Indian Hospitality Industry 8

  In the past, I have written quite a lot about the Indian hotel Industry and also about the great men who ‘Mentored’ the industry during its infancy. Today, I feel that there is a pressing need to write about the ‘Doyens’ who shaped the Indian hospitality industry and who have now faded into the blue, unsung. Today, more than ever before, there is a compelling need to compare the ‘Old School’ industry excellence, glamour and class with the new ‘bohemian ‘style being dished out as‘excellence’. These are the times when the very definitions’ of the hospitality industry have been either demolished or have been trivialized, and mediocrity passes off as a new high. These are the times when a guest is just a potential customer or simply a source of money for; a hotel, a tour operator and a travel agent. The words like,‘Hospitality’, ‘Courtesy’, ‘Guest is God’ are just words /phrases with no intrinsic meaning or responsibility beyond the cold print.

Most of our learned hoteliers of today may not even understand as to why did the  hoteliers of the  years gone by, who  devoted so much time in inspecting the standards of daily  services and the    quality of food production. Furthermore, it is disturbing to realize that the present day bearers’ of the industry would not appreciate the importance of delivering and /or practicing excellence in the hospitality industry.

Therefore the importance of those great hoteliers is felt today more than ever before. I have been fortunate to work or deal with some of them during my professional life and I feel enriched having absorbed some of their values. I have also benefited a great deal by the way they functioned on day to day basis to bring dignity and grace to the hospitality industry. Ironically enough, they never marketed the property, they only concentrated on creating excellence that set industry standards,and they always came unannounced and quietly disappeared. There were no CC cameras to monitor the staffers, yet they delivered perfection.

Today, I seek to honor each one of them, as they were the symbols of excellence in their own right.  To me they represent the ‘Crème de la Crème of the Indian hospitality industry.

1.  S.N.GADHOK 

The charismatic hotelier who founded the ITDC, Mr. Gadhok was the first true professional of the Indian hospitality industry.  He was the best human resource manager, I have ever worked with. Under his leadership the ITDC became the largest hotel company in India and stayed at the top for many years. Apart from being the architect of ITDC hotels, he was also the first head of ITC Hospitality Company. After retirement, he joined a Bombay based hotel company, The Senator group of hotels, which was the first private sector company to start Hotels in Kashmir. Unfortunately his dream of starting of three top class hotels in the valley was cut short due to the rise of militancy in Kashmir. Indeed he remains a ‘Great Hotelier’ and an amazing human being. I have always regarded him as my Guru and I was his ‘Ekalavya’. Mr. Gadhok for me was the best  Man-Manager India ever produced. Stalwarts like Anil Bhandari, KB Kachru, PB Mathur, Psyche Nigam, including me are all his protégé.

2. S K MISHRA

Mr. S.K.Misra served the Indian Civil Services, a devout social worker and father of the current  Indian hospitality Industry  status in India as it stands today. As a young tourism secretary of the Haryana Government  he brought about a  revolution in domestic tourism, by starting large number of hotels, motels and restaurants all over Haryana, making Haryana a very attractive tourism destination. Finally he moved to Central Government and proved his merit in the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation,first, as the Director General and later as the Secretary. His contribution to the tourism industry will remain a great source of inspiration for people in both government and private sectors. He finally moved on to become the Principle Secretary in Central Government and was awarded as Padam Bhushan in 2009, for his contribution to Indian Civil Services.

3. BILLO GOSWAMI

Mr. Goswami was one of the most successful of Director General Tourism. A very important part of Mr. S.K. Mishra’s team. His contribution to the hospitality industry and tourism on the whole was very productive. A friendly and amicable personality, he was always out to extend help to any hotelier who knocked his doors with a problem. He was always down to earth and very approachable person. I remember when we were building a Convention Center cum Hotel and we had major flaws in the agreement with the UP government. When we approached him, he resolved the issue in no time. That was his style of functioning.  

4. P.P.S.LAMBA

For years he was the backbone of ‘Food and Beverage’ services in Oberoi Hotels. One of the great ‘Food and Beverages’ Directors India has ever seen, he is one of three main architects of the Oberoi hotels along with Mr. M.S Oberoi and Guatam Khanna. Lots of people can take credit for what Oberoi Hotels is today, but the fact is that these three men were the ones who gave a very strong base to the finest chain in India.Mr. Lamba was first Indian GM to study in Cornell University. I had the opportunity to spend some time with him when he was the Chairman of ‘Classification Committee’. He was a Great Hotelier and one of the main pillars of Indian Hotel Industry.

5. ASHOK PAWHA

Director General Tourism, a young, soft spoken IAS officer with great vision that any government official should have. It was his plan in 1992-93 to build a cluster of hotels with the largest Convention Centre between Vasant Kunj and Vasant Vihar. For reasons best known to the Government, his plan could not take off, but was later revived close to airport, now better known as AEROCITY .It is today, one of the most successful location for Group of Hotels ever planned in the history of hospitality industry in India. His vision for tourism was path breaking and had a support of the entire Hospitality Industry. He was a thorough professional, very approachable and down to earth. He was indeed a ‘Bureaucrat Par Excellence’.

 6. ADI KATGARA

Inbound tourism  in India got a major boost with the initiative  of two Heroes - Inder Sharma owner of SITA TRAVEL and Adi Katgara the owner of TRAVEL CORPORATION OF INDIA. Mr. Sharma was stationed in Delhi; soon he became a well-known travel trade professional across the country. While Adi Katgara, was a shy travel trade leader from Mumbai. He was man with great vision for the travel industry remained lesser known. He worked hard and created one of the most successful Travel Trade operations in the country. He had an exceptional team, nearly everyone who was working with him, owns a successful operation and the even today they swear by his professionalism and human approach. I had an opportunity to work with him closely on a Hotel Resort project in Kerala. Travel Trade Industry will always be indebted to him for his contribution.

