Exclusive Interview | Saurabh Khurana, Executive Assistant Manager - Sales & Marketing, The Lodhi, New Delhi

“Would like the industry to get back to normal and serve guests with a smile without fear.”

— Saurabh Khurana

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

With a degree in Hotel Management followed by Master of Business Administration, I started my career with the Oberoi Hotels & Resorts in operations and later moved to sales and marketing.

During my experience of 17 years, I have worked across multiple industries and leading hospitality brands including Leela Palaces, Hotels & Resorts, and Starwood, in various formats of hospitality sales and marketing. My last role was of National Lead - Hotel Products at FCM Travel Solutions, where I was leading the sourcing, acquisitions, marketing and authored a 100-page guide for my 1100 colleagues at FCM India. I currently helm the sales and marketing for The Lodhi, New Delhi; the ARR and REVPAR leader in the city.

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

Change is practically a guarantee within the hotel industry, and you must be able to adapt quickly and effectively. Whether it’s a sudden shift in market conditions or a gradual change in guest preferences, hotels must be able to identify change and act promptly.

Hospitality is ever-evolving because of new markets, new technology, and so forth. You need to stay alert continuously so you can implement strategies as per the dynamic conditions.

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

Passion, drive and competitiveness are the key attributes I look for. Empathy is another vital quality; it shows that the person knows how to feel what the customers feel and can anticipate their wants. If someone wants to step into sales, they should most importantly be persistent. Top salespeople constantly seek to explore new avenues. Their hunger doesn’t diminish in the time of business being slow; instead, it challenges them to find inventive ways to get to the goal.

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

Trainees should make the most of their time at the hotel as this is a very important developmental stage before beginning a career in the hospitality industry.

While getting to work in close association with operational departments and acquire hands-on experience in different aspects of managing a hotel, they should use this opportunity to gather as much practical knowledge as they can. This can also be a win-win situation for hotels as they are always on the lookout for bright, young talent who can think innovatively.

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

Hospitality today has evolved as there is a new paradigm of expectations that guests have. The new Y and Z generations have a different set of needs and wants as compared to older generations.

Standardization is no longer the norm; instead “personalization” has become the key driver in hospitality and it is now critical to tailor the services to the individual preferences of guests.

The industry has also become more digitalized. Technology has become increasingly important in the way hoteliers manage their services and control many aspects of the guest experience.

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 Lodhi has implemented best-in-class technology to enhance the guest experience; this includes the introduction of ‘GuestFolio’ through which we have designed a unique personal preference menu for our guests. This lets them choose everything from the preferred style of service (“pampering” to “discreet”), pillows, newspapers, bath amenities, mini-bar menu, to complimentary indulgences such as reflexology massages or aromatic baths drawn on arrival, and more, enabling us to deliver a highly personalized stay.

We also have an instant communication system for glitch management and have deployed the ‘Knowcross’ tool for our managers which allows them to track guest movements, log and track guest complaints/ requests, and view guest profiles and histories on the move.

Two things you would like to change in the industry.

Would like the industry to get back to normal and serve guests with a smile without fear.

What can we expect in the coming year?

Given the unprecedented pandemic the world is facing right now, hotels are currently working on revisiting and enhancing their safety and hygiene protocols. In the coming months, they will have to focus on adapting as per the changes in traveller behaviours, consumption patterns and expectations.

Exclusive Interview | Ramzi Assily, General Manager, Golden Tulip Doha

“For every bad thing happening there is a hidden good thing that can be exploited.”

— Ramzi Assily

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

Over 35 years of experience, Graduated from the Glion Institute of Hotel Management in Switzerland. Major experience is in the Middle East, North and Central Africa as well.

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

Perseverance, dedication, pleasant personality, adaptable and for the GM position, must be familiar in all fields.

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

Attitude, willingness to work hard towards personal development, flexible (this is not a 9 to 5 job), take responsibility, team player. Experience is second.

Editor: You have been running at 65% occupancy with around 500 covers a day between room service and outside catering, doing better than last year. What is your secret? What can other hotel leaders learn from this?

There is no real secret, you will need to adapt and look from within for local opportunities. For every bad thing happening there is a hidden good thing that can be exploited.

Self-assess the situation to minimize the damages rather than going drastic such as closing the hotel and sending everyone home.

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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.”

