality. Skills can be developed, but not attitude. Along with the right attitude, passion for the industry, optimistic thinking, flexibility and adaptation to a multicultural environment are also major factors we consider while hiring.

Editor: What according to you can trainees do while they are training at hotels to make it a win-win for them & the hotel/unit?

Never get into a give up mindset. It’s tough, painful, sweaty and tiring. But that is what makes you the future hotelier. This is where one put themselves to test their passion for this industry. Make use of each and every opportunity of guest interactions while on duty. Never back off from those opportunities.

Observe your seniors, ask questions and convert the answers into knowledge. I also suggest that one should be trained in all possible departments, rather than just focusing on their area of specialization, as it gives a lot better insight to them on the entire hotel operations both front & the heart of the house.

The hotels must take this opportunity in finding their future talent & leaders. The right approach to train will benefit us in years to come for filling our positions. A wrong approach will backfire and hinder the hotel’s future prospects, as our industry is well connected.

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

During this period of COVID 19, it’s absolutely the Hygiene & Sanitization protocols are the most trending topic. But apart from that major topic in discussion for our industry is automation & technology transformation, surplus supply over demand - thus the increased competition in hiring and retaining our talents and as a byproduct, the new generation trends on benefits package for the employees.

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

Brand Loyalty Programs now days is all about technology. Its earnings, redemptions exchange are all happening in the virtual world. International chains are collaborating non-hospitality products and lifestyle experience products into their Loyalty platforms for which technology is the key.

Touchless is the New Normal in this pandemic season, so its technology which enables the hotels to go touchless. Hotel’s Marketing & Communications is another benchmark sector which is being updated rapidly with new technologies. And for me as a recruiter, talent acquisition is very much tech-oriented and may organizations have started using the use of AI for interview. I foresee a huge impact of AI in future hiring’s.

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

1. The outdated concepts of Human Resources still prevail in the industry, especially with standalone properties. It should change. In our business, if the employees are happy, they will ensure the guests are happy, eventually, our bottom line will improve. So Training & Development of employees must be of prime importance. HR should change to the new concepts of Talent Development, Culture Development etc.

2. International talent pool should be encouraged more, beyond borders and cultural differences.

Editor: What can we expect in the coming year?

The emergence of Online Travel & Online Bookings has its merits, without a doubt. But the online competition is reaching to an extreme extend of damaging each other. Hotel operators and Owners should find better alternatives than price slashing with a long term approach.