Moët Hennessy's Sparkling Wine brand Chandon bags Multiple International Recognition Awards In 2020
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Chandon, the ‘made in India’ sparkling wine from the Moët Hennessy portfolio which combines age old sparkling wine making practices with the finest of locally sourced grapes has had a sparkling 2020 by winning eight awards across categories! Chandon India won two awards each at the Decanter World Wine Awards and International Wine Challenge (IWC) and in addition, was recognized with four prestigious awards at The Champagne and Sparkling Wine World Championships (CSWWC). It is the only Indian sparkling wine to have won awards in each of the nominated categories across platforms and to be bestowed as the National Champion for Best Indian Sparkling Wine 2020 for the Brut Rosé at The Champagne and Sparkling Wine World Championships.
Moët Hennessy’s homegrown Sparkling Wine brand Chandon bags Multiple International Recognition Awards In 2020
Chandon India has won numerous accolades at Decanter World Wine Awards, International Wine Challenge & The Champagne and Sparkling Wine World Championships~
India, 21 January 2021: Chandon, the ‘made in India’ sparkling wine from the Moët Hennessy portfolio which combines age old sparkling wine making practices with the finest of locally sourced grapes has had a sparkling 2020 by winning eight awards across categories! Chandon India won two awards each at the Decanter World Wine Awards and International Wine Challenge (IWC) and in addition, was recognized with four prestigious awards at The Champagne and Sparkling Wine World Championships (CSWWC).
Chandon is the only Indian sparkling wine to have won awards in each of the nominated categories across platforms and to be bestowed as the National Champion for Best Indian Sparkling Wine 2020 for the Brut Rosé at The Champagne and Sparkling Wine World Championships.
Competition Name
Year
Award Won
Brand Name
Decanter World Wine Awards
2020
Silver
Chandon Brut – NV
Decanter World Wine Awards
2020
Bronze
Chandon Brut Rosé - NV
International Wine Challenge
2020
Bronze
Chandon Brut Rosé - NV
International Wine Challenge
2020
Bronze
Chandon Brut - NV
The Champagne and Sparkling Wine World Championships
2020
Bronze
Chandon Brut - NV
The Champagne and Sparkling Wine World Championships
2020
Gold
Chandon Brut Rosé - NV
The Champagne and Sparkling Wine World Championships
2020
Best in class
Chandon Brut Rosé - NV
The Champagne and Sparkling Wine World Championships
2020
National Champion India
Chandon Brut Rosé - NV
The Decanter World Wine Awards, The Champagne and Sparkling Wine World Championships (CSWWC) & the International Wine Challenge (IWC) are three of the world’s most prestigious wine competitions and championships. These international platforms and awards bring together a plethora of spirits and wines to showcase their products amongst notable wine experts that include Masters of Wine and Master Sommeliers. While the CSWWC is in its 6th year and is the only international sparkling wine competition judged by sparkling wine specialists, the IWC which is in its 37th year is accepted as the world’s most rigorous, impartial & influential annual wine competition. The rigorous IWC judging process assesses every wine ‘blind’ and judges each for its faithfulness to style, region and vintage.
On receiving these awards, Mr. Rajesh Dixit, Estate Director, Chandon India said, “We are extremely thrilled to have received such high accolades for Chandon India! It is indeed a joyous occasion as both our product offerings, Chandon Brut and Chandon Rosé have received a badge of honor for their supreme quality and standards at such esteemed international platforms. These awards validate our commitment and innovation, thus being able to compete in the global markets.”
The award-winning sparkling wines, Chandon Brut and Chandon Brut Rosé reveal complex flavors and intense aromas which is bound to excite the senses. Pale straw yellow to a golden hue with fine persistent bubbles, Chandon Brut is created with a combination of Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir. A creamy texture balanced with a zesty acidity with a soft dry finish. Whereas Chandon Rosé is an elegant, fresh salmon pink color with fine persistent bubbles. Made with Shiraz, it has intense aromas of ripe cherries with flavors of red fruits and soft grapefruit undertones that lead to an intense and creamy finish.
