The Great Hospitality Crisis

Aman Nath, chairman, neemrana hotels, spoke to amit dixit about the future of hospitality in the post-covid-19 world

- Amit Dixit

The COVID-19 pandemic has devastated the hospitality industry. as a leading figure in the space, what’s your take? how will hotels cope going forward?

The nature and location of the hotels will decide their fate in the current financial year. The closed, air-conditioned, corridor hotels may not be sustainable for now. After the lockdown, people will want to be close to nature in open spaces. So how will modern hotels sustain themselves? Nearby, true city escapes—mountain, sea, garden, or riverside—should work. Hotels will have to reinvent themselves. Heritage and boutique hotels with plenty of open spaces and natural ventilation in the rooms should do well post the lockdown.

How can the government ease the pain? do you have any specific expectations?

Our government has helped contain the virus well in time. India should now be projected as being the size of Europe— 2,300km of just one mountain range, 7,500km of coastline… Space is what the world will seek. Social distancing is talking of one metre. India is spaced out—literally!