Hilton News | Hilton Introduces Industry-Leading Tech Enhancements

Hilton Introduces Industry-Leading Tech Enhancements, Improving Guest Experience with Shareable Digital Room Keys, Automated Complimentary Room Upgrades and Confirmed Connecting Rooms

MCLEAN, Va. - Hilton today announced the latest in a series of technology innovations that enhance the guest experience across the company’s 18 world-class hotel brands.  In a first for a major hospitality company, Digital Key Share will allow more than one guest to have access to their room’s Digital Key, which turns the free Hilton Honors app on their smartphones into a room key.

Hilton also announced an enhancement to a highly valued Hilton Honors benefit, providing members with early confirmation of a favorite perk – complimentary room upgrades.  Eligible Gold and Diamond Hilton Honors members will be notified of their space-available upgrade 72 hours prior to arrival, enabling the member to choose their upgraded room directly when they check-in via the Hilton Honors app. 

These two enhancements join the recently launched Confirmed Connecting Rooms, another industry first that allows individuals to easily and instantly confirm at least two connecting rooms at the time of booking. 

“We’ve always had our guests at the heart of everything we do, and we continue to listen, evolve and innovate to give them more choice and control over their hotel stay,” said Chris Silcock, executive vice president, and chief commercial officer, Hilton. “Our approach to technology always starts with the guest experience, and as travel returns, we are pleased to provide Hilton guests with enhancements to their stay that are seamless, flexible, and allow them to focus on what matters most – creating new memories.”

Sharing Your Digital Key with Travel Companions

Since its 2015 launch, Hilton’s Digital Key has expanded rapidly.  The technology is now available at more than 80% of Hilton’s portfolio, or close to 5,400 of Hilton’s more than 6,600 properties worldwide.  It has been used to open more than 135 million guestroom doors, and has reduced plastic waste by 125 tons, furthering Hilton’s Travel with Purpose commitment to cut its environmental footprint in half by 2030.  In the coming months, Digital Key Share will roll out globally to all hotels currently offering Digital Key technology.

How it Works: The primary guest can share their active Digital Key with up to four additional people or devices from the Hilton Honors app.  For the secondary guest to gain access to the Digital Key, they must receive an invitation from the primary guest, be logged into the Hilton Honors app and pass a security check that happens instantly in the background.  Guests who accept a share will have access to the room throughout the duration of the stay and, for security purposes, cannot further share the Digital Key. 

Enhancing the Complimentary Room Upgrade Benefit for Elite Members

Celebrating elite Gold and Diamond Hilton Honors members with complementary, space-available upgrades at the time of check-in is one of the program’s most important perks, and now, Hilton Honors is enhancing this valued benefit even further.  When possible, Hilton will notify Gold and Diamond members of their complimentary upgrade 72 hours prior to arrival.  This will enable the member to choose their upgraded room directly via the Hilton Honors app.  

How it Works: Eligible members will receive an email and a Hilton Honors app push notification alerting them of their complimentary upgraded room.  Once received, if the hotel offers Digital Check-In, the member can easily choose the location of their upgraded room through the app 36 hours prior to arrival.  All stays under seven nights are eligible for this confirmation, and it will be available in the coming months at all Hilton brands globally where space-available upgrades are currently offered, including Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, LXR Hotels & Resorts, Conrad Hotels & Resorts, Canopy by Hilton, Hilton Hotels & Resorts, Curio Collection by Hilton, DoubleTree by Hilton, Signia by Hilton and Tapestry Collection by Hilton. 

Easily Book and Instantly Confirm Connecting Rooms 

Earlier this year, Hilton launched a solution for a long-time travel planning frustration and was the first major hotel company to introduce a booking experience that allows individuals to easily book and instantly confirm at least two connecting rooms.  This innovative technology, Confirmed Connecting Rooms by Hilton, is rolling out globally and is available when booking on Hilton.com or through the Hilton Honors app at participating hotels within any of the portfolio’s 18 brands. 

How it Works: Individuals can book and instantly confirm connecting rooms in three easy steps. First, the guest selects the number of desired rooms, along with the destination and dates.  Then, when selecting a room, the guest checks the box to indicate “connecting rooms.”  Finally, the guest selects their desired connecting rooms and books their stay with instant confirmation. 

These innovations are a continuation of Hilton’s mission to further the digital welcome experience for valued guests and Hilton Honors members.  These enhancements increase flexibility for travelers so they can relax and enjoy their destination, whether traveling for business or leisure, with family or friends. Learn more at HiltonHonors.com.

Eclat Insights | The Compound Effect In Service Design

The idea is from the book 50 Activities For Achieving Excellent Customer Service by Darryl Doane.

I love compounding. The quote 'Compound interest is the eighth wonder of the world' is attributed to Einstein. Until recently, I thought of it merely in terms of finance or rather growing money. When you think of it in terms of life, productivity, personal, team or business growth, it is even more potent. 

3 lines of What The Idea Is

• The compound effect is the strategy of reaping huge rewards from small, seemingly insignificant actions.

• Small choices + consistency + time = significant results #formulasforlife

• Using learning from each interaction, each incident, to shape future interactions and responses.

Why is it relevant to Hospitality & Service Industries

The number of interactions one of your guests has with your team over a 24 hour period could vary from type of service to type of guest, but for simplicity let's say it is just 2. Just 2 interactions, in 24 hours, per guest.

If you serve 100 guests a day, that is 200 interactions, which is 73,000 interactions in a year.

Imagine if you could record the learning from each of those interactions, and keep improving all future moments of truth.

Real-World Example

A guest asks a steward if there are any vegan options because he can't find them on the menu. You may not have vegan options or the options may not be visible easily. This is a service design flaw.

First, the steward helps the guest, if he can himself or by talking to the chef/manager.  

He makes a note of the request.

At the end of the shift, he hands over that to the manager or adds it to an online list.

A vegan menu is then created by the chef/manager.

When other guests inquire about a vegan menu, instead of pointing to some dishes on the menu, the guest is offered a special, standalone vegan menu.