 7. AJIT B. KERKAR

Ajit Kerkar started his career as Catering Manager at Taj Mumbai. His ability and his competence turned Taj Mumbai  into one of the most successful hotels in the country. He took this time and build some of the best Hotels in India- Fort Aguada - Goa, President -Mumbai, Palace Hotels in Udaipur , Jaipur and finally Taj Man Singh Hotel in center of New Delhi, making Taj Group the third largest hotel chain in India, after ITDC, Oberoi, furthermore he brought new levels of service and food experience. Ajit B. Kerkar worked hard and created Taj as one of the finest Hotel Chain in 1980/90s. His style of management was different and aggressive. I remember when I was working for Vijay Mallya and we were planning to dispose  our central Kitchen in Sakinaka, Mumbai. I asked for an appointment, he gave me five minutes. But when we started talking about the Fast Food Industry in India, he refused to let me go for next 90 mints,that was his hunger to understand a new & upcoming industry. His exit from Taj was rather unceremonious due to difference with Rattan Tata. As for me, he will always be a hero and be as it may the present state of Taj Group is rather sad and one of the most expensive ways of managing Hotels.

8. P. B. MATHUR

Tall, handsome, down to earth and amazingly competent; P.B.Mathur was the most charismatic hotelier India has ever seen. I must say that he was the most underrated hotelier in the country. After JP Sharma, he managed The Ashok Hotel, the flagship property of ITDC for years. Then he joined Lalit Suri and made Holiday Inn a brand so successful in India that everybody thought that the brand was a five star hotel. From there he moved on to open Leela hotels  their flagship hotel in Mumbai. He was a people’s manager, very straight forward and honest in his dealings. He was responsible for starting not one but two International Hotel chains in india- Leela Hotels and Lalit Hotels.

9. J.P. SHARMA

He was known as the second pillar of ITDC. He was also the man who managed The Ashok hotel with great professionalism that brought prestige to the property. Ashok hotel was indeed one of the most glorious hotels of its time, during its days of glory all high-profile government functions, state visits of the heads of state, foreign delegations, state banquets  all were hosted by the government at The Ashok Hotel. His ability to design plan and execute large and the most prestigious government function as no parallel up-to-date. Finally he became head of ITDC operations. Unfortunately, his competence as Corporate Chief officer in ITDC, was full of controversies and negativity. As professional, I have great regard for him and will remember him as the outstanding hotelier who once managed The Ashok Hotel.

10. ROGER MONCOURT

Back in the 1970’s, imagine a French Chef heading ‘Rougenoire’ the popular French restaurant in located in largest hotel in the country -The Ashok hotel cum Convention Center, New Delhi. I still remember that his salary was much more than that of the General Manager. He ran his kitchen professionally with great financial efficiency and unbelievable production quality of authentic French cuisine. There was no parallel to Roger in the country at that time and he was, probably the longest serving executive chef in India. This was happening at the time when Executive Chefs’ in Hotels used to report to Food and Beverage Manager. But in Roger Moncourt’s kitchen even the General Manager has to take his permission to enter. He was an introvert and tremendously talented Chef whose contribution to the Indian Hospitality industry was simply amazing considering the life and times during the 1970’s, when 99% of the hotels were managed by self trained or experienced chefs either from Goa or Calcutta.

 11. PSYCHE NIGAM

Ms. Nigam, the lady was my boss for many years, her path breaking contribution to Indian hospitality Industry will always be remembered. It was only due to her efforts, that back in 80’s and 90’s, over forty percent of total work force in industry comprise of ITDC trained staff & officers,  appointed either directly or in directly. She worked as Director - Development and Training of Manpower for ITDC Hotels. At any time ITDC use to have minimum of 700 to 800 apprentices, supervisory and Executive level trainees in their hotels across the country. At any time ITDC would also have over eighty Managers, Chefs and supervisors going through training all over India. She created India’s first Training Hotel (The Qutab Hotel). All this was her vision. To be honest, in last five years of her stay in ITDC, she ran the company. She is smart, charismatic and no-nonsense Senior Executive in the country.

The views expressed in this article are based on the personal experience. The writer most humbly submits that there may be instances of inaccuracies and /or authenticated information as the text flows.

written by Virat Varma and Anil Chak

Indian Hospitality Industry 7

WHAT IS RIGHT & 
WHAT IS WRONG WITH THE INDIAN HOTEL INDUSTRY…?

“The reason for our success is no secret. It comes down to one single principle that transcends time and geography, religion and culture. It’s the Golden Rule – the simple idea that if you treat people well, the way you would like to be treated, they will do the same.”Issy Sharp- Owner OF Four Seasons

As an hotelier and supporter of the cause of the Indian hotel industry, it is troublesome to observe that small countries like Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia and even Bangkok, not only  have better hotels but also a better reputation. It might surprise us that in last four decades the world’s best Hotels have come up in the ‘South East Asian Region’. Brands like Regent, Shangri-La, and Aman Resorts, including all the other known brands that have emerged are in this region and not in India or China or even Japan.

Do you know why?

During the days when these small countries were trying to do well for themselves, they realized importance of the efficacy  of the ‘Contextual Ethos’ in the hospitality industry, i.e. the nuances’ of local customs, language of symbolism and courtesy. They also realized that this was the best approach to make sure that every guest both International and local leaves on a happy note - fully satisfied. 

Actually, very few people know that nearly all International Hotel Chains did try to implement these practices in part or whole in their brands, but with little success. The irony is that all these South Eastern Asian countries have learned their customs and hospitality from us.

The next question is, what went wrong with us, 
is also an interesting story!

It is a fact that free India decided to establish thefirst real Indian Hotel based on culture, hospitality and customs. They invited one representative from each ministry and formed a committee who advised Government to build the Hotel of excellence. Result was,‘The Ashoka Hotel’, built on 35 Acers land. By any standard even today the best hotel ever built in this country – It is indeed a monumental effort.

