Wyndham Hotels & Resorts strengthens its foothold across EMEA region with new openings; also enters new markets

They strengthened their hotel footprints across Europe, Middle East, Eurasia and Africa (EMEA), with important new openings and a series of new market entries over the past year their  expansion included a number of important markets such as Greece, Germany, Portugal, Georgia as well as the Middle East, Africa, and India

It also ramped up its presence across the Middle East and Africa

They also announced three new hotels in Dubai as part of the Deira Waterfront Development by (Ithra) Dubai

In India seven new opening across important locations such as New Delhi, Bangalore, and Jaipur

The key openings by Wyndham Hotels & Resorts:

Comwell Aarhus, Dolce by Wyndham, Denmark: First hotel in the country is set near the harbour, surrounded by cosy cafes and restaurants

La Quinta by Wyndham Istanbul Gunesli, Turkey: It opened in December 2019

In 2020 they are planning to include more Super 8 by Wyndham hotels in Mainz and Augsburg (Germany)

Soneva opens recycling centers across Maldivian Islands

The resort operator Soneva is aiming to stop open burning of waste in the Maldives for that he has announced the launch of its Namoona Baa initiative, a drive to open recycling centers at islands across the Maldives

The islands of Dharavandhoo and Kihaadhoo in the Baa Atoll will receive ‘eco-centers’ to help with environmentally-friendly waste management and putting a stop to open burning of waste

The centers will allow workers to sort, recycle and reuse island waste and each member of each of the three islands’ councils pledged to end open burning at a workshop held at Soneva Fushi

Soneva used funds from its Soneva Save our Seas program “Maalhos can now produce wealth from its waste.

This is just the beginning, and we will roll out the eco-centers to Dharavandhoo and Kihaadhoo this year, and working with the government hopes to extend the project to the whole of Baa Atoll – making it truly Namoona Baa,”

Tourist visas in UAE will now be issued for a period of five years

Multiple-entry tourist visas will now be issued for five years earlier it was with a validity of 30 or 90 days for all nationalities being UAE as an international tourist destination, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum decided this so that the system of issuing tourist visa comes in a bid to support the UAE’s tourism economy, and establish the country’s position as a global tourist destination and it is also associated with the government’s wider plans to prepare the country for the next 50 years of development

Roseate Hotels Forays In Coworking, Opens Premium Space In Delhi

Owned and operated by the Bird Group, Roseate Hotels & Resorts opened its first premium segment of co-working space in one of its properties in New Delhi named Upstage Club is spread over 30K sq ft and offers more than 100 desks to startups and companies pricing for the desks, at the co-working space, starts from INR 60K per month

They have changed the traditional way of working. With beanbags, cafes libraries, among other offerings, the shared way of working is attracting millennium and is matching up with the startup culture

 In the first quarter of this year, the coworking space witnessed a 277% an upsurge in leasing to nearly 3 Mn sq ft as expected it will grow up by 70% every quarter

The competition has got really tough over the years as a competitor like WeWork, Innov8 backed by OYO Workspaces, 91springboard, and Awfis are giving tough competition so what new strategies they will implement to grow & survive in the market.

Mr Vikas Mehra Promoted to Director - Global Sourcing & International Placements

Connect with him

https://www.linkedin.com/in/eclatvikasmehra/

vikas.mehra@eclathospitality.com

Café Delhi Heights to set up smaller format stores

Vikrant Batra, co-founder said that they will set up smaller formats of its flagship brand as part of its expansion blueprint, where “Lower rentals, quicker break-even and servicing from centralized kitchens will give us more efficiencies on top line and profitability” We intend to go to markets where capex is low.

The expansion will involve a mix of large and smaller format outlets, gradually to tap captive markets with relatively lower spending such as universities. Railway stations and airports are the other potential channels

We have to raise funds internally and have to maintain the cross sale of Rs 100 crore in 2019-20.

A food service report by National Restaurants Association of India (NRAI) estimates the industry at over Rs 4 lakh crore in FY19, forecasted to grow to Rs 5.5 lakh crore by 2021

The government slashed GST rates on restaurants to 5% from 18% in November 2017

The withdrawal of the input tax credit has been a big setback on profitability and margins

OYO Reports $604 Mn Revenue In India With $83 Mn Loss In FY19

OYO says its business across markets is evolving across three key growth stages.

• Stage one: In this stage, the focus of the company is on scale and presence.

• Stage two: Here the major focus is on creating a strong brand resonance and ensuring improved gross margin.

• Stage three: In mature markets such as India, where OYO will focus on maintaining a strong brand presence and recall while ensuring a clear path to profitability, operational excellence, and a strong gross margin.

  Oyo Business Insight:

• The company reduced its losses from 24% to 14% of revenue in FY19

• OYO hosted over 180 Mn guests from over 120 nationalities in the calendar year 2019.

