magazine - fhrai.com50 SPA 62 PROODUCTS 52 GUEST COLUMN 44 GM CANVAS 36 44 48 55 60 FHRAI B-82, 8th Floor, Himalaya House Kasturba Gandhi Marg, New Delhi 110001 Tel: 91-11-40780780,

JUNE 2015 A MONTHLY ON HOSPITALITY TRADEBy DDP Publications

Vol 15 Issue 6 Pages 70 `50

magazine

Supported by:

PLUS: BEHIND THE SCENE MAGICIANS

OPERATIONS32

HOUSEKEEPING24

Raashi Ajmani GirdharCOVER DESIGN

JUNE 2015

25OPERATIONS

BEHIND THE SCENE MAGICIANS

We got in touch with the Chief Engineers of different hotels to highlight the vital role this department plays in the smooth functioning of all hotel operations.

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PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE FHRAI DESK

SECRETARY’S MESSAGE NEWS UPDATES

PRODUCTS & SERVICES APPOINTMENTS

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FEATURES

TECHNOLOGY GOING THE TECH WAY

From our tech experts, we find out which tech trends will be the game changer in the

competitive hotel and restaurant market in 2015

SECRETARY GENERAL Amitabh Devendra - [email protected]

EDITOR Deepa Sethi - [email protected]

PUBLISHER Gunjan Sabikhi - [email protected]

ASSOCIATE EDITOR Kanchan Nath - [email protected]

CREATIVE DESIGN Tushar Upadhyay

MARKETING & SALES - DELHI Gunjan Sabikhi - [email protected] Asst. Vice President – Marketing

Rajat Tyagi - [email protected] Deputy General Manager (+919650399909)

Udit Pandey - [email protected] Sr Manager Agency Sales (+919650399907)

Sudhir Pandey - [email protected] Assistant Manager - Sales (+919650399926)

Shradha Kapoor - [email protected] Senior Executive – Marketing (+919650196525

Gaganpreet Kaur - [email protected] Sr. Marketing Co-ordinator (+919650399934

MUMBAI Harshal Ashar - [email protected] Deputy General Manager (+919619499167)

Priyanshu Wankhade - [email protected] Asst. Manager Advertising (+919619499170)

FHRAI - MARKETING S.P. Joshi

PRODUCTION MANAGER Anil Kharbanda

ADVERTISEMENT DESIGNERS Vikas Mandotia Nitin Kumar

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FHRAIB-82, 8th Floor, Himalaya HouseKasturba Gandhi Marg, New Delhi 110001Tel: 91-11-40780780, Fax: +91-11-40780777Email: [email protected]

FHRAI Magazine is printed and published by Gunjan Sabikhi on behalf of Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Association of India and printed at Cirrus Graphics Pvt.Ltd., B 62/14, Phase-II, Naraina Industrial Area New Delhi 110028 and published at Durga Das Publications Pvt. Ltd. 72 Todarmal Road New Delhi 110001 Email: [email protected] Tel : 91-11-41669575 Fax: 91-11-41669577

This issue of FHRAI Magazine contains 66+4 pages cover

All information in the FHRAI Magazine is derived from sources, which we consider reliable and a sincere effort is made to report accurate information. It is passed on to our readers without any responsibility on our part. The publisher regrets that he cannot accept liability for errors and omissions contained in this publication, however caused. Similarly, opinions/views expressed by third parties in abstract and/or in interviews are not necessarily shared by FHRAI Magazine or DDP. However, we wish to advice our readers that one or more recognised authorities may hold different views than those reported. Material used in this publication is intended for information purpose only. Readers are advised to seek

publication which is provided for general use, and may not be appropriate for the readers’ particular circumstances. Contents of this publication are copyright. No part of FHRAI Magazine or any part of the contents thereof may be reproduced, stored in retrieval system or transmitted in

any form without the permission of the publication in writing. The same rule applies when there is a copyright or the article is taken from another publication. An exemption is hereby granted for the extracts used for the purpose of fair review, provided two copies of the same publication are sent to us for our records. Publications reproducing material either in part or in whole, without permission could face legal action. The publisher assumes no responsibility for returning any material solicited or unsolicited nor is he responsible for material lost or damaged.This publication is not meant to be an endorsement of any

The publisher reserves the right to refuse, withdraw, amend or otherwise deal with all advertisements without explanation. All advertisements must comply with the Indian and International Advertisements Code. The publisher will not be liable for any damage or loss caused by delayed publication, error or failure of an advertisement to appear.

FEATURES

HOUSEKEEPING SWEET DREAMS

Executive housekeepers share their mantra for getting the perfect sleep.

GM CANVASMICE, BIGGEST

REVENUE GENERATOR FOR THE ASHOK

Interview with Sudha Chandra, GM, The Ashok, New Delhi, on the iconic hotel.

SPA SOCIAL ‘SPA-ING’

IN INDIAN SPAS In a tête-à-tête with Tracey Poole the Spa Director, Six Senses Spa

at Jaypee Greens Golf & Spa Resort, Greater Noida, we find

out more about holistic wellness.

GUEST COLUMNWINE TOURISM

IN INDIA Lavina Kharkwal, eminent WSET

certified wine enthusiast takes us on a journey of Wine Tourism.

RESTAURANT REVIEW A LAVISH SPREAD

FOR DELHIITES Ambrosia Bliss has more than 125 dishes on its menu, something for

everyone but more in sync with the north Indian palate.

June 2015 I www.fhrai.com I8

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

As FHRAI is celebrating its Golden Jubilee at its Annual Convention at Bhubaneswar, we have designed our Membership Discount card in

keeping with the vision statement of the convention that is “Shaping the Future and Celebrating the Past”.

The theme of the convention goes with the inherent spirit of Indian hospitality and elaborates as “Atiti Devo Bhava” - Guest is like God. As hoteliers, we want to spread this message across the world to bring more tourists to our shores as well as promote our domestic destinations.

The Hon’ble Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has been stressing that tourism is an important engine of economy for generating income and employment. Recently the Prime Minister while in China extended e-Tourist visa (eTV) to Chinese nationals. With the likelihood of increased tourism from across the border, it’s our time to cash in on the opportunities available.

HOTELS ALONG RELIGIOUS CIRCUITSUnderstanding a destination along with imbibing facets of its culture and religion are all parts of experiential hospitality. In tune with the initiatives taken by the government, there remains a huge scope to develop hotels in Tier II and Tier III cities along the Buddhist circuit, and Krishna circuit, which includes Mathura and Vrindavan and the soon to be developed Jain, Sufi and Ramayana circuits in the country.

The Union Ministry of Tourism plans to develop Jain, Sufi and Ramayana circuits in the country in addition to the existing circuits already being developed by the Ministry. An amount of `100 crore has been allocated for the 12 religious cities selected under the PRASAD scheme and `600 crore has been provided for the Swadesh Darshan scheme for the current year. The government has

launched the PRASAD scheme to facilitate spiritual and pilgrimage tourism.

Odisha is a rich centre of India’s historical and cultural heritage and Puri has been included as one of the 12 cities for development under the scheme. Employment Generation and Community Participation in tourism development, besides laying stress on development of tourism in a sustainable and responsible manner.

NATIONAL TOURISM POLICY, 2015The draft tourism policy has been circulated with the government inviting comments from the various stakeholders. Your association had given numerous suggestions and we are happy to note that our recommendations pertaining to inclusion of tourism in the concurrent list of the constitution; classifying hotels as infrastructure projects to enabling them to access term loans at preferred interest rates have been accepted amongst other things.

INCREASED TAXATIONThe gazette notification increasing service tax to 14 per cent with effect from 1st June 2015 has been recently issued. This increase in service tax does not bode well for the industry as even though the service provider is responsible for depositing the same the brunt of it is borne by the customer. We will continue our efforts to persuade the government to include services rendered by hotels and restaurants in the negative list of services and are hopeful with the GST being successfully implemented in 1st April 2016 this will get resolved.

Let us start by making the 50th Annual FHRAI Convention a success.

T.S. WaliaPresident, FHRAI

Dear fellow members,

In tune with the initiatives taken by the government, there remains a huge scope to develop hotels in Tier II and Tier III cities along the Buddhist circuit, Krishna circuit, and the soon to be developed Jain, Sufi and Ramayana circuits in the country.

With warm regards,

T.S. WaliaPresident, FHRAI

MP EXTRAVAGANZA FOR THE INDUSTRYMadhya Pradesh Tourism organised a get-together for the travel trade and hospitality fraternity at The Ashok, New Delhi. The event showcased destinations, handicrafts, tribal dance forms, cuisine, Tourism Year; Simhastha 2016 and investment opportunities in the state. It was attended by a galaxy of people from travel trade, industry associations, trade associations, media and dignitaries from various walks of life. It was organised in the distinguished presence of Shri Shivraj Singh Chauhan, Chief Minister; Shri Surendra Patwa,Tourism Minister; Shri Anthony DeSa, Chief Secretary; Shri Lalit K Panwar, Secretary Tourism; Umang Narula, CMD ITDC Group; TS Walia, President FHRAI; Subhash Goel, President IATO; Vivek Mathur, GM marketing MP Tourism; Jyoti Kapur, President ADTOI; Entrepreneur Manu Jagmohan Singh, Odissi dancer Sharon Lowen , Art curator Naresh Kapuria among others.

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SECRETARY’S MESSAGE

Dear fellow members,

The major achievement of the Ministry of Tourism has been the introduction of the e-visa scheme wherein foreign nationals can apply for visas for India from their homes.

As the Indian Government completes its one year of office, it is also appropriate to take a stock of the various achievements of the Ministry

of Tourism, Government of India in the ensuing period.

The major achievement of the Ministry of Tourism has been the introduction of the e-visa scheme wherein foreign nationals can apply for visas for India from their homes instead of visiting the Indian Embassies/High Commissions in their countries. This has opened up tourism in India in a big way and the results are already there to be seen.

A new National Tourism Policy 2015 is being finalised which would focus on:

(a) Employment generation as well as community participation in tourism development;

(b) Stress on development of tourism in a sustainable and responsible manner;

(c) A major decision would be the setting up of the National Tourism Advisory Board and National Tourism Authority which would have wide powers to implement various policies and decisions taken by the Ministry of Tourism;

(d) Setting up of a dedicated university for tourism and hospitality education to cater to the 300,000 guestrooms which are required if the target of 12 million Foreign Tourist Arrivals and the forecasted domestic visitation are to be achieved;

(e) Strong emphasis on technology enabled development in tourism.

Some of the important on-going activities comprise the following:

The launch of the ‘Incredible India Help Line’ on a 24x7 basis to provide the tourist valuable information and to guide them during emergencies. This service is available toll free on telephone no.1800111363 or on a short code 1363. Several conclaves have been organised to promote tourism in various parts of the country such as International Buddhist Conclave in Bodhgaya and Sarnath. The National Mission on Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Augmentation Drive scheme was introduced which aims at integrated development of pilgrimage destinations

to provide complete religious and spiritual tourism experience. The Spice Route project, an initiative of the State Government of Kerala supported by the Ministry of Tourism is an ambitious endeavour that seeks to connect 31 countries from Europe to the Far East which have traded with India for spices using the Muziris Heritage Project as a base.

Among other initiatives, has been “The China-India Joint Statement on Closer Developmental Partnership,” which was issued during the visit of the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India to China. Similar agreements signed with the Governments of Australia, France and Nepal during the visits of the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India which will also help in augmenting tourism cooperation and tourist arrivals into India.

It is, therefore, to be seen from the aforesaid proactive measures taken by the Ministry of Tourism that all efforts will be made in conjunction with the Ministry of Finance; Ministry of Environment & Forests and other Ministries/Departments to put in place industry’s long standing request for placing the hotel industry in the second slab of the GST so that the combined tax would be maximum of 8 per cent; the rationalisation of CRZ Rules in 100 meters of select coastal stretches in the country; simplification of FSSAI procedures and the modification in the classification of hotels by the Ministry of Environment & Forests as a red category sector.