Unfortunately, the present generation witnesses the bureaucratic destruction of this prime property. The sad thing is, that even today if we hand over this property without even one Rupee investment to chains like Ritz Carlton, Four Season they will signup and give more profit to Government in one year then what they have earned in last ten years.  But that will never happen because that will stop misuse of the hotel by politicians and bureaucrats

Moving ahead on this pathetic story, the software for running such hotels was needed to be out sourced, and as usual India was looking at Europe or USA. This was our undoing. There is nothing common about our hospitality, culture and most importantly humility; these things have been part of the Indian human fabric for zillion years. India in sixties and seventies had only two players, ITDC and Oberoi Hotels, unfortunately Taj had only one hotel that also built backward, as such they were nearly nonexistent at that time. Our main players as expected were Fida– or say enamored by Germany and British Hoteliers. On the other hand even catering colleges were very strongly inclined towards western style of Management. The veterans’ mantra at that time was;

1. Proper English
2. Mastering European Cuisine
3. Staff training western style
4. Minimum staff ratio and so on.

All was not bad, there was a style in service, there was grace of presentation, basic courtesies and most deadly dictum was – ‘Customer is always right’, even if he is wrong. First generation of Hoteliers still worked on primary principle of values, discipline and warmth. We served from our heart, followed the recipe to the last syllable and yet we forgot the definition of magnanimity of service , because SERVICE STANDARDS’  were defined by our European masters, who finally became our teachers.

When in 1975 I joined ITDC as Junior Executive there was a sentence coined by Indian Tourism Body “ATITHI DEVO BHAWA” meaning GUEST IS GOD, this stems from the Indian practices of graciousness towards guests at home and in all ceremonies of life.

But in reality we were extending European style services to our guests, both domestic and international. Domestic guests were very few, in the fifties and the sixties and early seventies, as for international guests - well for them our services were better than what they got back home. In turn it made us believe that we have finally arrived, or at least that’s what we thought.

On the other hand, our less fortunate South East Asian neighbors’ were developing service standards of their own under the guidance of seasoned industry veterans. If I remember correctly, in the nineties we saw some very famous brands emerging  in these countries, for example brands like Regent, Mandarin Orient,Peninsula, Aman, Shangri-La and so on. They introduced standards and services that we in India can only dream of.

In the mean time, back in India we were heading for another setback –The emergence of American hotel chains, who were allowed to operate with their one-sided management contracts. Names like Starwood, Hyatt, Intercontinental Hotels, Marriot and Hilton.They started taking over the properties, to emerge as industry leaders, leaving Indian brands way behind. Their Management style was not only efficient and cost effective, but it also brought along a casual management practice which was not in line with our society.

As compared to the European service standards, where we worked in a very disciplined industry. But when we shifted to American Service Standards,which strives to create a class less society, for example a General Manager of the Hotel was on first name basis, even with a waiter. In our culture we practice traditional values where even younger brother or sister never addresses older brother by name.We don’t even call our servant or driver without adding JEE as a prefix, our Hotel staff started calling their managers by their first name which is considered rude. So when junior staff was rude (causal) to their bosses, you can imagine how it started effecting the service standards. The Oberoi’s who are known to be a snobbish Hotel chain have at least three of their Hotels in Top Ten. Perhaps the waqt (Time) and the yard stick has changed, nowadays, I presume they give greater importance to how much money has been spent on Gold plated taps, Italian marbles and the investment on the property, rather than service, quality of food and comfort of the guest.

When I opened Regent Mumbai,the Service Standards we implemented had never been heard of, in our country, it gave a complex to other Hotel Chains, especially when Conde’ Nast rated us as the best New Hotel in the world. I still remember when my sales team felt the pressure to reduce the prices to compete with The Oberoi and Old Taj, I told them to invite CEOs', MDs' and Chairmen of all major companies to be our guests on their next trip and we would discuss the rates, if they were not satisfied we would change. Soon we had over 55 top executives who stayed with us and they accepted our rates, except for one; he bargained with me for one hour but finally accepted our Rates with Rs. 500 less.

Today’s generation, has long forgotten how you serve a good cup of tea, or make an effort to work on personalized service to even regular guests. MacDonald standard has become our bible of American Style standard.Not that there is anything wrong with it but then you don’t even get a glass of water for Rs. 20.

Thorough study of the guest reactions will reveal mostly those issues, which were non existent in earlier times. Today’s management has very little time for genuine training. There is very little effort by the Hotels to look into guest complaints seriously, what ever efforts they make are only to keep them selves at the right spot on the Trip Advisor. My own experience is, that most of the hotels have SOPs and service standards but do not follow or people down the line are not aware they exist. I think I need to give some interesting examples;

1.    Recently I visited a luxury Hotel in Connaught Place (now Rajiv Chowk) for meeting with the client at 12.30 pm , they insisted or right word is demanded that if we need to sit in  Coffee Shop that we all are required to have full buffet. On my demand to see the manger or show me this in writing he relented to let us sit.
2.   . In an effort to cut down staff cost now a days most of the hotels do not give evening service unless you remind them.
3.    There is another five star Hotel in Jaipur city center where I go and stay at least two days each week. Ninety percent of staff pretends that they don’t know me. Every time I have to remind them about my room preference.F&B service in the  Hotel is just bad, food mostly unappetizing and insipid. It is not that they can’t make good food, but poor supervision has resulted in complacency and casual staff attitude.
4.     Another five star hotel I know refuses to serve one Roti/ Paratha or Nan. All breads must be served in doubles only @ 2 or 4 or six and so on.
5.  . Todays Hotels insist that their system is more important than customer’s needs/ requirements.