• India contributes to 63.5% of fiscal revenue while international markets generate 36.5% of total revenue

• Increase in both daily guest check-ins across its network as well as an increase in hotels and asset owners across the world,

• In 2019, over 90% revenue coming from repeat and organic users with repeat alone contributing to 73% of revenues

• Gross margin increased from 10.6% in FY18 to 14.7% in FY19, it indicates that the strength of its business model and a positive correlation between market share and economics

Trident Hyderabad and The Oberio Sukhvilas, Chandigarh win the “Chairman’s Trophy” for 2018 -19

Trident, Hyderabad and the Oberoi Sukhvilas, Chandigarh best hotels, won the “Chairman’s Trophy” for 2018 -19 they performed extraordinary for achieving this title.

Parameters on which they are qualified are as follow:

• Achieving high levels of guest satisfaction measured by the “Net Promoter Score” on guest questionnaires.

• Achieving high-quality standard based on” Leading Quality Assurance Audits.”

• Exceeding the financial performance budgeted for the year.

• Achieving high levels of employee engagement score (People Pulse)

An Incredible Journey “ 2018-19”

OYO Hotels & Homes elevates Gaurav Ajmera as COO, India & South Asia

Oyo Hotels & Homes appoint Gaurav Ajmera as Chief Operating 0fficer (COO) comes into high-quality from May 1, 2019

The mission behind this is to move a step closer to its goal of becoming the world’s largest and most preferred chain.

“In a short span of six years, we have expanded its footprints to over 800 cities in 80 countries. We have a robust, resilient and diversified group of leaders who personify distributed leadership. As we continue to grow from strength to strength and tap new opportunities, we need leaders who are passionate to create an impact and bring with them an entrepreneurial mindset so appointing him as COO will take us one step closer to our mission.

He is one of the early OYOpreneurs and individual at the back of the company’s growth and growth across Country during his 4-year stint as the head of the north region

His incredible insights and experience along with his customer-first and innovation-driven approach make him an excellent choice for this role. His appointment further strengthens OYO’s South Asia leadership that is dedicated and focused towards building the most loved and preferred hospitality brand.”

Reporting into Aditya Ghosh, chief executive officer, India & South Asia, OYO Hotels & Homes

As a key partner his responsibility are :

• Building and driving world-class capability in revenue management,

• Driving offline sales and

• Overall delivery of excellent customer experience for the core franchise business.

  Let’s know something about him

  Gaurav, a fitness enthusiast holds a B.Tech and M.Tech degree in Chemical Engineering from Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi. Before OYO, He had a successful stint with Schlumberger.

Impact of "New Business Model" by IHCL on Investors →

Investors in IHCL seem to be betting on its asset-light strategy.

Step taken by IHCL for Hotel Industry brought lot of changes in Market a major shift from Traditional Strategy to Asset Light Strategy focus on Equity Investment on those where an organization's expertise achieves the best return for investors.

Benefit of this Strategy are:

• Positive impact on investors

• IHCL and EIH Ltd have outperformed the Nifty Midcap Index on a one-year horizon

• Higher Returns on Investment (ROI)

• Ebitda (Earnings Before Interest, Tax, Depreciation and Amortization) rose by 16% after the implementation of Indian Accounting Standards -116 norms

• Higher operating performance implied costs are being in control.

• “Traction in new signings continued with addition of 1,257 rooms in Q1FY20 (April-June) across seven cities, which took the pipeline to 4,500-plus rooms (FY19: 4,000 rooms)."  According to Edelweiss Securities Ltd.

• Seven new contracts in Q1 added

• Occupancy rates in the industry moved up by 3% points to 69% year-on-year in FY2019, according to data from ICRA Ltd.

• UK & US business remain in cloud .

• Earnings Per Share (ERP) Increase by 35% average compounded rate due to Margin Expansion and Lower Capex Intensity.

source : ET

Vietnam Unveils Plans For Stunning Luxury Ecopark Resort

The award-winning architecture firm Chapman Taylor was recently given the green light to build an ecopark resort in Mui Dinh, the sleepy, sandy coastal town in southeastern Vietnam. The resort will cover 1,800 acres and consist of six resort hotels, one boutique hotel, a casino, a theme park, 500 ocean-facing villas, a beach club and a mountain clubhouse. When it’s all said and done, that’s 7,000 rooms of brand new hospitality plunking itself into an as-yet-undeveloped slice of southeastern Vietnam.

AISSMS CHMCT’s Grand Finale of the 12th edition of Atithya 2020

Winners of Champion of Champions Trophy- Team IHM Kolkata along with Shri Malojiraje Chhatrapati Hon.Secretary AISSM Society, Chief Guest Mr. Girish Sehgal , GM J.W.Marriott Pune, Dr. Sonali Jadhav Principal AISSMS CHMCT and  AISSM Society's Office Bearers.