Finally, the request to the Hon’ble Minister of State (I/C) for Tourism, Culture and Civil Aviation to kindly take up the matter of the hotel industry which is suffering because of not being qualified for the refinance of their current debt by the 5/25 Scheme introduced by the Ministry of Finance conferring a repayment schedule of upto 25 years and at a lower rate of interest. The matter is being taken up with the Hon’ble Minister of Finance so that necessary modification in the Gazetted Notification No.13/6/2009-INF dated 7th October, 2013 can be issued.

Vivek Nair Hony. Secretary

With warm regards,

Vivek NairHonorary Secretary

GEARING UP

ANNUAL FHRAI CONVENTIONT S Walia, President, FHRAI, led a delegation to invite Dr Mahesh Sharma, Minister of Tourism(IC) for the Annual Con-vention of FHRAI. The 50th Annual FHRAI Convention is to be held in Bhubaneswar between September 25 and 27 at MayFair Conven-tion. Other members present included Dilip Ray, CMD, Mayfair Group Sudesh Poddar, Hony Treasurer, FHRAI and Souvagya Ku-mar Mohapatra, Executive Director, Mayfair Hotels & Resorts. The theme of this Golden Jubilee Convention will be ‘Atithi Devo Bhava’.

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FHRAI will hold its 50th Annual Convention at Bhubaneswar. Launching the Golden Jubilee Convention mnemonic,

Shri Ashok Chandra Panda, Minister of Tourism and Culture, Government of Odisha, said, “We are pleased that FHRAI has chosen Odisha to hold its Golden Jubilee Convention. Our state has a rich diversity of tourism assets and the event will help us to showcase to the world the splendours of Odisha.”

Shri Tejinder Singh Walia, President FHRAI said, “It is a proud privilege for FHRAI that Odisha Tourism has partnered with us to hold the Golden Jubilee Convention, which is for the first time being held in a tier-II city in eastern India. The 13 states and a union territory comprising eastern India have immense tourism potential and we are confident that this event will be a catalyst for the growth of tourism in the region.”

50th ANNUAL FHRAI CONVENTION LOGO UNVEILED

The introduction of GST bill and its passing by

Lok Sabha is a welcome step and the hospitality industry is happy that there will be a single point uniform taxation for all hotels and res-taurants throughout the country. It will substan-tially reduce paper work and multiple filing of various tax returns will be a thing of the past.

The optimism is however circumspect as the industry is not sure about the rate of GST that will be fixed by the government.

The indicative rate of 16 to 20 per cent which is being speculated is very high for the hospitality industry and will mean a body blow to the industry, as a result of which the hotels and restaurants will suffer badly.The

members of our Association feel that the GST rates for the hospitality industry should be capped at 10 per cent. Since government is now targeting a manifold increase in Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs) it should in-troduce a facility whereby the foreign guests who have paid GST on their hotel and restaurant bills can claim refund of GST at the airport at the time of departing.

Sudesh Poddar, President, Hotel & Restaurant As-sociation of Eastern India says, “We are confident that the e-visa initiative of the Government of India coupled with GST refund for foreign guests will spur the tour-ism industry into a high growth trajectory.” It is important to note that the hospitality industry will not be able to derive much advantage by taking input credit, as a major expense of any hotel or restau-rant is the manpower cost and the cost of fuel. Since initially taxes on fuel will not fall under the purview of GST, input tax credit will be much lower than the tax collected. In this scenario, it is important that the Em-powered Committee of GST takes into account these factors before specifying the rate of GST for this sector.

HRAEI CALLS FOR LOWER RATE OF GST

Sudesh Poddar President HRAEI

(L-R) Ashok Chandra Panda, Minister of Tourism & Culture, Govt. of Odisha unveils FHRAI 50th Convention logo, Dilip Ray, Convention Chairman and T.S Walia, President FHRAI


IMPROVING BRAND VISIBILITY WITH SOCIAL MEDIA

As a part of the initiatives taken for the benefits and awareness of Association Members, Hotel and

Restaurants Association of Northern India (HRANI) and Hotel and Restaurant Association of Rajasthan (HRAR) together organised a seminar on “How Social Media Works for Hospitality” on May 23rd, 2015 at ITC Rajputana, Jaipur.

The objective of the seminar was to educate members on the latest trends of Social Media and improving brand visibility. Planning a successful social media marketing campaign and identification of target markets were also covered in the session by the speakers Priyanka Chauhan, Business Development Manager, Internet Moguls and Keith Roy, Social Media Manager, Internet Moguls.

Welcoming the honourable members and other guests in the seminar, Renu Thapliyal, Secretary General, HRANI cited that Social Media has proved an effective mode of communication and marketing the products in many industries and hospitality is one of them. Certainly it’s a cost effective, accountable way of marketing. If the marketing concerns of the brand are visible on the social media it may provide boom to the profit margins for the owners. Social Media campaigns can be result oriented,

especially for the hospitality industry as they help emphasize Brand Recall, Sales Promotions, PR Activity and improved brand image and positioning.

Sessions held included the following topics: Social Media – A powerful tool; How to plan a successful social media marketing campaign? What is the importance of Imagery? How to improve your brand visibility on social media? Everyone is in a race, and to

sustain in this competitive rush, social media has proven to be a helpful medium. They clarified the importance of posts, ads, colours, hash tags, like, comments on a link and probably, it could be the keys to scale the visibility of brands.

Luv Malhotra, President, HRANI said, “Social Media is a powerful tool for improving the brand visibility and is also the need of hour. Cutting-edge technology in the hospitality domain can give a competitive edge at all levels and to compete in this challenging environment, we need to have a social media marketing campaign”.

The Seminar was held to benefit the HRANI & HRAR members of Rajasthan. The event was also graced by the Managing Committee Members of HRANI who had come to Jaipur for the Board Meeting of the Association.

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REDEFINING HOSPITALITY MONETISING TOURISM

The SIHRA Conven-tion 2015 is going

to be held from July 2-4, 2015. This event is being conducted for the first time in Hyder-abad at the Taj Krishna Hyderabad with cultural events planned at the Ramoji Film City and Taramati Baradari. The theme of the con-vention is ‘Redefining Hospitality-Mone-tising Tourism’.

The topics for the session will include Changing Technology, Hu-man Resource Management, New Concepts in F&B and Restaurants, Branding of Hotels and Franchises and the Role of Governments in framing policies for the Hospitality Industry among others. Also the speakers at the con-vention are experts in their respective fields.

Syama Raju, President, SIHRA, said,”It is our endeavour to provide our esteemed col-

leagues with the latest developments, best practices and relevant knowledge in the hospitality industry, especially with reference to our region and also on a global level.” The sessions have been planned to include interactive question and answer discussions to provide members a platform to voice their opinions and views on significant topics.

A special session with members of the department of tourism, both at the regional and national level, is also being considered to ensure a direct interface for the

participants with the Government. A trade show is also on the cards where we expect participa-

tion from leading suppliers and organisations related to the hospitality industry.

Syama Raju, President, SIHRA is being ably assisted by DVS Soma Raju, EC

member, SIHRA and Chairman Conven-tion Committee, office bearers of the State Association of Telegana and Andhra Pradesh and leading local ho-teliers. Members of the SIHRA Execu-tive Committee are also involved in the planning and organisation. They are expecting about 600 participants to attend the three day extravagansa.

Syama Raju President SIHRA

TOURIST ARRIVALS CLIMB UP THE LADDER

Last month, 19,139 tourists arrived in India on e-Tourist Visa, as compared with 2,167 under the

earlier Tourist Visa(eTV) on Arrival (TVoA) Scheme in April 2014, registering a growth of 783.2 per cent. From January to April 2015, 94,998 tourists arrived on e-Tourist Visa, as compared with 8,008 under the earlier TVoA Scheme last year, registering a growth of 1086.3 per cent. This high growth may be attributed to introduction of the e-Tourist Visa for 76 countries as against coverage of the earlier TVoA scheme for 12 countries, as per a release.

The Government of India had launched TVoA enabled by Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA), presently known as e-Tourist Visa (eTV) scheme, on November 27, 2014 for 43 Countries. The scheme was extended to the citizens of Guyana and Sri Lanka in January and April this year,

respectively. The e-Tourist Visa facility is extended to the nationals of 31 countries this month.

The percentage shares of Top 10 source countries who availed of the e-Tourist Visa last month were USA (31.83 per cent), Russian Federation (12.27 per cent), Australia (11.42 per cent), Germany (9.37 per cent), Republic of Korea (4.67 per cent), Ukraine (4.36 per cent), Thailand (3.56 per cent), Mexico (2.93 per cent), New Zealand (2.67 per cent), and Japan (2.37 per cent).

The percentage shares of different airports in tourist arrivals on e-Tourist Visa during April 2015 were New Delhi (45.69 per cent), Mumbai (18.68 per cent), Goa (10.91 per cent), Bengaluru (6.80 per cent), Chennai (6.47 per cent), Kolkata (3.29 per cent), Kochi (3.21 per cent), Hyderabad (3.07 per cent), and Thiruvananthapuram (1.88 per cent).

FHRAI DESK

PARK INN BY RADISSON IP EXTENSION NOW OPEN

INTERCONTINENTAL DUBAI MARINA OPENS

LAUNCH

EXPANSION

Park Inn by Radisson IP Extension, the first next generation Park Inn by

Radisson hotel in the Capital, opened for international and domestic travellers. With the addition of this hotel, Carlson Rezidor will now have 74 hotels in operation and 43 hotels in the pipeline.

“Park Inn by Radisson IP Extension will deliver what travel-lers are looking for. It is perfectly positioned to capture the mid-scale market as it offers good value and friendly hospitality. This hotel is another testimony of the successful partnership with Bestech Hospitality, with whom we have signed a joint venture to build 49 Park Inn by Radisson hotels. Currently there are eight such hotels in the pipeline,” said Raj Rana, Chief Executive Officer, South Asia, Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group.

Location is a delight for business travellers as the hotel is conveniently located on NH 24 surrounded by corporate hub of Noida, Ghaziabad Sahibabad and Patparganj industrial area. Shopping places are within 3 Kms radius of the hotel. Golf courses, the Zoo and other leisure activities within reach.

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has announced the opening of InterContinental Dubai Marina, a 132 guest

room luxury hotel with 196 fully serviced InterContinental Residential Suites in the centre of one of Dubai’s most popular and vibrant neighbourhoods. The hotel is a show-case of cutting edge design and décor, with bespoke mod-ern art, design and sculptures throughout. With stunning views of the marina and nine restaurant and bars on offer, InterContinental Dubai Marina creates the perfect

setting for guests to enjoy all that Dubai has to offer.

Michael Martin, General Manager, InterContinen-tal Dubai Marina said: “With our diverse range of world-class restaurant and bars, venues, we will bring a new vibe to the Dubai Marina, giving the city’s discerning diners the opportunity to experience some of the best flavours from around the world, all year round. We are confident InterContinental Dubai Marina will be the place to see and be seen in Dubai.”

NEWS UPDATES

opening of InterCoroom luxury hotel wResidential Suites inpopular and vibrant case of cutting edgern art, design andviews of the maroffer, InterConti

setting for gue

Michael Mtal Dubai Mof world-cwill bringgiving topportflavouroundDuband


SAROVAR OPENS THIRD HOTEL IN AFRICA-THE ZEHNERIA PORTICO

CHOICE HOTELS UNVEILS NEW BRAND IDENTITY

OPENING

BRAND

Sarovar Hotels & Resorts, recently announced the opening of The Zehneria Portico, Nairobi. With the

opening of this 56 room hotel, Sarovar Hotels has further strengthened its connection with this region. This will be

Company’s second hotel in Nairobi after The Heron Portico and the third in Africa, including the New Africa Hotel in Dar-es-Salaam - Tanzania. Sarovar is now looking at open-ing a premiere property in Nairobi in the mid of 2016.