While Regent Mumbai was rated the best new Hotel, at the same time a small Hotel in Friends Colony called Manor, was the only other Hotel that earned the Conde’ Nast recognition. That was the beginning of the maxim that ‘Small is Beautiful’. Today world over, the best Hotels have fewer rooms. These Hotels offer personalized services and outstanding quality of food. Plus  a tariff that even Ritz Carlton or Four Season can’t dare to charge.

Today small is beautiful, we see emergence of 20-40 room properties coming up, keeping guest comfort and services as the main attractions. Brands Like Mantis, Aleela, Lebua, Sujaan are not only doing well but are also becoming a great attraction with well to do young Indians and getting away with high  and /or very high all inclusive Tariffs.

Coming back to big and branded Hotels! 
Are we going to see any improvement?

Hyatt tried to repeat this with the help of one of their top executive Rakesh Sarna when with his inputs they developed a brand called Andaz. World over This brand is appreciated and has developed a good reputation. But in Delhi, India it is another story. It neither has any Andaz nor class, or even basic service standards. It is a fine example of a hotel built with whopping investments has gone wrong - You don’t expect Shabby uniforms, poor menu planning, poor quality food and service standards are relegation for a brand like Hyatt.

When you talk to employees of the hotel, they give you an impression,which is quite similar to what the pretending, ‘Courtiers and subjects gave the Vain King when they praised his new invisible clothes as he walked the streets in the nude”. We just have to wait for this bubble of pretense to burst in the hotel industry.

 The problem, I feel was the Expat Managers, who I am sure are excellent hoteliers but have no experience in Indian hospitality, or the concept of  Andaz and  this was the main  cause of all the  mess. It is sad to see good concept going wrong (I hope Peter will forgive me for my comments).

 I feel all of us have to work on basic courtesy and hospitality which we have learned while growing up and which forms the warp & weft of the Indian ethos. When we say, The Guest is God, we must be humble, preserve his dignity. Serving him food that  is better than the best food, understand, preempt and anticipate his requirements before he demands and so on and so forth.

I feel that the time is ripe for Hotels, including all the chains operating in India to improve their over all Service Standards. We must also remember that we are a nation comprising of a very large work force, and that we can and we should be able to afford staff in larger numbers in order to provide better services than anywhere else in the world, including south east Asia. To take care of our guest is in our blood, we must follow our intuition and make India known as a land of best hospitality in the world.

 Written by Anil Chak & Virat Varma

Indian Hospitality Industry 6

Without much ado, at the very outset sample few ingenuous guises for starters, which are in common practice - These are real and indeed very original, yet there are gaping hole in their flawless facades;

Take One: A lady checks-In, she is all dressed up in full scale heavy wedding gear, replete with her forearms covered with colorful chura (big set of bangles) and all the associated paraphernalia – Her big car parked in the porch. But all this was not very convincing.

Take Two: Next comes a smart girl all dressed up. This one chooses to barge in with her paramour, heads straight to the pool side bar, orders a drink and settles down. The serving staff smelt a rat and took appropriate action.

Take Three: An unassuming couple - very happily married – stayed for weeks with flawless confidence and composure - actually they found to be Pimp & Prostitute duet.

Take Four:  There have been incidents – especially on Saturdays’ when the hotels have had to actually chase away the whores ‘en masse’. But the hookers are the unstoppable kind...!

Take Five: The Health Clubs and Spas’ in hotels remains the favourite haunt of both ‘Hookers & Hooked’. The girls join masquerading as‘masseuse’ to serve the clients. Quite a number of them have been shown the door. 

Let’s brace ourselves up to face facts. Welcome to the all new world of the age old profession.

Over the centuries mankind has indulged in the unspeakable desires of flesh. However the methodology of solicitations has changed with the passage of time, with the internet comforting and easing every facet of human existence, it has – not surprisingly - included the ‘Hookers’ in its fold as well, giving rise to a all newbusiness spin-off in hotels, I choose to call it – ‘Techno Harlotry’.

 During last one year I have been closely monitoring the operations of various hotels and discovered some very interesting modules of this business.  The technology has lifted the “World’s oldest profession” to a new high, furthermore it has made the ‘Hooker Delivery System’ as simple as the ‘Room Service’. Most hotels express their surprise or feign ignorance while it all happens under their noses - they are happy with the business.

Practicing young ladies today are smarter than ever before, they are all dressed to kill, very modern, very chic, they regularly visit full service ‘Salon and Spa’ for proper beauty treatment, speak fluent English, they could be either Indian or Russian, very confident with all the poise needed to entice men, they independently book a room and check – in. Then arrives her burly procurer (pimp) separately, on his own and checks-in as well, many a times he places long term booking say for 2 or 3 months, could be even more.  He usually has an excellent rapport with ‘Front Office and House Keeping Staff’, more often than not, he is considered a wealthy business man who loves to flaunt his money, generously tipping away all and sundry at the ‘drop of hat’.

Modus Operandi

Biggest indirect support of this dark operation comes from major ‘Online Travel Agencies’. They place prepaid bookings with the hotels with proper guest name. All legit...! This person checks-in the hotel as a normal guest, he is all complete with his credentials, all very genuine, he presents his ID (out of Delhi) at the reception and he is in his room.

The ‘procurer’ at any given point in time can have 3-5 girls staying in different rooms in the same hotel.  Once the evening sets in, they start their business manoeuvres, moving from one room to another and they are all controlled by their respective booking agent, who also comfortably lodged in the same hotel.  The process works very well, and works even better in the bigger hotels where the business is even better.

Nearly 85% of guests who waded into the trap were small time business men, having high disposable income, especially with liquid cash. Quite remarkably when caught, they were so embarrassed that they either begged for forgiveness or bribe their way to literally run away from the hotel.  There are of course quite a sizable number of guests who would put up a bold front and be nasty at the same time.

Since this business has been there for centuries and will go on for all times. Meanwhile allow me to suggest some remedial measures?