Launched in October 2013, Moët Hennessy India introduced Chandon Brut and Chandon Rosé handcrafted from grapes, homegrown in Nashik's Dindori region. Chandon is the first offering from Moët Hennessy to be produced in India.
facebook.com/ChandonIndia | Instagram: @chandonindia
About Chandon:
In the late 1950s, Moët & Chandon, the world’s leading Champagne House since 1743, began exploring the potential for producing world-class sparkling wines outside of the Champagne region, under the ‘Chandon’ name. The first Chandon Estate was created in 1959 in Argentina followed by California (1973), Brazil (1973) Australia (1986) and China (2013). Following in the pioneering steps of the founders and continuing its search for new winemaking territories, Moët Hennessy determined that the Nashik region had the potential to produce world-class, premium quality sparkling wine. Chandon is the first offering from Moët Hennessy to be made in India. Combining centuries-old winemaking practices with the finest local grapes, Chandon is available in two variants: Chandon Brut and Chandon Brut Rosé. In 2015 the Chandon India winery was awarded an ISO 22000:2005 Certificate of Compliance for their Food Safety Management System – receiving of grapes from vineyards, storage, manufacturing and bottling of sparkling wine-Category E.
Vegan restaurant in France wins a Michelin Guide star at virtual awards event
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Avegan restaurant in the French southwest on Monday won a Michelin Guide star, the first for an establishment serving only animal-free products in France.
Claire Vallee runs the ONA restaurant in the city of Ares, near Bordeaux, which she launched in 2016 thanks to crowdfunding from supporters and a loan from a green bank.
"It felt like I got hit by a train," Vallee told AFP about the moment she received a call from the Guide Michelin on Thursday informing her of its decision.
In addition to the classic star award, Vallee also won a green star, which Michelin introduced only last year to reward establishments with a strong record for ethical practices.
ONA, which stands for "Origine Non Animale" ("Animal-free origin"), is "the first vegan restaurant in France to win a star", a Guide Michelin spokeswoman told AFP.
Vallee offered seven dishes on her gourmet menu before she had to close ONA because of Covid-19 restrictions. Her favorite combinations involve pine, boletus mushroom and sake, or celery, tonka and amber ale
BLLA Awards 2020 Winner
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BLLA is pleased to present the Winners and honorable mentions for the 2020 StayBoutique Awards!
Boutique Business of the Year
WINNER: Palette by Peter J. Hemsley2nd PLACE: B David Levine
Boutique Hotel Design Project of the Year
WINNER: Zannier Hotels Sonop, Namibia
2ND PLACE: Nayara Tented Camp, Costa Rica
3RD PLACE: Asbury Ocean Club Hotel-Drawing Room, Asbury Park, NJ
4TH PLACE: Living Room at Shinola Hotel, Detroit, MI
Boutique Hotel Under 100 Rooms of the YearWINNER: Asbury Ocean Club Hotel, Asbury Park, NJ
2ND PLACE: The Alisal Guest Ranch & Resort, Solvang, CA
3RD PLACE: The Butler Hotel, San Luis Obispo, CA
4th PLACE: ARRIVE Hotel, Memphis, TN
Boutique Hotel Over 100 Rooms
WINNER: The Revolution Hotel, Boston, MA
2nd PLACE: The Betsy-South Beach, Miami Beach, FL
3rd PLACE: Ironworks Hotel Indy, Indianapolis, IN
4TH PLACE: Shinola Hotel, Detroit, MI
Boutique Travel Businesses-Travel Technology
WINNER: Vertoe, Luggage Storage Anywhere, Anytime
2nd PLACE: The Guestbook, A More Rewarding Way to Stay
Iconic Hotelier of the Year
WINNER: David Bowd, Owner, SALT Hotels
2nd PLACE: Paul McGowan, President & Founder, Study Hotels
Emerging Hotelier of the Year
WINNER: Chris Pardo, Co-Founder & Chief Development Officer, ARRIVE Hotels & Restaurants
2ND PLACE: Zachary Plutzik, Managing Director, The Betsy Hotel, Miami Beach, FL
The H Dubai’s Mandara Spa wins Travel and Hospitality award
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Mandara Spa has been named the UAE’s Luxury Spa of the Year 2020 at this year’s Travel and Hospitality Awards.
