Exclusive Interview | Nikhil Pandit, Human Resources Manager, Fairfield by Marriott, Kharadi Pune

“We look for Positive attitude, Team Player, Product knowledge, Integrity & Leadership skills”

— Nikhil Pandit, Human Resources Manager, Fairfield by Marriott, Kharadi Pune

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

Nikhil: My journey started in the HR solutions from Adecco & then Randstad where I initially worked in the staffing sector for them. Post that I worked in Fortune ITC & then moved to my current role in Marriott. In my career I have worked with various sectors & gained good insights while working in the said sectors. It’s been a fruitful journey of 11 years in which I have learnt a lot. The biggest learning was basically in the pre-opening of Fair-field by Marriott Pune Kharadi in which my knowledge from the HR Solutions Company & compliance helped me in having a seamless opening of the property.

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

Nikhil: Good communication, and by communication I mean able to actively listen to the guests concerns & being able to get them resolved. Also taking the feedback from the guests in the right spirit helps us in converting the guests to become a loyal customer thus getting repeated business. Good communication from everyone impresses the guests and this help us in succeeding in the industry.

Apart from communication you need to be a good observer and calm personality. An observer observers all the fine details and listens carefully which is how we are able to give a personalized service to each guest and create a wow moment for them which is also called an experience. Calm personality is equally important as you don’t know what come through that door. A guest who had bad start of the day, a celebrity , a guest who missed his flight or a family who is on vacation with lots of expectations. With a calm mind you can take correct decisions for your guest, company, team and yourself.

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

Nikhil: Turnover and hiring new employees can be both time consuming and costly for businesses. We try and retain as many hard-working associates as possible, promoting internal talent is the first priority that we in Marriott have. There are certain qualities we look for when hiring new employees, which often can be discovered in the first interview. Few of them being Positive attitude, Team Player, Product knowledge, Integrity & Leadership skills. For People who want to work with Marriott, I believe they should have the above said attributes but the most important would be is to have positive attitude in life towards everything & smart work.

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

Nikhil: The biggest trend that I foresee in the hospitality sector is going to be the safety standards that will be followed post the Covid 19 normal. People will be more conscious about their well-being in the hotels rather than the luxury part. Also a lot of hotels would see more emphasis on accepting the new normal ensuring the safety and security of the associates and team.

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?

Nikhil: Marriott as a company believes a lot in being tech savvy. We have platforms such as GXP (Guest Experience) which enhances us in serving the guests more efficiently. It helps us in identifying repeat guests and anticipate their needs using past requests and case history. Collecting and managing guests preferences. Mobile chats with guests right from pre arrival to check out to ensure the guest journey is seamless. A guest experience is created from the time they think of taking a holiday or business trip and they start planning.

Marriott has made sure it is present on social media and interact with all kind of travellers by giving them great information and insight about the city, hotel, places to explore. Mobile check-ins are available at most of hotels, we have robots serving in some hotels , now with Covid-19 all our hotels will offer contact less dining experience in a sense you can see the restaurant & IRD menu on you mobile , you can order food on your mobile when you are in the comfort of your room, you can pay directly via QR code.

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

Nikhil: I as a person would certainly like the below mentioned changes in the industry

A) Parity in norms for operating

B) Ready pool of talent across the board

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Exclusive Interview | Aashutosh Shende, Sous Chef, Taj Hotels

“I knew I was going to be a chef at the age of 10!”

— Chef Aashutosh Shende

How did it all start? Share your journey with us! 

Its all started when i was a 10 or 11 years old, when my mom used to cook meals for us and i helped her cutting veggies, so from that time i have decided to do a hotel management, at that age I didn’t know more about the hotel management course i just know that they teach only culinary. Then years passing, and i was in 12th standard my mind has to do a BBS or Bcom, but still that time i have given the IHM entrance exam apart from that i have given the BBA, BBS exams also but luckily i got the good rank only in IHM, so that was the time i have sured about my carrier that i have to hotel management. 

So, i have started my professional culinary journey with IHM- Hyderabad. After completion, i have started as a commi-3  with Four Points By Sheraton Vishakapatnam then Aman resorts.

