1. How do you give frontline teams enough autonomy to create memorable moments without compromising operational standards?

For me, it's about trusting people. You can train someone on service standards, but you can't script genuine hospitality. The basics should always be consistent, but beyond that, I want my team to have the freedom to be themselves, read the room, and create those little moments that make a guest feel seen. Systems keep the business running, but it's the human instinct behind them that people remember.

2. How much of an experience is about what happens, and how much is about how the guest feels?

I genuinely believe people don't come back for the food or the cocktails alone. They come back because of how a place made them feel. You might not remember every dish or drink, but you'll remember the conversation you had, how comfortable you felt, or how welcomed you were. For me, that's what hospitality is really about, creating a feeling people want to return to.

3. Can AI create meaningful personalisation, or will the most memorable moments always require human intuition?

AI can definitely help us understand our guests better and personalise certain parts of their experience, but I don't think it can ever replace human intuition. Some of the most meaningful moments are incredibly simple, remembering someone's usual order, noticing they're having a difficult day, celebrating a special occasion without being asked, or knowing when they'd rather be left alone. Those aren't things that come from data, they come from genuinely paying attention. And I think that's something only people can do.

4. What is the difference between an experience that creates value for the guest and one that simply creates cost for the operator?

Some of the most memorable moments are surprisingly simple: a thoughtful gesture, a conversation, a well curated event, or just a space where people feel comfortable enough to stay longer than they planned. If people leave feeling something, you've created value. If you're spending money on things they don't notice or connect with, then it's just a cost.

5. What is one trend in experiential hospitality that you think is overhyped?

I think experiences designed purely to go viral are one of the most overhyped trends in hospitality today. Don't get me wrong, aesthetics matter, and social media is an incredibly powerful tool, but not everything that goes viral stays. The obsession with chasing virality has become so intense that a lot of brands are starting to lose their authenticity. Everyone is trying to outdo each other, create the next big Instagram moment, and somewhere along the way, they lose their own identity and essence. I've seen it happen, and I honestly find it a little sad.

For me, the goal has never been to create something people visit once because they saw it online. I'd much rather create a place people keep coming back to, trends come and go, but genuine experiences have a much longer life.

6. Where do you begin when designing a guest experience, with the guest, the destination, the story, or the business objective?

I think it starts with staying true to what you genuinely believe in. When something is created just to follow trends or impress people, it eventually shows. Guests can sense when a place lacks authenticity or meaning. For me, the energy of a space matters more than anything else. If that feels honest and intentional, everything else naturally falls into place.

Every guest who walks through the door is different. They have their own expectations, preferences, and reasons for being there. If you try to design an experience around pleasing every individual, you'll end up creating something that stands for nothing. I'd rather build a place with a clear identity and let the right people connect with it. The people who resonate with it will keep coming back, and those are the relationships that last.

7. How do you build a culture where employees actively look for opportunities to create better experiences?

I think people mirror the environment they work in. If you create a culture where kindness, curiosity and genuine hospitality are valued, your team naturally starts looking for ways to make someone's day better. I don't expect perfection, I expect people to care. Some of the best improvements come from the team because they're the ones having real conversations with guests every single day.

8. What are the small details that guests may never consciously notice but that fundamentally change an experience?

I think it's always the little things. The music, the lighting, how quickly someone is acknowledged when they walk in, guests may not consciously notice these details, but they absolutely feel them.

I also love doing small things that don't necessarily get spoken about online. I don't believe every thoughtful gesture needs to become content. We give away little souvenir matchboxes, serve complimentary boozy fruits and jello shots on some weekends, surprise guests with random giveaways, and we're constantly experimenting with new little touches. We rarely post about these things, and I don't expect our guests to either. They're not done for social media, they're done because they make someone's visit a little more memorable. I think those unexpected moments quietly leave a lasting impression, and that's far more valuable than a viral post.

