Exclusive Interview | Rahul Panwar, General Manager, GRAND MERCURE Gandhinagar

Your focus paired with a positive attitude will have you rising quickly through the industry

Mr.Rahul Panwar

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

With over 16 years of experience in the hospitality business, I’m currently the General Manager of Grand Mercure GIFT City - an Accor Hotel in Gujarat, where I’m responsible to lead a team of very passionate and hard-working individuals.

This journey started in 2006 as a Bartender and then a Receptionist at a 5-star International Hotel in Delhi after completing my bachelor's in Hotel Management. It seemed a bit challenging when I started, but engaging with new people every day and learning to value them, taught me a lot about the industry. Since then, it’s been an amazing ride with some of the renowned hotel brands across few countries including the USA, China, Vietnam, and of course, India.

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

The hospitality industry is a people-driven business; by understanding human behavior, you’ll not only understand what the market needs but will stand against competitors by creating unique experiences while developing customer loyalty. It is important to understand the culture of your team, accept differences and individuality and know what motivates people to create a healthy working environment. A positive attitude, good listening skills, and desire to innovate can help you go places.

Embrace challenges, they make you better at your job.

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

For me, the below 5 characteristics matter the most during any hiring:

• Confidence

• Emotional Intelligence

• Willingness to learn & adapt

• Creativity

• Communication

What advice would you give to a young, aspiring hotelier for their internship?

I would like to share 3 lessons or “P”s that I have learned in the last 16 years.

#1 Patience - It’s all about timing. Your focus paired with a positive attitude will have you rising quickly through the industry ranks. Great opportunities rarely present themselves, and when they do-you must be ready.

#2 Passion – It’s about commitment and determination to succeed. Passion is the root of success in our industry and hoteliers thrive on achieving more, be it customer & employee satisfaction or profits. The real push always needs to come from within.

#3 Problems – Lastly, it’s about making mistakes and learning from them. Hospitality is a testing industry and no textbook can cover the learnings from your real experiences.

What is the one tech/app/software feature you would like to see?  This could be for guests, operations, etc. 

An app that can educate a traveler on energy saving and climate change by calculating carbon emissions from the moment they’re en route to their destination (flight & road transport), energy consumed in rooms during their stay with all lighting/air conditioning/electrical equipment switched on, average single-use plastic items used in the stay and much more.

What is your favorite interview question and why?

My favorite interview question is quite short & simple: “Why did you apply for this role?”; but if rightly answered, it can help me understand the sole motivation and cover multiple questions like Why she/he want this job? Why is the candidate leaving his current job? Why are you the best person for this job? And, Why do you want to work for this company?

Exclusive Interview | Gautam Mehrishi Executive Chef Marriott International

“It takes passion and self-belief which inspire you every moment to be a great chef and be connected to roots and the skills that one has developed during the journey”

— Chef Gautam Mehrishi

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

My culinary journey started at a very early age with an introduction to fire in my grandmother's kitchen where she introduced me to the importance of fire in cooking. I was in charge of arranging all types of fire including wood, bio, cow dung cakes, and gas. then slowly came in the spices and then the final cooking part on the various types of stoves and solar cooking too in the sun. introduction to pickles and bread came a little later.

In fact, my first butchery lesson was at my paternal Grandfather's poultry farm with the most handsome-looking bird. By the time I reached in teens, food was already a passion, and then came the entry into a Hotel School where I actually learned what the industry was all about. First-ever commercial kitchen I entered was the at The Taj Mahal Hotel, Mumbai and the rest is history with my passion for the white coat grew stronger every day. The kitchens of The Taj Mahal Hotel, Mumbai still hold a divine pace attached very closely to my soul, it not only inspires me today but I also am grateful to each and every chef who mentored me and taught me all the relevant skills and majorly the importance of being hands-on even in your dreams.

After Taj, it was spread over career paths with national and international chains of hotels, bakeries, cafes, choclateria, central kitchens, food courts, cruise liners, and flight kitchens within India and around the world.

Editor: What are your earliest memories of the kitchens you worked in

My earliest memory is with the Garde Manger Kitchen of The Taj Mahal Hotel, Mumbai where I learned that the world talks about slow cooking but cold food cooked with amazing patience and perfection is such a great skill to acquire and possess that it can transform a medium skilled chef into an artist for life. Though the skill of this beautiful French art is diminishing and being taken over by the modern influx but these intricate skills are still transformational and defining.