Atithya 2020 closed on a high gambling note, complete with much ballyhoo and delight.

The third day opened with a game-changer competition ‘Match Thy Wits’. The teams with top 10 scores participated. In all participants contested in 12 competitions for a total score of 700. Some of our prominent Jury included celebrity Chef Shailendra Kekade and the sprity female bartenders Ms.Kasturi Banerjee and Ms.Khushnaaz Raghina

The Champion of champions was IHM Kolkatta, the 1 st runner up team was Jindal School of HM, Vadodara and the 2 nd runner up Bharati Vidyapeeth IHMCT, Pune.

The Chief Guest for Atithya 2020 Awards Night, Mr Girish Sehgal General Manager J.W. Marriott Pune, applauded the efforts of the faculty, staff and the students and congratulated the management. His words of encouragement were heartfelt and will be cherished by students in years to come.

Shri.  Malojiraje Chhtrapati, Hon. Secretary, AISSM Society, who presided over the function was generous in his praise for the event. He stated “I truly appreciate the efforts of entire AISSMS CHMCT team. He also added that the event has become bigger and better with each passing year.   The evening unfolded into a grand gala dinner positioned on a casino theme called ‘High Stakes” The food, the décor, the entertainment added to all the fun and frolic.

The organizing team was led by the following students of the Final year:

Food Production : Shubhankar Shellar, Bhushan Gavit

Food and Beverage Service : Samarjeet Sawant, Arpit Pradhan

Rooms Division : Sourabh Kothawade, Krutarth Naik

Marketing: Rushikesh Patil

Branding: Mayank Borkar, Pinac Bhat

Cultural: Nitish Nagarkar, Mansi Pande

Travel and Registration: Ayush Patwardhan, Rudra Patil

Competition: Tanmay Malusare, Prachi Jain, Jitendriya Dandekar, Sai Patki, Swarali Isware, Kaustubh Darekar

Lounge and Cafeteria : Mayur Mote, Avishkar Bhadauria

Stores : Shaunak Kanchan

Printing : Rajan Ambadkar

The event was supported by Savitribai Phule Pune University.

18th Chandiwala Hospitality Ensemble (16th -18th October 2019)

The 18th Chandiwala Hospitality Ensemble is scheduled to take place at Banarsidas Chandiwala Institute of Hotel Management and Catering Technology from 16th – 18th October 2019. This mega event, comprising of finest Culinary Competitions along with various challenges related to the hotel & catering industry, with participation from Hotel Management Colleges Pan-India, intends to develop environmentally sensible leaders in hospitality management.

This event strives to provide diverse prospects to the aspiring Hotel Management Professionals by offering them a platform to demonstrate their Incredible Knowledge, Skill Talent and Creative Ideas in various Gastronomic Competitions along with plethora of other contests like Barwizard Bar Challenge, Manage the Damage Competition, Hospitality Brain Twister, Dress the Cake Challenge, Floral Decoration & Towel Origami Competition as well as Fruit & Vegetable Carving.

The participating students also get an opportunity to interact and ask for advice from professionals in an informal atmosphere, thereby building a professional network besides being a part of the competition.

With the inclusion of FUTURE CHEF CONTEST, the participants from Schools will live their passion in a simulated hotel environment. On the other hand, the new entrant in the array of events, LIVE SUSHI CULINARY CHALLENGE will channel the creativity of contestants and add a dash of globalisation to the three-day event. The authentic Indian flavour will be brought in through the BIRYANI COMPETITION, where the preparations will load the atmosphere with the aroma of spices.

Themed dinner along with Valedictory Function will mark the closing of Chandiwala Hospitality Ensemble on 18th October 2019.

Two Chef Scholarship Programmes Launched

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

CELEBRATING THE YOUTHFUL FERVOUR OF HOSPITALITY @ BCIHMCT Induction-cum-Independence Day Celebrations (13th – 14th August 2019)

The Orientation Programme for the fresh batch of the Academic Year 2019-20 was held on the 13th August, 2019 at the Auditorium of the lush green campus of Banarsidas Chandiwala Institute of Hotel Management & Catering Technology, witnessing more than 250 stakeholders who attended the Programme along with staff and faculty of the Institute. BCIHMCT extended a warm welcome to the First year students, their parents and guardians through the induction programme. The Programme commenced with the ceremonial Lighting of the Lamp and traditional Ganesh Vandana performed by students.