If every interaction that is warranted a new, different response from the standard operating practices is recorded and actioned, you get a compound effect.

Actionable Insights

1. Ensure your team captures any situation, request, demand, question, that is not already framed and featured in your SOPs.

2. It could be as simple as where is the restaurant to who owns this place? No management judgement should be used to document. No filtering. 

3. Make it simple for your team to record all such incidents. Create a voicemail box, a simple email address, pen & paper, anything that they can do to capture the details where they work. If there is too much effort required to do so, it will not happen.

4. Create a Chief-Moment-Of-Truth Officer position to ensure that all such records are accessed, actioned and added to SOPs. p.s. Your SOPs are supposed to be living, breathing entities and not something that is filled away in vaults. 

 5. Reward the people who add/create more knowledge for everyone. 

Want to make this WOW? 

• Have a competition. See who can add the maximum new service intentions.

• Create customer personas to go through all your SOPs and see how to improve the experience.

The 5-second rule! - Do something about this right now!

Look at the last customer complaint you got. Was it something new? If it was, make sure you create a response for it and add it to your SOP.

We love creating amazing service processes. If you want to ideate on any of your processes write to me at p.bedi@eclathospitality.com. It's free coz it is fun for us.

Prabhjot

Bedi

is an Hospitality Ideator. A process innovator, trainer, and professional speaker, he has worked with the Taj Group of Hotels, conducted training programs for hospitality leaders, launched a National Council Accredited Hospitality Institute as Principal, successfully launched and sold three hospitality businesses. He now assists hospitality leaders and educators in creating superlative services and products. He also edits the very popular www.hospemag.com - the largest hospitality career e-mag

NEWS | Cygnett Hotels & Resorts to add nine new properties to its portfolio

The new properties will come up in Dehradun, Jaipur (2 hotels), Bhiwadi, Dalhousie, Solan, Kolkata, Rajkot, and Goa

Cygnett Group of Hotels and Resorts plans to launch 9 new properties across multiple cities in different regions of India over the next six months. The new properties will come up in Dehradun, Jaipur (2 hotels), Bhiwadi, Dalhousie, Solan, Kolkata, Rajkot, and Goa.

The Cygnett Group is in the process of finalizing another 6 hotels, details of which will be announced soon. Like all Cygnett Group hotels, the new properties will target both business and leisure travelers. “There is a lot of pent-up demand, especially in the smaller cities and towns, and we want to aggressively capitalize on that demand,” said Sarbendra Sarkar, MD & Founder Cygnett Hotels & Resorts.

Speaking about the growth opportunities in India, Sarkar said, “We believe that the disruption created by the COVID-19 pandemic is now behind us and people have begun traveling again. The economy is steadily coming back on track and therefore the demand is accelerating, especially in non-metro cities.”

Pointing out that occupancy rates in Cygnett Group hotels have been going up for the past few months, Mr. Sarkar said that recovery in the hospitality sector has been faster than expected after the devastation caused by the pandemic.

Sarkar added that Cygnett properties are currently running at 70% occupancy as against India's average of 52% occupancy. He also highlighted the challenge of a declining Average Daily Rate (ADR). “ADR has gone down by 30% this season. That’s a little worrying for the industry,”  Sarkar said, adding that it would take another 8-10 months for the ADR to up to the pre-pandemic levels.

Initiative | Radisson Hotel Group becomes world’s first hotel group to offer carbon negative meetings

For every event taking place at its participating hotels, Radisson Hotel Group will offset double the carbon footprint, to ensure that every meeting has a positive impact on the environment

Radisson Hotel Group is set to become the world’s first hotel group to make all meetings and events across 400+ hotels in its EMEA portfolio carbon negative. For every event taking place at its participating hotels, Radisson Hotel Group will offset double the carbon footprint, to ensure that every meeting has a positive impact on the environment.

For meetings booked between 18 October 2021 and 31 January 2022 and taking place before 31st March 2022, Carbon Negative. Planet Positive will set a new sustainability standard in the global hospitality industry. The program allows clients to host meetings in a sustainable way by offsetting double the CO2 emissions from meetings and events free of charge to the client, making meetings that take place during this period at participating hotels carbon negative.

Carbon Negative. Planet Positive reinforces the Group’s 100% Carbon Neutral meetings offering, in place across the Group’s 1,600 hotels worldwide since 2019. The initiative forms part of the Group’s wider Responsible Business program which targets reducing the Group’s carbon footprint by 30%, and which aims to set science-based targets. Since the launch of the 100% Carbon Neutral Meetings program, the Group has offset over 30,300 tons of CO2 at no cost to its clients, which is the equivalent to removing more than 6,500 fuel driven cars1 off the road.

Carbon Negative, Planet Positive meetings complement the Group’s Hybrid Meetings solutions which launched in 2020 and offer owners and guests the flexibility and space optimization they require to better meet the rapid lifestyle changes of today’s travelers. Hybrid Meetings are available across more than 100 hotels in EMEA and contribute to a lighter scope 3 footprint for the client.

“The upcoming COP26 conference will see world leaders come together to discuss climate change which needs all our attention. At Radisson Hotel Group, we are constantly reviewing how we as a global business can influence positive climate action, and how we can encourage the hospitality industry to push the boundaries on green meetings and events. We are proud to be pioneering this initiative and trust that meeting organizers around the globe recognize the positive impact they can have on the environment as face-to-face meetings increase,” says Eric de Neef, Executive Vice President, Global Chief Branding & Commercial Officer.

“Carbon Negative. Planet Positive allows you to make your meetings carbon negative and your impact planet positive. With the return of business travel, now is the time to have a positive impact. For Radisson Hotel Group, it is important that we offset carbon emissions according to the highest quality standards and in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This is why we select offsetting projects that are not only good for the environment, but also socially relevant. This initiative plays a key role in helping us achieve our Responsible Business targets to protect people, planet, and community,” says Inge Huijbrechts, Global Senior Vice President Sustainability, Security and Corporate Communications.