1. Fully Legalize the prostitution – but under strong control. May be on the lines of Germany or Greece. Government can even benefit and have a better control. Let the masses give a vent to the quarantined  lust. OR
2. Impose a strict punishment to all three indulgent parties to this business i.e., The pimp, The heroine and The Red Riding loaded Bakra.
3. OTA’s making slot bookings under all conditions need to be revisited.  The authorities need to streamline the procedure and work out a system where they are able to stop the misuse of this booking system.
4. Hotels and OTA’s should together must work out a ‘Communication Strategy’ dedicated to the singular purpose of eliminating the recurrence of this business. 

This is possible only if hotels become truly vigilant and maintain a hawk eye to spot and apprehend the guests misusing this booking channel. In one go at the press of a key, the hotels should be able to inform all OTAs about the action they take to block his booking we can immediately put a stop to this practice. All this is possible by simply making few modifications in the system software.

Would this happen?  I really don’t think so, until or unless the Government intervenes and brings in legislation to this effect.

ENDS...!

Written by Anil Chak & Virat Varma

RIP Major Vinod Gulati - My Friend, Philosopher & Guide

Just five years old or may be still younger, living next door to a little older and chubby boy, with whom I had a staring match for days. And then one day, he walked out of his house with a ball in his hands and we started playing together. That togetherness and friendship never went away until Amit (his son) sent me an SMS informing me that my friend was no more.

Vinod Gulati, my friend, my adviser, my admirer and the older brother I never had. There was nothing we didn’t know about each other, be it  personal or professional. It was just he and I, With the whole world on one side and we on the other.Pals forever,always together, whenever we could.

Vinod grew up ‘real good’ and joined the Indian Army. For our entire neighborhood, he was like  the Hrithik Roshan of the sixties- dashing, smart and good hearted , always cheerful and smiling. He was the reason I wanted to join the Armed forces, but unfortunately,was not allowed,as“I was the only son”.So I had to be content with as much time as possible with my Army Hero buddy. Some of the best times of my life were when he was in Delhi on leave. He took me to the best and most popular restaurants in CP. Our favorite menu for the evenings was always Cold Coffee with Ice cream, Paneer Pakoras and Vegetable Burgers. The conversations on our way back still haunt me,his smile full of confidence and his confidence in me,are the most memorable part of my growing up.

The wheel of life separated us from each other, he was posted in Pune and I went abroad for higher studies losing touch for several years. 7 years later when we met again he was married and proudly showed off his pretty wife Raj. We talked then forever; he told me that he wanted to leave the army, because he had been diagnosed with Diabetes.

Vinod will always remain a special part of my life. Our past, present and future was, is and will be inexplicably intertwined forever. He was and will be an important and a very dear friend, from the time that I was required to make a friend, till the day I breathe my last.

I still believe that God sent him as the older brother that I never had –he was always proud of me, always supportive, and always there as a guide. I was always a part of his good time agenda. My dear Vinod Gulati or Major, as I lovingly called him,had a great sense of humor, he was outspoken and some of his comments still echo loud and clear in my memory;

-        “ Oye Mummy-ke- Baboo” (The only person in the world who used to call me by my     nickname)

-        “Baboo yeh Ladki bahut achi hein, isko dhokha nahin dena” After meeting Pamposh for first time before our marriage.

-        A simple hearted man, he used to get very disturbed by the politics in the family and would always say,“let them have the money, I don’t care, I have Baboo.”

For Vinod I was simply a ‘buddhu’ because I couldn’t take care of my interests, and he felt so was his darling son, Amit, a sidha buddhu like me. From the day Amit and Arti started achieving success in their lives, I never saw him sad or depressed again, I guess with such unreliable Baboo he now had his children as his emotional support, God bless them both.

Vinod was everything I could ever ask for in a brother and friend.I Just can not figure out why life betrayed him so early, and why God calls good souls back to him sooner then the others. Maybe He wants all the great souls to merge within HIM.

These enigmas of life will never be answered. However the loss has left a void in me, which can never be filled, and life must go on as is. God bless you my dear Major, RIP My Friend, Philosopher, and Guide in this transitory world.

Mai Nahi Manta Ki Jane Se Pehle Tune Mujhe, Yaad Nahin Kiya - e - Mere Dost;
Kutch Mujhmein hi Kami Thi - ki -Teri - Awaaz - Nahin - Aayee!

Indian Hospitality Industry 5

Whenever I am abroad and tell people, I am in Hotel business, first question they ask, “Do you have good hotels in India”?  Do we?

Answer is, “Yes, of course we do”.

Indian hospitality is finest and recognized the world over for its warm courtesy and welcome.  Early records of our quintessential warmth can be traced back to 6th century when Chinese traveler Xuanzang visited India.  Today our guests from across the world eulogize about the legendary Indian hospitality, years after their visit. In this world of ‘unexpected’ we were and we are a nation that is considered humble, welcoming, warm and greatly hospitable.

Since the 70s we have been operating very good Hotels. Early properties came up with a big dose of hospitality strongly punctuated with Indian culture and heritage. Problem has been the ability to continue with same standards and services. Properties selected by me, as “The ten best” hotels in India are based on their following strength;

1. Quality of property in terms of structure, design and upkeep.
2. Quality of service, standard and quality of Food&Beverage
3.  Maintenance and continuity of the same standards, from the beginning.

But before I get to the final list, I would like to mention the names of hotels that were not included. These Hotels are;

•      Raj Vilas Jaipur, Wildflower Hall H.P., Amar Vilas Udaipur.
•     Leila Palace Bangalore and Goa.
•      The Oberoi Mumbai and Gurgaon and
•     Ashok Delhi.

Most of the Oberoi owned hotels loose out because, despite their efficient hospitality, they have an air of snobbery around them that borders on arrogance and doesn’t sit well with most of the critics. Their F&B standards lose out on many parameters of excellence. Leila Palaces in Bangalore and Goa does not offer brilliance beyond structure and design.  Ashok Hotel Delhi remains the best Build Hotel in this country but has been devastated by the political and bureaucratic meddling. On pretext of earning ITDC must stop leasing pieces property to oblige their political contacts. Even today the best brands world over would love to take over and run the Hotel because it still has the potential to be one of the best in the world- but I guess that will only remain a dream.