Commenting on the de-velopment, Anil Mad-hok, MD, Sarovar Hotels & Resorts said, “At pres-ent we are focusing on expanding in East Africa as we are well versed with this market and we consider it as a second home for our Company. Nairobi, the capital and the largest city of Kenya, is now one of the most prominent cities in Africa both politically and fi-nancially. It is popularly known as the “Green City in the Sun”.

Choice Hotels International, one of the world’s leading hotel companies, introduced a new identity that is

rolling out company-wide. The launch includes a new look and feel and an integrated advertising campaign that spans TV, radio, digital, and mobile designed to grow Choice’s brand awareness and celebrate everyday experiences and “people connections.” A redesigned ChoiceHotels.com makes it easier to book hotel reserva-tions from any device, making those people connections more effortless than ever. The new identity will be activated across public relations, social media, and strategic partnerships to reach potential hotel guests in all channels. These integrated efforts reflect a new positioning that reinforces why people choose Choice Hotels when they travel.

The refreshed brand positioning and new identity builds off of Choice Hotels’ 75 year legacy as a gateway to a portfolio of brands. It also reflects the new direction and

growth of the company as it realises opportunities with business travellers across the portfolio, particularly in the upscale segment, and among millennials. “Our goal is to bring people together and welcome every guest, wher-ever their journey takes them,” says Robert McDowell, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Distribution at Choice Hotels International. “We want to stand out and show people that we understand what truly matters to them. Travel is not only about the destination. It’s about connecting with the people you are going to see there. Choosing to get out and go might not be the easiest option, but it’s the right one.” He adds, “Our portfolio of brands spans a range of price points and guest experi-ences that meet any stay occasion anywhere around the world. Choice Privileges offers the rewards and perks guests are looking for, so no matter where your people are, a Choice Hotels property is never far away—and the people at our hotels are always ready to make you feel welcome, wanted, and respected”.

24June 2015 I www.fhrai.com I

NEWS UPDATES

BEING ENVIRONMENTALLY CONSCIOUS Due to increased financial crunch, the hospitality industry is nowadays more environmentally conscious. If the hotel is not sustainable, expenses can go very high. Nowdays the HLP costs are very high which is a concern for all the hotels. So now it is necessary to reduce the energy cost to increase hotel profitability. If the energy consumption will reduce, than automatically carbon emission in the environment will reduce. Also

the green energy like in the form of solar power/ wind power/ bio gas power can be used to reduce carbon emissions.

DIFFICULT SITUATIONS ACT-ED UPON WITH PANACHE I was working as Engineering Super-visor at Radisson Hotel, Mahipalpur. The hotel had just started and it was the first rainy season for the hotel. I was on night shift and there was a heavy downpour. All the engineering plants were in the first basement. The rain was so heavy that all the water from NH-8 (In front of the hotel) travelled in the basement through ramps. We had nothing to control that flooding water. There was almost one feet of water in the plant room and the electrical panels dipped in the flooded water, making the situation criti-cal. We finally stopped the electrical supply at around 5 am. After switching off the supply, the rain also stopped in some time.

We had to remove the water from the basement to start the electrical supply. But how could we salvage the situation? Now it was almost 5 pm.

When all the things failed, my Electrical Associate KK Dubey and I took a decision, we disconnected the electrical wires at some places in the main electrical panels which were dipped in the water. All the employees were asked to move away from the area filled with water. We then went in front of the panel and switched on the Electrical supply

breaker and it was safely switched on. There after we started our hotel’s submersible pumps and after three hours we removed all the water from the basement. This was a very critical situation for me but at last we controlled it.

Prikshit Yadav Chief Engineer Radisson Blu Hotel Greater Noida

BEHIND THE SCENEMAGICIANSThe engineering department is the strongest support system of all the other departments in a hotel. The smooth, efficient, and economical functioning of a hotel is dependent on the superb engineering in the hotel. We bring your attention to these behind the scene magicians, who wave their wand of knowledge for the magical, perfect experience in hotels.

Kanchan Nath

If the energy consumption will reduce then carbon emission in the environment will also reduce.

OPERATIONS


OPERATIONS

RESPONSIBILITIES@CHIEF ENGINEER My responsibility as a Chief Engi-neer is to supervise the operation, maintenance, and repair of hotel equipment, tools, and facilities. I generally oversee the maintenance staff and work in both an office setting and on the property, ad-dressing HVAC and other types of issues. In addition to maintenance duties, I also work with contractors to coordinate renovations, remodel-ing projects and new construction. My primary duty as a hotel chief engineer is to assure the smooth daily operation and guest appeal of the hotel. Within the hotel, as Chief Engineer, I direct the maintenance staff on small repairs, such as patch-ing drywall, fixing faulty wiring, or unclogging drains.

More complex problems require that I consult blueprints or product manuals in order to fix boilers or

air-conditioning mo-tors. I also assign staff to repair sprinklers or instruct grounds crew to maintain outside landscaping.

As Chief Engineer I also manage main-tenance workers and participate in hiring,

training and mentoring staff. I also train the worker on how to properly install a faucet. Additionally, I do evaluate a staff member’s cumula-tive performance, noting areas for improvement. Lastly, I also budget material and labour expenses and submit these assessments to the hotel manager.

ENERGY AND WASTE MAN-AGEMENT, WATER CONSER-VATION

Since the earliest days of Thomas Edison’s vision of city-wide

electrification, there has existed the need

to ensure the conservation of power in order to prevent “black-

out,” grid failures.

This same challenge exists today as much as it did then – to do more

with less, to save without com-promising. The hotel industry is one of the major consumers of electric, natural gas and water. Today, saving energy is easier and more cost effec-tive than ever before. All major hotel brands have implemented strategies to address their carbon footprint and reduce their energy load to become more responsible stewards of the planet. Energy reduction is major component of transforming or build-ing a property to be recognised as a “Green or Sustainable” building.

When building a sustainability strat-egy, here are a few things to keep in mind to yield the biggest benefits. First, benchmark the property to determine your current energy usage. There are two primary ways to establish baseline data. Either utilize an energy accounting system to analyze historical energy use taking into account any changes in operations, extreme seasonal weather or other factors that might affect the site intensity or energy costs at a building or property, or model current energy use in the building known as a calibrated simulation.

Khadanga Prasanta Kumar Chief EngineerThe Lalit Grand Palace, Srinagar

Energy reduction is major component of transforming or building a property to be recognised as a “Green or Sustainable” building.

ENERGY AND WAGEMENT, WATVATION

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OPERATIONS

CHIEF ENGINEER@ HYATT PUNE KALYANI NAGAR

Upkeep of entire property to meet the highest level of guest expectations.

Explore and execute opportuni-ties to control HLP and energy conservation.

Keep the management informed about major engineering chal-lenges and property status.

Train and manage a team of highly motivated associates.

DAILY OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE@HYATT PUNE KALYANI NAGAROur team carries out Planned Preventive Maintenance of guest rooms, equipment and public areas in addition to day-to-day complaints. We work on the weekly snag list prepared for various departments and areas. We also process purchase requisitions, work orders and vendor management for outsourced works.

PLANNING ENERGY MANAGEMENTSaving energy is equal to generating profit, since most properties today shell out 10 – 15 per cent of their revenue on energy. There is an acute shortage for power and pricing of power is quite high in most of the states in the nation.

There should be strategic plan on energy management with targets to achieve every year. Waste manage-ment starts from proper segrega-

tion of waste from its generation point. An engineer should be well versed with different methodology of recycling and reuse of such items as well. Water conservation became crucial especially for hotels due to diminishing availability and supply of fresh water. A well designed and managed property can reuse water up to 60 per cent.

Hotel engineers must meticulously follow all the above said points to achieve a better sustainability score. There should be a green committee formed within the hotel and the engineer must spearhead the same. There should be minimum one green initiative every month to execute.

SAFETY AND HEALTH DETAILS Being an American hotel brand, we give utmost importance to safety of our guest, associates and property. We give first preference to all fire and life safety equip-ment and its performance. Almost all such equipment is under AMC with its manufacturer or supplier to ensure zero break down and smooth

operation of the same. As far as health is concerned, we ensure that our water treat-ment plant works well, since there are number of waterborne diseases. Also the pool water treatment and its monitoring on various parameters is done on a regular basis. Disinfection of aircondi-tioning units and drain lines are mandatory.

Sebastian Joseph Engineering Assistant Director, Hyatt Pune Kalyani Nagar

A well designed and managed property can reuse water up to 60 per cent.


OPERATIONS

MAINTENANCE AND COORDINATIONChief Engineers manage the maintenance team and ensure that hotel facilities and systems operate properly and smoothly to avoid incon-venience to the guest. Besides the maintenance duties a Chief Engineer is also responsible for coordinating with con-tractors on renovations, remodels, new construc-tion as well as taking ini-

tiatives towards energy conservation and green sustainability program.

DAILY MAINTENANCE@THE WESTIN MUMBAI GARDEN CITYThe primary duty of a hotel Chief Engineer is to ensure smooth daily operations of the air conditioning, plumbing, electrical systems, repairs, maintenance and guest request of the hotel. Within the hotel, Chief Engineers direct the maintenance

team on day-to-day repair work in the entire hotel area as and when required, plan and schedule preven-tive maintenance of the guest rooms and all the equipments of the hotel, ensure AMCs are in place and timely Planned Preventive Maintenance (PPM) are being carried out for all the major equipments. More complex problems may require the chief engineer to hire professional vendors to carry out work.

RESPONSIBLE STEWARDS OF THE PLANET The hotel industry is one of the major consumers of electric, natural gas and water. Today, saving energy is easier and more cost effective than ever before. All major hotel brands have implemented strategies to address their carbon footprint and reduce their energy load to become more responsible stewards of the planet. Energy reduction is a major com-ponent of transforming or building a property to be recognised as a “Green or Sustainable” building. Support tools and programmes are implemented to assist hotels in reduc-ing energy, waste and conserve water.

THINK OUT OF THE BOX While I was working for Intercontinental hotel at Goa, there was a necessary load shedding period by Goa electricity board

and being a rural area, the hotel was also obliged to undergo the same at the time. We had only one transformer set and 02 sets of DG generators with a capacity of 500KVA each. One day

unexpectedly the hotel’s transformer winding burnt and the entire load was taken on DG. We undertook an essential decision to decrease the electrical utilisation of the BOH (Back of the House) areas, which proved to be vital in not only reducing the load on the DG set but also helped us in avoiding a possible blackout. Further we did a temporary arrangement of portable Transformer fixed for 15 days till we got our transformer winding repairing done from Bengaluru. A temporary transformer helped avoid inconvenience and also saved consumption of fuel on DG Set.

Anup Dey Chief EngineerThe Westin Mumbai Garden City

HEALTH AND SAFETY CHECKS

Risk assessments are made

Employers have access to competent health and safety advice

Employees are provided with relevant information and training

OPERATIONS

DAILY MAINTENANCE@ SHANGRI-LA’S - EROS HOTEL, NEW DELHI 24 X 7 shift operation to take care of the smooth running of all the Engineering services including utilities supplies.

Follow planned preventive maintenance programme on day-today basis for plants and machineries, guest rooms, public areas, kitchens / restaurants, spa, health club, laundry equipments. To update the preventive maintenance record in the software system or equipments history card.

On job technical and management trainings to enhance skill level of team.

Follow ups with purchase and finance for spare parts or other specific

material requirements. Coordination with other

departments to solve issues related to engineering.

Monitoring and record keeping of utilities consumptions.

Maintaining log books for plants and machinery.

