Our core values of Innovation, Collaboration, Transparency, Ownership, and Service from the Heart at every touchpoint are the success mantra for any business.
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“one needs to be humble yet bold, be composed, yet positively aggressive. ”
Introduction: Ian Mahajan is an alumnus of IHM Bangalore with 16 years of industry experience in Food and Beverage. During this career journey, he worked with many brands like Marriott, Hyatt, Accor to name a few. Currently, he is the Food and beverage manager in Raffles Seychelles
Editor: Tell us about your journey. How did it all start?
I started in 2005 with JW Marriott Juhu after completing my BSc in hospitality from Bangalore, India. Then moved to Dubai and spent a little over a decade there, working with Hyatt and Minor International. To test the waters (not quite literally) I moved to Seychelles, worked with the Four Seasons followed Accor - Raffles which is my current home ground.
Editor: What do you think it takes to succeed in this industry?
Perception management, endurance, dedication, a lot of passion, and even more patience. You need to be humble yet bold, be composed, yet positively aggressive.
Editor: What are the attributes you look for while selecting or hiring? If someone wants to work with you, what should they do?
Needs to Have an engaging personality, ambitious and passionate
Editor: What are some of the trends you see impacting the hospitality industry?
Sustainability, conscious eating, seamless technology, a dynamic approach towards everything, timeless travel gave the current situation
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?
Strong wifi
Mobile apps
Whatsapp communication
mobile check-ins
Editor: Two things you would like to change in the industry.
The hiring process
The concept of the minibar
“Passion, Passion, and Passion only takes you to Success”
Editor: Tell us about your journey. How did it all start?
It all started with a short internship during school at one of the iconic luxury hotels in New Delhi the Taj Palace hotel. After this short but very interesting experience, I decided to pursue my hotel management career with IHM – Jodhpur and eventually got an opportunity to head start my career as a management trainee with the Taj group of hotels.
Editor: What do you think it takes to succeed in this industry?
Passion, Passion, and Passion only. Hospitality demands a multitude of approaches and skills every day. Nonetheless, the basics will always remain the same irrespective of the format. As famous Restaurateur Danny Meyer quoted – Service is monologue but Hospitality is Dialogue.
Editor: What are the attributes you look for while selecting or hiring? If someone wants to work with you, what should they do?
I always look for a passion for Hospitality first and technical always second. Personality is key as technology could be trained or learned. Like IQ or EQ, I look for the Hospitality Quotient in a successful candidate that I learned myself long back which is: Optimism, Self Awareness, Integrity and Intelligence not just smart but urge to learn consistently.
Editor: What are some of the trends you see impacting the hospitality industry?
Definitely, the cloud kitchens would be one the next thing coming out more capturing the market apart from this
Affordable Luxury in accommodation segment an upper premium but with great value and
Bring Back Chef – Concept where customers would be able to invite their friends and family along with reputed chefs cooking and service team serving ala minute in there own home in a very niche and personalized setting or simply will see some of the very best names and brands in the industry would offer their meals including the branded delivery over user-friendly mobile apps. Kitch-In in Dubai is one exciting example.
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?
Well, I always believe that technology is something that if supplemented well with the Human element can elevate the guest experience to a whole new level.
There have been important yet experiential tech abled solutions from Digital check-in to Touchless interactive Menu in restaurants to web-based mobile ordering solutions with payment capability around the pool and beach.
Editor: Two things you would like to change in the industry
The fair review system - Not just for guests but also for the team. Think of a combination of TripAdvisor and Glassdoor.. isn't it exciting!!
Hotel industry must apply a sustainable approach to design, build and operate its premises. We have to ensure that the entire industry complies with sustainable practice.
Read MoreIn an increasingly competitive environment, the way hotels react to guests' expectations has a dramatic impact on their profitability.
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Editor: What is your favourite interview question and why do you ask it?It would have to be......."Where do you see yourself in the next 10 years"?The answer to this question shows intent of the candidate, gives perspective of his or her vision.Editor: What advice would you give to a young, aspiring hotelier for their internship?