I now come to my very personal final list of best hotels in India without any influence or favors. World may differ in its opinion but people will tend to agree with my interpretation, only after having stayed in any of these hotels, because each one exudes  its own brand of  warmth and style. Even as I write this blog, the feeling and sensory experiences of service at each of these fine properties puts a nostalgic smile on my face- You may read on to know why!

 Taj Mumbai

This Hotel was conceived in 1898. It was  built and opened by TATA group in 1903. This was one the most prestigious projects undertaken to facilitate rich and famous from all over the world.  After 111 years of operation this Hotel, even today this Hotel boasts of best services and authentic food. Senior most corporate and tourism clients such as Managing Directors, Chairmen, Business Tycoons’ and country heads visiting Mumbai patronize this hotel. Thousands of clients who have been staying regularly for over 30/40 years and still feel the same warmth, hospitality and experience even today. For me the beautiful architecture, tasteful décor and personalized service that this Hotel has been offering for over hundred years is pinnacle of excellence. This indeed is the true landmark of grandeur and Indian hospitality

Grand Oberoi, Calcutta

Of all the Hotels in our country Grand Oberoi is closest to reminding us of British Raj. Grand Dame of Kolkata inaugurated this hotel in 1880. This hotel has a 200 hundred years Old handmade wooden piano and an iconic chandelier. The entrance to the hotel and Façade are very un assuming and are on one of the busiest roads of Calcutta the “Chowrangee”, this hotel has retained same high standard amicably maintained symbol of quality of product and services. Stay at this property brings back the memory of London, but with better service and hospitality standards. The food has been consistent in quality standard and presentation for over 35 years. When you look at the location and dramatic entry, elegance, class and world class hospitality, this is certainly one of the best Hotels of India. I wish other Oberoi Hotels could take lead from it.

Taj West End, Bangalore

I was frequenting Bangalore since 1984 and many a times I was lodged in Taj at MG road. I used to like the hotel a lot, but in 1993 ,when I visited again and instead stayed at West end Taj Bangalore, my opinion of Bangalore as city went up by at least five notches. This hotel is a heritage property built on 20 acres. It gives you a feeling , as if, you are staying in a Forrest resort, the rooms are rather large, spacious and well designed. The restaurant, coffee shop and Garden Café give the feel of a classy resort. The service - whenever I stayed - was impeccable and food was best in the city.

 Looking back in the pages of history, this hotel was opened by one Mrs. Bronson in 1887. In 1912 Spencer’s a very well established business Group took over the Hotel. Realizing the potential of this property they decided to hand it over to the professionals in 1984. Choice of Taj Group worked wonders with this property. Today so many wonderful properties have been added to this ever growing metropolitan city, including The Leila Palace but of them can hold a candle to Taj West End.

 Clarkes  Shimla - HP

Ones upon a time long long ago when I got married to Pamposh ( my wife of course) - we decided to go to Shimla for our honey moon and were booked in Clarkes Shimla by a friend, it is a beautiful hotel, a very romantic property  overlooking the valley and Shimla city with its Gothic Architecture. This was the first time I stayed in any Hotel in India. My experience of quality of Food and Services in this Hotel changed me as a  hotelier for better and forever. Every morning attendants wearing “Turra Pagri” would bring or restaurant. While having BF  in the restaurant they would discuss the lunch menu and finalize. Mean while room was cleaned and made ready. Similarly they would discuss & prepare food for dinner. By 5 pm hot tea with some snacks would come before we went out to town Centre. It was amazing hospitality, perfectly orchestrated which even today plays like a symphony in my private moments to fill the void created by time. It also makes me wonder why this same warm service has not been replicated in other properties of the group including Cecil and Wild Flower. Thereafter, I have visited Shimla over 25 times in 35 years for holidays and other reasons and have stayed in the same room (#51) every time for a ‘Total Recall’ of those precious  moments. This can happen only where guest is treated like Royalty.

 Lake View Udaipur

This Hotel is straight from the best fairytale story ever told. It is situated  in the middle of the dessert  where there is a lake, in the center of lake there is this beautiful palace with  intricate stone carvings and a dome. It all began with Maharaja Jagat Singh II in 1746, who built this palace as his own pleasure retreat. In 1963 Maharana Bhagwat Singh converted this into a hotel. Realizing the potential he handed over the management of Hotel to the Taj Group in 1971 and rest is history. This awesome property has been mesmerizing the tourists from all over the world for over 50 years. It boasts of grandeur, services, food and unbelievable charm of hospitality. For years and years this hotel has a reputation of having served the world’s famous and rich. People from all over the world made movies around this Palace. Many other Hotel companies have built many more lake view hotels, but when you talk of Rajasthan, its grandeur and experience, the name of this hotel remains synonymous with magnificence, the world over. I wish to call it the eighth wonder of the world.

Imperial Delhi

Mr. Bloomfield - Sir Edwin Lutyens’s Assistant- built this Hotel in 1931, it was inaugurated by Lord Willington in 1936. This magnificent Hotel is located on the Queens Way (Now Janpath). Shining marble floors, high ceilings and Burmese teak wood furniture make a fabulous first impression, while the historic art and antiques hint at what lies beyond. This is a truly a grand hotel beautifully preserved and improved upon, depicting Lyutens distinct Delhi’s glamour, charm and hospitality. It reminds you of the life and times of the ‘British Raj’ with ever friendly hospitality and it enjoys a distinction of being the most outstanding hotel in Delhi. They have their own exclusive clientele. Good consistent food, well appointed rooms and beautiful public areas that give them an edge over all other hotels in Delhi.