SUSTAINABLE ENGINEERING As the utilities rates and costs are going over the roof, energy management and water conservation has become the need of the hour. Moreover the strict environmental guidelines issued by DPCC & NGT have made it necessary to implement energy management, waste

management and water management guidelines.

Carbon footprint index of each hotel of the group is monitored by corporate office on monthly basis and annual targets are given. Reductions in energy consumption targets are also given group wise and each unit has to achieve those targets.

SAFETY AND HEALTH DETAILS Hotel has zero tolerance policy

on health and safety issues. Fire safety standards are very stringent and a third party audit is done every year to judge the performance.

Hygiene standards are maintained very high and audits are

conducted from time to time to check the performance.

Hotel has also achieved the ISO 14001, ISO 18001 & ISO 22000 certifications.

J.C. Mehta Director of Engineering Shangri-La’s - Eros Hotel, New Delhi

RESPONSIBILITIES@CHIEF ENGINEERResponsible for the Engineering administration of the hotel.

Responsible for maintaining the equipments, plants and machineries, building infrastructure interiors and exteriors.

Responsible for the profit and loss of the division.

Responsible for repair and maintenance budget.

Responsible for the capital expenditures.

Responsible for planned preventive maintenance.

Responsible for fire life safety of the hotel guest and team members.

Head of energy conservation committee.

Introduce new technologies for guest comfort and energy conservation.

Maintain standards and regulatory requirements.

Annual maintenance contracts and vendor developments/contractors.

To implement and follow asset management plan.

Prepare and plan standard operating procedures and policies.

Member of the Hotel CSR (Corporate Social responsibility) committee.

Member of the crisis management committee.

Member of ISO committee.


OPERATIONS

SUSTAINING THE AESTHETIC AMBIENCEA chief engineer has a multitude of responsibilities for the smooth func-tioning of any hotel, thus making his role vital. Cost control of utilities such as electricity, diesel, coal, LPG, water among others is one of the most significant tasks which need

to be monitored. Even while maintaining cost control, an important role of the engineer is to not hesitate while implementing preven-tive measures for maintaining machinery such as boilers, chillers, kitchen and laundry equipment, elevators to mention a few. Certain tasks like sustaining the aesthetic ambience of the premises by way of regular paint-

ing, polishing, cleaning amounts to daily tasks for a chief engineer and his team.

To ensure that the engineering department is able to provide maxi-mum satisfaction and a relaxing stay to all guests, staff training is one of the major responsibilities of the chief engineer which aids the team to be efficient and prompt. A well trained staff with the know how of the latest advancements in technology and

engineering are a feather in the cap of the chief engineer and thus the hotel in turn.

A chief engineer and his staff are round the clock workers as they have to be on cue for not only the basic but also specific guest requirements if any. The engineer-ing department is literally kept on its toes with breakdowns, malfunction-ing and specific problems particular to that premises.

HEALTH AND SAFETYSecuring the health of guests is also a major responsibility which this department and its head must shoul-der. The major hazard in any hotel is most certainly air conditioning and water quality. To keep both of these clean and purified to prevent harm caused by epidemic viruses or other chemicals is the moral obligation of this department.

Hotels run the risk of fires especially in boiler rooms which are precisely why training on evacuation and mock drills form a part of the job of a chief engineer.

ETHOS@ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT The role of the engineering depart-ment in a hotel has long ago leapt beyond the boundaries of basic man-agement and maintenance. Today, the ethos of every engineer includes

Mukund Sahasrabudhe GM-Technical ServicesSarovar Hotels & Resorts

Today, the ethos of every engineer includes optimising the use of available resources by minimising cost.

XXXXXXXOPERATIONS

DAILY OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE ROUTINES@ BENGALURU MARRIOTT WHITEFIELD

Upkeep and maintenance of guest rooms, banquets and guest area.Coordination with vendors and contractors to carry out outsourced works.Monitor and analyze the utility consumption and waste generation.Attend breakdown calls from guestrooms and heart of the house.Preventive Maintenance of electromechanical utilities , Food and Beverage equipment, Laundry equipment.

ENERGY MANAGEMENT AND HOTEL PROFITSHotel uses significant amount of energy for daily operations and it’s a lot of money to shell out in paying utility bills. Energy management plays an important role in achieving house profits, reducing pollution and conserving natural resources.

Our role is critical in reducing, recycling and reusing of resources. We benchmark our performance on energy intensity, carbon factor per room night, water intensity, waste recycling and reuse.

DIFFICULT SITUATIONS ACTED UPON WITH PANACHEWe often deal with challenging situations but I would like to mention one here.

There was a fire at 11 KV switchgear in the indoor electrical room. There were damages to control circuitry and backup genset didn’t start. It was a higher occupancy day with important events. The priority was to keep updating the emergency response team about the situation, control the fire and to restore the power ASAP.

As a team we were in control of the situation in less than 10 minutes and restored normal power in 15 minutes. However it was quite a task to do the damage control.

Navneet Kumar Director Engineering Bengaluru Marriott Whitefield

optimising the use of available resources by minimising costs. Energy costs are inflating by the day which makes the task of im-proving energy efficiency highly imperative so much so that the utility costs can be reduced by 10-20per cent which reflects enormously in the net profit.

DIFFICULT SITUATIONS HANDLED WITH PANACHEAn engineer is prey to a number of challenging incidents through-out his career and I am no exception. Outbreak of fires, shut

down of machines, collapsing of entire air conditioning systems and chillers seem quite natural in the face of certain queer and yet adventurous happenings. I recall one such evening when I spotted a pack of young men walking to-wards an old, rundown elevator.

I immediately thought to ques-tion them because the elevator hadn’t been in use for quite a long time. They assured me that they received a call from our engineering department to repair this machine. Now since I was

the chief engineer and I would have anticipated a visit had I made this call, I knew these men to be far from innocent. On an impulse, I asked them whether they had checked in at the se-curity gate and not having done so, asked them to follow me and register at the security and then proceed with their work. All the while I kept reassuring me that they wouldn’t suspect any foul play. Upon reaching security, we immediately informed the police and a robbery was thus prevented.

SAFETY AND HEALTH DETAILS Use of high tech active and passive safety systems

Use of personal protective equipment while working

Hazard analysis and risk assessment of the entire operation

Recording of near miss and incidents

Availability of first aid box, eye wash stations

Effective emergency response team

GOINGTECH

Ensuring visibility in a crowded market has always been a tricky issue for the hospitality industry. Recent years have seen a voracious demand for e-commerce and online bookings. From our tech experts, we find out which tech trends will be the game changers in the competitive hotel and

restaurant market in 2015.

Megha Paul and Kanchan Nath

LAST MINUTE HOTEL BOOKINGS The hotel industry is going through a complete transformation. Last minute hotel bookings along with digitalisation of smaller hotels and guest houses will be the highlight of the year. The market will open up to more hotels which can be booked online. Not to forget

mobiles will become the mainstream booking platform.

DATA FOR MARKET INTELLIGENCEAny hotel which does not use such data will be left behind. It’s imperative that hotels subscribe to such systems which provide them market intelligence and information about how their hotel is booked or perceived in the market. Fare comparison and dynamic price adjustment will be the key.

PROFIT PIEAll of sales channels (hotel laptop website, mobile

websites, mobile apps, OTA and travel agents) contribute to the bookings to the hotel but in the future mobile will overtake all the others. Hoteliers have to provide content and data in such a way that it can be optimised on all booking platform. Rate parity is the key and distribution channels have to be digitalized.

Gaurav Chirpal Chief Executive OfficerQuadlabs

Mobiles will become the mainstream booking platform

THE

WAY

TECHNOLOGY


‘APP’ING IT UP Mobile apps are more engaging than websites; apps can deliver a better experience to users based on their location and preferences. Over 70 per cent of our traffic of more than 90 million users access Zomato from mobile web and mobile apps. Consumers are increasingly making more transactions such as table reservations, cashless payments and online food ordering through the app. Having web presence is important however apps offer a customer touchpoint and make for a highly engaging platform. Restaurants that are available online and allow customers to make reservations through an app or order online, regularly share promos and event details with their customer base keep customers engaged which encourages customers to keep coming back. Mobile apps can help improving the customer experience; increasing the number of walk-ins, attracting new visitors and in-turn increasing profits. There isn’t so much local search happening on the desktop anymore.

SMARTPHONES = MENU PLANNERSThe days of collecting menus and hoarding these in drawers are long over for the current generation of customers. Smartphones have become menu planners as well as reservation and ordering platforms. Technology is turning the tables when it comes to restaurant

discovery, table reservations and ordering food. In the next five years will see a greater focus on restaurants integrating technology to deliver better customer experience, and apps will play a critical role in helping them achieve this. Apps provide valuable real time information to both users (table availability, order status.) and restaurants (user history, preferences, etc) that will help create a seamless dining experience. Features like in-app payments, online ordering, table booking, inventory management and information on customer preferences, among other features will be the focus areas going forward in order to turn the tables faster.

HOLISTIC DINING We launched our mobile apps in 2011 for Android and iOS; an app for Windows Phone. Today, over 70 per cent of Zomato’s 90 million plus monthly visits come from its mobile apps

across the globe. We are focused on providing a holistic dining experience to our user by helping them discover restaurants, book a table or order online, use in-app payments, share reviews and more on a single platform. Over the next six-nine months, our energies will be directed towards building vertical depth within the restaurant space. Our product portfolio involves six

products - the Zomato Restaurant finder app (search and discovery), The Zomato for Business (app for restaurant managers), Zomato Order (for Online Ordering), Zomato Book (table reservations), Zomato Cashless (in app payments) and Zomato Base (POS), and we will be building powerful tools for both users and restaurants to make their experience more personalised and seamless.

Satyajeet Singh VP-Products & MarketingZomato

Apps provide valuable real time information to both users and restaurants

TECHNOLOGY

TECHNOLOGY TRENDS FOR THE HOTEL ECOSYSTEM Though travel booking websites are the mainstay of both the casual and frequent traveller, an astounding 65 per cent of same-day hotel reservations are made from a smartphone, suggesting the importance of hotels to cater to a growing techno-focused demographic that uses the mobile to book in real time and on-the-go. Vast and varied sources of travel

data flooding the Internet ecosystem, and the capability to make sense of this data in conjunction with the deep behavioural insight hotels have about their customers is the other areas hotels need to immediately focus on.

SENDING THE RELEVANT INFORMATION Travellers today face thousands of travel options, and a bombardment of deals and offers at every destination:

39,500 retailers in London… where do I shop?Over 5 million events happening worldwide… which one will interest me?11,893 restaurants in NYC… it’s my first time here and I want a great meal!18,143 places to stay in Japan… which one will suit my taste and budget?

Guests turn to their device and labour through millions of search results, 100’s of reviews, and ask their friends across social media

circles, and after 45 minutes of effort, they either settle for the default option, or postpone their decision. Choice discovery is wasteful and inefficient, and just because others like something doesn’t mean its right for you! Imagine a future where you receive only four to six most relevant choices. Simpler choices mean more satisfaction, higher share of time and higher share of wallet. This is where guest intelligence and big data analytics can create an alternative future for hoteliers.

PEOPLE LOVE CONVENIENCE In the last two years, we have seen a tremendous shift in user behaviour where people just love the “convenience” provided on their smart phones. Being, the largest table reservation provider in the country, we at dineout, can confidently say that today almost

80 per cent of restaurant searches, bookings are happening via mobile. Today, 80 per cent of our traffic is on mobile where people love to book on-th-go and avail fantastic offers as well. In today’s world where the consumer is being chased down with offers across the board, the offers bit does make it an attractive proposition for both repeat and new visits.

