Exclusive Interview | Anuj Chaurasia, Corporate General Manager, Essentia Hotels

“Being innovative and adapting to change is the key to success.”

— Anuj Chaurasia

Editor: Tell us about your journey. How did it all start?

 My journey started in 2005 when I joined the Institute of Advanced Management, Kolkata. Upon passing out in 2008, I joined the Leela group as a Management trainee, where I was fortunate to be exposed to many different facets of hotel operations at the Leela Gurgaon and Leela Mumbai. After a stint as an HK executive at the Leela, I joined Lemon Tree hotels, which turned out to be a great decision for my career.

At Lemon Tree, I had the good fortune of working directly under Ms Sareena Kochar, from whom I learned a lot about pre-openings and operations as I worked at pre-opening of multiple Lemon Tree hotels in Bangalore, Hyderabad and renovation in Goa. I then spent some time at the Taj group, where I worked at the Taj Ambassador and the Taj Holiday Village, it was here that I had a chance to work with Mr Vishal Singh, a person I admire greatly.

After my time at the Taj, I worked as Executive Housekeeper in the Maldives and then joined an Upscale hotel in Varanasi as an advisor to MD and did preopening and execution of the complete hotel project after this I joined an entrepreneurial start-up in Spree Hotels as Corporate GM operations, run by Keshav Baljee of the Royal Orchid group.  At Spree, I learned a lot about the commercial side of the management model as I oversaw not only operations for 600 rooms across 12 hotels but was also involved in financial reviews, contract negotiation, development and sales and marketing efforts. At Spree, I was exposed to a holistic view of the hotel business.

After Spree, I moved to Treebo Hotels, as Lead Of Operations for Managed business, where I managed 550 rooms across 18 hotels before finally joining Essentia Hotels a subsidiary of the Averina group which owns and operates Holiday Inn Goa and fisherman wharf apart from Essentia where I currently serve as Corporate GM for Essentia. I have been fortunate to have been mentored by some amazing people along the way, and while I may not have mentioned all of them here I learned a lot from each of them.

Editor: What do you think it takes to succeed in this industry?

 I think passion and hard work are essential for one to succeed in any job. A thorough understanding of the market in which you operate, the business model, the competitive dynamics and overall industry outlook also give you a broader outlook that is extremely beneficial. 

Editor: What are the attributes you look for while selecting or hiring?  If someone wants to work with you, what should they do? 

While technical knowledge and domain experience are important, for me personally I care very much for a candidate's attitude, a positive attitude goes a long way in the hospitality industry. Over the years I have seen that those who possess a positive attitude generally do quite well, learn fast and keep a positive and cheerful mindset which spreads across the company.

At Essentia we plan to open a number of new properties, with an anticipated launch of close to 400 new rooms. The first among these will be a 151 room hotel in Ghaziabad, followed by launches in Chennai, Indore, Udaipur and others. Interested candidates are welcome to follow us on social media and check our website for relevant openings, we are always eager to hear from talented candidates who may be interested in joining us.

Editor: What are some of the trends you see impacting the hospitality industry?

One of the most significant long-term trends I foresee will be a sharp uptake in domestic tourism. As disposable income increases, a new class of young aspirational travellers is emerging - and this group will contribute significantly to domestic tourism. In the next decade or so as infrastructure improves and more travel routes emerge, they will provide a strong fillip to domestic tourism.

Short Term:

COVID has really strained the industry, many hotels are running dangerously short of working capital with no demand on the horizon. Hotels must find alternative ways to monetize their inventory or risk bankruptcy in the coming months. The closure of hotels could lead to mass layoffs in the short term creating significant unemployment. However, I remain optimistic that in the long run, hotels will bounce back as they have done in the past. After COVID hotels will need to fundamentally alter the way they function, with much leaner staffing, higher operational efficiency, tighter control on costs, and a focus on health and hygiene as many guests will have apprehension about cleanliness and safety.  So while COVID will cause short term challenges, in the long run, it presents the industry an opportunity to fundamentally change the way it functions.

Editor: Tech is now an enabler for great hospitality. Can you share with us some of the tech that goes into creating your guest experience?  

The industry has been quite proactive in adopting technology to improve guest experience. At Essentia we have incorporated essential technology like seamless Wi-Fi, RFID doors(like every other), touch panels in rooms, docking stations etc. We have also incorporated technology into the guest booking and lifecycle management process so that we can provide high-quality personalized service. I foresee that after COVID hotels will adopt even more technology to ensure proper health checks and hygiene.

Editor: Two things you would like to change in the industry. 

The hospitality industry is very demanding and employees often have to work gruelling hours at a frenetic pace to keep up with requirements. However, a work-life balance is important and it would be great to see the industry offer that to its employees. This will also make the industry as a whole more attractive to new entrants. 

Talent should be allowed to grow in the industry, without too much bureaucracy slowing down growth. This will make it much easier to attract and retain the right kind of talent.

---

Recommended Reading

"Only few hotel brands can really deliver experiencial travel" - ROCCO BOVA, General Manager, award winning, Chablé Yucatan, Mexico | exclusive interview

“Only few hotel brands can really deliver experiencial travel”

— Rocco

Tell us about your journey. How did it all start?

It started at the age of 13. That was the time of my very first job in a Bar. I was so bad that the owner fired me after just three days and challenged me to return only when I could hold a tray in my hands. The rest is history.

What do you think it takes to succeed in this industry?

Perseverance, hard work, discipline, and a clear vision or a dream. I was lucky to find my calling very early, this helped me to challenge myself every day to achieve more. You also need to be careful on how to choose the leaders you work for. Great leaders make great leaders.

What are the attributes you look for while selecting or hiring?  If someone wants to work with you, what should they do?

I changed a lot the way I select and hire people. In the early days I used to hire people with passion and experience, now I hire people with attitude and open to learn. I believe that a good leader can then inspire people to become what they want.

What, according to you, can trainees do while they are training at hotels to make it a win-win for them & the hotel/unit?

Sadly most Hotel Schools (and I think most schools in general) do not teach anything to freshers about what to expect in a first time assignment. On the other hand, hotels do not really understand or do not take enough time to make a proper induction analyse  the skillset of the young individual and assign them in the right department so that they can both gain something out of it. There is a lot of work to be done by both parties.

What are some of the trends you see impacting the hospitality industry?

Human capital challenge and the automation of as much as possible of processes, so that there is a minimal need for people to make transactions and services. Thankfully this is much less impacting the ultra luxury segment, for the moment at least, where the personalized service and the emotional connection cannot be replaced by a machine.

Second is the ''experiencial travel''. Only few hotel brands can really deliver this. Majority is a reinvention of something that already exist.

Tech is now an enabler for great hospitality. Can you share with us some of the tech that goes into creating the experience at your hotel?

I am sorry but I disagree on this point. There is no such technology that can create experiences. It can only facilitate processes and diminish the time of deliver of certain tasks. Hospitality should come from the heart of a person not technology.

Two things you would like to change in the industry.

The reputation the industry has for unsociable hours or hard work. There is no industry, if one wishes to succeed and progress in their career, without sacrificing time and personal commitment.

The second is the education model for hotel schools. They should teach students: problem solving skills, how to apply for a job in a professional manner, career management and how to use social media for a professional gain. The majority of the new generation (i.e. Millennials) have little clues about it.