The Travel & Hospitality awards is a global recognition programme for the travel industry recognising the best hotels, tour operators, experience providers, spa & wellness facilities, restaurants, and technology and innovation companies for long-standing customer satisfaction.
Sophie Blondel, General Manager of The H Dubai says: “This award is a remarkable achievement and is a recognition of the dedication of our team of highly trained therapists. We are very encouraged by the award and will continue to deliver outstanding service that enables our guests to stay relaxed and rejuvenated.”
Mandara Spa at The H Dubai has 10 treatment rooms including two couple suites, steam rooms, sauna chambers, experiential rain forest showers, whirlpools, relaxation lounges, fully equipped changing areas with private changing rooms, and a dedicated retail area.
Dewar's Scotch Whisky conferred with two awards at the International Whisky Competition 2020
/Dewar's Scotch Whisky has announced that it has conferred with ‘Whisky of the Year’ award for its Double-Double 32-year-old blended Scotch at the prestigious International Whisky Competition 2020.
In addition, Dewar's Master Blender Stephanie MacLeod received the ‘Master Blender of the Year’ title for a second year running, after she made history in 2019 as the first woman to win the award. #doubleisbetter
For More Information Click Below:
Taj Jumeirah Lakes Towers ranks first as favourite new hotel in the MENA region
/Taj Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Dubai, the latest addition to the international portfolio of the iconic Taj brand, has been recognized as ‘Favourite New Hotel’ in the Middle East and North Africa region at the prestigious Condé Nast Traveller Middle East Readers’ Choice Awards 2020.
The winners are selected based on unbiased reader votes, resulting in a list that honours those who have gone above and beyond to create the memorable guest experience
For More Information Click Below :
Vikram Aditya Singh joins The Leela Palace Udaipur as General Manager
/Key Take Away
The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts has announced the appointment of Vikram Aditya Singh as the General Manager of The Leela Palace Udaipur.
He comes with a rich experience of over two decades wherein he has been associated with some of the iconic domestic and international hotels.
Singh has spearheaded many successful projects and has risen to fame with his distinguished approach and proficiency.
For More Information Click Below:
IHM Ranchi successfully organizes Jharkhand Cookery League season-2
/Institute of Hotel Management Catering Technology and Applied Nutrition,(IHM) Ranchi is an autonomous Institute under the Department of Tourism, Art Culture, Sports and Youth Affairs, Government of Jharkhand which organized an online cookery contest “Jharkhand Cookery League Season-2” for Hotel Management students and Non-Hotel Management students contest started from 6/05/2020 ends on 20/05/2020.
The total number of 70 recipe videos and including 47 entries from 15 Hotel Management Institutes and 23 entries from Non-Hotel Management categories marked their presence from pan India in this contest.
Various categories of participation included “Traditional Jharkhand Cuisine, Indian vegetarian or non-vegetarian dishes (participant’s choice), Baked food (sweet or salty), Sweets (Indian or Continental)”.
The competition was partnered by pioneers viz. Jharkhand Tourism, Sunday Cook Show as the “Broadcast partner”, Hospemag.Me as the “Media Partner” whereas Radisson Blu Ranchi & Chanakya BNR are the “Industry partner” and Creative Bit being the “Technology Partner”.