APPS CHANGING THE GAMEI believe that with the growth in food technology starting from reservations to delivery we will be having a gamut of apps helping the consumers reserve a table or order food at the click of the button or even better

would be with a voice command of the user. More than the B2C side, I believe the B2B side which is the technology at the restaurant end would completely change the game for restaurant owners. It would streamline operations, help

restaurants get better analytics on their users, help them, target the right sources for marketing their restaurants and develop a loyal user base in a more organised manner.

CONSUMPTION BEHAVIOUR TRENDS The major trend that we are looking to capture is the “dining-out’ behaviour of the consumer. With busier everyday lives and with higher disposable incomes the consumer is looking at apps or services that will help make their dining out experience much more easier and seamless and that is what we will be targeting.

Srikant Sastri Co-Founder Crayon Data

Sahil Jain Co-Founderdineout

Travel and hospitality providers can leverage previous purchase habits and preferences in order to design personalised and relevant offers.

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TECHNOLOGY


ARCHIT GUPTAManaging DirectorKing Koil

WHAT ARE THE KIND OF MATTRESS-ES KING KOIL OFFERS?We specialize into hospitality bedding in combi-nations of Pocketed spring technology, Bonnell spring technology and Orthobonded technology. These three types provides three different feels to the body i.e. soft feel, medium firm feel and firm feel respectively.

WHAT ARE THE NEW TRENDS IN MATTRESSES, ESPECIALLY WITH NEW TECHNOLOGY? Currently, high density pocketed spring technol-ogy with super soft foam made in pillow top construction is known to be the best mattresses used by top hotel chains these days. Mat-tresses made of correct technology and right combinations of comfort layers can be helpful in reducing blood pressure and promoting bet-ter sleep through spine alignment. Mattresses are in fact the most recommended product by orthopaedics/chiropractioners world over for better quality of life.

Using technology for best body contouring effect in the mattresses is important for any hospitality bedding manufacture, like Pocketed & Bonnell spring machinery. Moreover, currently electrically controlled beds are new innova-tive bedding technologies which are famous in western world. We are proud to be first com-pany to bring such new innovative technology beds to the hospitality market in India.

HOW IMPORTANT IS A MATTRESS FOR A GOOD SLEEP EXPERIENCE IN A HOTEL?Around 80 per cent of guests sleep over hotel mattresses for less than three days in a row. We need to make sure that the guest should get a sound sleep and luxurious feel during their stay. Keeping these factors in mind, a soft sinking feel comfort layer with support of high density pocketed spring for luxurious body contouring experience can take the guests experience to whole new level. Infact, good sleep experience can elevate guest retainership in the long term.

WHICH ARE THE HOTELS THAT YOU SUPPLY MATTRESSES TO?We are approved suppliers with Starwood, IHG, Marriott, Carlson Rezidor, Golden Tulip, Hyatt, Hilton and many others. In fact, King Koil is the only hospitality bedding brand in the world which is approved with all top hotel chains throughout the world. We are proudly selling to every upcoming properties of these chains in India.

IS THERE ANY NEW PRODUCT THAT YOU HAVE COME UP WITH? We have launched electrically operated beds by name ERGOLIFE which is remote controlled to any shape your body feels convenient to. It comes with a latex mattress with anti dust mite zip cover. We are introducing this at an attractive price for suite rooms of hotels to give an unparal-leled luxury feature to their premium guests.

TECHNOLOGY FOR BEST BODY CONTOURING

SUPPLIER TALK


DREAMSSwe teWhether leisure or business

brings a person to a hotel, they all look forward to a restful, comfortable and sound sleep in the new envi-ronment. Housekeeping heads of different hotels tell us their mantra for perfect sleep.

‘Magnifique’ with MyBedKnown for their contemporary French luxury with an Indian touch, Sofitel Mumbai BKC promises to transform every guest’s sleep ex-perience into a ‘Magnifique’ one with MyBed. Made-to-measure comfort, MyBed offers a unique nocturnal experience for Sofitel Mum-bai BKC’s discerning guests.

Providing with a royal experience, Sofitel’s MyBed was designed as a tribute to the French bedtime and rising ritual of the medieval era. Ranging from guests who rest on their backs to those who doze off on their

sides, the hotel caters to all keeping in mind the seven layered bed including the mattress, featherbed, duvet and more. Be it goose, duck or fine feathers, the bed are made from the softest materials to ensure guests have a comfortable sleep.

Adding to the grandeur, guests in the suites and club rooms of Sofitel Mumbai BKC are also treated with a special pillow menu called ‘MyPillow’ that allows them to choose from a variety of pillow options. Be it firm, fluffy or adjustable, all are there in the menu.

SHILPA KOSAMBIAExecutive HousekeeperSofitel Mumbai BKC

SOFITEL MUMBAI BKC

Kanchan Nath

HOUSEKEEPING

HOUSEKEEPING

Peaceful, Relaxing, Energising Sleep

What elements make up for this sybaritic rest of the senses? Simply put, a hugely comfortable mattress one can sink into, pillows to rest one’s weary head, a cool covering of just the right weight, not to be too hot that it is kicked off and not so light that one spends the night shivering, cool, clean and soft linen and a cool atmosphere with the air conditioning and lighting just right not to jar one. Here at The Imperial, we believe in the mantra that luxury is a by word for our guests and our beds exemplify this. The world renowned, Sealy mattresses, we use have a “Posturepedic Innerspring Tech-

nology” along with a ‘Patented EdgeGuard’, which provides the edge-to-edge stability with firm springs which move with the body at rest. These mattresses have the Patented “PosterTech Coil”, which gives the best support a human body needs when sleeping. Its “Sense and Respond Support System”, of extraordinary innerspring coil with Sensory Arm assures the highest level in sleeping comfort. The performance of the PostureTech Coil is synchronised with the movements of the body responding with increasing support for perfect body weight distribution.

An average person spends upto a third of his life sleeping and yet, for an activity that seemingly requires little effort, there are most definitely different qualities of sleep we can experience. Sleep can be restless, broken, interrupted, uncomfortable and unsatisfactory in many ways when it ought to be peaceful, relaxing, energising and complete.

We, at Kempinski Ambience Hotel, offer to our guests Slumberland mattresses. The springs are adjusted according to the natural shape and posture of the spine. It is firm, comfortable and offers a complete support for

the body from head-to-toe with a flexibility to absorb the movement of the whole body while accommodating each small change in overall distribution of the body weight.

In addition to the above, we also lay a topper on the mattress to ensure the bed is more comfortable as well as soft. Besides, we also provide our guests with a pillow menu wherein one can choose from. In case a guest has some kind of an allergy, we will be pleased to offer anti- allergy bed linen, anti allergy duvet, anti allergy pillow and chemical free cleaning.

Sybaritic Rest of the Senses

PREETI THAKURExecutive HousekeeperKempinski Ambience Hotel

GARIMA NAGPAL Executive HousekeeperThe Imperial New Delhi

KEMPINSKI AMBIENCE HOTEL

THE IMPERIAL NEW DELHI


Sleep peaceful in white Hyatt Regency Gurgaon keeps guests

comfort on top priority and a comfortable bed tops on that list. We, at Hyatt, create an ideal sleeping environment, with sound proof double paned window glass. Also we have black out shades and heavy and thick curtains for keeping out the light in case of an afternoon nap. I pod docks are provided on the bed side so that a guest can listen to music of his choice just before going to sleep. We also honour guest request for a room away from the elevator. Our room tempera-tures are maintained at 22-24 degrees for a comfortable and a good night’s sleep.

For the same reason, our mattresses are made up of individually wrapped up coils in the centre third for 25 per cent more support, thus preventing mattress sagging. Periodic turning around of the mattress is also done for this. Our mattresses are not too hard, nor

too soft for ultimate comfort. In case a guest wants a harder bed, we also have an option for that.

Our linen is white 100 per cent cotton, with a thread count of 300, for ultimate comfort and softness. We provide a comfortable duvet again 100 per cent cotton with the same thread count. Two hard and two soft down pillows are provided for all guest rooms, and in case some guest wants anti-allergic pillow, we also have an option for that.

All our linen is white, because besides being a symbol of luxury, white is also linked to a simple, clean and inviting place. And while there are no scientific studies to prove that you get a better sleep in a white linen bed, but we are using experience as proof that those all white wonders really work the best kind of magic.

SHWETA GOEL Housekeeper Manager Hyatt Regency Gurgaon

HYATT REGENCY GURGAON

HOUSEKEEPING

To ensure sound sleep and a very comfortable bed, we have installed ergonomically designed 12 inches Posturepedic

mattress which provides firm support for the spine and waist while distributing weight equally to other parts of the body. On top of it, we place a two inches pure cotton mattress protector

which takes care of the sensitive skin providing the extra soft-ness. A duvet (a thick quilted fluffy blanket) is used on the bed to keep you warm. The choices of pillow to the client make the sleep more congenial for the guest. The matching shade of the hard pillow and the runner makes it really charming.

Posturepedic Mattress

JW Marriott New Delhi Aerocity offers a wide range of ameni-ties to guests for that perfect night’s sleep. We offer two types

of beds-standard beds and hard beds that are customised for guests with a special need for firmer beds. Customised essential oils along with eye masks and ear plugs are also available on demand. We use “250 Plush UniCased Mattress” that comes with the Best Technology worldwide. The UniCased construction

is designed to minimise the partner disturbance, provide Edge to Edge comfort and firm Seating Edge. It increases the sleeping sur-face. Apart from this, we also offer a wide range of pillows which includes options like Contoured Pillow, SOBAGARA Contoured Pillow, COOL Contoured Pillow, NECK & NECK plus Cervical Pil-low, Body Pillow, L-shape Pillow - Great for Parent and baby, and feather pillow.

Essential Oils, Eye Masks, Ear Plugs

CHARU RAMIAHGeneral ManagerWoodrose Club (A unit of Brigade Hospitality Services)

GAURAV MEHTADirector of ServicesJW Marriott New Delhi Aerocity

WOODROSE CLUB

JW MARRIOTT NEW DELHI AEROCITY

HOUSEKEEPING


At our resort, guests are pampered with beds that use mattresses by

Hypnos- a leading bed manufacturer in England and the chosen supplier for the beds of the royal family. These mattresses are made by the finest craftsmen of England and use pocket spring technology.

While traditional coil systems have springs that are wired together, springs in pocket mattresses are individually wrapped in a fabric encasement to create separate springs which allow each pocket to move separately.

Hence these mattresses minimise disturbance that is created across the bed when one person moves or tosses and turns.

The individual mattresses can also contour to one’s body and distribute body weight evenly. Moreover, we also use a two inch feather topper over the mattress to provide additional support. Our evening turndown ritual has also been designed to induce a good night’s rest.

As is the case with a typical hotel turndown service, we dim the lights of the room and draw the curtains to block all outside light. Additionally, we place dark chocolate which has known benefits of relaxing the body and mind. We also place a bottle of “Stress Relief” by Forest Essentials, a combination of fragrant essential oils to be sprayed on the wrists and temple points to release stress for a good night’s sleep.

Mattresses Minimise Disturbance

KESHAV CHANDExecutive HousekeeperJW Marriott Mussoorie Walnut Grove Resort & Spa

JW MARRIOTT MUSSOORIE WALNUT GROVE RESORT & SPA

HOUSEKEEPING

All our room beds are noise free and come equipped with state of the art spring mattresses. These mattresses which feature

air-ventilation mechanisms help in refreshing the body while the guests are asleep. The beds, as per our guests’ preference can also be converted to soft, semi-hard or super hard. The pillows are plush and luxurious which also help in relaxation. We also of-fer hot water bags on request and even have a turn down service

in the evenings which guests can make avail of. The pillows are filled with the finest polyfill and cotton which is plush and relaxing to the body while our guests relax. The linen is hypoal-lergenic and comfortable which makes for a pleasant sleep. The room beds are also made the finest cotton which come with a head fold and foot fold, which provide enough space to move freely, without discomfort.