The second memory is on the vessel M/S Seabourn kitchen where I worked with many nationalities and still was above the competition, showing my exemplary skills to be recognized on global platforms.

Editor: A dish your patrons/guests love

Although I love to cook something new and innovative whenever an opportunity arises making a " WELLINGTON" is always loved by the people I cook for.

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

Pit Cooking and food are covered with various soils.

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

It takes passion and self-belief which inspires you every moment to be a great chef, being connected to roots and the skills that one has developed during the journey and gratitude towards people who have taught you on the way, towards all the opportunities, the ingredients and platforms of challenges is a must too.

Editor: What advice would you give to a young culinary student?

Be attached to your roots, understand soils, seasons, reactions of ingredients to various temperatures, understand structures of food which can be as simple as salt, follow your passion every moment and the desire to learn always, accept challenges as opportunities, and be attached to literature and life experiences of successful chefs.

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

My paring and carving knife, slide chopper and sharpening steel. ( all of these are now with e for the last 2 decades and in absolutely stunning condition.

Editor: Your favorite ingredient is…

My vision

Editor: Name chefs, you find amazing or chefs’ work you admire

Hemant Oberoi

Uwe Walter Lohage

Anton Mossiman

My work is admired by many and the admiration for my approach to food is mesmerizing for many.

Editor: What books should every chef read?

Reading books where chefs tell their life stories is always inspiring and if connected to a food destination it’s a double whammy. For knowledge reading the Culinaria series from France, Spain and many countries is apt.

Keeping a Larousse dictionary should always be handy for reference and learning the traditional and newer culinary words.

Exclusive Interview | Anuraag Kadam, Human Resources Manager, Conrad Pune

“Be yourself and always be humble and curious to learn”

— Anuraag Kadam

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

My tryst with hospitality began in the year 2010 and while unknown to me, my fruitful journey in HR was not planned. My learning at the hospitality school helped me become a confident and outgoing personality which truly was a life-changing element for me. It was during my industrial training, that my interest leaned towards the human resources field where I enjoyed the guest’s interactions and found happiness in assisting them. My operational journey in human resources began in 2013 with Park Hyatt Goa and I currently head the human resource vertical at Conrad Pune. 

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

Success is never easy and it doesn’t come overnight. One should be constantly disciplined, passionate, and dedicated to their work. If you have the vision to grow, never hesitate, be adaptive to changes and have the will to be a lifetime learner, you will gradually succeed in this industry. 

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

Attitude is the foremost attribute I look for – Attitude cannot be taught or inculcated, it comes within. Commitment & Ability to work with the team comes secondary. Hospitality is all about people serving people, technical knowledge can be taught or learned but if you don’t have the right attitude – organizational culture can go for a toss.

Editor: What advice would you give to a young, aspiring hotelier for their internship?

Be yourself and always be humble and curious to learn. Ask questions at every point of your training, and take every day as new learning. In order to get successful, you need to step out of your comfort zone and give your 100% at work. Be positive at every point, remember your internship will be the most difficult tenure of your degree – make the best of it. 

 Editor: What is the one tech/app/software feature you would like to see?  This could be for guests, operations, etc. 

Artificial Intelligence has been sort of dominating our industry. Personally, I would love to see software that can read the minds of employees – want to be so quick in gauging if anyone is feeling demotivated or needs immediate attention. This will help in controlling attrition and enhance work-life balance. 

Editor: What is your favorite interview question and why?

What does being a Manager mean to you? This question helps me to understand how the candidate views the role of a manager and you can understand his/her thinking towards work, whether he is a potential leader or a Boss. Whether likes to give orders and demand results or work along with the team to achieve goals. His/her answers will help you to determine if the candidate is the right choice for your organization.

Exclusive Interview | Vinay Chandavarkar, Chief Developement Officer,SaffronStays

“We will always look to onboard people who have the passion and hustle and want to play a role in growing this exciting brand”

— Vinay Chandavarkar

Editor: Congratulations on SaffronStays reaching a milestone: 200 private vacation homes across India. How did you celebrate this win?

We would like to celebrate this achievement by hitting the 300 homes milestone at the earliest :). At present, we have 260+ homes and we are hoping to reach the 300 mark very soon. We want to continue growing at a rapid pace through quality additions and our target is to onboard at least 15-20 homes on a monthly basis.

Editor: What does this scale mean for the business? What is the next target, 1000, 2000?