For each meeting, the carbon footprint is calculated using the HCMI methodology2 and then offset through projects which are Gold Standard or Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) recognized. These projects combat climate change and contribute to sustainable development in line with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and include a clean cooking and safe water program in Kenya, wind farm projects in Turkey, India, and the US to generate green electricity, a forest protection program in Peru to reduce deforestation sustainably, and a biogas project in rural China. In addition, members of Radisson’s Radisson Rewards loyalty program can also choose to redeem their loyalty points to offset their stay.

New Launch | The Leela Gandhinagar introduces bespoke staycation packages

The Leela Gandhinagar has introduced three bespoke staycation packages for families of all kinds, that are sure to create memories during this festive time.

For a family that enjoys spending time together and yet loves individual spaces, the hotel offers the ‘Togetherness’ package. This includes a family stay in interconnecting rooms and more space for a memorable time together.

To add a luxurious indulgence to your stay, book the ‘Suite Life’ package. This offers families with children a lavish stay - a Royal Suite for parents and Premier Club Room for the children. The stay is complemented with a special high tea and a delectable spread.

Rekindle romance with your special one while staying at this luxurious hotel. Book the ‘Intimate Escape’ package for a extravagant stay, including a seven-course dining experience, exclusive access to Royal Club Lounge and afternoon tea / coffee.

All three packages come inclusive of meals, advantage of early check-in and late check-out and a host of other services.

“Following the successful opening of the hotel, we have been receiving great feedback and a lot of warmth from our guests. Our special inaugural package drove very good response with staycations for guests from the twin cities of Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar. We are sure that our festive-special packages will serve as great options for our guests to enjoy a festive indulgence while staying with us.” said Jaideep Anand, Vice President and General Manager, The Leela Gandhinagar.

The Leela Gandhinagar is the first luxury hotel in India to be built on the airspace of a conventional railway station, 22 metres above the ground. The 318-room property combines modernity with subtle inspirations from local Gujarat architecture and culture and sits proudly atop the railway tracks.
The hotel also offers the finest in gourmet fare at various dining alternatives spanning a host of cuisines, served in picturesque environs.

To ensure that every guest stay is not only the most memorable but also the safest, the hotel has implemented enhanced safety and hygiene protocols under ‘Suraksha by The Leela’ - a comprehensive safety program in partnership with Bureau Veritas. The Leela Gandhinagar also has a 100% vaccinated workforce reassuring guests of complete safety in their care.

Appointment | Nishesh Seth joins as an Executive Chef of Crowne Plaza Jaipur

Crowne Plaza Jaipur Hotel, a member of Intercontinental Hotels Group appoints Nishesh Seth as their new Executive Chef. The 5-star property, which has set the benchmark for a culinary experience in the pink city since its inception is pleased to welcome one of the best chefs in the industry to the city.

Executive Chef, Nishesh Seth brings with him a wealth of hospitality experience in several luxury brands like Taj Hotels, Resorts and Palaces, Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, and Marriot International. He moves to Crowne Plaza Jaipur from Crowne Plaza Gurugram, to enhance the culinary experience at the hotel. He sincerely believes that cooking is magical as it has the power to elevate one’s senses.

“I know that people in Jaipur love their food which makes me even more excited to treat them with an ultimate experience,” says Executive Chef Nishesh Seth, who is set to head all of the hotel’s culinary operations including its two Signature restaurants “The Royal Root” and “House of Han”

Welcoming Nishesh Seth to Crowne Plaza Jaipur, Mr. Nalin Mandiratta – Area General Manager, IHG South West Asia and General Manager – Crowne Plaza Jaipur says, “We are very pleased about Nishesh Seth joining our team. He is a very talented, hard-working professional and highly passionate about his work. His extensive experience is going to be a real asset to our hotel. Our guests can look forward to many wonderful culinary experiences.”

Marriott News| Residence Inn by Marriott Debuts in Playa del Carmen, Bringing Residential Comfort and Personalized Service to the Heart of Riviera Maya

The 149-Room Hotel sets a benchmark for longer stay accommodations in the popular holiday destination

Residence Inn by Marriott Playa del Carmen has officially opened its doors, with a prime location on the Federal Highway Cancun, Chetumal, and close proximity to world-renowned beaches and breathtaking views. With a global presence of over 860 hotels in the United States, Canada, Europe, the Middle East, and Central America, Residence Inn is the world leader of the longer stay lodging segment, arriving for the first time in Playa del Carmen.

The hotel also marks the arrival of the third Residence Inn in Mexico, debuting at a time when guests are looking for alternative lodging options to a traditional hotel stay for longer stays. Residence Inn Playa del Carmen is the ideal destination for executives and leisure travelers who are in the city for both business and leisure with more room to spread out, for family and even pets.

Located in the Playacar complex, Residence Inn Playa del Carmen offers 149 pet-friendly spacious suites combining comfort and style with fully equipped kitchens complete with a refrigerator, cooktop, microwave, dishwasher, residential-size appliances, dishes, and cookware. Guests can settle into their home away from home with separate areas for living and sleeping paired with personalized service and amenities including complimentary American breakfast for all guests.

Cancun and Playa del Carmen continue to be top destination choices for national and international travelers visiting Mexico. The region has become an aviation hub attracting top-of-the-line tourism and hospitality investments, a key driver in the growth of the region. Previously, there were no longer-stay hotel options in the area, so our new hotel comes just at the right time,” said Arturo Cruz, Sales Director of Residence Inn by Marriott Playa del Carmen. “Conveniently located 58 kilometers from the Cancun Airport, our guests have the option of enjoying the beaches, dining in a relaxed setting, and soaking in the comfort of our expansive suites so they can feel right at home.”

The hotel offers additional amenities including a complimentary grocery delivery service, The Market is open 24 hours for grab-and-go options, a self-service laundry room, a mobile app, a fitness center, an outdoor swimming pool, and complimentary high-speed WiFi.

Residence Inn Playa del Carmen offers 54.27 square meters of event and meeting space filled with natural light and built-in multimedia technology.

New Opening | Pride Group of Hotels opens Pride Chira Meadows Ecoresort & Wellness Spa

Pride Group of Hotels has launched Pride Chira Meadows Ecoresort & Wellness Spa in the coastal hill station of Konkan, Dapoli.