It’s imperative to have the ability to adapt to the ever-changing times in this industry. Adaptability teamed with creativity and the desire to learn will be the top influencers for success.
Read MoreCommunication, willingness to learn and grasp knowledge, staying focussed in career and service-centric. Our objective is to hire the right fit who is positive and has the right temperament, and we will groom as future leaders for the industry.
Read MoreRead MoreI 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 always look for people who are passionate, bold, and fierce at work. Apart from soft skills and knowledge, I always prefer to hire staff with the right attitude. We can always train their skills but can't transform one's mindset or attitude.
Read MoreTo succeed in this industry first and foremost you should be willing to learn, willing to connect to people and have characteristic of trying to make people happy, resolve people’s concern.
Read MoreFor me, the most important attribute while hiring is the passion that the individual has towards hospitality and service, his commitment, and most important his attitude.
Read MoreDemonstrating leadership in difficult times takes an additional measure of tolerance and empathy. It means working more diligently to rally the team, find the lessons you can discover through hardship, and commemorate your victories. It’s a time to lean into sharing your purpose and vision even more
Read MoreI look for the attitude, period. Skills are transferable, attitude is not. Attitude is a combination of your upbringing, culture, values, education, lifestyle, beliefs – in short, it is who you are.
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“ There is only one recipe to become a successful chef is to believe in you and a hunger to deliver the best as anything less than a best is a failure.”
Editor: How did it all start? Share your culinary journey with us
As a family, we love to eat good food. Everyone in my family is very possessive about their food. I never thought of becoming a chef because there was no plan. I developed an interest in cooking when I moved to Kolkata to study and had to survive on hostel food. I always believe that Kolkata is the food heaven of India. The City of Joy has various things to offer and I got to learn the art of cooking from the city. Later I pursued my Hotel Management from Durgapur School of Hotel Management and that is how the journey began.
Editor: What are your earliest memories of the kitchens you worked in
My earliest memories go with my first job with The Oberoi Wildflower Hall Shimla, joined there as a Commis. It was very hard yet very rewarding. I had a great learning experience with Chef Baranidharan who was the faculty of “OCLD” back then and my first Executive Chef.
Editor: A dish your patrons/guests love
Biryani is one of my most favourite dishes whether I have to cook or eat. I always get vibrant feedback from my guests, family, and friends and more importantly from my kids.
Editor: A dish that you love but do not have on your menu
I do lots of regional dishes and I would definitely add them to my menu for sure. I always want to add local pond small fishes to my menu and will definitely find a way to incorporate them.
Editor: What according to you does it take to become a successful chef?
According to my there is only one recipe to become a successful chef and that is to believe in youself and have the hunger to deliver the best as anything less than best is a failure.
Editor: What advice would you give to a young culinary student?
Have patience, keep cooking, keep learning, success is around the corner
Editor: What instruments/ equipment/devices you cannot imagine working without?
A good stove and a knife.
Editor: Your favourite ingredient is…
I love spices and fresh herbs. It will be very difficult to choose one but I think rose petal is one of the most favourite ones in my spice box.
Editor: Name chefs, you find amazing or chefs work you admire
I worked with many great chefs like Chef Baranidharan, Chef Vineet Bhatia, Chef Karl Blunden, chef Darren Robert Conole but I always admired Chef Baranidharan because of his passion for food and technique.
Editor: What books should every chef read?
“Theory of cookery” is the simplest and easily available. There are many in the market but I always find this one the most beneficial and easy to understand.
One of the chef’s beautiful creation
Vipasiri Napawongdee
Editor: Tell us about your journey. How did it all start?
My journey into marketing communications isn’t the most conventional one; I originally had my sights set on a career as a lawyer and studied a Bachelor of Laws. There were so many legal texts to read and study at that time. Upon graduation, the lure of travel got the best of me and I worked as a stewardess for Korean Air.