              

 Taj Lands End (Regent Mumbai)

In the late nineties, The Chairman of ‘Carlson Group’ came to India on business. He was taken to Band Stand Bandra, a posh Mumbai Suburb where, the first Radisson Hotel was being built, by not so famous Architect cum Interior Designer Naren Kuwardkar. Carlson’s Top boss was so impressed by what he saw that he offered the brand Regent for this property unconditionally. As we all know that Regent, at that time was considered the top brands in the world. This Hotel was owned and built by a rather famous Mumbai Builder- Late Mr. Shiraz Lokhandwala. Today even after more than fifteen years of operation this is still the best-built Hotel in India.

It was my good fortune to be associated with the opening and managing of this Hotel for first two years, this hotel scored on all levels. It has beautifully planned huge public areas, with lobby the size of a football field and forty square meters well-appointed rooms. Hotel created service standards, that Indian hospitality industry had never seen, or heard. Hotels like Oberoi and Taj couldn’t believe the stringent Service standards of Regent Hotels. As for food, each concept was unique and was very well received. This was the first complete Modern Hotel that could be compared to the best in the world. I give full credit for this Hotel to Late Mr. Lokhandwala (may he RIP). He was the ‘First and Last’ Mughal of our Industry in India. Sadly, he lost this amazing property to a very ethical Parsi group who acquired it by unethical means. Though it has lost that glamour, even today this Hotel continues to be a leader in hospitality in Mumbai.

Goa Marriott Resort & Spa-Panaji

Goa is a very popular holiday destination. As a hospitality consultant I keep visiting the city on a regular basis and have stayed in nearly all good hotels including Marriot Goa, which is a beautiful property, I like it so much that even if I am not staying there, I still make it a point to visit the Hotel at least for a meal or two. The Hotel atmosphere is electric, and the view of Miramar beach from the hotel is breathtaking. From day one this is the only Hotel in Goa where services are not marred by Goa’s care free attitude.  The courtesy and efficiency of the staff is very much similar to the best managed Hotels in Delhi and Mumbai. Food is consistent, well prepared and presented. Hotel is well built and nicely designed. This Hotel has been operating since 1999 and 15 years is a long time, it’s a job well done - Kudos to Marriot.

 Leila Palace, Delhi

This is the most talked about Hotel in the country. Built on most expensive real estate in Heart of Delhi, if rumors are to be believed, this is the most expensively built Hotel in Asia. This can only be the handiwork of a man with vision; Late Mr. Nair effort to create excellence has really worked. Food concepts are amazing, the quality of food served in all outlets is connoisseur’s   delight, the service and the staff is of highest standard. Every meal is a celebration, be it coffee in lounge to world class Italian cuisine.

Without trying to sound cheeky- I would say this is the most unlike Leila property. Late Mr. Nair’s dream has really come true. Their team should take the lead from this property and replicate the same standards in all other properties. This is not only one of the best built Hotels but also the best managed Leila property in the country.

                                                                                                                               Written By Anil Chak & Virat Varma

The opinion expressed in this blog is without prejudice and is personal view point of the author is basedonhis own observations, experiences, exposure. The criterion for judgment is without bias or any consideration of the sorts

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Indian Hospitality Industry 4

Hotel industry in its  present 'Avatar' of glamour, hospitality and services first emerged  in India in early seventies - Taj Intercontinental in Mumbai, Oberoi Intercontinental, Ashok and Akbar Hotels in Delhi and Ashok Bangalore were among the first of these avant-garde hotels to come up in India. These hotels had strong international influences in service, food and liquor. Industry leaders managing these hotels were Indian hotel professionals with extensive international experience.

The accent in these hotels was on service which was definitive. Food and Beverage section was show cased Primary attraction to the hotel was not the size of room or lobby or even location, but the restaurant's popularity. Some of the famous restaurants in Delhi back then were 'Sheesh Mahal' in Akbar . 'Rendezvous' in Ashoka . These Restaurants served the elite and influential of the city. Twenty four hour coffee shops were an obsession and were termed as 'Happening Places' where the presence of young & trendy made a “statement”. There was great excitement everyday of the year. Buffets were sold out, every coffee shop in the city boasted of their unique food and signature service with a happy smile. It was quite apparent that hotels ruled, Food and Beverage Market. Free standing restaurants became fewer and not frequented. No one wanted to eat anywhere other than at the hotels, because they  assured of quality, style and great service, “indeed these outlets were immence attractions to the who's who of that time regardless of the age”. Same thing happened to Banquets and weddings segment when new hotels came up with better banquet halls to meet the demand. Marriage dates were finalized subject to availability of a Hall. This phenomenon continued for years and Hotels ruled the food and beverage market. 

We Indians - for historical reasons -
are still in awe of our European masters. We choose to remain enamored by their dress code and lifestyle in absence of a substitute that is equally decent. Curiously enough no one ever deliberated to explore the rich 'Indian Style Hospitality', instead we conveniently emulated the American and European style service format, in the process we found ways of cutting down labor cost. Consequently, till date we are happily providing services similar to Europe and America. On the other hand, the industry witnessed a sea change in the service approach of Southeast Asian countries. They used their inexpensive manpower to inculcate their inherent style of sophistication, dignity and humbleness to improve their service standards, without compromising on American technology. The style of service that emerged out of this fusion became synonymous with care, efficiency and warmth. Since the nineties, hotels in Singapore, Bangkok, and Hong Kong are considered the best Hotels in the world. Brands like Four Season, Regent, Shangri-La, Mandarin Orient, Peninsula, Amman Resort, Lebua are all the products of Southeast Asia and are considered hallmarks in the world of hospitality industry. In India Oberoi Group introduced Raj Villas, product is very compatible but their snobbery remains a restricting factor to match the level of their counterparts in the Southeast Asia. 