The branded villa and homestay segment is still fairly nascent in India and the sky is the limit when it comes to our growth. Our nation’s distinct cultures and geographies allow us to target several markets so as to grow in a sustained and unique manner. We do intend to grow our portfolio beyond 1000 homes, but it is important that we add these numbers while preserving the quality of our portfolio in a manner that adds value to all our existing and future stakeholders.

Editor: Frugal seems to have been your mantra so far. Is that about to change?

Yes, we have been careful with the monies entrusted to us as a Group, and that is how it should be. That hasn't, however, stopped us from making quality investments in resources, be it people, the product or technology. Going forward, we shall continue to raise our standards across the board and shall make suitable strategic and quality investments as required.   

Editor: What is next? Are there more 'spices' to be discovered? Are any new verticals in the pipeline?

 Variety is the spice of life! We recognize that all guests are not the same and similarly all homes are not the same. So, we segmented our audience as per their traits and personalities, thus giving each guest a persona they are most likely to fall under. Understanding our guests, their needs, their moods, requirements, reasons to get away, watering holes, lifestyle choices, etc., we've managed to customize our product and service for each such persona. With this insight, we’ve followed a 'House of Brands' approach. Each home on our network is now either a SaffronStays home, Signature Home, or an X-Series home. Each home has a story, a vibe, and a personality. Once we understand this, we can market it to the right audience. One size does not fit all. For Eg: Our newly launched Signature Series homes are for well-heeled guests looking for unparalleled experiences, aesthetically designed private villas & estates, and curated signature experiences like Al-fresco brunches, and dinner by a river, kayaking & boating, authentic farm-to-table experiences, and so on. 

Editor: What are some of the services you provide that owners love at the moment? What more can they expect in the future?

Our strengths lie in the ecosystem that we have created that ensures a consistent and hassle-free experience for both our guests and homeowners. We have evolved from being a premium, recognized distribution setup to an Operator that also manages the home, allowing the homeowner to relax, knowing the home shall be maintained in a ‘mint fresh condition’.   Our new brand architecture allows us to utilize the right tactics to promote each home while, at the same time, being commercially efficient from a CAPEX and earnings front. The distinct brands ensure that all homes within a certain portfolio are consistent and of a similar level, something that is always appreciated by homeowners. Furthermore, our new contracts provide a high level of transparency and information upfront which is extremely important to our homeowners and us. Our constant efforts to evolve on the technological and service front (incl. making F&B a real business driver) are also efforts that receive a lot of positive feedback from existing and potential homeowners.

 Editor: Are you hiring hotel management graduates/ freshers? If yes, what can they do to work with you, and what kind of roles they can look forward to?

 Our team is quite diverse in the sense that it includes hospitality graduates, general marketing and sales specialists, and even a good mix of engineers, amongst representatives from other domains. A diverse culture across domains is a big plus for us as all our team members bring a unique perspective to the table, allowing us to build a strong knowledge base within the Group. The one common thread is that these are hungry and motivated individuals who have bought into the vision of the Founders and the Group as a whole. Our people are what makes us and our existing levels of motivation and excitement stem from their passion for wanting SaffronStays to succeed at the highest level.

 In terms of future roles and ways of being a part of the team, I genuinely believe that we are in a very privileged position as an organization. Despite the pandemic, we have grown significantly and continue to do so. That gives us an opportunity to help provide employment and build careers across India. The pandemic was challenging for many people, and we can hope, as a Group, to turn those challenges into opportunities for others.

We look at ‘shop floor level hiring’ for homes right through to young, intelligent graduates as well as experienced minds across different fields. These could include individuals who are not content with their current profiles, people looking to change industries, those affected by the pandemic, and parents looking to reboot their professional endeavors. We are always looking for outliers, those who do not necessarily follow the norm, and those who have the hunger to prove to themselves and others that they can make a genuine difference in one of the largest industries in the country.

Bottom line!! We will always look to onboard people who have the passion and hustle and want to play a role in growing this exciting brand.

Editor: Your favorite interview question and why.

I don’t have one favorite question per se. I do however like to understand the mindset of the individual in question, understanding their journey to date. Given the competitive environment that we exist in and the extent to which we want to scale, it's important that people want to join SaffronStays for the right reasons. Every candidate need not have understood the industry fully or have bought into the Group vision as yet, but I am looking for motivated people who want to genuinely make a difference, and, can add value to the team. Hence, the 'why SaffronStays?'  is something that I like to ask. It makes me understand whether that person will eventually align with the company's vision and that it's not ‘just another gig’ from the offset.