The result of “Jharkhand Cookery League-2” was announced on 27th May 2020. Dr. Bhupesh Kumar, Principal, IHM Ranchi appreciated and congratulated the winners and all the participants. He said that this league has taught the participants that one must explore his/her creative skills and constantly aspire to improve it.
Winners under the Hotel Management category are:
Ms. Simran Suruti, a student of IHM Ranchi, was declared the winner for her recipe “Gud Peetha” an authentic dish of Jharkhand
Ms. Dolly Sekhari, from The Lalit Hospitality school, was 1st runner-up for her recipe “Rose Rabri”
Mr. Nishant Singh from IIMT University Meerut stood 2nd runner-up for his recipe “Bihari chicken”.
Winners under the Non -Hotel Management category are:
Ms. Amrita Kumari won the contest for her recipe “Patal Ki Mitahi”
Ms. Nihu Aggarwal was declared 1st runner-up for her recipe “Kadhai Baby Corn”
Ms. Afshan Afroz stood 2nd runner-up for her recipe “Chicken Yakhni Pulao”.
Lorraine Sinclair Appointed Executive Chef At Pan Pacific London, United Kingdom
/Pan Pacific London announced the appointment of Lorraine Sinclair as Executive Chef. Located in London's new landmark tower, One Bishopsgate Plaza, this multi-award-winning chef returns to her home country, following years honing her craft at Sheraton Saigon Hotel & Towers, where she was Director of Culinary Operations for four years.
On joining the hotel, Lorraine will be responsible for the entire food and chef operations. Widely recognised as one of the top female chefs in the world, She will lead the hotel brigade and will be putting her own stamp on restaurants and menus.
Her nearly thirty years' experience in top kitchens in Europe, Asia and the Middle East, has seen Lorraine hold eight Executive Chef positions. She was selected as the first female Executive Chef in a number of different locations including Bahrain, Istanbul and Hong Kong, and most recently in Dubai, in her position at the Fairmont Hotel.
While in Hong Kong, two restaurants under Sinclair's direction were awarded Michelin Stars. She was nominated as a "Les Toques Blanches" Board Member and has published a charity cookbook. This is in addition to her receiving multiple accolades including the BBC Good Food award, Time Out's Best Steak House and being placed third in Best Restaurants in 2013 by Esquire.
Cookery League by Institute of Hotel Management (IHM), Ranchi
/Institute of Hotel Management (IHM), Ranchi is an Autonomous Institution of Government of Jharkhand established in 2019. The Institute has been set up with joint assistance from the Ministry of Tourism, Govt. of India and Department of Tourism, Govt. of Jharkhand with a view to provide quality education and develop. IHM Ranchi is the First and only Hotel Management Institute of Jharkhand which affiliated by National Council for Hotel Management Catering Technology (NCHMCT), Ministry of Tourism, Govt. of India.
The Institute is currently offering four different demand-driven courses in core hospitality operations. The SIHM currently operates from a beautiful building in an Environment friendly location on the outskirts of Ranchi town in Brambe. During the Covid-19 Lockdown, the Institute has not left any stone unturned to keep their students spirit high by starting online cookery league for them and to share their mother’s secrete recipe, with the dual purpose of making realize the importance of mother in one’s life.
There were certain parameters for the judgment of the dish like,
a. Choice of ingredients used
b. Method of cooking
c. Explanation of dish during cooking
d. Plating and presentation
e. Innovation of new dish
f. Social media likes
Almost all the students of the institute participated in the online cookery league. A total of 26 videos were received through official email, and few were rejected too because of not fulfilling the criteria. The videos shared on social media were liked and shared by the viewers.
The winner of this cookery league was Miss Simran Shruti, the student of Food Production Diploma course and the runner was Miss Kanu Priya First year B.Sc. in H &HA student.
Winners will be awarded with gifts and certificates once College reopens. Such more cookery leagues will be held in the coming future to keep students of all the IHMs motivated and engaged during Lockdown.