Located 7 km from the beaches the mesmerizing resort can be accessed easily by road or train. It is in close proximity to places of tourist interest namely Velas, Ade, Kelshi, Murud Beaches, and temples like Keshavraj and Vyaghreshwar.

Announcing the opening, Atul Upadhyay, Vice President, Pride Group of Hotels said," We are delighted to launch Pride Chira Meadows Ecoresort & Wellness Spa in Dapoli. The resort is built on principles of sustainable ecotourism, nature conservation, and the wellness of our guests. Our professional team, with profound years of experience, is here to ensure that your stay is a merry experience for you and the surrounding nature alike. Our resort is a must-visit for travelers with a passion for camping in nature, adventure sports, wildlife, and natural history tourism."

Pride Chira Meadows Ecoresort & Wellness Spa has well-appointed Deluxe, Super deluxe, and Chalet rooms offering a peaceful stay in Konkan. The luxury, ambiance, and personal attention at the resort resonates with the pampered soul in you, and the location, its history, and the experiences it offers evoke the wanderlust hidden beneath. The resort is the go-to choice for banquets and events in Dapoli. It flaunts a conference hall, a meeting hall, and a lawn that make for a holistic banqueting experience for weddings, conferences, exhibitions, get-togethers, meetings, and more.

Dining options include Coastal Aroma, our in-house diner, a fine-dine, coastal cuisine-inspired restaurant that serves exotic dishes, and Botanical Café that embraces the farm-to-table concept. Rooms are equipped with LED TV, mini bar, tea/ coffee maker, Wi-Fi, heater, private balcony, individual air conditioning, and comfy beds.

With its presence around 34 great locations across India, Pride Group of Hotels boasts of 3213+ Rooms, 70 Restaurants, 92 Banquets, and Conference Halls, reinforcing itself as a one-stop destination for MICE. Currently, Pride Hotels operates and manages a chain of hotels under the brand name “Pride Plaza Hotel” an Indian Luxury Collection, at Aerocity – New Delhi, Ahmedabad, and Kolkata, “Pride Hotel” at Bangalore, Chennai, Nagpur, Pune, Indore, Udaipur & (soon) Bharuch, Haldwani along with “Pride Resorts” at Goa, Puri, Jaipur, Rajkot, Bharatpur, Gangtok, Dapoli, Mussoorie & (soon) Aatapi, Rishikesh, Daman, Bhavnagar, Dwaraka, Nainital, Jim Corbett and also Mid-Market Hotels under “Pride Biznotel” at Anand & (soon) Jabalpur, Agra, Bhopal, Surendranagar, Rajkot, Somnath & Haldwani.

Appointment | Sumit Gogia joins Four Points by Sheraton New Delhi Airport as General Manager

Four Points by Sheraton, New Delhi, owned and managed by Shanti Hospitality Management Services, has appointed Sumit Gogia as General Manager. He will be responsible for the successful functioning of the hotel’s operations along with sales and marketing and revenue management.

An alumnus of the Institute of Hotel Management, Catering and Nutrition, Panipat, Gogia’s has 21 years of hospitality experience. He began his career with Hyatt Hotels Corporation. Over the years, he has been associated with various luxury hotels like The Imperial, Shangri-La, The Leela Ambience Gurgaon, Hyatt Hotels Corporation (Gurgaon as well as New Delhi).

Before joining Four Points by Sheraton, New Delhi, he was with The Heritage Village Resort & Spa, Manesar, as General Manager. His expertise lies in F&B, Operations and Sales and Marketing, as well as being a successful leader for his team. He is also an active member of HRAH (Hotel & Restaurant Association of Haryana) as Hon. Secretary.

New Opening | Lords Hotels & Resorts launches its first hotel in Lucknow

The hotel continues its growth in new markets with the opening of Elora Lords Eco Inn at Lucknow

Lords Hotels & Resorts launches its first hotel under Lords Eco Inn brand in the Heart of Uttar- Pradesh -Lucknow. Lords have set its footprints in 53 cities 12 states and 2 countries as of now and continue its growth in new markets with the opening of Elora Lords Eco Inn at Lucknow. This is the first property of the brand in the city of Nawabs.

The hotel is located adjacent to Hazartganj with proximity to the Airport and the railway station offering 32 well-appointed rooms with Lords Signature Blue Coriander Multi-cuisine family restaurant, Banquet Hall, Board room, and upcoming rooftop lounge. The hotel underwent extensive renovation to be part of brand standards and now is a smart business hotel with the latest amenities and facilities.

The hotel can cater to both leisure and business travelers as well as local corporates apart from hosting corporate/social functions. The hotel has easy access to major sightseeing places such as Vidhan Sabha, Roomi Darwaza, Chhota Imambara, Bara Imambara, and British Residency.

The inauguration ceremony was followed by lighting of the lamp by Kavita Arora – promoter Elora Lords Eco Inn and the felicitation was done by Pushpendra Bansal – Chief Operating Officer and Vikas Suri – Sr. Associate Vice President of Lords Hotels and Resorts.

Pushpendra Bansal mentioned “We are excited to have our presence in the state of Uttar Pradesh and look forward to expanding further with 3 more properties by early 2022. We are also hopeful to further extend our unmatched services with similar alliances in the near future.

Kavita Arora, further added “We are proud to partner with Lords Group and bring their True Value Hospitality to Lucknow. It is with a success record of managing hotels we see bright prospects in the growth of our hotel.

Vikas Suri, further commented, “We look forward to providing the best service, quality, hygiene and true value experience to our guests which we are known for.

Marriott News | Marriott International Announces David Rodriguez to Retire as Global Chief Human Resources Officer

Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAR) announced today that Executive Vice President and Global Chief Human Resources Officer David Rodriguez, Ph.D. will step down from his role at the end of October and retire at the end of 2021 after a distinguished 23-year career with the company. The company also announced that long-time Marriott Human Resources executive, Ty Breland, Ph.D., has been named to succeed Rodriguez.