9. Should guests pay separately for experiences, or should they be built into the overall proposition?

I don't believe every experience should have a price tag attached to it. Some are absolutely worth paying for because they offer something special, but I also think generosity has a place in hospitality. Sometimes the most memorable experiences are the unexpected ones that guests weren't charged for and never saw coming. We do both. We create curated experiences that people choose to pay for, but we also believe in adding little moments of delight just because we can. I think that balance makes a place feel less transactional and a lot more genuine.

10. How do you create experiences that feel unique to a destination rather than transferable from one hotel to another?

I think every destination already has a story, you don't need to force one onto it. The best experiences come from understanding the people, the culture and the energy of a place, while still staying true to your own identity. The Nook wouldn't be The Nook without Bandra, and it also wouldn't be The Nook if we tried to be everything to everyone. I think that's what makes a place feel authentic. It belongs where it is, and people can feel that the moment they walk in.

11. What will guests expect from hospitality experiences five years from now that they don't necessarily expect today?

I actually think people are going to crave authenticity more than anything else. We've reached a point where almost every place looks beautiful online, and with AI becoming more common, it'll become even easier to create polished, curated experiences. What will be harder to replicate is genuine human connection and a place with real character. I think guests will become much better at sensing what's authentic and what's been manufactured purely to attract attention.

Five years from now, I don't think people will just be looking for great food or beautiful interiors. They'll be looking for places that have a point of view, where they feel recognised, comfortable and genuinely connected.

12. What separates a good hospitality experience from a truly memorable one?

I think what separates a good experience from a truly memorable one is the energy of the space. And that energy can only come from authenticity. It comes from staying true to your vision, believing in what you're building, and not constantly changing your identity just to attract more people. Guests can feel when a place is genuine, and they can also feel when it's trying too hard.

Right now, there's a huge obsession with chasing trends, creating waiting lists, and doing whatever it takes to go viral. But I don't think that's what creates longevity. If you're constantly changing your voice just to pull in a crowd, eventually you lose the very thing that made your place special. I'd rather build something with a clear identity that resonates deeply with the right people than something that appeals to everyone for a few months. Trends fade, but authenticity has a much longer life.

Café culture has changed quite a bit over the years. A café is no longer just about good coffee, food, and a place to sit for a while. Today, the space itself has become part of the experience. People are drawn to places that have a certain character, tell a story, and make them want to stay a little longer. This has made design an increasingly important part of how cafés build their identity and connect with their guests.

For Jacob’s Brew House, this idea became especially relevant while creating its first outlet in Jaipur. With the city’s café culture growing rapidly, the team wanted to create a space that felt distinct rather than follow the familiar café formats centred around greenery, open spaces, and comfort. The intention was to build a café with a clear story, one where the architecture, interiors, food, and coffee could all come together as one experience.

The result was a vintage garage space turned into a café, designed by architect and designer Kanika Gupta Wahi, Founder of House of Kian. The concept was built around creating a space that went beyond aesthetics and had a narrative of its own. Inspired by Sir Samuel Swinton Jacob’s architectural legacy, Jacob’s Brew House brings together heritage references with industrial textures and contemporary details.

The exterior sets the tone with a rustic, industrial façade, cotton-textured elements, and an 18-foot chimney. Inside, the experience changes into something warmer and more inviting, with brick, cement, and wood combined with refined finishes and British retro-inspired colours from the 1980s. The contrast between the two spaces is intentional, giving the café a sense of discovery as you move through it.

That sense of discovery continues through the smaller details. A freezer-inspired door, playfully called the “peezer,” adds an unexpected touch, while the private dining rooms draw from vintage recording studios and old workspaces, complete with typewriters and nostalgic artefacts. The vintage elements are functional and thoughtfully reinterpreted, making them part of the café’s story rather than simply decorative pieces.

The design is also closely connected to the larger experience at Jacob’s Brew House. Its specialty coffee programme, globally inspired food, and plans for tastings, workshops, and creative collaborations are all intended to bring people together.

For Jacob’s Brew House, the idea is simple: a café should give people more than something to eat or drink. It should give them a space they enjoy being in, a story they can discover, and an experience they remember even after the last cup is finished.