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