SG Clean Quality Mark Extended to Tourism and Lifestyle Businesses as part of Nationwide Efforts to Uplift Sanitation and Hygiene
/In light of the on-going Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) situation, Enterprise Singapore (ESG) and the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) have rolled out the SG Clean quality mark to the tourism and lifestyle sectors. Among the first to be certified are those along the popular Orchard Road shopping belt, which include food and retail businesses in malls such as Plaza Singapura and ION Orchard; Grand Hyatt Singapore; and the Singapore Visitor Centre
Establishments like Charles & Keith, Golden Village, Jean Yip Hub, Jumbo Seafood, McDonald’s and TungLok are on board SG Clean
Two other hotels outside of Orchard Road have also been certified – Village Hotel Sentosa and Shangri-La’s Rasa Sentosa Resort & Spa.
Grand Hyatt Singapore and several businesses at Plaza Singapura received their SG Clean quality mark from Mr Chee Hong Tat, Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry, and Education – following a visit to the premises.
ESG and STB will encourage more than 37,000 businesses within the tourism and lifestyle sectors to sign up for the SG Clean certification programme.
To be certified, businesses have to go through a seven-point checklist tailored to the requirements and operations in the various sectors
ESG and STB have appointed qualified, independent assessment organisations to certify that participating establishments have met these requirements, and continue to maintain these practices. Businesses assessed to have met the criteria will be awarded the SG Clean quality mark. Assessment and certification are complimentary for businesses.
For further details :
(Refer to Annex A: List of certified establishments to-date)
Sabre Honored with Multiple Interactive Media Awards Recognizing Best-in-class Website Design for Hotels
/Sabre Corporation , a leading software and technology company that powers the global travel industry, is thrilled to announce that it was awarded multiple HSMAI (Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International) Adrian Awards for its SynXis Digital Experience Web Design solutions.
Winning entries included work for The Farmhouse Ojai’s website (gold), the Meritage Collection’s website redesign (gold) and the Setai Hotels’ website redesign (bronze).
Sabre is honored to be recognized by the HSMAI for delivering innovative web solutions that can improve user experiences, increase conversions and drive direct bookings for hoteliers across the globe,” said Justin Ricketts, iInterim President, Sabre Hospitality Solutions.
Selected out of more than 1,100 entries submitted this year, Sabre’s work was judged to have exemplified outstanding advertising, digital marketing, public relations, and integrated marketing in hospitality.
A Mexican Chef Makes History As The First Mexican Woman To Win A Michelin Star
/The 36-year-old leads the team at the Gucci Osteria da Massimo Bottura restaurant in Florence, Italy. She’s also the sole female to be named in the 2020 Michelin Guide Italy.
Michelin’s review of her restaurant: “The cuisine of theatrical chef Massimo Bottura has arrived in Florence, demonstrating openness to the rest of the world, with influences and reinterpretations of dishes from other countries, as well as Italy and Modena in particular. A visit to the Gucci Garden, an elegant museum on the upper floors dedicated to the famous fashion house, is highly recommended.” We love how the review includes that López is including perhaps Mexican influences in her Italian creations
For more info please visit below mention link:
https://wearemitu.com/culture/karime-lopez-chef-michelin-star/#brid_cp_Brid_12348598
Preferred Hotels & Resorts Announces 2019 I Prefer Member's Choice Award Winners
/About Preferred Hotels & Resorts
Preferred Hotels & Resorts is the world’s largest independent hotel brand, representing more than 750 distinctive hotels, resorts, residences, and unique hotel groups across 85 countries. Every property within the portfolio maintains the high quality standards and unparalleled service levels required by the Preferred Hotels & Resorts Integrated Quality Assurance Program.
For more information, visit PreferredHotels.com.