Today after 25/30 years Hotel and Food & Beverage scenario has changed drastically in India. Nearly all top International brands are here to stay. Every hotel has 3 or 4 F&B outlets with large banqueting facilities. But overall volume of food and drink business has gone down substantially. Market has grown over ten times but that clientele is preferring free standing Restaurants, researches point out that  for every cover sold in a hotel, 20 covers are sold in freestanding outlets. As compared to what is available in Hotel, outside has much larger choice, better food and of course better service.

Service and Food in most of the hotel restaurants are expensive; food is average with inconsistent quality, service is below average. Random interactions with guests reveal a lot about their experiences, some common reactions are 'staff was rude', 'food was rotten', 'nobody cared', .service was really bad'. 'it took them half an hour to take our order and when food came, it was not what we ordered', 'glasses and cutlery were full of stains', 'tables were not clean', 'there was no one to attend'. I can keep going on; When the matter is taken up with the management, they go to the floor team, they promptly launch a campaign to extract forced opinions and comments from guests to prove they are right (the bad comments are destroyed). In this process who gets fooled- I know for sure the Guest does not.

Some factors that are responsible for receding trends of the 'Hospitality Quotient' in hotels are;

·    Basic standards have been compromised  drastically,
·    The warmth in guest services is at all time low
·    Attitude is casual –Thanks to the Americanization
·    Guest dealing has become rigid, and is at times even rude
·    Operations of F&B outlets in hotels are left to the supervisory staff who 'double up' as managers of the restaurant
·    Most hotels judge these fine F&B restaurants as ornamental accessories of the hotel, because all international chains consider that their profitability comes from Room revenue.
·    Guests remain largely frustrated and disappointed as they are made to pay high cost for the kind of Food they can get in any small Restaurant  at a star class hotels –  be it a coffee shop or a Indian, Chinese (Asian),Italian, or be it a wood paneled bars with leather sofas.
·    Foods in most of these hotels remain's average as nothing is freshly prepared.
·    In Hotels, price of food is very high as compare to the free standing restaurants.
·    Menu's today are prepared, not on the basis of each Hotel Chef and his team's specialization; instead every one sticks to typical standard menu –which is hassle free.
·    As for service, if restaurant is doing well you are forced to abrupt and hasty service that is made to look like a favor and if the restaurant is not doing well then service will be even worse - as manager and supervisor are most probably not around.The banquet business has gone down substantially taken away by all kinds of new venues for weddings and parties around town. The reason again is soaring banquet rates which are much higher than those being offered by the best  outdoor caterers in the market. Menu offered by these caterers have wide and diverse choice and the quality of food is far superior to hotels. Only the area where hotels are able to score is, air-conditioned banquet halls and rising demand.

This is not true of all Hotel Restaurants and  there are exception to the rule, for example Hyatt Delhi's China Kitchen and La Piazza, ITC Murya's Bukhara and Dum Pukht, quite surprisingly all these are 20 year old concepts and are still going strong. What a Pity ! We have not been able to create even one exceptional food concept in last 20 years?!?!?

On the other hand free standing outlets have mushroomed all over, with dozens of novel concepts and all are doing equally well. Along with food, it is their personalized service which is helping them retain guests with repeat visits. Even their branches are well off with queues getting longer every year. In Delhi locations like Pandara Road, Defense Colony Market, Cyber Hub Gurgaon, Vasant Kunj and Saket Malls have become discerning F&B locations for middle and upper class masses. Today Cyber Hub sells more food and beverages in one day then the rest of Gurgaon Hotels put together in one week.

Keeping in view the present trends and  growing competition, it is my well considered opinion  that it's time to seriously work on a major strategy overhaul if we want to improve the F&B sales and its contribution in improving Hotel's fincial performance.

How and what should be done to bring about a change for the better?
It is simple! We just need to go beyond the basics of F&B.
·    Hotel Management must have a strong conviction that high quality Food and Beverages with good            concepts can lift the hotel business. They must research and plan re inventing restaurants with personalized services.
·    F&B Manager, Chef and the whole team must believe in their ability excel and must strive for zero error and complaint system.
·    Training of operation, attitude, motivation and guest relation must be thorough.
·    Quality of food must be researched and placed on menu after meticulous planning. Every dish must be distinct and prepared to perfection right from a boiled egg to Lobster Thermidor and served with proper presentation with right accompaniments & garnishes and miss out on simply nothing.
·    Every Guest must be treated like God – Atithi Devo Bhava.
·    Whatever the menu may be, never say no to special requests, and treat them as an opportunity to score and show that you truly care.
·    Choice and variety is important, not the number of dishes.
·    Be competitive in price and be reasonable. The menu rates must be attractive and quality of food excellent. Then let the word of mouth do the trick. It just can't go wrong.
·    Use most modern technology to improve storage and preparation techniques and to enhance quality and freshness.

·    For Banquets, be a perfect host, guest is spending his life's saving for his family function. It is his reputation not yours, online at stake. Make it happen for him; give him the best experience of his life. See how banqueting flourishes

·    While finalizing banquet function, negotiate hard and once finalized, no further talk of money- just provide pure unadulterated hospitality to him and his guest.
·    The Host should taste banquet food before the function starts, so that you can make changes if required.
·    Banquet Service should be personalized. Meet every whim and fancy of the guests.

As hoteliers please remember that good hospitality, classy service and tasty food are sure shot success formula world over, it also increase occupancy, improves room revenue and profitability.

as integral part of Hotels success. All these hotels had restaurants that made bold statement in terms of both quality of food and services. Every guest was treated like God, staff was trained to memorize the menu along with the definition of each entry. Food variety although limited was of very high quality. They had right accompaniments', with authentic garnishes and proper dressings. Suggestions of right beverages were a part of service and so on. Every guest was made to feel special. Complaints 

were handled fanatically with respect, every appreciation and complaint would go to  the managing directors of 'The Group Company'.

Written by Anil Chak & Virat Varma