I later returned to my alma mater, Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, and studied a Master of Arts in European Studies. When I graduated, my friend asked me if I wanted to work at Bangkok’s Marriott hotel by the river, now Anantara, in PR as an Australian woman named Laura Speirs was seeking someone to help her with PR. I thought to myself “I don’t have much experience, I don’t even really know what PR is” but Laura assured me “don’t worry, I’ll teach you” and that was that! Laura was a wonderful mentor and I was given an incredible opportunity to learn so much about international marketing communications and broaden my knowledge and skills across both the local Thai media and international media spheres. I’m still in touch with Laura to this day.
I went on to work as the director of PR and marketing communications at InVision Hospitality and the director of marketing communications at InterContinental Samui Baan Taling Ngam Resort and Anantara Bangkok Riverside Resort & Spa. After an eight-year stint as director of marketing communications at The Okura Prestige Bangkok, I was appointed to my current position as cluster director of marketing communications for both Meliá Koh Samui and Meliá Chiang Mai. Given my original foray into law, my journey is proof that if you’re open to new and wildly different opportunities, they will find you.
Editor: What do you think it takes to succeed in this industry?
As you need to be across so much that is happening, it’s imperative you are a good planner who is well organized and punctual. There are so many deadlines to continuously meet, so you need to be a forward thinker, execute all of your tasks with tenacity and work well under pressure.
It’s also paramount you work well with people and to do that well, you need to understand the other people you work with and how they operate. You must work with others to achieve your organization’s communication deadlines, and this requires good planning through providing deadlines for others and following up with them to ensure everything is on track. You work with a lot of journalists and need to be receptive to their needs as they are also working to tight deadlines.
Marketing communications is very busy and requires long hours; you must do so much work ‘behind the scenes that others don’t see. People view an article online or in print but don’t realize the amount of work invested behind the scenes to plan and execute that piece of communication. We’ve had to brainstorm new ideas and initiatives, conduct research and speak to others to obtain information, write up, for example, a press release, obtain approval for it, pitch it to appropriate media, liaise with media to answer any questions they have and to provide extra materials as requested, and help ensure you meet their publication deadlines, etc.
Editor: What are some of the trends you see impacting Marcom in the hospitality industry?
When I started out in public relations, the media landscape was still dominated by print media. Since then, there’s been a profound change due to the rise of the internet and the proliferation of technology. Nowadays there are so many communication channels at your disposal and the pressure is on to not only to reach your target audiences via as many of these channels as possible but also to ensure your messages effectively cut through all of the competition. Good planning skills must be supported by an in-depth understanding of how the various communication channels work so that you can adapt your marketing activities according to the requirements of a given medium.
When you read something on, for example, Facebook, something else pops up and distracts you. The hardest part is capturing and sustaining your target audiences’ attention as there is just so much noise and everything is moving with such speed. Yet despite working across print, online, social media, group chats, etc, the underlying principles of communication are still the same. You need a compelling hook, angle, and story to cut through. However, a solid grasp on how to present that hook, angle and story effectively according to the platform’s requirements is key.
Building customer loyalty must be at the forefront of everything you do, and it’s getting It’s getting harder and harder to build that base of loyalty. If, for example, high-spending millennials like something, they will spend but they can and do change their minds about things very quickly. You need to understand what resonates with your target audiences and try to see the big picture. People are increasingly concerned about not only their wellness but the health of the globe. It’s good to see that millennials care about sustainability and the environment and are mindful of the impact of their actions.
Editor: What are your top priorities as the Director of Marketing Communications?
My top priorities are to maintain a high profile and positive reputation for both Meliá Koh Samui and Meliá Chiang Mai, based on the right messaging to domestic and international markets.
Meliá Koh Samui is the first Meliá Hotels International property to debut in Thailand. It opened on January 10, 2020, just before the onset of the global pandemic. Together with the team, I am focused on continuing to build upon its successful launch and further establishing its reputation in Thailand and beyond.