Got the opportunity to work in Dubai with Michelin starred chef’s like Chef Gary Rhodes, Chef Vikas khanna. Now currently as a Sous chef at Taj Fort Aguada

What are your earliest memories of the kitchen you worked in

It was in Grosvenor House Hotel where i was worked with Chef Gary Rhodes, it was the great opportunity for my career. And yes to work with chef Vikas khanna in Junoon Dubai. 

A dish your patrons/ guest love

Its a Quinoa black kale salad, when ever the asked me for the different salad i used to give this one and they always love it. It has a fusion in it. 

A dish that you love but do not have on your menu

its a Quinoa Black Kale salad, as its a diffent salad thats why I don’t want to add this in the menu because i wanted to keep this dish as a Chef’s Special. 

What according to you does it take to become a successful chef?

As in the Hotel Industry your knowledge, food trials, innovation, dine in different places to get the knowledge about other cuisine and at last your communication towards guest and colleagues.

What advice would you give to a young culinary students?

Spend time to read culinary books and about the modernist cuisine, work with the talented and well know chefs, basics has to be clear, and always love your work, do it from the heart.

What instruments/equipment/devices you cannot imagine working without?

A chefs knife and a tasting spoon

Your favourite ingredients Is

Salt, because without the salt you cannot get the taste

Name chef’s, you find amazing or chefs work you admire

Chef Gary Rhodes and Chef Vikas Khanna

What books should every chef read 

The theory of cookery, prasad by jiggs kalra and 

The science and lore of the kitchen by HAROLD

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Exclusive Interview | Anuj Chaurasia, Corporate General Manager, Essentia Hotels

“Being innovative and adapting to change is the key to success.”

— Anuj Chaurasia

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

 My journey started in 2005 when I joined the Institute of Advanced Management, Kolkata. Upon passing out in 2008, I joined the Leela group as a Management trainee, where I was fortunate to be exposed to many different facets of hotel operations at the Leela Gurgaon and Leela Mumbai. After a stint as an HK executive at the Leela, I joined Lemon Tree hotels, which turned out to be a great decision for my career.

At Lemon Tree, I had the good fortune of working directly under Ms Sareena Kochar, from whom I learned a lot about pre-openings and operations as I worked at pre-opening of multiple Lemon Tree hotels in Bangalore, Hyderabad and renovation in Goa. I then spent some time at the Taj group, where I worked at the Taj Ambassador and the Taj Holiday Village, it was here that I had a chance to work with Mr Vishal Singh, a person I admire greatly.

After my time at the Taj, I worked as Executive Housekeeper in the Maldives and then joined an Upscale hotel in Varanasi as an advisor to MD and did preopening and execution of the complete hotel project after this I joined an entrepreneurial start-up in Spree Hotels as Corporate GM operations, run by Keshav Baljee of the Royal Orchid group.  At Spree, I learned a lot about the commercial side of the management model as I oversaw not only operations for 600 rooms across 12 hotels but was also involved in financial reviews, contract negotiation, development and sales and marketing efforts. At Spree, I was exposed to a holistic view of the hotel business.

After Spree, I moved to Treebo Hotels, as Lead Of Operations for Managed business, where I managed 550 rooms across 18 hotels before finally joining Essentia Hotels a subsidiary of the Averina group which owns and operates Holiday Inn Goa and fisherman wharf apart from Essentia where I currently serve as Corporate GM for Essentia. I have been fortunate to have been mentored by some amazing people along the way, and while I may not have mentioned all of them here I learned a lot from each of them.

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

 I think passion and hard work are essential for one to succeed in any job. A thorough understanding of the market in which you operate, the business model, the competitive dynamics and overall industry outlook also give you a broader outlook that is extremely beneficial. 

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

While technical knowledge and domain experience are important, for me personally I care very much for a candidate's attitude, a positive attitude goes a long way in the hospitality industry. Over the years I have seen that those who possess a positive attitude generally do quite well, learn fast and keep a positive and cheerful mindset which spreads across the company.

At Essentia we plan to open a number of new properties, with an anticipated launch of close to 400 new rooms. The first among these will be a 151 room hotel in Ghaziabad, followed by launches in Chennai, Indore, Udaipur and others. Interested candidates are welcome to follow us on social media and check our website for relevant openings, we are always eager to hear from talented candidates who may be interested in joining us.