Dr. Sarah Hussain, Principal, BCIHMCT, gave insight into the mission, vision, structure and function of the college as well as SBCSST Society. Expressing her views on the career in hotel management and the importance of attendance, grooming, personality development as well as communication skills, she emphasized on the willingness to work and striving for continual growth as a significant aspect of this course. She addressed the audience and urged cooperation from everyone including parents and students.

Mr Alok Aswal, Dean Administration, BCIHMCT, briefed about the rules and regulations regarding conduct of students throughout four years at the institute. He requested the students and parents to understand as well as abide by the institutional norms.

BCIHMCT, New Delhi commemorated the Pre-Independence celebrations with great zeal and enthusiasm on 14th August, 2019. All the faculty members and students gathered at the college premises to hoist the National Flag. Dr. Hussain, spoke about the importance of freedom from all kinds of ills in the society. She encouraged everyone to follow the life’s learning from the great patriots namely Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel. Senior batch students enlightened the gathering with the importance of the sacrifices of those who gave up their lives for the Freedom of India. The function concluded with the National Anthem.

Bearing the multifaceted role of trees in maintaining the environment, the scheduled Tree Plantation Drive followed the celebrations, emphasizing the environmental crisis. The special action plan was initiated by the Principal, under whose guidance the students planted a sapling in the landscape area around the institute.

Priyam Chatterjee Becomes First Indian Chef To Receive French Honour

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.

Chef Dirk Heinen is the new executive chef at luxury hotel The Regency, Kuwait

Heinen brings over 34 years of professional culinary experience from hotels such as JW Marriott Hotel Ankara and Le Meridien Barbarons Seychelles. He also led the culinary operation at the Sheraton & Four Point Complex in Kuwait City for over six years.

Originally from Germany, Heinen spent his early career working as a sous chef in Switzerland, Taiwan and Turkey. He earned his master chef diploma in 1996 and acquired the position of executive chef in 1997.

Prior to joining The Regency, Heinen served as an executive chef at Cinnamon Grand Hotel Sri Lanka where he was overseeing the overall culinary experience of a range of 17 specialty restaurants.

Covering world-renowned cuisines, including in-room dining and amenities and banquet operations, he caters to Michelin star events with Marco Piere White, Goerge Colombaris and Chaîne des Rôtisseurs dinners.

With taking on the leadership role for over 100 team members in the food production at The Regency, Dirk Heinen aims to infuse the culinary heritage of Kuwait and its luxury hotel with experience and knowledge from various cultures.

More Appointments

Chef Anja Van Zyl is the new executive chef @ Le Royal Meridien Abu Dhabi

Le Royal Meridien Abu Dhabi has appointed Anja Van Zyl to the position of executive chef.

The Namibian national has 20 years of experience working in her home country, South Africa, the Maldives, China, and the UAE.

While in the UAE she previously worked for Rotana Hotels for seven years, opening new hotels and restaurant concepts, before moving to Shanghai from where she has joined Le Royal Meridien.

General manager Ashraf Siessy said: “Working the ranks of the kitchen as every novice does, Anja can be described as our newest iconic sensation and we are indeed proud to have her join our LRM family. We are confident that Anja’s expertise will continue to drive the success and growth of our culinary team and we are excited to witness the transition.”

Van Zyl is inspired by simple ingredients, focusing on Asian and European cuisine with a modern spin.

More Appointments

South African Chef Alison Kiewiet van Eeden is the new executive chef for Novotel & Ibis Dubai Deira City Centre

Bringing almost two decades of experience with her, Alison Kiewiet van Eeden has taken up the role of executive chef at Novotel & Ibis Dubai Deira City Centre.

The South African has already been tasked with revamping the menu at Bistro Domino Restaurant which has recently received a facelift.

As one of the few female executive chefs working under the AccorHotels brand, Kiewiet van Eeden will also drive forward the HeforShe global solidarity movement aligned with AccorHotels concept for a gender equal world.

“We are very excited to welcome chef Alison in the revamped Bistro Domino, as we continue to lift our expectations higher for our guests to experience a diverse menu with exciting fusion interiors” said Nishan Silva, cluster general manager.

More Appointments

The Ritz-Carlton, Dubai International Financial Centre has appointed Mauro Gomez to the role of head executive chef

An Argentinian national, Gomez has worked all over the world including spells in Vietnam, Miami, and Maldives, as well as overseeing more than 50 of celebrity chef Richard Sandoval’s restaurants worldwide.

Gomez will be in overall charge of the five distinctive restaurants and dining experiences at the DIFC hotel.

Tareq Derbas, general manager for The Ritz-Carlton, Dubai International Financial Centre commented: “We are very pleased to welcome chef Gomez to The Ritz-Carlton DIFC team. He carries extensive knowledge and passion that can transcend our guests through an unforgettable culinary experience. We are very honoured that he can join us in Dubai to share his culinary heritage and expertise with our valued guests.”