Mattresses with Air-Ventilation Mechanisms

AJEET PANDEY Housekeeping ManagerNovotel Hyderabad Airport

NOVOTEL HYDERABAD

HOUSEKEEPING


LYNN MURRAYDirector of RoomsGrand Hyatt Goa

GRAND HYATT GOA

Grand Hyatt Goa aims to offer an experience of a night full of restorative sleep that is

divine. The Grand Hyatt bed has eased millions of guests into deep, restful sleep. Starting with our custom-made specially designed mattress with ‘Power to Dream’, the bed is layered with our soothing bed linens, plush pillows and cozy duvet. Our bed is uniquely designed with a plush, pillow-top construction for premium comfort and support. Our luxury cotton quilted mattress protector’s have anti-allergy protection. These are extremely comfortable and hygienic to provide a fresh feeling all year round and this helps our guests to enjoy a good night’s sleep. The plush loft of the feather

and down pillow makes it memorable for the guest.

We finish our bed with linen made from selection of high quality cotton sheets and standard satin which add a polished yet timeless look to our linens. These luxury bed linens are made of 100 per cent cotton, with 300 TC and finished with satin weave. We fill our duvet cover with our luxurious, white down duvet surrounded in pure cotton. Bountiful and plush duvet emerge an op-timal loft to keep our guest cozy and comforted for hours. Our duvet cover in 100 per cent cotton is soft and cozy, and the sophisticated upper layer that completes our bed for soulful sleep.

Springfit has just introduced the I Series by Springfit -“The mattress which takes care of you, between the

excitements of today and tomorrow”. I Series by Springfit are the breakthrough mattresses which are designed through innovative technology and extensive hard work of experienced professionals, revolutionising the way people sleep and providing advanced comfort, support and temperature regulation.

The brand new I Series by Springfit is a new benchmark in the mattress industry. The mattress is infused with Aqua Pocketed Technology and combine Thermogel Memory Foam, with the revolutionary, patented Smart Latocell and Aquacell Technology. In this many internal chambers work together to naturally and continuously adapt to the body’s different positions- all without any motors and electronics. Unlike hot, sinking and hard-to-move

sensations that are normally associated with traditional memory foam mattresses, the I Series is the only mattress that ‘knows, reacts

and responds’ with every move. Also the Thermogel Memory

Foam stimulates temperature regulation for a cool and comfortable sleep

all night long and to re-energise you for the new morning.

Deep Restorative Sleep

and combine oam, withented Smart Technology.chambers urally and

sensations that normally associamemory foam mthe only mattres

and responAlso

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THE FUTURE OF SLEEP IS HERE!

HOUSEKEEPING

THE ASHOKMICE biggest revenue generator for

GM CANVAS


Sudha Chandra, the first lady General Manager of The Ashok, New Delhi tells us more about this iconic hotel, which came to fore as a manifestation of Jawaharlal Nehru’s dream hotel.

KINDLY THROW SOME LIGHT ON THE USPS OF YOUR PROPERTY? WHAT DIFFERENTIATES THE PROPERTY FROM COMPETITION? No hotel symbolises the traditional grandeur of the historic capital of India more than The Ashok, the foremost of Delhi’s five-star hotels and the flagship hotel of the Ashok Group. Set in a prime location in Delhi’s Diplomatic Enclave, The Ashok is a distinctive landmark, its rose-pink walls and arched arc-turreted

contours set it apart from the glass and concrete conformity of other hotels. From the hosting of the UNESCO conference in 1956, dream hotel has had the time and exposure to acquire and hone its unique Indian hospitality skills. Drawing on the years of expertise in hospitality, The Ashok has been host to various Heads of States right since its inception. Hosting of events like Asiad Games, NAM, CHOGM, Centenary Celebration of the Satyagraha Andolan, have been the symbol of its ever raising standards.

Sudha Chandra

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USP of the hotel lies in its prime loca-tion and the largest room inventory in the city. The hotel has a proven track record and expertise in catering to the MICE segment. The Ashok is the only government run hotel with 5 Star deluxe classification to meet state require-ments. Diversity in the client base makes it a versatile property in this segment and also meets the statutory and social obligation with identified rooms for differently-abled individuals. The hotel boasts of 550 rooms in various catego-ries with an approximate of 160 suites.

HOW HAS THE ASHOK, NEW DELHI BEEN FOR MICE EVENTS? HOW DO YOU EN-SURE THAT THINGS RUN SMOOTH FOR GOVERNMENT EVENTS?Latent increase in banquet revenue has been due to the rapid inflow in MICE segment which highlights the quantum of business generated by the hotel focus-ing on this particular segment. It certain-ly is the need of the hour and as demand for MICE, weddings and banquets has increased largely in the past few years,

these segments certainly seem to be generating maximum revenue.

WHAT DO YOU DO TO RETAIN STAFF AND PROVIDE REGULAR TRAININGS? Being part of the Govt. sector attrition rates are not very high. Regular skill up gradation training is being imparted to the staff at all levels to keep then tuned to the latest industry standards.

AS A WOMAN, WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES THAT YOU HAVE OVERCOME IN THIS DEMAND-ING CAREER?The biggest challenge that I have overcome is that the management of ITDC has recognised that the top seat of the Ashok Hotel is not for men only and posting me as the first lady General Man-ager of this prestigious hotel, established in 1956. This itself has been the biggest challenge to overcome. I am proud to say that the entire team of employees at The Ashok works in good harmony and is motivated to brace any type of challenge and is motivated to achieve and maintain the best standard in hospitality.

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OCIALPA-ING

IS THE NEW AND UPCOMING TREND

IN INDIAN SPASAway from the hustle and bustle of city life, spread expansively over three floors, the Six Senses Spa at Jaypee Greens Golf & Spa Resort, Greater Noida houses a wide range of facilities. In a tête-à-tête with the Spa Director, Tracey Poole I found out more about holistic wellness.

DO YOU OFFER ANY SPECIFIC THERAPIES FOR FATIGUE POST GOLF AND CAR RACING? At Six Senses Spa we offer many therapies that treat fatigue and exhaustion such as the Six Senses Signature Jet Lag Recovery, which is good for pre and post jetlag and also great for treating exhaustion from stress and overwork. Other treatments good for fatigue and promote a deep sense of relaxation include the Sensory Hot Stone Therapy and the Watsu Therapy and Water Massage. The Six Senses Signature Massages including the Energizer Massage focuses on acupressure massage of the back neck and shoulders and the feet and this is an excellent therapeutic treatment after playing peak sports including golf and car racing.

WHAT KIND OF GROWTH HAVE YOU WIT-NESSED IN THE SPA BUSINESS IN NCR?Spa business is growing in the Delhi NCR, all over India and globally too; I don’t see it slowing down much either as the world becomes more consumer oriented, social media channels grow and so to the consumers of all age groups desire is to live longer, healthier and better quality lifestyles.

HOW HAS BEEN RESPONSE OF YOUR GUESTS TO YOUR SPA? Six Senses Spas are popular all over the world including the Six Senses Spa at Jaypee Greens Golf and Spa Resort. Generally treatment popularity is seasonal depending upon such things

SPA

Tracey Poole

Kanchan Nath


as climate however our most popular treatments are the Six Senses Signature Therapies which are globally renowned and also the detoxifying Morrocan Hammam treatments are in very high demand all year round at the Jaypee Greens. Authentic Ayurveda treatments are often chosen by our tourists who like to try something indigenous to the region and the country.

WHAT IS THE PRICE RANGE FOR THE SPA THERAPIES?At Jaypee Greens, our spa menu has over 150 services and therapies and we offer single spa therapies and extensive spa journeys and packages also. As a general guide a Six Senses Full Body Signature Massage is around `4500 and a Spa Journey around `12000

WHAT ARE THE TRENDS THAT YOU ARE WITNESSING IN THE SPA BUSINESS IN INDIA?Globally there is a growing trend towards wellness and preventive health and India is no exception to this. Although India has been initially slow in the uptake of integrating health and wellness into their lifestyles, it is fast becoming a growing trend as Indian consumers become more aware of their personal wellbeing and health. Social spa-ing is the new and upcoming trend in Indian Spas as Indians generally

WHERE DID WATSU ORIGINATE? WATSU is an aquatic bodywork that Harold Dull developed in 1980, inspired by the theories and the practice of Zen Shiatsu. WATSU facilitates “freeing your body in the water” and helps you release tensions and improve overall conditions of your body and mind. Now Watsu is practiced in more than 40 countries and considered “the most advanced aquatic therapy in our time.”

In addition to the physical benefits derived from the movements and stretches warm water facilitates, Watsu’s power to reduce stress underlies both its effectiveness with those conditions in which stress is implicated and its growing popular-ity among the general public.

SPA

love to spend time with family and friends and now they can spend time together looking after their health and beauty within the rejuvenating and relaxing spa environment.

WHICH ARE THE PREFERRED DESTINATIONS FOR WELL-NESS IN INDIA AND ABROAD?There are so many wonderful destina-tions for wellness both here in India and abroad. Generally for wellness it is preferred to go to places which have fully integrated facilities for spa and fitness with an element of nature and greenery as this helps to balance the mind, body and soul.

DO YOU OFFER ANY PACK-AGES FOR MICE GROUPS? WHAT KIND OF CORPORATE EMPLOYEES AND COUPLE PACKAGES DO YOU OFFER? At Six Senses Spa we absolutely cater to corporate groups including MICE and due to the extensive facilities offered at Jaypee Greens Resort for banquet-ing and large corporate groups, there

is increasing demand for integrat-ing wellness into these corporate events. We have provided group yoga and meditation for up to 100 persons in our large Spa

Garden at Jaypee Greens.

WITH THE EMPHASIS THAT THE GOVERNMENT IS PUT-TING ON YOGA, TELL US ABOUT THE PROGRAMMES AND FACILITIES YOU OFFER?We offer daily yoga classes and activi-ties to our guests and members. We often include relaxation therapies like group Meditation and chanting in our beautiful Meditation cave; also our Group Yoga and Laughter Yoga classes are a healthy and fun way to spend time together, enjoying and releasing stress all at the same time. We also provide yoga retreat packages and programs for detoxification, rejuvena-tion, de-stress and for sleep therapy.

SPA

BENEFITS OF WATSUImproves body posture and muscle tone

Improves range of body movement and motions

Improves overall alignment

Improves quality of breaths

Improves sleeping patterns

Balances overall circulation and heart rate

Decreases pain

Decreases anxiety and emotional pain

isulation

GUEST COLUMN

Raadesh R ShettyFounder and OwnerThe Purple Turtles

BEDROOMLIGHTING GUIDEWHAT CAN LIGHTING DO FOR GUESTS IN A HOTEL?Lighting can energise, soothe and help people interact, making guests feel at home in a hotel environment - whether they are working, chilling out, socialising or moving around. Great lighting can create magic and enhance the experience of the guest in private and public spaces.

Lighting has moved away from its conventional use and is being adjusted to suit the modern preferences of the guests. Clean, simple and elegant is in. There is a shift towards simplified, yet sophisticated design that combines lighting

and architecture as an art form. Most hotels today are trying to create an integrated LED lighting and ceiling system to create a more open, visually appealing ceiling architecture that combats over lighting and at the same time is simple and elegant.

Hoteliers also are more receptive to new ideas and international trends. The natural tendency for most hotels is to be more nature oriented, organic and minimalist. Similarly lighting will also emulate nature and incline towards natural effects, with the help of technology.


Regardless of whether you retire into a cozy little alcove or the quintessential grand master suite, the odds of your using the bedroom for just slumber are quite low. Dimly lit bedrooms can seem warm and inviting to sleep, but hinder other activities that you would like to undertake there. Bedroom lighting can range from the basic to the bold and from the dimmed to the dramatic.