— Rajib Roy Choudhury

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.

Exclusive Interview | Sandeep Sinha, Ex-Director of Rooms, JW Marriott Resort and Spa, Jaipur

“I was fascinated during my school days by an elder cousin who was working in hotels. His stories and experience amazed me.”

— Sandeep Sinha

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

I was fascinated during my school days by an elder cousin who was working in hotels. His stories and experience amazed me. I took admission in IHM Kolkata (then Calcutta) post my school and my first assignment were at The Oberoi Udaivilas as a pre-opening team member in Housekeeping.

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

Three attributes are key to succeed in the industry:

1. Honesty - Be brutally honest with your work, your colleagues, your supervisors and yourself. Honest approach will ensure you have a free and flexible mind to learn, develop and grow.

2. Attitude - A positive attitude will take one places and help being recognised. Hotels and hospitality, though glamorous and highly rewarding, can also be taxing at times. Being positive and a great attitude is best friend one can have.

3. An eye for detail - I was taught once by one my bosses, "Devil is in the detail". Somehow, this phrase stuck with me over years. Look for minute details, understand small preferences, looking to enhance things, these are some of the key attributes which differentiate between an average and great hospitality experience.

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

I look for attitude and passion. If someone has a great attitude and absolutely passionate about what they do, that's a victory for me.

Anybody who wants to work with me needs to have a great attitude, passion and transparent approach towards work and the team.

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

In these times, there has been loads of speculation and views on the New Normal. One thing which I foresee happening in the coming months is an enhanced and increased Pre Arrival Connect. Hotels would like to pre-capture details of guest like arrival information, IDs, room preferences, credit card details etc. This will ensure contact of guest and hotel team is minimal during Check-in. Similarly, with pre-captured information, room cleaning time, food delivery, meal preference can be customised and kept ready for guest with minimal physical contact.

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

Hotels have adopted loads of technological support over years to enhance the guest's experience. Few tools which are very helpful are -

1. PMS - Great PMS with the option of storing guest details, historical data and option of interface with other software (back end finance's software, reservation tool etc) available saves time and assist a great deal in interacting with guest and enhancing the stay experience.

2. Smart tablets, which are interfaced with PMS and the loyalty website. Great way to record guest's likes/dislikes, know about a guest, instant information on fingertips while talking to a guest. Some hotels have also successfully used them in their cars, which guest can use to communicate with the hotel before their arrival and pre-order food, leave instructions etc.

3. One thing which is currently evolving and yielding great results is one integrated window, which has PMS, loyalty tool, preferences, an option to check-in and check out a guest, convey guest's requests to concerned departments, financial information. Every hotel chain has assigned a different name and look to this window/software. This is an amazing tool and ensures associates have only one software to log into and operate from.

Two things you would like to change in the industry.

I have seen the industry-changing and evolving in the last two decades. I would like to change the following

1. How we communicate with our young hoteliers. Two decades ago, aspirations and the way of looking at things were very different. Today's generation wants clarity, clear instructions and uncomplicated approach. They not only want to know what will it take to achieve the next step but also how long will it take them to be there. It is important that we are clear, transparent and honest in our communication with them.

2. We may think that hotels are driven and evolving through technology, but one of the key things that are driving hotels are their guest. It is important that we engage these guest on different platforms and listen to the. However, this evolving and emerging perception that engagement of guest is more important than customer service and great hotel experience is alarming. I would like this perception to be changed. There is absolutely nothing which can substitute a great customer experience.

Exclusive Interview | Devinder Kumar, Executive Chef, Park Plaza Delhi CBD Shahdara

“Food has always fascinated me”

— Chef Devinder Kumar

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

I have asked this question by most of the people to whom I met but I am not sure of the answer because from my childhood I always love to help my mom in the kitchen, I have always been fond of experimenting with different ingredients and came with new flavours and I enjoy working at kitchen and saw cooking exciting dishes. Food has always fascinated me and I always love to try new taste buds and that interest of mine helped me to not only expand my knowledge but for future flavor combinations and dishes. That interest in food mould me towards this profession and I opted for Hotel Management whereas my family wanted me to be professional in finance.