“David’s impact on Marriott – our business, our associates and our culture – has been significant,” said Anthony Capuano, Chief Executive Officer, Marriott International. “He has partnered with our company’s leaders to take Marriott to new heights, always with a focus on the heart of our business – our people. Among David’s many accomplishments, I think the one that has touched the most lives is his work to build our TakeCare culture. David believes that the surest path to sustainable success is to promote the wellbeing of our people. His intuitive sense of what our associates need, coupled with his work analyzing best human resources practices, is the foundation of Marriott’s award-winning approach to associate wellbeing. David will be sorely missed, but his work will live on in Marriott’s people-first policies and practices, and the genuine care that exists among our associates across the world.”

Rodriguez began his career at Marriott in 1998 as a Senior Vice President, Human Resources, where he played a key role in creating the talent and organizational capabilities to fuel Marriott’s international expansion. In 2003, he was appointed Executive Vice President with responsibility for corporate HR as well as for the human resources function for North America Lodging. Rodriguez was named a corporate officer in 2000, and in 2006, he was named to his current role leading Marriott’s global talent strategy. Rodriguez was instrumental in co-founding Marriott’s Board of Directors’ Inclusion and Social Impact Committee (formerly known as the Committee for Excellence), which oversees efforts undertaken by the company to promote associate wellbeing and inclusion and to address environmental, social and governance issues. Rodriguez also serves as Marriott’s Chief Diversity Officer.

Under Rodriguez’s leadership, Marriott is the only hotel company to be named to Fortune’s 100 Best Places to Work For list every year since its inception in 1998, the first hotel company to be ranked #1 by DiversityInc, and the only hotel company to be named to the organization’s Hall of Fame. During Rodriguez’s tenure, Marriott has been recognized by America’s Best Employers for Women (Forbes), 50 Best Companies for Latinas to Work for in the U.S. (LATINA Style), Best Places to Work for LGBTQ Equality (Human Rights Campaign Foundation), and Best Places for Disability Inclusion (Disability: IN), among many other accolades.

Appointment | Sunil Sharma Join Holiday Inn Mumbai International Airport As The Director Of Food & Beverage

Sunil Sharma joins Holiday Inn Mumbai International Airport as the Director of Food & Beverage. Hailing from Himachal Pradesh, Sunil was brought up in the capital city, Delhi and is a Hospitality Management graduate holding a degree in Economics Honors. Sunil brings with him over a decade of experience in the Hospitality Industry and has worked in multi-national hotel chains like Waldorf Astoria in the UAE, The Torch in Doha, Hilton Hotels in the Middle East and India, The Leela Palace in Chennai and Mumbai. He is also a certified Sake Sommelier and has rich experience in managing Indian, Japanese, Middle Eastern and European aspects of F&B Service. He loves exploring the world of gastronomy and beverages and is an adventure sports enthusiast.  

On joining Holiday Inn Mumbai International Airport, Sunil says; “I am really excited to join the prestigious hotel. The vibe and positivity within the team is something I have never experienced before.” Talking about how Covid has changed the way we look at the hospitality industry, he adds; “Change is the only constant. Hotels have also learnt to adapt with ghost kitchens, focusing more than ever on healthy eating, home deliveries and contactless experiences. We are all learning and evolving from our daily experiences and there is a lot yet to unfold in the new realm of hospitality.”  

Announcing the appointment Mr Sarad Upadhyay, General Manager at Holiday Inn Mumbai International Airport says “We are excited to have Sunil on-board. He joins us with immense experience and energy. He has a new perspective of the Food & Beverage industry and I am confident having him on the leadership team will definitely bring about a positive change.” 

Holiday Inn Mumbai International Airport 

A contemporary and modern upscale hotel in North Mumbai, Holiday Inn Mumbai International Airport is located 15 minutes away from the Mumbai International Airport, making it an ideal destination for leisure or business. The hotel offers 245 contemporary yet modern rooms and banquet space of 14729 sq ft, a spa, a fitness centre, a swimming pool at the sky terrace, an all-day dining restaurant and a bar at the lobby level.  

Ingredient Ideology | LOVE FOR LEMONGRASS By: Dr. Kaviraj Khialani- Celebrity Master Chef.

Lemongrass is an herb with a lemony scent. The culinary herb is produced from the stalk of the lemongrass plant. This plant grows in many tropical climates, most notably in Southeast Asia. Lemongrass is a plant. The leaves and the oil are used to make medicine. Lemongrass is used for treating digestive tract spasms, stomach-ache, high blood pressure, convulsions, pain, vomiting, cough, achy joints (rheumatism), fever, the common cold, and exhaustion. It is also used to kill germs and as a mild astringent.

 Lemongrass is native to the tropical countries of India, Cambodia, Indonesia, China, Guatemala, Sri Lanka and Malaysia. It grows upright in dense bunches and thrives in moist, warm climates with well-drained, loose, dry, loam soils.

The lemongrass herb has stalks that are fibrous and smell much like lemons. In an essential oil, the scent is fresh and light with a hint of lemon. Lemongrass can be found in subtropical and tropical areas, where it thrives on fertile, well-drained, sandy and loamy soil that is exposed to direct sunlight. Lemongrass tea is generally a safe and healthy herbal drink. Animal and laboratory research has shown that lemongrass has anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and anticancer properties. Lemongrass may also help protect your stomach lining and improve your lipid profile

Here are a few Health Benefits of using Lemongrass in our Daily Cooking.

• Lemongrass has pain- killer properties and is useful in a number of ways.

• It helps to cure respiratory diseases & can protect liver from damage.

• It has anti- fungal properties as well, can help reduce diarrhoea.

• Lemongrass promotes in detoxification of our body in a number of ways.

• It Is a great immunity booster and also helps treat fever.

• Lemongrass is good for our skin and bone health as well.

• It can be helpful to us since it helps prevent anaemia and also lowers cholesterol.

Here are a few of my favorite Recipes with Lemongrass:

Recipe-1] LEMONGRASS & ASPARAGUS SOUP

Ingredients:

Fresh lemongrass- 4-5 no, cut into medium sized pieces.