In the hospitality sector, there is a strong move to create unique spaces that stand out and make an instant impression. The bland has been banished. The opportunity to create drama and mood through lighting is being explored very creatively. The trend for bars and restaurants is to go for statement pieces of lighting in indus-trial metal looks. Resorts and hotels offer a softer look for a more eco-friendly approach. They go out of their way to incorporate local design and materials in their lighting solutions: wood, stone, paper, fabric, artisanal prints and weaves are all sought after.

The lines are blurring between what’s suitable for places of recreation versus places of work. Employers are keen to create spaces that are more relaxed and appealing. Equally, there is an

emphasis on lowering their carbon footprint and working with local products and designers where possible. This has led to their being more open to customised lighting solutions. Cove lighting is cur-rent trends. Using LED technology where possible is preferred.

Overall, the resulting lighting designs are creative, aesthetically pleasing and easier on the budget. To summarise here, it’s important to understand that one of the key common traits among homes, retail stores and hotels is the wonderful use of lighting installations with various forms of lamps, pendant lights and chandeliers presenting the lovely interiors in beautiful ambient lighting that help improve the look several fold. While adding their own form to the setting, they emphasize on how lighting can ‘make or break’ interior design.

GUEST COLUMN

BE SIZE WISEBefore buying bedroom lighting, first determine the size of your room, take note of your room measurements, along with outlet locations and furniture placement and submit this to a lighting showroom. The experts there can help you fill the room with the right kind of lighting.

HEIGHT RIGHTIt is very important to pay due attention to scale to ensure that the lighting in balanced. Bedrooms typically have 8 or 9 ft. tall ceilings. Avoid fixtures with longer bodies in favour of shorter or flush-mounted fixtures. You want a certain level for reading and enough lighting for dressing. You also need light to be high enough to reach all the areas.

ROOM TO GLOWDecide what you want to do in the room, then choose the appropriate lighting accordingly. Computers, and reading books in the bedroom need directed lighting. Sitting areas beg for softer, shaded fixtures while vanities demand brighter light.

THE LIGHTER SIDEAvoid shades on lamps or lights that are too opaque, otherwise your bedroom will be too dark. The fixtures may look nice, but the light will not be as functional. When buying a table lamp, opt for one with a softly diffused shade. Spend a moment to see how you turn it on and off to make sure it is not going to be too difficult to manage when you are in bed.

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATIONDon’t install lights directly over the bed. You will tend to look up at them while you are lying in bed. Direct light from overhead is less comfortable than soft light at face level.

MORE IS MORENo single source of light is as visually comfortable as a combination of portable lamps and installed lighting. Too much light in one place is unpleasant and glaring. It’s bet-ter to use more light sources of lower wattage.

IN THE MOODA strong dose of ambience is also important in the bedroom; a brighter idea would be, installing dimmers on lights for altering effect. Softer or coloured light bulbs can also change a room’s mood.

CLOSET CONDITIONSThere are few things that are more frustrating than dark closets. Closets need good light. Also be careful not to put a hot light bulb near delicate clothes. Attach the closet light 12-inches from the edge of the rod or upper-shelf.

BEDSIDE READING Portable reading lights set on nightstands offer book lovers flexibility. The guiding principle in buying reading lamps should be the ability to adjust the light to your taste, either by swiveling or moving its arm, they should also be well-shielded so you don’t see the bulb and you are able to read without bothering your sleeping partner.

CONTROL POWER Imagine pushing a bedside button and turning the lights on or off. There are gadgets to turn off lights with an infrared remote like you use for your TV, lighting experts can help in this.

(The views expressed in this article are of the author; Raadesh R Shetty-Founder and Owner of The Purple Turtles, an exclusive designer lights and antique furniture company in Bengaluru.)

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Wine tourism can appeal to all your senses in one go. Let us find out how this niche tourism product is developing across India.

Wine Tourism in India, though in its nascent stages has tremendous growth potential, as

more wineries and vineyards open their doors to visitors and provide well-appointed tasting rooms Revival of wine production in India began only in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s, when winds of globalisation began blowing. It was Chateau Indage which started the first commercial winery and launched India’s first sparkling wine in 1986. They named it Marquise de Pompadour and almost all Indians referred to it as Champagne. Encouraged by this start, Kanwal Grover planted vineyards in Nandi Hills near Bengaluru and came out with the first

vintage of Grover Wines in 1992. However it was Rajeev Samant, a young techie who left his job with a multinational in USA and came back to India in the late 1990’s to set up Sula Vineyard in Nashik, which set in motion a wine drinking culture in India, hitherto non-existent. Sula is the most recognised Indian wine brand and controls nearly 70 per cent of the market share.

The reason why wine growing is not widespread in India is that very few areas support viticulture. Unsuitable weather and territory has limited it only to parts of central India like Nashik, Pune, Baramati,

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TOURISM IN INDIA

Potential for

WINE

Lavina KharkwalWSET certified wine enthusiast and food critic


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Sholapur, Sangli in the state of Maharashtra, areas like Nandi Hills close to Benguluru in the southern state of Karnataka and some parts of Telangana near Hyderabad in Andhra Pradesh.

It is only in the last decade that a wine drinking culture has taken roots in India and there are several factors behind it.

The availability of good quality Indian wines and different styles of wine.

Growth of an affluent middle class who have lived or travelled abroad and been exposed to a wine drinking culture.

Health benefits of drinking red wine which are being talked about and prompting people to switch from hard liquors to wine, Indians being genetically predisposed to diabetes and prone to heart ailments.

Presence of a large number of international brands in the Indian market both from the old world like France, Italy and Spain and the new world like Chile, Australia and Argentina. Incidentally Australia’s Jacobs Creek is the highest selling wine label in India.

Even though the popularity of wine is growing in India, the country has not seen an exponential growth in wine tourism. There are several reasons for this but first let us focus on the positives. It is Nashik in Maharashtra, about four hours drive from Mumbai, which can be termed the wine capital of India. A lot of important wineries like Grover Zampa, York, Charosa, Vallonné, Vintage Wines etc, which are located here are open to visitors and tastings. However most of them do not have facilities for staying or the bed & breakfast kind of establishments which is the backbone of the wine tourism industry all across the world.

The biggest player in this area or should one say in the whole country is Sula Vineyards which a very popular wine destination for wine lovers. It has hourly winery tours till late in the evening which include a visit around the estate and tastings and also has a restaurant near the winery offering quality meals. Close to the vineyards Sula has a 32-room resort called Beyond. Sula also organises a music festival Sulafest in the month of February each year which

attracts both wine and music lovers, both from India and from across the world.

The other big player in Maharashtra is Fratelli Wines, an Indo-Italian collaboration in Akluj near Pune. The renowned viticulturist and Tuscan winemaker Piero Masi is both the winemaker and co-owner in this partnership. By offering the consumers approachable and drinkable wines and by keeping a good relationship between price and money, Fratelli Wines is helping in spreading the wine culture in India. Some of the interesting wines they have in their portfolio are Sette, Sangiovese, Vitae & Vitae Tre along with India’s first zero dosage sparkling Gran Cuvée Brut.

The state-of-art winery at Akluj and two well-appointed tasting rooms attract a lot of visitors. There are four beautifully furnished rooms which overlook the winery, the lawns and the vineyards. They have different packages which include day visits, weekend getaways, and rent a vineyard for big groups.

Coming to South India Grover Zampa Vineyards situated at the foot of Nandi Hills near Bengaluru offers day packages which include a tour of the vineyards where one can learn about grape growing followed by a guided tour of the winery where the entire process of winemaking is explained, right from crushing of grapes to the final packaging. For

tastings one is taken to the barrel room where five different varieties are offered and the tour concludes with a buffet lunch.

Grover Zampa has recently won many international awards including Decanter Asia Wine Award for its Art Collection Sauvignon Blanc 2014 and recently launched Chêne & VA Reserve Collection White & Red. The high taxation imposed on wines, regressive government laws with different taxation rules across various states, lack of adequate infrastructure in terms of good roads (most wineries are located in rural areas) and not enough encouragement and incentives given to the wine industry is not helping the cause of wine tourism.

However the Indian economy is seeing a tremendous growth and this coupled with a well-travelled middle class with a disposable income and exposure to an urban culture which encourages wine drinking and understands the finer nuances of wine is indeed heartening. In the next five years we will see a completely different picture and a day will come when visitors will be flocking from oversees to visit Indian wineries and vineyards and appreciating Indian wines for its quality.

(The views expressed in this article are of the author; Lavina Kharkwal an eminent WSET certified wine enthusiast and food critic)

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The high taxation imposed on wines, regressive government laws, poor transportation and not enough incentives given to the wine industry is not helping the cause of wine tourism.

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Eating out revolutionHAS GONE PAN INDIAIn a fast growing and competitive restaurant market, its important to learn the art of survival. FHRAI spoke with food guru Manu Mohindra to know how he keeps the flag flying high for his hospitality consultancy—Under One Roof

TELL US ABOUT YOUR CONSULTANCY AND WHAT YOU SPECIALISE IN?Under One Roof is a hospitality design and operations consultancy firm. We specialise in setting up hospitality ventures, from concept to commissioning literally under one roof. The company has three divisions--hospitality, interior and facility design; operations planning and management; brand development and graphic design. We are best known for delivering success-ful business models in hospitality.

HOW DO YOU SEE THE RESTAURANT/CAFE SCENE GROWING ACROSS INDIA, IN METROS AND TIER-II TOWNS?The restaurant/café market has been rapidly growing in the last five years across metro and tier-II towns. The ‘eating out’ revolution has gone pan India with customers looking for food experiences across sections. The biggest growth has been in the mid-market segment which is looking for multiple options but in a value price band. There is growing awareness for

specialised cuisines with customers looking for options beyond Indian, Chinese and the typical Italian pizza or pasta.

WHAT DOES A NEW ENTREPRENEUR NEED TO BE AWARE OF BEFORE OPENING A RESTAURANT/CAFE IN INDIA AS THE COMPETITION IS RISING?A new entrepreneur needs to be aware of the market that he is going to open his restaurant/café in. Competition means that quality and value have to be paramount

Kanchan Nath

Manu Mohindra


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regardless of the price segment that you are catering to. Location and concepts must be well suited to each other and a new entrepreneur must avoid the trap of making a restaurant solely on his personal preferences. Planning must be accurate, both in terms of the funds available and the infrastructure being created for the project. In light of increasing competition, the gestation period, before operational break-even is achieved, has gone up and the entrepreneur must be aware of the same and provision for it adequately.

HOW MANY LICENSES ARE REQUIRED TO OPEN A CAFE/RESTAURANT IN INDIA? ARE THE RULES DIFFERENT FOR DIFFER-ENT STATES IN THE COUNTRY?There are different rules governing licens-ing as per state legislations. Typically a café/ restaurant need five to seven licenses to operate. All establishments will need a health license from the local municipal au-thorities, FSSAI registration, NOC from the police, and liquor license from the Excise department if there is a bar too. Addition-ally, based on location and size clearances/ licenses may be required from the Depart-ment of Fire and Pollution Control Board.

IN HOW MANY YEARS DOES A RESTAURANT NEED TO BE RENO-VATED? AND TO WHAT EXTENT?Restaurants are high maintenance estab-lishments. Preventive or ongoing mainte-nance such as paint touch-ups, equipment servicing and upholstery shampooing are regular tasks, as is pest control and

degreasing. These tasks enhance the life of the interior and prevent major renovation expenditures. Most restaurants go in for an interior refurbishment after four to five years. This involves change of upholstery,

doing up the paint textures, repolishing, replacement of damaged glass or wood panels. Major renovations are usually car-ried out in nine to 10 years when equip-ment needs to be replaced. Furniture is completely refurbished and the restaurant may even undergo a look upgradation.