The world’s largest independent hotel brand representing more than 750 distinctive hotels, resorts, and residences across 85 countries – unveiled the winners of its second annual I Prefer Members’ Choice Awards. For 2019, 40 hotels in 23 countries were selected as winners across four regional categories with Discovery Shores Boracay on Boracay Island in Aklan, Philippines declared the overall winner, and other top honors given to Windsor Court Hotel in New Orleans, Louisiana; Pulitzer Amsterdam in the Netherlands; and Condado Vanderbilt Hotel in San Juan, Puerto Rico
Distinctly unique in their approach to hospitality, each of the award-winning hotels are connected by their dedication to delivering exemplary service and memorable experiences. The full list of 2019 I Prefer Members’ Choice Awards winners includes:
Top Hotels in Europe:
Pulitzer Amsterdam – Amsterdam, Netherlands
Grand Hotel Excelsior – Valletta, Malta
Old Course Hotel, Golf Resort & Spa – St Andrews, United Kingdom
The Grand, York – York, United Kingdom
Top Hotels in Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa:
Discovery Shores Boracay – Boracay Island Malay, Aklan, Philippines
Discovery Primea, Manila – Manila, Philippines
Royal Plaza on Scotts – Singapore
Discovery Suites Manila Philippines – Manila, Philippines
Top Hotels in Caribbean, Central, and South America:
Condado Vanderbilt Hotel – San Juan, Puerto Rico
Half Moon – Montego Bay, Jamaica
Cambridge Beaches Resort & Spa – Sandys, Bermuda
West Bay Club – Providenciales, Turks & Caicos Island
To celebrate the winners, Preferred Hotels & Resorts is launching a limited-time Bonus Points Promotion. This value-add incentive gifts I Prefer members with 5,000 bonus points when they book a stay at any of the 40 winning hotels by March 10, 2020 for travel through December 31, 2020
For more information on the I Prefer Members’ Choice Awards, visit www.IPrefer.com/MembersChoice.
World Luxury Hotel Awards
/InterContinental Hanoi Westlake is proud to have won a World Luxury Hotel Awards in three the successive year 2017, 2018 and 2019
The pinnacle of achievement in the luxury hotel industry offering international recognition as voted by guests, travelers and industry players alike
Two Chef Scholarship Programmes Launched
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We are pleased to announce the launch of both scholarship programmes of our 2019 campaign. This is to help deserving student chefs complete their education & talented professional chefs showcase their skills at global competitions. Application is free & exclusively via these e-forms on SMS.
SMS FUND <space> EMAIL ID: 70 4500 6900
1) STUDENT CHEF SCHOLARSHIP
This is to help fund the education of financially-challenged student chefs who are skilled, determined & therefore deserving of support. Both self-applications & 3rd party nominations are welcome.
2) PROFESSIONAL CHEF SCHOLARSHIP
This is to help those highly skilled, mid-level professional chefs who are unable to train for & fund their travel to global competitions in-spite of their top calibre. Both self-applications & 3rd party nominations are welcome.
SOURCE OF FUNDS
The primary funding for this comes from our generous partners who have kept their products & funds on standby to help chefs celebrate their important day. Funds un-utilised after October 20 will be re-directed to the Scholarship Fund (2019).
Evaluation will be strict & exclusively based upon the candidate's skill + merit. The process will take 6-12 weeks and includes reference checks, interviews (In-person or video call), trade test etc. In addition, successful pro- chef applicants will receive our full support via training/mentoring from our relevant STAR CHEFS as well as material & equipment support from partners during training.
No target is set for the number of students or professionals to support. As many as the funds allow is the mantra. We will not be able to help everyone, but we will definitely try.
SMS CHEF <space> EMAIL ID: 70 4500 6900
Priyam Chatterjee Becomes First Indian Chef To Receive French Honour
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Priyam Chatterjee on Monday became the first Indian chef to be awarded the ''Chevalier de l''Ordre du Merite Agricoleto'' by the government of France to recognise his contribution towards reinventing the gastronomic scene in India.