I did my Hotel Management from IHM Pusa Delhi. It was great learning there I learnt a lot about professional and personal life experience. Got selected as Kitchen Management Trainee at The Bristol Hotel, Gurgaon, that was the first five-star hotel in Haryana and I worked with great chef’s there and learnt the kitchen skills. From there my culinary journey began and after that, I never looked back. During my 22 years of experience, I worked with different brands and now I am working as Executive Chef with Park Plaza Hotel, Delhi since pre-opening.

What are your earliest memories of the kitchen you worked in?

It was The Bristol Hotel, Gurgaon- I started working as Kitchen management trainee and worked at a different section of the kitchen, where I learnt lots of in and out of each section of the kitchen. I used to be part of live counters and always busy in guest interaction and handling guest expectations. I never count on my working hours and keep on doing the good work and learn each and every new idea from the seniors. I spend most of the time in the continental kitchen as I love to work there. I got a good chance to interact with guest and serve them food as per there specification which was really a new move at that time, as a result, I had very good relations with the guests.

I worked very hard to upgrade my knowledge and skill which gave me confidence and that made me good skilled Chef and even today I always ready to learn and educate myself.

A dish your patrons/ guest love?

During my 22 years of experience I have served lots of dishes to my countless guests which were appreciated by them most of the times. Every guest has his/her own preference whether its banquet or a la carte. The choices differ as per the nationality of the guest too. I always love to interact with guests and serve them as per there taste and preferences.

Some of the dishes which were much appreciated by guests are –

Apricot Glazed Salmon, Caribbean Style Paella, Basil Coated Sole Grilled, Braised Lamb Shanks, Roasted Turkey, Stuffed Grilled Chicken, Mushroom Stroganoff, Spinach and Ricotta Lasagne, Ravioli Saffron Sauce, Nalli Nihari, Lal Maas, Soya Malai etc.

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

Beef/Meat Wellington- Tender Fillet of beef/Mutton baked in puff pastry served with garlic tossed veggies, Chateau potatoes and Madeira sauce makes a classical sophisticated main course for formal dinner.

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

This is indeed a very difficult question as everyone has a different thought of successful Chef, as success does not come instantly and it took years to get. But yes one should have patience, passionate and hardworking to enjoy success. In my opinion, successful Chef must always keen to learn new things, one should always be ready to deliver with perfection on time as our industry demands everything on time. Should invest in him to educate and skill development. Nowadays your presence in social media, creativities, innovations and skills to market yourself is the key to success.

What advice would you give to young culinary students?

My advice to those who wish to start their carrier as a chef to be confident, they have to be passionate about food and to be updated with new market trends.

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

I always keep a sharp knife and a tasting spoon in my uniform.

Your favourite ingredients is…

My favourite ingredient is Ginger, it gives pungent flavour and aromatic aroma to the dish. Ginger is used in Indian curries, Chinese, Japanese, and European spice blends. Ginger helps in treating seasonal infections, it was a great remedy for improving digestion and metabolism. Since ages, ginger has been used for medicinal purposes, due to its rich nutritional properties.

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

Chef Sushil Chug, Chef Narender Singh and Chef Sudhanshu Rajhans

What books should every chef read?

Larousse Gastronomies, A guide to Modern Cookery, The French Laundry cookbook, Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking.

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Exclusive Interview | Pratibha Shrestha, Ex-HR Manager of Constance Moofushi, Maldives

“I would like to change the exploitation of line-level staffs which still persists in most of the organization despite Labor laws. Working in the hospitality industry means long hours and less personal life. It can be seen in most places that they are not rightly compensated- monetary wise or any other way.”

— Pratibha Shrestha

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

My hospitality journey started with an opportunity which I felt was worth exploring. I come from a non-hospitality background (Master in Economics) and was occupied with two jobs in Nepal when I got the opportunity to join Six Senses in 2008 as a training intern for 3 months with a possibility to get a permanent contract. There was a risk to leave 2 permanent jobs to get one probable permanent job abroad in a different field than I was in. I took the risk and grabbed the opportunity. I never had to look back after that and climbed the ladder up to Human Resources Manager from being a training intern.

My journey to Human Resources Manager has seen me taking different positions like Training Coordinator, Administrative Executive, Manager in Training- HR, Assistant HR Manager and finally HR Manager.

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

Hospitality is about human emotions and that is the most important factor. While giving your full effort on whatever you do, be genuine, be passionate and constantly innovate then nobody can stop you. You will outshine others with these characters and definitely leave a mark with success kissing your feet.