WHICH TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENTS ARE ESSENTIAL FOR THE NEW AGE RESTAURANT?Restaurants are large energy guzzlers. Technological advancements which help in energy conservation and reduction of expenses are good for the business. For ex-

ample, LED lighting has drastically brought down electrical loads, energy bills and generator capacities. Similarly there are new technologies in billing systems which allow for better management of inventory, sales and cash flow. Biometric readers automatically transmit staff attendance data to payroll eliminating man hours of calculation. Computerised equipment for baking, dishwashing, all contribute for the new age restaurant.

HOW WILL THE INCREASE IN SERVICE TAX HAVE AN IMPACT ON RESTAURANTS?The increase in service tax for restaurants directly is marginal as is the impact. The impact is larger in the QSR or value segment of the business, with the price sensitive segment coming under increased pressure as the service tax comes out of the consumer’s pocket. There might be a negative growth phase till other economic indicators don’t pick up.

Restaurants are large energy guzzlers. Technological advancements which help in energy conservation and reduction of expenses are good for the business.

Manu Mohindra started his career 20 years ago with the Taj group of hotels, after graduating from IHM, Delhi. He then went on to head projects for the ITC group and then set up Under One Roof, 17 years back. Under One Roof has over 750 commissioned projects to its credit, ranging from casual cafes to luxe dining experiences. The company has also consulted for over 70 hotels across the globe. Today, their presence extends across 39 cities in India along with South East Asia, Middle East and USA.

F&B

RESTAURANT REVIEW

A LAVISH SPREAD FOR DELHIITESLocated in the heart of Delhi, Ambrosia Bliss has more than 125 dishes on its menu, something for everyone but more in sync with the north Indian palate

Ambrosia (food of the gods) but in Delhi Ambrosia Bliss offers food from

across the Asian continent and Middle-East region, catering to the Capital’s taste for fusion. Located right in the heart of the city, in the buzzing Connaught Place, the restaurant is the brainchild of hospitality professional Rajesh Mohan and businessman Ghanshyam Das.

In the highly competitive food and beverages industry,

to keep it

thriving, the restaurant has three sections: a family place to eat, a section for conferences and workshops, small gatherings and then there’s the lounge. What makes for delectable evenings are the three al fresco dining spaces. With good lighting and a cosy ambience, these spaces offer a great view of the iconic shopping area, especially at night when the humdrum of the traffic starts fading. “Altogether it makes for around 200 covers,” says Sachin Sachdeva, Brand Manager, Ambrosia Bliss. Making the place lively are “Signature Saturdays with live Sufi music and City ka Theka at

Ambrosia Bliss on Fridays. We have a tie-up with Radio

City and the RJs

come on Fridays for making it a lively Bollywood night,” adds Sachdeva.

The restaurant claims to have a full house the week through for dinner, even on dry days like Tuesday when most Indians avoid non-vegetarian food. “Though we are a stand alone restaurant in the heart of the city with high competition, we offer professional and quality services at all times. We also have a large area of 15,000 sq. ft. and ISO certifications for Food safety, Environment and Management. The staff strength is around 100 and our managers have over 15 years of experience,” elucidates Sachdeva. In the conference section, “we have arrangements for workshops with a screen, projector and all other necessities.

Parampreet Luthra Corporate Chef, Ambrosia BlissAmbica Gulati


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There is Wi-Fi facility across the restaurant”.

The family dining section has a large central area for slightly bigger groups. For those who want to avoid the peak dining times and simply come for a short meal, snack or coffee, and enjoy it at leisure, there are books and magazines to browse through. The restaurant also has a range of wines and cigars.

Digging into the mezze platter, it was a pleasant surprise to find that the food was light and not oily. One serving suits two diners comfortably. The platter range was also interesting with falafel, hum-mus, babagnoush, lebneh, pita bread and pickled veg. There are different kinds of platters—the international vegetarian and non-vegetarian platter and the Indian vegetarian and non-vegetarian ones. So one gets a taste of dif-ferent kinds of kebabs and meats, but the pickles and the sauces and chutneys would make people in the north of the country happy.

Without getting into the wide range of courses, it was interest-ing to end the meal with a sugar-free dessert—lemon cake with lemon curd frosting.

HOW DID YOU DECIDE ON THE MENU?Being born and brought up in Delhi, it was not difficult to know what Delhi likes. I have trav-elled extensively around South East Asia region and the Middle East. Most of the dishes I could easily relate to and was sure that Delhiites would like the taste.

WHAT HAS BEEN THE TARGET FOR THE RESTAURANT?We had a target of `1.5 cr per month and we have been reaching it every month. The quality of the food is always maintained and feedback is an essential component. Chef Shyam ensures that the food is always well cooked and served correct.

HAS THE TARGET BEEN ACHIEVED ONLY THROUGH WALK-IN DINING OR ARE THERE ANY PROMOTIONAL ACTIVITIES ALSO?There is a dedicated sales team. So promotions are for group bookings, corporate meets and events as well.

DO YOU HAVE A SEPARATE MENU FOR THESE GATHERINGS?Yes, we customise the menu to suit the needs. We also have our set menus and guests can choose from those as well.

DO YOU HAVE A BAKERY AS WELL?Yes, Chef Ali manages that. He has over 22

years of experience and if the guests book in advance, then we can prepare cakes for special occasions such as birthdays, anniversaries. We are soon going to introduce a deli station, tentatively around August 2015.

AMBROSIA IS ALSO ONE OF THE FEW RESTAURANTS OFFERING THE TRADI-TIONAL (ALMOST NEGLECTED NOW) BUTTER CHICKEN. WHAT MAKES YOU KEEP IT ON THE MENU?It’s always been a popular dish with most of us and still is. Most diners order it and we also have some regulars who actually come for this.

WHICH IS ONE DISH WHICH DIDN’T WORK AND YOU HAD TO TAKE IT OUT?As per guest feedback and observing fewer orders, we had to take out Chicken Chettinad and Brain Canapé after the first few months.

WHICH IS THE ONE DISH THAT DOES WELL?The platters do well as starters. And then the main course, Indian food is well liked. Our Dal Makhni is cooked the traditional style and takes around 24 hours to cook.

WHAT ARE THE LATEST ADDITIONS ON THE MENU?We have recently introduced hotdogs and burgers.

MEETING THE TARGETSThe man behind crafting the menu, Corporate Chef Parampreet Luthra, shares what went into the making and what keeps Ambrosia blissfull:


PRODUCTS

Pro

duc

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Ser

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s

OZONE, the Security Solutions provider, introduces the all new Drawer Safe. Its audit trail feature makes it apt for usages in hotels to provide convenience and greater level of security experience to their guests by ensuring top of the line protection of all their valuables. These Drawer Safes come with a large LED display and motorised locking system and can be accessed by using 4-6 digit user code. The safe goes on the shutdown mode on wrong code input, four times consecutively, putting the safe in secure mode. However, in case of any emergency these can be opened by mechanical override key.Besides this, another substantial security feature of these safes is an audit trail function that records the last 100 operation details. These user-friendly safes come with a low battery indicator and can be customised in different size and colour; thus enabling hotels to reinforce their commitment of providing an outstanding hospitality experience.

USER-FRIENDLY DIGITAL SAFES FROM OZONE

Intercare Cleaning and Hygiene services, one of the market leaders in specialised cleaning, maintenance and hygiene industry offers a gamut of general and specialised services towards hygiene, cleaning and sanitation of medical complexes and various other areas like hotels, restaurants, malls, shopping complexes, commercial kitchens, airports etc. There extensive product and service range includes:Washroom/kitchen/Universal hygiene and Maintenance (Chemicals and dispensers); Marble polishing, upholstery cleaning and carpet cleaning and Odour control system. Focussing on the odour control system, we have introduced very effective products from Fresh Products U.S.

Fresh products are formulated using biodegradable and/or recycled raw materials and manufactured using substantially less energy; yet provide best in class performance, hence it has emerged as the most innovative odour control and air freshening system which consists of Wave 2.0 (the urinal screen), The Curve Air freshener and Easy Fresh Air Freshener.The key point for all their products is that they are long lasting, are environment friendly , reminds you when to change it, and is a highly fragranced polymer technology for odour neutralisation.

HYGIENE WITH INTERCARE

PRODUCTS

Costa has on offer its new summer range of coffees - fine roasted coffee blend from Costa’s international roastery, ‘shaken’ to your taste by their expert Baristas’ Being promoted with the tagline ‘Shake up your day with shaken Iced Coffee’ , the new range, called Costa Ice Shaken Coffee, offers a wide range of coffees and flavours that includes Iced Latte, Iced Espresso Americano, Iced Cappuccino, Iced Mocha, Iced Macchiato, Iced Ristretto, Iced Chai Latte, and Iced Chocolate. Ashish Chanana, COO, Costa Coffee India said, “Costa Ice Shaken Coffee is a brand new concept developed by Costa to bring back the charm of custom made, handcrafted coffee to our patrons.”

SHAKE UP YOUR DAY WITH SHAKEN ICED COFFEE


APPOINTMENTS

appointmentsNEWFACES

COREY E. ASATO Chef de CuisineJW Marriott New Delhi Aerocity

JW Marriott Hotel New Delhi Aerocity has appointed Corey E. Asato as the Chef de Cuisine at Akira Back, the signature restaurant that specialises in Japanese cuisine with a Korean essence.

Corey E. Asato started his career in January 2004 as the Kitchen Manager for UNLV International Gaming Institute Banquet Hall, Las Vegas, Nevada. In May 2009, he moved on to co-own his own company- Island Breeze Lunch Wagon and Catering- Las Vegas. Following this stint, he then worked as the Sous Chef at Island Sushi and Hawaiian Grill at the Plaza Hotel and Casino- Las Vegas, before moving to Kumi Japanese Bar + Restaurant by: Akira Back at the Mandalay Bay Hotel. Chef Corey has also successfully completed a course in bartending and mixology from ABC Bartending Schools of Las Vegas and is trained

CHINMAI SHARMA Chief Revenue OfficerTaj Group of Hotels

In this newly created role at Taj, Sharma’s responsibilities would

entail overseeing brand management, public relations, customer analytics, loyalty, digital strategy, global sales and revenue management. Sharma is a seasoned industry professional with nearly two decades of progressive

of Strategic Marketing, Revenue Management and Electronic Distribution. He was recently named as one of the ‘Top 20 Extraordinary minds within Sales, Marketing and Technology’ by Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI), Europe. Before joining Taj, Sharma was with Starwood Capital Group, based in Paris.

Ravi Kumar has been promoted as General Manager of

GreenPark Chennai. He bringswith him 23 years of experience in hospitality industry with

Sales. Prior to his new role, he started his career with The Oberoi Group of Hotels, SFO (Muscat), Holiday Inn, Sarovar Group of Hotels and also he was instrumental for the projects and opening of Le Dupleix and Promenade at Puducherry. Ravi Kumar who is admired for his discerning knowledge of the industry, brings with him a rich experience of having worked with various brands over two decades.

RAVI KUMAR General ManagerHotel GreenPark, Chennai

RAHUL PANDIT Chief Executive OfficerGinger Hotels

Roots Corporation Limited (RCL) which operates ‘Ginger’ chain of

hotels, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Indian Hotels Company Limited, announced the appointment of Rahul

industry veteran with over two decades of experience in the hospitality and

his career with Taj, where he always stood out as a high potential due to the accolades he received from his colleagues. He is one of the founding members of Lemon Tree Hotels Ltd where he played a multi-faceted role in developing diverse aspects of new business including Operations, Human Resources, Technology and Sales.

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RNI No. DELENG/2000/1230Posting Date 15-20 (Every Month)

No. U(C) - 306/2015-2017Postal Reg. No. DL (ND)-11/6173/2015-16-17 NDPSO-1

Date of Publication 12-06-2015

Documents

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