Asparagus- 10-12 no, tips trimmed for garnish, rest to be sliced

Oil-1 tsp

Butter-1 tsp

Garlic- 1 tsp chopped

Onion-1 small, chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

Mixed herbs- ½ tsp

Maida- 1-2 tsp

Chili flakes- ½ tsp

Sweet potato- ½ cup cubed

Water/ stock- 2-3 cups

Flax seeds/ melon seeds-2 tsp

Fresh cream-1/4 cup

Cheese-2-3 tsp

Assorted fresh herbs for garnish

Method:

1. Pre-prep all the ingredients for the lemongrass- asparagus soup.

2. Heat oil and butter in a pan, saute the lemongrass pieces, garlic and onions for a few seconds. For non-veg versions we can add some chopped bacon as well.

3. Add in the sweet potatoes, asparagus slices, add in the seasonings, herbs, chili flakes, seeds and mix well, also add some maida and saute for 20 seconds.

4. Now pour in the liquid content/stock or water and allow the ingredients to soften and cook for 12-18 mins, cool, remove the lemongrass pieces and then puree, strain the soup.

5. Bring the contents of the soup back to a boil, add in the cream and simmer for 3-4 mins, check for salt and adjust seasonings and texture accordingly.

6. Serve the delicate and refreshing soup piping hot and garnish with some herbs, chili flakes, micro-greens etc.

Recipe-2] LEMONGRASS TEMPERED FRIED RICE

Ingredients:

Basmati rice- 2 cups boiled

Oil-2 tsp

Butter-1 tsp

Lemongrass- 10-12 pieces’ cut

Garlic- 1 tsp sliced

Ginger-1 tsp shredded

Shallots- 6- 8 no sliced

Boneless chicken breast- 1 cup sliced thinly

Eggs-2-3 no

Salt and pepper to taste

Assorted veggies for color- carrots/ cabbage/green capsicum etc

Cut them into small pieces/ cubes/ dices.

Soy sauce- 2-3 tsp

Red chili sauce-1-2 tsp

White vinegar/ chili vinegar- 1-2 tsp

Roasted crushed peanuts-2-3 tsp

Spring onion greens- 2-3 tbsp. chopped

Method:

1. Pre-prep all the ingredients as per the recipe. Heat 1 tsp oil in the pan and break in the eggs, scramble them add salt and pepper and cook for 2-3 mins, remove and keep aside.

2. Heat oil and butter in a wok/ pan add in the garlic, ginger, shallots, and lemongrass, and saute for a few seconds.

3. Add in the chicken pieces and saute them on a high flame for 1-2 mins, add in the seasonings, sauces, little water and allow the chicken to cook for 6- 8 mins.

4. Also we can use assorted colorful veggies as listed which can be going into the pan as well side by side and cook.

5. Add in the boiled rice and greens, give them a nice mix and cook for 3-5 mins and then dish out, serve hot.

Recipe- 3] LEMONGRASS FLAVORED GREEN VEG CURRY

Ingredients:

Oil-2 tsp

Lemongrass- 6- 9 pieces’ cut

Garlic-1 tsp sliced

Ginger/thai galangal- 2 tsp sliced

Shallots- 4-6 no peeled and cut 1 x 2

Eggplant- 1 cup cubed

Fresh basil leaves- 10-12 no

Broccoli florets-1 cup

Mushrooms-1/2 cup cut 1 x 2

Snow peas- 10-12 no

Carrots-1/4 cup cubes

Babycorn- 2-3 no sliced

Salt to taste

Green curry paste- 2-3 tsp

Sugar- 1 pinch

Water-1/2 cup- 1 cup

Coconut milk- 2 cups thick

Cornstarch solution- 2-3 tsp.

Coconut cream/ tender coconut/ basil leaves for garnish

Method:

1. Pre-prep all the ingredients for the lemongrass flavored curry.

2. Heat oil in a pan add in the lemongrass, ginger/galangal, fresh basil, green curry paste, add in some water to prevent the curry paste from sticking or burning.

3. Add in the assorted veggies of your choice and saute for a couple of minutes, add ½ cup water and 1 cup coconut milk and simmer for 8-10 mins.

4. Pour in a little more coconut milk as per texture desired along with a little corn starch solution to thicken up a bit, cook for 2-3 mins, garnish with fresh basil/ coconut cream and serve hot with steaming hot sticky jasmine rice/ lemongrass flavored white rice.

Recipe- 4] PAN FRIED LEMONGRASS FISH FILLETS

Ingredients:

Boneless fish fillets- 450gms- 750gms, sliced

For the marination:

Oil-2-3 tsp

Lemon juice- 2-3 tsp

Ginger shreds- 2 tsp

Mixed herbs-1/2 tsp

Chili flakes-1/2 tsp

Soy sauce-1 tsp

Brown sugar-1 tsp

Basil leaves- 5-6 no

White wine-2-3 tbsp. optional

Salt and pepper to taste

For pan-frying the fish:

Maida-1 cup

Oil-1/4 cup

Butter-2-3 tsp

For the accompaniments and plating:

Butter-2-3 tsp

Garlic-2-3 tsp sliced

Shallots- 5-6 no, cut 1 x 4

Spring onion greens- ½ cup chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

Steamed white rice/brown rice- 2 cups

Lemon grass- 5-7 pieces

Flax seeds/ melon seeds- 2-3 tsp

Jalapenos/ slit green/ red chilies- 2-3 no

Blanched spinach leaves- 1 cup

Method:

1. Pre-prep all the ingredients as per the recipe for the fish.

2. Prepare the fish fillets, apply the marination, keep them aside for 12-15 mins in the refrigerator.

3. Coat the fillets with dry maida/refined flour and pan fry it in a little oil and butter in a medium-hot pan for 2 mins on each side, remove and place on a baking tray, cook in the oven for 8-10 mins at 180 degrees celsius.

4. To prepare the accompaniments, heat oil and butter in a pan add in the lemongrass, garlic, shallots, spring onion greens, spinach, salt, pepper, chilies, seeds and give it a nice mix and toss.