Mr Chatterjee (30) is best known for revisiting the traditional dishes from his native state of West Bengal and giving it a French twist.
"I am living my dream at this moment because any form of words or dialogue will not justify this moment," he said.
Mr Chatterjee added that the two major factors influencing his culinary practice were that of his family and France.
Born into a Bengali family of "exceptional cooks and artists", where feasts were a regular affair, it was only natural for a young Mr Chatterjee to love everything about food, be it eating, or serving.
He realised French cuisine was his true calling during his very first professional stint at Park Hyatt in Hyderabad where he met French chef Jean Claude who trained Mr Chatterjee to "learn French cuisine, precisely and with passion."
"In the process, what he did was he made me fall in love with France completely!" the chef said.
Mr Chatterjee is currently the head chef at Jaan Restaurant Yacht in France, before which he was the head chef of Rooh, and Qla, both located in Mehrauli.
He also takes a keen interest in music as well as art.
"This is actually the first time that we are celebrating the talent of a young chef at this embassy by conferring this distinction.
"This honour recognizes your talent and your commitment to promoting French cuisine," Alexandre Ziegler, Ambassador of France to India, said.
Exclusive Interview | ‘General Manager of the Year’ : Vishal Singh; General Manager, HYATT REGENCY GURGAON
/“ I feel very honoured to receive the ‘General Manager of the Year’ award in the Luxury and Upper upscale segment at Hotel Operations Summit of India (HOSI). This was for my tenure at Hyatt Regency Pune, and it would not have been possible without the support of a great team that I worked with.”
Tell us about your journey. How did it all start?
My journey as an hotelier started 23 years back. Since then, I have had the privilege of working with several premium hotels in New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Goa & Pune. An MBA in Marketing and graduate of IHM, Pusa, New Delhi, maximum of my tenure has been working with Hyatt, albeit in two tenures.
My Hyatt journey started in 2002 as Conferencing & Banqueting Manager at Hyatt Regency Delhi, further climbing up as Assistant Director of Food & Beverage. In 2006, Mumbai came calling next with a transfer to Grand Hyatt Mumbai and I got the opportunity to work at one of the largest hotels in the country. Launched the iconic ‘China House restaurant & lounge’ at the hotel.
Subsequently I was promoted as Director Food & Beverage at the luxurious Park Hyatt Goa Resort & Spa. To gain experience in launching new properties, I joined Hilton and was part of the pre-opening team of Hilton Chennai as Director of Operations in 2009, then moved to Double Tree by Hilton, Gurgaon in 2011.
Tryst with the Hyatt recurred in 2013 when I joined as the first General Manager of Hyatt Pune, formerly known as Ista hotels. My career high point during then was being awarded the prestigious Hyatt Award – ‘Donald N. Pritzker Award for Hotel Team of the Year’. The award recognizes Hyatt’s top-performing hotel teams in the areas of colleague, guest and owner preference. Only one hotel in the entire region is selected based on metrics of discretionary activities, initiatives, leadership, innovation success, owner relationship/feedback, talent management and team attributes that reflect outstanding performance over the past year.
The Pune leg continued as I then moved to Hyatt Regency Pune as General Manager in 2016. Team work and astute business thinking resulted in winning the Food & Beverage financial performance challenge 2018 in the Hyatt South West Asia.
I also had the honour of being felicitated among ‘Pune’s Most Powerful’ people consecutively for two years in a row 2017 & 2018 by Times of India group.
The most recent award of the ‘General Manager of the Year’ 2018 in the Luxury and Upper upscale segment at Hotel Operations Summit of India (HOSI) was also for my stint at Hyatt Regency Pune.
2019 started with coming back to my hometown as General Manager for Hyatt Regency Gurgaon, one of the largest convention hotels of North India.
What do you think it takes to succeed in this industry?
There is no shortcut to success – Perseverance and hard work are the keys definitely!