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

Attitude, passion and self-presentation are the attributes I look for during the recruitment process.

If someone wants to work with me, they have to give 100% (or more sometimes) effort on whatever they do. Be passionate, innovative and empathetic to staff needs.

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

In this current scenario of COVID -19, health and safety is the prime factor impacting the hospitality industry.

Besides this, I can see an increasing interest of people in wellness and sustainability is impacting the hospitality industry. People are becoming more aware now and want to be a responsible guest leaving as low impact as possible to the environment whilst travelling. More and more people are getting inclined to overall wellness during holidays too. Gone are the days when you say cheating on holidays and just eat unhealthily and enjoy as if no tomorrow. Guests are more self-conscious. As I worked in the Maldives I am answering this through my experience there. Wellness activities like yoga, gym with instructor, healthy options in the menu other wellness activities on the weekly calendar is the must for the guests now. Hotels should change their strategies to meet this demand to sustain in the industry.

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?

Everyone loves recognition and the software that helps the hotels recognize the guests, their preferences and their special events is the most important one at this time. Opera is mostly used for this purpose in the hospitality sector. Besides this, online platforms like review pro which collates guests feedback from all the online sources, ‘at your wish’ software which helps to record guests maintenance issues, arrival and departure time etc, micros software for food and beverage orders and storage in stores

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

Hiring Process- in most of the places, staff are hired depending upon their qualification and experience and the other attributes like attitude, passion gets on the side. This restricts the bright inexperienced people to enter the industry. All HRs should be liberal on this and should not hesitate to take risks if you find the right talent

The exploitation of line-level staff - Working in the hospitality industry means long hours and less personal life. Undoubtedly line staffs are the ones who handle the floor until the last guests leave and work tirelessly for long hours. It can be seen in most places that they are not rightly compensated- monetary wise or Any other way. Labour laws are there but very few are following and compensating their staffs accordingly. Proper compensation for these frontline heroes should be practised everywhere.

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Exclusive Interview | Md.Javed Khan, Hotel Operations Manager, Avani Seychelles by Minor International

“I am a hotelier by chance, but now when I look back, I can strongly confirm that I could not have been anything else. The buzz of a hotel makes me jump out of bed every day.”

— Md. Javed Khan

Editor: Tell us about your journey. How did it all start?
I had no idea of hotels until I was in my 12th standard. I did not even know that there are colleges which teach you how to manage hotels? Nobody in my lineage has ever worked in hotels. I had only seen five-star hotels in movies and in Lucknow and Delhi from outside and heard stories like a tea costing INR 500 in Taj Mumbai from my uncle coming back from abroad while growing up and it gave me goosebumps thinking about it.

I am a hotelier by chance. I was fascinated with the Indian Air Force and was preparing for it in Lucknow. There while visiting a sick friend, I came across the brochure of a hotel management course by Govt of India and I found it quite interesting and applied for it as well. Unfortunately could not make it to airforce due to my eyesight but got selected for hotel management for Ihm Lucknow.

This is where my journey started, IHM Lucknow is one of the finest hotel management colleges in the country and faculties are simply out of the world. Everyone teaches you to be successful and they really take the pain to teach students who thought hotel management was no brainer. I feel I was very blessed to get into IHM Lucknow. Here I was highly motivated and my life was touched by my one faculty whom I am eternally grateful is Mr.T.K. Bansal who always believed in students who were not from so posh backgrounds and always kept an eye to make sure we do not lose focus. Now when I look back, I can strongly confirm that I can’t be anything than a hotelier.

The buzz of a hotel makes me jump out of bed every day for the last 16 years. Meeting new guests, making their life events into everlasting pleasant memories, listening to their stories, exceeding expectations, meeting team members of different cultures, managing emotions, planning and execution of months planned events is all so satisfactory that I am always excited to be on the floor.

