Earlier last year, under the leadership of Sanjay Sethi, Chalet Hotels Ltd (CHL) launched one of the most successful IPOs. The money raised will be used to expand into new territories: hotels with an old partner, Marriott International, as well as a property with Hyatt are in the pipeline. The strength of CHL lies in hotel assets built in strategic locations in key metro cities, sustainable, efficient design that helps to increase ROIs, and development and incisive asset management
What has been your journey like in the industry?
I have been a hotelier all my life, almost 31 years. I was an accidental hotelier but if you ask me if I will do this all over again, yes I will. When I began, most of us who joined the industry were driven by the glamour associated with it. You realise very quickly that it is a very different story on the other side. I would like to mention a small anecdote: Out of the 127 who graduated from the hotel management course that year, I think only seven remained in the industry; 120 moved on to other industries. In those years, we had only four colleges in India; now about 400-odd students across India graduate every year. The industry was small then, with only four big chains. Now, the industry has grown to 20-odd chains.
Seemingly, even today, despite the growing number of graduates, hotels face a talent pool challenge…
A hotelier has to put in 12 to 15 hours in the early part of their career. The industry has also lost good people to other service industries such as retail, airlines, BPOs and banks. Unfortunately, in the hotel business, the pyramid is very wide at the bottom and a lot of the guest-facing engagement happens at the lower end of the pyramid. We need really good quality, trained people at the bottom and unfortunately, we aren’t getting enough of those.
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Esta historia es de la edición February 2020 de Hotelier India.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
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The Big Fat Indian Wedding
With a slew of initiatives, hotels are ensuring that the wedding day is special for the couple as well as for the hotel's bottom line.
An Organization Of Rainmakers!!!
Rainmakers are revered for their ability to generate income (rain) for an organization by cracking deals, attracting clients/guests and holding on to them; often, for a lifetime... Revenue generation (rainmaking) is the job of everyone on the team.
Hospitality: A Rewarding Career Awaits
Delving into the roles and responsibilities that professionals in the field of hospitality can undertake in carving a rewarding career.
"India is my first baby!"
Bader Ali Habib, Regional Head of Proximity Markets, Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism, gets candid.
The Essence of Landscape Architecture
Innovative landscaping can enhance the luxury hospitality experience by enriching guest interaction with the natural world.
Teaching the Art of Tea
The first global tea artist from India, teaching the art of making and drinking fine tea, Susmita Das Gupta talks about her mission to make Indian specialty tea reach a global audience.
Feeding Profits
Food and beverage is driving revenues in hospitality in novel ways as hotels innovate with new-age experiences.
Acing the Revenue Game
Hotels are looking at new avenues to generate revenues that go beyond rooms and food.
The Power of Predictive Maintenance
A strategic approach to enable Indian hotels to become leaders in sustainable hospitality.
Shaping a Sustainable FUTURE
To mark the occasion of World Environment Day this month, we find out how the hospitality industry is paving the way for a greener, healthier tomorrow...