5. Add some white wine or lime juice at this stage if desired and add in the cooked steamed rice and mix well. Cook for 2 mins, continue the plating of the fish, starting with a base of rice and greens, and top it up with the cooked fish and garnish with herbs/ garlic butter sauce, etc and serve hot.

Recipe-5] LEMONGRASS PISTACHIO PUDDING

Ingredients:

Lemongrass- 8-10 pieces’ cut

Full fat/cooking cream- 750 ml

Sugar-1/2 cup

Condensed milk- ¼ cup

Lemon essence-2-3 drops

Pistachios- 2-3 tsp chopped

Gelatin- 2-3 tbsp. hydrated

Assorted berries/ herbs/ nuts/ seeds/ praline etc for garnish

Method:

1. A delicate and delicious dessert with a mild and refreshing lemony flavor in it.

2. Start using a thick-bottomed saucepan, warm up the cooking cream and add in the sweeteners to taste and stir for 2-3 mins.

3. Add in the lemongrass pieces and allow them to infuse their flavor in the cream for 8-10 mins, remove.

4. Cool down the mixture and add in the pistachios, lemon essence and fold in the hydrated gelatin/ agar agar and mix well.

5. Pour the mixture into ramekins/ small baba mould etc and allow them to chill in the refrigerator and set for 3-4 hours.

6. Carefully demold the dessert and plate it using elements of color and crunch to add variety and eye appeal on the plate and serve it chille

Recipe-6] LEMONGRASS INFUSED HERBAL TEA

Ingredients:

Lemongrass- 6-8 pieces

Water- 750 ml

Lime slices- 2-3 no

Ginger slices- 3-4 no

Mint leaves- 8-10 no

Cinnamon stick- 1-inch piece

Peppercorns- 3-4 no crushed

Basil leaves- 2-3 no

Method:

1. Prepare all the ingredients for the herbal spiced tea.

2. There are various combinations to work on when it comes to the infusion of flavors into warm/hot beverages.

3. Startup with a saucepan, warm up the water, add in the lemongrass and all the other ingredients as well, simmer for 8-10 mins, bring to a light boil and turn off the flame.

4. Allow resting for a couple of mins, carefully strain it out using a strainer or a muslin cloth into serving small teacups and enjoy this any time of the day for a nice digestive effect and immunity-boosting drink as well with lemongrass.

Brief About the Writer:

NEW LAUNCH | After The Cocktail Story, Vidhi Puri to announce a subscription-driven club

The Cocktail Story has evolved and grown from a recognized content platform to a marketplace that connects consumers with brands to help them choose ingredients, mixers, recipes, bar tools, and more. Products listed on their website are available across the country, with more than 95 brands on the platform.

Launched in 2018, The Cocktail Story is a digital platform dedicated to building an ecosystem of the hospitality industry, alco-bev brands and spirit enthusiasts. It is, as of now, the only platform in India promoting the cocktail culture, highlighting bartenders, more so women bartenders with updates of local and international brands in India and the globe.

The Cocktail Story shop was launched with the founder Vidhi Puri’s aim to elevate the drinking experience at home. The e-commerce platform is an extension of The Cocktail Story that is an educational platform on Instagram. The e-commerce platform is a destination for all brands that will provide cocktail-making products and solutions under one roof to its patrons.

NEWS | Corbett Tiger Reserve reopens for night stays, sold out in 48 hours

After staying out of bounds for five and a half months, the Corbett Tiger Reserve (CTR) has reopened for night stays, with bookings selling out within just 48 hours. This comes even as hill towns of Mussoorie and Nainital recorded heavy tourist influx for the long weekend on Dussehra.

Corbett director, Rahul (who only uses his first name), said the stays inside the reserve were closed for tourists in May, but Bijrani, Jhirna, and Dhela zones have reopened for tourists.

“We were flooded with requests within hours of reopening and because of the long weekend, all accommodation inside the reserve is full until Tuesday,” he said. According to the Corbett administration, 80 bookings were received in just 48 hours after the reopening on Wednesday. While the day safaris were already permitted in other zones, the administration has now allowed tourists to travel into the Bijrani zone, which is popular for tiger sightings.

NEWS | Treehouse Pugmark Resort witnesses increase in weekend occupancies

The resort is running on an occupancy of 30 to 35 percent during the weekdays and 75 to 80 percent during weekends. After the second wave of Covid-19 hit, the Ranthambore National Tiger Reserve has seen moderate footfalls, weekdays saw only around 300 to 400 visitors and around 1,200 on weekends. But the number is steadily increasing The Treehouse Pugmark Resort is running on an occupancy of 30 to 35 percent during the weekdays and 75 to 80 percent during weekends. For the property, MICE is around 25 percent of the business and weddings constitute around 15 percent.

These are, however, pre-Covid figures. “Currently, our market mix is 80 percent domestic leisure and 20 percent weddings. The MICE business is very slowly returning. We have had a few small conferences but certainly, hope that this segment picks up quickly,” Jayant Singh, managing partner, Treehouse Hotels and Resorts said while discussing the revival of the business.

“Weddings have kept the hospitality business alive. Most of the hotels including ours have survived the pandemic because of small weddings. We had spotted this trend very early and started a campaign called classy bespoke weddings at Treehouse. All our hotels really benefited from this campaign,” Singh added.

Appreciation | Novotel Hyderabad Convention Centre celebrates “Heartiest Gratitude Week 2021”

Novotel Hyderabad Convention Centre celebrates “Heartiest Gratitude Week 2021” 

Hyderabad: October 2021: Novotel Hyderabad Convention Centre organized “Heartiest Gratitude Week 2021” with an aim to acknowledge and recognize the employee’s relentless efforts in delivering the highest standards of services, contributing towards the success of the hotel. The Heartiest Gratitude Week 2021 was organized with a sole intention to recognize and appreciate Heartiest who have served selflessly and supported and provided their service during this pandemic. The celebration was done for three long days at Novotel Hyderabad Convention Centre from October 12th to October 14th, 2021. The main aim is to recognize Heartiest and take time to appreciate them by saying out loud “We Thank You and Value You”.