Meliá Chiang Mai is scheduled to open by November 1 this year. It will be the first five-star hotel to open in Chiang Mai since the pandemic, so it is generating much-needed jobs and is also providing a morale boost to the battered local tourism industry. A top priority is communicating about our urban hotel’s upcoming launch and how it is another flagship property under a strategic roll-out of the Meliá brand in key destinations across Thailand.
Editor: Two things you would like to change in the industry.
I try my best to educate people about what public relations is, as there seems to be some confusion surrounding it. I hinted at this earlier in my response about the work invested behind the scenes to produce an article; it takes time and effort to do the job well.
Also, it used to be very common for people to read a newspaper and magazine from front to back, and truly absorb a lot of information about particular topics. With people quickly flicking through their social media feeds, we don’t seem to be absorbing information like we used to. Rather than being constantly on our phones, let’s absorb what’s really going around us by taking a step back and enjoying some quality time with loved ones, on a relaxing beach, or somewhere good for the soul.
Editor: What can we expect from the properties in the coming year?
We can’t help but be optimistic about the future. We expect to see a recovery from COVID-19 and to welcome domestic and international visitors to both Meliá Chiang Mai and Meliá Koh Samui. We are looking incredibly forward to what a recovery brings to Chiang Mai, Koh Samui, and ultimately Thailand. There’s already light at the end of the tunnel with the Samui Plus program and, as vaccines are rolled out in Thailand and globally, pent-up demand for travel will see people travel to Thailand and enjoy everything our country has to offer including friendly people, delectable cuisine, rich history and culture, compelling architecture and stunning beaches and natural scenery.
We’re genuinely excited about the upcoming launch of Meliá Chiang Mai. As I said earlier, it’s the first five-star hotel to open since the onset of the global pandemic and it has so much to offer. Situated on vibrant Charoen Prathet Road, located near a broad spectrum of tourist attractions, markets, and Buddhist temples, Meliá Chiang Mai’s pièce de résistance will be a 360-degree rooftop bar – the highest in the city – on the 22nd floor named ‘Mai The Sky Bar’. Featuring two bars connected by a glass bridge, the bar will offer spectacular views of the River Ping to the city’s east and the famed Doi Suthep Temple on the mountaintop to the west. The rooftop bar’s panoramic views will be unsurpassed; you will feel like you’re on top of the world. Our rooftop bar will be so unique and is set to be a must on any itinerary of Chiang Mai.
As Meliá Koh Samui opened just before the onset of the global pandemic, our resort is eagerly awaiting more tourists to explore the beauty of Koh Samui as Thailand moves to become increasingly open to the world. Meliá Koh Samui has many standout attributes, including its prime position overlooking secluded Choeng Mon Beach, 700m-long lagoon pool that meanders through the resort’s lush grounds like a river, and elegant two-story “boat suites” made from meticulously refurbished merchant vessels that are more than 100 years old and once plied the waters of the Gulf of Thailand.
I don’t want to change the industry per se but I do think we should continue to work together to prioritize sustainable business models that embrace environmentally-friendly approaches such as recycling, eliminating plastic use, and more.
Read MoreTo sum up my career of 36 years: 12 years (1/3rd) of hardcore operations. Another 12 years (1/3rd) in Franchising of Hotels in Mid-market segment, in operational training, sales and marketing, and consultancy services and remaining 12 years (1/3rd) in developing and running High-end Clubs.
Read MoreThe industry should sponsor some activities in the college where students get the feel of belonging with the Industry.
Read More"The Devil in the Kitchen" by Chef Marco Pierre White, which describes and gives you a deep understanding of the commitment and hardship it takes to become a successful Chef.
Read Moreeverything hospitality
only hospitality
Eclat Hospitality Weekly Newsletter - 43 by Eclat Hospitality
This is edition: ^ Career Article Of The Week: Bridging the Knowing-Doing Gap ^ Our Open Positions ^ Stuff We Loved This Week
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