I started my career with Leela group of hotels as I was picked by The Leela Group from Campus recruitment in 2004 as Hotel Operations Trainee in food and beverage service and then worked in Leela Mumbai and Goa for next five years in food and beverage as a supervisor, Restaurant manager and Banquets manager and thoroughly loved it. Leela hotels are exemplary and market leaders when it comes to the marriage of luxury and local Indian culture with the highest regards to finesse as owners themselves are so involved and keep a close eye on interiors and decoration of all hotels. I am very lucky to have got a chance to open eyes in the industry in one of the best hotels in the world, The Leela Goa. I was taken under the wings of our F&B training Manager Mr.Oliver Fernandes and our EAM food and beverage Mr.Daniels. These two have a huge impact in making me a better person and a professional. The best learning was from the philosophy of our late Founder Chairman Capt. C.P.Nair of Leela group of hotels which is “Atithi Devo Bhava” (2004-2009)

Later I moved to Seychelles to be part of pre-opening of Constance Ephelia as F&B Duty Manager and was instrumental in setting up the department. Once moved overseas I realise that If I wish to be a great General Manager someday, I must learn the accommodation management too hence came back to India with Lalit Bangalore as Asst. Front Office Manager and overlooked Food and Beverage too for a few months from (2009-2012)

At this time Leela Chennai was getting ready to open and I joined my previous employer as pre-opening AFOM and then was promoted as FOM and again five years in Chennai too. This was the first-ever beach facing business hotel as a palace and luxury at its best again. Big operations and here I get to make my own team as in pre-opening this is the best part that you start from scratch and impact of your conduct and management style can be everlasting.

I loved every bit of it and we were a superb team of front office which won mostly all rewards in the unit and corporate level on based of guest’s satisfaction, mystery audits and more than 75% team were promoted to next level and this was the most satisfactory as a leader. Leela Chennai, I was highly influenced and rather groomed to be successful General Manager someday by my pure-opening General manager Mr.Pacal Dupuis and Post opening General Manager Mr.Chengappa. (2012-2016)

After Leela Chennai, I moved to the Maldives for two years as Executive Assistant Manager for Atmosphere Hotels and Resort and managed two of the most luxuries and beautiful resorts which are OZEN and OBLU by Atmosphere. These are all-inclusive resorts and you get to host who and who of the world. Guests here become family as they mostly stay for two weeks and you get to know the different perspective of businessmen, sports personalities, Gurus, writers. It was a great experience to manage an International team by my own and I enjoyed till core and learnt so many traits from my colleagues and my COO Mr.Giri who is an absolute GEM and taught me so many things. (2016-2018)

After the Maldives, I moved to Seychelles again for my second term with Minor hotels which is a well-known company from Thailand as Hotel Operations Manager and still with them as Hotel Operations Manager. I was part of a team which was creating the vibes about Avani Seychelles in the local and international market after taking over from Le Meridian. The hotel runs on very high occupancy and in always 90+ which keeps the entire team always on our toes and makes our life challenging to maintain the rooms and public areas. So here comes the importance of gradual and well planned back of house management. I worked with two General Managers Mr.Vilar and Mr.Nico and learnt a lot from both of them. Especially the importance of sales and digital marketing and presence on social media. Minor has more than 536 hotels in all over the world and really looks after the talent well. I have not seen or heard a group so organised and planned and genuinely caring about the growth of its people. We will have a prime hotel management college soon in Thailand. (2018- till date)

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

The hotel industry is a very hardworking and round the clock so not meant for everybody and that’s the reason there are so many who quit in the first year of their placement/jobs in hotels after college and they go back to further studies to diversify into other industries. From my personal experience and point of view, the one thing which you must have to succeed is to be genuinely honest with your trade. Do it with all you have and have patience. Also, I believe one should be people’s person and you must lift others in the process and touch the lives of your guests and of your teams.

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

Integrity, Confidence and energy. Hotel trade is simple and can be taught and people can be trained easily. But one must be confident and energetic and should be pleasant. Naysayers and cynics find it difficult and bring down the energy of the entire team and that’s why all international brands have started a psychometric test to check before offering the job to check if one is a perfect or almost perfect blend with the vision of company psychologically as well.

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?

A- They get the real exposure to actual hotels which can’t be taught in theory or in practical labs. So it helps them to choose which trade they will go after their degree or diploma so they get another two years to prepare for it. It is like reading fantasy for one year and then actually living it.

B- Trainees are smart these days and can be trained far easily and they are hard-working and multitaskers and soon they become master of all trades in the hotel so they really help in busy periods and some of them even really fill in case of dire needs or medical emergencies. Their contribution is immense if trained wisely and kept motivated. Senior management must be involved and must oversee their development as they are our bench strength and our future.