What are the attributes you look for while selecting or hiring? If someone wants to work with you, what should they do?
I look only for 3 things – Attitude , Attitude and Attitude.
What according to you can trainees do while they are training at hotels to make it a win-win for them & the hotel/unit?
Trainees are the future of our industry, they should utilise their training time to its fullest and not be afraid of getting their hands dirty to be able to build a strong foundation. Without a strong foundation, it’s not possible to build a strong building!
What are some of the trends you see impacting the hospitality industry?
The Digital space is evolving rapidly, it’s impacting everything in the industry right from buying decisions to how we conduct our daily business, and this will constantly evolve with millennials constituting majority of the guest base.
Another trend is the ‘Experiential Hospitality’ where guests are expecting hotels to be fulfilling more than just their boarding and lodging needs, people are looking for ‘Unique Experiences’ rather than cookie cutter brand standards. Hence there is more emphasis on ‘Going Global but Thinking Local’, embracing local culture and experiences.
Tech is now an enabler for great hospitality. Can you share with us some of the tech that goes into creating your guest experience?
Technology is making sweeping changes in hospitality space like never before! I believe, the human interface can never be replaced with tech, however it enables hotel team to enhance guest experience. For Eg. At Hyatt, we initiated online room check- in’s prior to arrival and soon moving on to mobile keyless entry where your mobile phone will be your room key.
Two things you would like to change in the industry.
1. To upscale the entry level compensation across the industry immediately in order to opt hospitality as a profession of choice for the younger generation.
2. Have an industry wide repository database of blacklisted / delinquent customers, something like what airlines have ‘no fly list’ or like Uber/ Ola , where customers are rated by the drivers.
What can we expect from your hotel(s) in the coming year?
My current assignment is to lead - Hyatt Regency Gurgaon, 451 keys property with over 40,000 sq. ft. of convention space, with pillar less hall of 21,000 sq. ft., is one the largest of its kind in North India. The plan is to establish the property as the preferred MICE destination in hosting national and international ‘experiential’ meetings and events.
To be the wedding destination of choice in Delhi NCR offering customised experiences with a world class accommodation and tantalising culinary delights. Taking food and beverage to the next level and putting it to the forefront by offerings and organising food promotions / festivals to tap on the local target audience: We have already initiated steps such as a revamping of Sunday brunch with daycation / staycation options, opening of a 24 hours bar and a rejuvenated Spa all this leading to establishing Hyatt Regency Gurgaon a preferred leisure and quick getaway weekend destination, it also is a convenient stop over for tourists covering the ‘Golden Triangle’ of Delhi, Agra and Jaipur.
Congratulations on receiving the award. Please do share a little about the award and some best practices that led you to it.
Thank you. I feel very honoured to receive the ‘General Manager of the Year’ award in the Luxury and Upper upscale segment at Hotel Operations Summit of India (HOSI). This was for my tenure at Hyatt Regency Pune, and it would not have been possible without the support of a great team that I worked with. As a team we worked on turning around the property focusing on both top line and bottom line growth, first step was to reposition the property thereby driving the ADR, growing the same by double than what the compset grew by.
Second was to effectively managing room space ratio, renovating and relaunching the existing banqueting space (EQ:IQ) : we were able to increase catering revenue by 66% and group revenue by a huge margin of 122%. In spite of an increase in F&B revenue which has a lower profit margin, we effectively managed costs to achieve a GOP growth of 46% in turn winning the Hyatt F&B financial performance challenge 2018 South West Asia region.
Further to that successfully implemented various key cost saving initiatives such as installation of VFD , Heat pump, condensate recovery ,solar panels which led to a HLP saving of 607k KWh and 21K Ltrs of high speed diesel amounting to massive savings of INR 1 crore in year.
Customer satisfaction was one of the key for highest customer service score in Hyatt Regency Brand, TripAdvisor rank also grew from from 17 to no. 4.