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

One of the most significant long-term trends I foresee will be a sharp uptake in domestic tourism. As disposable income increases, a new class of young aspirational travellers is emerging - and this group will contribute significantly to domestic tourism. In the next decade or so as infrastructure improves and more travel routes emerge, they will provide a strong fillip to domestic tourism.

Short Term:

COVID has really strained the industry, many hotels are running dangerously short of working capital with no demand on the horizon. Hotels must find alternative ways to monetize their inventory or risk bankruptcy in the coming months. The closure of hotels could lead to mass layoffs in the short term creating significant unemployment. However, I remain optimistic that in the long run, hotels will bounce back as they have done in the past. After COVID hotels will need to fundamentally alter the way they function, with much leaner staffing, higher operational efficiency, tighter control on costs, and a focus on health and hygiene as many guests will have apprehension about cleanliness and safety.  So while COVID will cause short term challenges, in the long run, it presents the industry an opportunity to fundamentally change the way it functions.

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?  

The industry has been quite proactive in adopting technology to improve guest experience. At Essentia we have incorporated essential technology like seamless Wi-Fi, RFID doors(like every other), touch panels in rooms, docking stations etc. We have also incorporated technology into the guest booking and lifecycle management process so that we can provide high-quality personalized service. I foresee that after COVID hotels will adopt even more technology to ensure proper health checks and hygiene.

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

The hospitality industry is very demanding and employees often have to work gruelling hours at a frenetic pace to keep up with requirements. However, a work-life balance is important and it would be great to see the industry offer that to its employees. This will also make the industry as a whole more attractive to new entrants. 

Talent should be allowed to grow in the industry, without too much bureaucracy slowing down growth. This will make it much easier to attract and retain the right kind of talent.

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Exclusive Interview | SHILPA NARAYAN, HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER, COURTYARD BY MARRIOTT CHENNAI

“My mantra for Recruitment is simply to ‘look for the heart’”

— Shilpa Narayan

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

With over eight years of experience in Human Resources, Learning & Development and core Operations, and Bengaluru born, I majored in Hospitality Management as the dynamism of the sector excited me. My career in the hospitality segment commenced as a Corporate Leadership Trainee with Hyatt, specialising in Food & Beverage Service. 

Having gained thorough exposure across the Hotel Business and Operations, and spanning all portfolio of Restaurant Management, I further took over Divisional Training, where People, Talent & Development dawned upon as the true calling.  I further moved onto Hilton to handle Learning & Development, where I drove talent and culture for the hotel.

I joined the Marriott family in 2017 as the Training Manager for JW Marriott Mumbai Juhu, where I forayed back to Luxury and further took on an enhanced domain of Quality & Training Manager. I have been an aspirant to expand my portfolio to core Human Resources Management, and thereby joined Courtyard by Marriott Chennai to head the People & Culture function as the Human Resources Manager for the hotel.

I have contributed to and championed several initiatives in my Human Resources tenure, spanning across Change & Quality Management, Driving Innovation & Culture, Talent Acquisition & Youth Development, Talent Management & Learning and Employer Branding. I have been a recipient of the APEC Training Leader of the Year Award with Marriott and PeopleMatters Are You in the List Emerging HR Leaders Award Winner.

I am an alumnus from Christ University, Bengaluru and a passionate wine and food enthusiast who yearns to be an influencer of luxury and lifestyle.

What it takes to Succeed in this Industry?

The industry is extremely competitive and it requires a great amount of passion and perseverance to excel and make one’s mark.

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

My mantra for Recruitment is simply to ‘look for the heart’. I wholly believe in hiring for attitude and training for skills. One must look at imparting the career opportunity to individuals who hold the opportunity as dearest to them

When the yearning for the job role is high, the learning and pursuit of performance and potential will naturally be high as well.

What are some of the challenges you see impacting the hospitality industry?

My key priority is to prepare and home-grow the talent for the future and thus look forward to enable the talent with skills and competencies that will help them be more ready for the dynamic road ahead.

As the focus of businesses across sector currently is on identifying and developing future ready talent, I would also like to work towards solving this challenge.  

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

The industry is moving at a faster pace than ever. Development is at a boom with Brand Loyalty as the driver – hospitality stalwart organizations are in the big race.

Guest experiences are at a digital high, loyalty benefits spurring travel, food and beverage constantly innovating. Sustainability measures is what will define a major change across 2019 and 2020. These will brace a visible impact on in-room experiences for all travellers.