Exclusive Interview | Rajib Roy Choudhury, VP AHPWI, CG State, General Manager, The Aananda Imperial by Svenska
/“I am also a passionate cook, an ardent music lover, photographer and movie buff, am a person who loves to travel for memories and food.”
Tell us about your journey. How did it all start?
I began my journey in hospitality way back in 1995 with Cidade de Goa in F&B Service and since then has been a culinarian, an entrepreneur and a person who has led some of the finest restaurants, food & beverage operations and hotels in West Bengal, Kolkata, Goa, Hyderabad, also a short stint at Sultanate of Oman. It has been a remarkable journey which gave me strength and courage while being in pursuit of providing hospitality with humility. I brought along my passion and excitement to Kolkata to lead Floatel as the General Manager, which in due course of time became the “Best address” in Kolkata in respect to passionate deliverance, my stint with The Sonnet was no less exciting, with an exuberant team we at The Sonnet achieved milestones and set benchmarks over a period of 8 years.
With over 20 years of luxury and downtown hospitality background, presently I am with The Aananda Imperial by Svenska at Bilaspur Chattisgarh and with an energetic team I want to grow its footprint as one of the celebrated MICE hotels in the region. I am also a passionate cook, an ardent music lover, photographer and movie buff, am a person who loves to travel for memories and food.
What do you think it takes to succeed in this industry?
A lot of effort goes into making a hotel successful, and much of that responsibility falls into the lap of us. Regardless of the size or location of a hotel, we need to work cohesively with other team members to get the job done.
Confidence and informed decisions. We require to make the most important decisions at the hotel, and it's necessary for one to be able to take quick, decisive action at a moment's notice. Resilience, Patience, Tenacity, Knowledge, Teamwork, Entrepreneurship, Humility... all of these are steps towards success.
What are the attributes you look for while selecting or hiring? If someone wants to work with you, what should they do?
Well, interviews are a great way to learn about a candidate’s experience, personality, and work ethic in their own words. That shows us how they fit into our hotel, our mission and vision and can give us a more accurate picture compared to just a resume.
What according to you can trainees do while they are training at hotels to make it a win-win for them & the hotel/unit?
Discipline and dedication, the two principles are key for what a hotel management trainee is supposed to have along with acquiring a good working knowledge of the hospitality sector with special attention to dealing with customers. The various roles and responsibilities of individual departments would also be something that they should be knowledgeable about ....once that is attained the hotel also gets an employee ready to kick start wearing their belt and button ...and the trainee gets a platform to flourish.
What are some of the trends you see impacting the hospitality industry?
There has been a tremendous chance located in the last few years.... *Catering to millennials
Millennials (those ages 18-34) are expected to represent 50% of all travellers by 2025, as they travel a lot; and are early adopters of technology. Hotels will want to please them with easy check-in and gourmet dining experiences at reasonable prices. In return, satisfied millennials will actively promote their businesses on social media channels
*Tech explosion
The majority of guests today are self-sufficient, tech-savvy travellers who are comfortable using apps or mobile websites.
*Influx of international visitors
*Increased emphasis on health and well-being
Guests today are taking charge of their health...hotels are responding with well-equipped fitness centres, pools and spas.
*Need for seamless technology
Seamless connectivity across platforms and devices is growing more important.
*Sustainability rules
Eco-friendly practices are becoming the norm,
*Real-time damage control
If a hotel guest is dissatisfied, he or she can easily complain at various platforms and getting faster feedback on the same....this has its demerits too.
Tech is now an enabler for great hospitality. Can you share with us some of the tech that goes into creating your guest experience?
E menus & E payment options, Smart meeting spaces, Social media & Review websites, In-room technology are some of the few.
Two things you would like to change in the industry.
Consumer behaviour at times and Industry status to Hospitality & Employee benefits.
What can we expect in the coming year?
All Hotels are cutting back on their growth forecasts for the current quarter and are witnessing a dip in occupancies and revenues this month following the Corona Virus outbreak with both business and leisure trip cancellations coming in by inbound travellers and future bookings getting stalled....however, the unorganized sector is the only silver lining.
Hotels should use the opportunity to devise and implement an “In the verge Plan” to ensure that when demand bounces back, we are well prepared to benefit from the upswing.
1. Minimum operations sufficient enough for quick recommencement when the opportunity arrives
2. Implement a subtle digital and social media marketing strategy to retain mindshare of customers
3. Engage with suppliers/vendors to compute their capacity to re-engage with us on the strike of trade.
4. Develop and maintain communication lines with key customers and team members
5. Continue to remain in discussion with relevant Chattisgarh government authorities
6. Develop a Reopening Plan and with a Sponge Budget...meaning with pockets of absorption as future mapping would be difficult with an unprecedented present
7. Utilize this period for implementing Ken-fix-it / upgradation, wherever possible.