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

I think there is a rat race of putting as much technology in practice in hotels as much one needs to learn to be an astronaut. It does not matter how much technology you can put in a hotel but the biggest effect will always be the personal touches and time spent in homework to know your guests before arrival or a repeat for his preferences to wow them. Technology or AI can’t substitute personal touches. People come to hotels for the overall experience and to feel important and for an ego boost and not into an ATM. Luxury is not making everything automatic but emotions and services added to the whole experience with proper homework.

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?

Yes, I have come across many new trends and gadgets and apps which has simplified marketing and made it reachable to each corner of the planet. A simple tagging on Instagram gives so much mileage for a hotel or Restaurant to market itself in seconds.

There is two software which I am very fond of one is Opera 6.0 and had made lives of the front of the house, Reservations and sales errors free and data collected and compared is unimaginable. The hotel can wow so many guests if they use it even 60% of it’s potential. You can even locate the guests in the hotel with the help of software on your laptop or desktop. The second one is Triton this helps us in managing guest’s requests and has made everybody accountable and has completely blown away the old fashion blame games when things went wrong. It has escalations in a timely manner so as a simple request of a towel to be sent to the room can be escalated to General Manager if not delivered in the time agreed. However, we must be careful of over usage especially in guests experience areas so it does not become emotionless or fully automated.

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

Intelligence over flamboyance- In the process I feel many hotel owners or CEOs or top executives hire the important roles to head their business or department on based of flamboyance and personal appearances but we must remember it is a business too and to run a business you need a high level of emotional and analytical intelligence too.

Work-life Balance- We all must plan well to ensure people are not exhausted and had enough time for family as well. It is possible with good planning and anyone who ever worked with me will vouch for it. That if we wish then we can have work-life balance implemented in busy hotels too.

Editor: What can we expect in the coming year?

After Covid-19 once life comes back to normal. House-keepers will be the most important. Cleanliness and hygiene will have to be 1000% more foolproof and guests will search positive comments of housekeeping and hygiene of a hotel on social media before booking it. Location, location and location will be hygiene, hygiene and hygiene for at least the next 12 months.

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Exclusive Interview | Chef Mohkam Singh, Executive Chef, Radisson Jaipur City Center

“What are your earliest memories of the kitchens you worked in?
Cook - Learn – Eat- Sleep – Repeat….. Cook - Learn – Eat- Sleep – Repeat!!!”

— Chef Mohkam Singh

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

Experienced Executive Chef with a demonstrated history of working experience In Trident, The Oberoi, Park Plaza, The Lalit, The Aman, One& Only Royal Mirage (Dubai), DLF Gurgaon and many more well-known hotels, over 14+ years. Skilled In Hospitality Management, revenue analysis, culinary arts skills and strong business development professional from Craft Course from Food Craft Institute (F.C.I.) Udaipur (Rajasthan)

What are your earliest memories of the kitchens you worked in

Cook - Learn – Eat- Sleep – Repeat….. Cook - Learn – Eat- Sleep – Repeat!!!

A dish your patrons/guest love

Biscuit Topped Chicken Pot Pie

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

Chakki ki Sabzi (Rajasthani cuisine)

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

To become a successful chef you have enough patience, a good knowledge of food, creative and always keen to make guests happy!!!

What advice would you give to a young culinary student?

Emphasis on Basics, Don’t rush to make that advanced food which you don’t know any basics, Zeal to learn every tie, Practice your knife skills, keen to learn.

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

Knife

Your favorite ingredient is…

Salt (Backbone of food)

Name chefs, you find amazing or chefs work you admire

Chef Dharmen Makwana

What books should every chef read?

• Theory of Cookery (Must read by every chef to make clear his | her basics)

• The flavor Bible

• The Making Of Chef..

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Exclusive Interview | Ratul Gupta, Deputy General Manager - Resort, The Source at Sula, Beyond by Sula

“Flipping through my Grandfather’s share books of EIH, IHCL & ITC during my school days, I was fortunate to get an early glimpse of the Hospitality world. While then I hardly understood the financial statistics, I developed a vision to pursue Hotel Management”

— Ratul Gupta

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

Flipping through my Grandfather’s share books of EIH, IHCL & ITC during my school days, I was fortunate to get an early glimpse of the Hospitality world. While then I hardly understood the financial statistics, I developed a vision to pursue “Hotel Management” (my colleagues were all out to crack the Joint Entrance for Engineering & Medicals!)