For the staff, the hotel has organized many entertainment activities. The management has taken an opportunity for recognizing and address the core human emotion of grief, loss, and anxiety in their personal and professional space due to COVID’19 and thereby living Accor’s Heartiest philosophy of ‘We are One’. The event is a combination of Physical Presence as well Virtual presence for outstation warriors. The event started by welcoming the employees with a red carpet and music followed by the special banthi bhojanam (lunch) for employees.

Hotel have organized a ceremony to pay tribute to Heartiest or their close ones who have lost their lives to Covid’19. Also, the team NHCC had the honour of felicitating the Covid Warriors (Heartiest + Their Family Members), for their relentless efforts. The second day of the event was also packed with various fun-filled events for the employees starting with breakfast, morning tea, and a special food festival during lunchtime also with the interesting games like Anonymous Message Game and Flash Dance Reel.

To encourage the random act of kindness the HOD’s have given creative surprises to their team. Hotel General Member which helped them to get nominated to the Unsung Hero. Overall, it focused on discovering the crisis and celebrating the value of ‘Care Limitless’.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Manish Dayya, General Manager, Novotel Hyderabad Convention Centre, said, “We are glad to see the response from the team during the “Heartiest Gratitude Week 2021”.  The three days event is our way to show our gratitude towards our employees who served relentlessly during the COVID’19’ also we are so proud of their efforts that they put in to make our guests feel safe & welcome throughout the pandemic. We have received outstanding service and support from our employees and we are always looking for activities to gather and motivate our team."

Appointment | Raj Kumar joins Holiday Inn Jaipur City Centre as Executive Chef

Raj Kumar

Raj Kumar joins Holiday Inn Jaipur City Centre as Executive Chef. 

Holiday Inn Jaipur City Centre has announced the appointment of Raj Kumar as Executive Chef, with more than 13 years of experience in restaurants and luxury hotels. 

In his new role, he will be spearheading the culinary operations, guest satisfaction, conceptualizing food festivals. He believes in the fundamentals of seasonality and freshness that make the dish sets apart. 

Chef Raj brings with him a wealth of experience in the hospitality arena, having worked with several luxury Brands like TAJ, ITC, Hyatt, Radisson Hotels & Lebua to name a few. Prior to joining Holiday Inn  Jaipur City Centre, he was associated with Radisson Blu Ludhiana as Executive Chef. 

As Executive Chef, Raj will oversee all of the hotel’s culinary operations including its All Day Dining  Monarch, Pan-Asian specialty Chao Chinese Bistro, Roadhouse Bar & Grill, and The Ten Kings Bar. He will also oversee the hotel’s in-room dining program, banquets, and catering events. 

With his wealth of experience and expertise in various properties around the region, he will be fundamental in creating and delivering unforgettable dining experiences at the Holiday Inn Jaipur City  Centre.

Reopening |Roseate Hotels & Resorts reopens ISKATE by Roseate at the Ambience Mall, Gurugram

It offers sports, entertainment and business offerings for children and adults

ISKATE has reopened its doors for visitors in New Delhi. It was inaugurated in the presence of Dr. Rajiv Kumar, Vice Chairman, NITI Aayogand. Spread over 15,000 square feet, the rink gives visitors an opportunity to skate on real ice. 

Believing in encouraging participants with special needs, ISKATE has hosted the Special Olympics National Coaching Camps in figure and speed skating. A Bird Group company, it fills the gap of training in ice skating through ISKATE School. A team of experienced coaches will provide training under three categories ‘Figure Skating’, ‘Speed Skating’ and ‘Ice Hockey’ for all age groups at affordable charges.

At the Snow Room, kids can play snow games with their family and friends. Another interesting activity space is the new ‘Toofan’ where one can have a thrilling experience in a setup of high speed winds.

With the capacity of 150 skaters and 200 spectators, ISKATE also has a co-working space where one can work in a professional set-up and conduct business meetings. ‘Roasted by Roseate’, a café with presence in New Delhi, will serve a selection of hand-crafted patisserie and savouries delights along with a selection of handcrafted coffees & teas. These include starters, wholesome sandwiches, burgers and popular Italian dishes like pizzas, pastas and risotto.
 
Speaking on the occasion, Kush Kapoor, CEO, Roseate Hotels & Resorts said, “ISKATE by Roseate will be a game changer in the way India will be looked at for international Ice skating trainings and tournaments as it’s a world class facility for athletes and recreational seekers. Reopening the arena under Roseate Hotels and Resorts, it now promises to be grander in the new avatar. The facility also aims to be more inclusive in training by extending opportunities to underprivileged athletes every year.”
Karan Rai, Business Head, ISKATE by Roseate added, “Delighted to share that ISKATE has now evolved into a unique lifestyle entertainment concept which caters to all age groups. Equipped with new offerings, it’s soon to become a one stop shop business cum leisure destination not just for ice skating enthusiasts & youth, but also for office goers looking for a co-working space, café & space for hosting events. We are also proud to announce the launch of ISKATE School, one of its kind in the nation which will be open for training all year round to encourage the sport amongst the ice skating enthusiasts. Throughout the year, we promote winter games&give opportunity to deprived children with hidden talent by training them, as an initiative under our CSR program.”

Appointment | OYO appoints Paralympics medalist, Deepa Malik as an independent director

Malik is a silver medalist at the 2016-Paralympic Games and is currently the president of the Paralympic Committee of India.

Oravel Stays Limited (OYO) has announced the appointment of Deepa Malik, an Indian Athlete and a silver-medalist at the 2016-Paralympic Games, as an independent director on the company’s Board of directors as of September 26, 2021. Malik is currently the president of the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI). Welcoming its newest board member, Ritesh Agarwal, chairman, founder, and group CEO, OYO said, “I have learned during my journey that having a diverse Board is one of the best ways to inculcate lateral thinking in the Board. We are delighted to welcome Deepa Malik to OYO’s board of directors. We have been working on making our company and the Board more inclusive over the last couple of years.”