Passing out from the Institute of Hotel Management Chennai in 2002, I was actively seeking a job in Food and Beverage Service. The twist came when I stepped into The Oberoi Rajvilas for an interview! I got selected but in Housekeeping as an Associate. I immediately grabbed the offer which I couldn’t refuse primarily because I was deeply touched by the warm, friendly & multi-talented environment. From there, I moved on & was fortunate to work with some of the finest hotel chains of ITC, IHCL, Marriott International & Accor where I took charge as an Executive Housekeeper.

However, my big turn came when I got selected by India’s leading & one of the world’s most Sustainable Winery- Sula Vineyards Nashik for the position of Deputy General Manager Resorts in 2017. This has truly been a God’s blessing in disguise primarily because it gave a new dimension to my learning curve and making way for an exciting career path in Wine Tourism.

And then there was no looking back…….

I now happily recall the lines from “The Road Not Taken” –

“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-

I took the one less travelled by,

And that has made a difference.”

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

While discipline, hard work & passion for perfection are the key focal points, my mantra to success is Consistency with KISS – doing the same thing with perfection again and again & Keeping It Sweet & Simple (KISS). And finally, a little garnish of Creativity will always generate a sensation of X-Factor leading to great success stories.

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

Wear the Right Attitude with a Genuine Smile!

I would love to work with someone who is willing to help, learn and grow with the organization, display sparks of enthusiasm, demonstrate positive body language with a firm belief that Together Everyone Achieves More.

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

Focus on Basics!

Trainees should use this Learning platform to the fullest to understand their area of interest & the way forward. While they contribute in multiple little ways towards various hotel operations, Trainees need to be groomed with the right Quality Training & inculcated with the passion for Spirit to Serve.

Looking through the larger window of Sustainability, a WIN-WIN situation between Hotels & Trainees will help to create a Talent Pool for the hotel industry to absorb these talented professionals who are the promising Leaders of Next Generation.

What are some trends you see impacting the hospitality industry?

Touchless Hospitality, Digital Marketing & Flexible Dynamic pricing will be some of the new trendsetters. Hygiene & Safety protocols will be the most sought-after post-COVID-19. Keeping the hotel Clinically Clean will be the Real Key to Success.

There is a possibility of fewer Guest request on Extra Item request to be delivered to the room as Guest may prefer to carry their own items.

Also, Turndown Service can be done away with.

Another significant focus under Sustainability will be – use of Local resources. Promotion of locally grown fruits and vegetables, Local dish displaying as Chefs Choice in Restaurant, responsible Local purchasing etc to name a few. Thus, health food will gain more importance.

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

Very true. While the pre-COVID-19 world witnessed multiple user-friendly technologies like Online Academie, PMS, Guest Review Management Tool, Complaint Management System etc, the new era post-COVID-19 will see the evolution of Innovative Disinfection Technologies, QR codes, digital payments, e-Registration, contactless Check-in, palmtops usage, User-friendly mobile Apps which will create a Guest experience in the upcoming tech-savvy world.

However, on a personal note, the key to create Guest Delight would still lie in offering Personalized Service. The personal attention and CARE (Courtesy, Appreciation, Respect, Empathy) with an underlying emotional touch will continue to create a unique Guest experience!

Two things you would like to change in the industry.

I look forward to re-emphasizing on:

Rewards & Recognition – A Step up for increased recognition of Hospitality Servers is the need of the hour. The tireless efforts, unmatched dedication & going the extra mile truly displays our Service Excellence which often goes unnoticed and unsung.

Training & Development – While the world is moving to Online Learning, I personally encourage The Old School of Learning. Emphasis on hands-on demonstration, on the job training, evaluation of Training, One on One sessions, Feedback sessions, Open Forum etc creates the essential foundation of Learning & unleashes the true potential of an individual.

Continual demonstration pepped with dollops of humour is the real pathway of Success!

What can we expect in the coming year?

Extensive use of Technology wherein Guest need not touch many surfaces would become commonplace. The area previously termed as “nice to have” will become a necessity. Ethical hygiene is going to be a new trend. Wellness is likely to become the core of all functions.

Domestic Tourism and Rural Tourism will evolve. Rural locations which are a short drive from a large city shall benefit first.

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