Challenges For The Housekeeping Managers

Fighting age-old attitudes and meeting ever changing guest expectations, sometimes with limited budget, while motivating, training and retaining the team members are some of the biggest challenges that Housekeeping Managers in hospitality properties in India face everyday.

Creating Fond Memories for Guests

Creating Fond Memories for Guests

Digital Technology For Guest Satisfaction

The meteoric rise in the use of mobile phones and mobile apps has made it imperative for industries to make the necessary changes to adapt to market conditions. The hospitality industry too has undergone changes to meet the needs of the digital age.Hotels, to remain competitive, must embrace technology in keeping with the changing environment. How the hospitality properties are adapting digital technology not only helps them to stay competitive in terms of their customer satisfaction, but can also influence their market positioning.Ashok Malkani takes a look at how the Indian hotel industry has adapted new technologies to help create an environment that is in line with the needs of the tech-savvy generation of guests.

Inspirations On Plates

Inspirations On Plates

Designing Her Vision

Designing Her Vision

Hospitality With Religious Festivity

India is a modern nation with an ancient vibrant civilisation.

The Growth Of Boutique Hotels

Boutique hotels’ popularity has been growing over the years. Some of these properties are themed, whilst others support an underlying philosophy such as eco or sustainable tourism. Customisation is one of the properties which have made them popular. Frequent travelers are keen to experience something new as they seem to have tired of similar looking hotel rooms and spaces. Though there are characteristics which are common to most boutique style properties the definition of boutique has become increasingly broad. The essence of boutique has come to mean personalized service. Ashok Malkani examines several aspects of what makes these hotels popular and what is their future.

Ambiente 2019 Impressive Increase In Quality And Visitors

Ambiente, the leading international trade fair and the world’s number one in products associated with dining, cooking, household items, furnishings and ornaments, interior design, gifts, jewellery and fashion accessories, is “The Show” for the entire industry.

Carpets Floor Need In Hotels

There is not just one reason why hotels cannot often do without carpets as a flooring option, at least for some strategic areas.

Ensuring Guest Loyalty

Hotels are not in simply room rental business, and guest is not mere commodity.

‘Rakkh' A Sustainable Resort

Perched on a hilltop just outside the pretty village of Rakh and surrounded by terraced hillsides – Rakkh is one of the famous resorts to stay in the lap of snow-clad hills at Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh.

Wellness In Hospitality

Spa industry in India is going through a buoyant phase and this trend is reflected by the fact that nowadays, almost every five-star hotel in the country offers spa services. Spas can not only boost the hotel’s revenues but can also facilitate in attracting the guests to the property. The usage of spas has been increasing over the years. The International Spa Association, in its US Spa Industry Study 2016, reveals that there has been a steady growth in the revenue from spas. It had increased from 15.5 billion USD in 2014 to 16.3 billion USD in 2015. India itself has seen a growth of 20 percent in the last two years, in wellness tourism. In India too, spas are doing booming business and adding to the hotels’ profitability. Ashok Malkani takes a look at the overall scenario of spa business in the context of the Indian hospitality industry.

Can We Advance Book Our Menu?

Yes, after all these, the guests also need to book tables to get the entire feedback process complete(no I am not joking) but this kind of detailed exercise in personalisation would be much more exhaustive than your average restaurant seat booking.

The Dynamics Of Hotel Security

Putting in place a robust security system in hospitality properties requires enormous amount of planning, investment in the latest equipments and technologies, quite a bit of staff training and a very high level of alertness on the part of the staff and the management of the hospitality properties.

Where Hospitality Says Stay Well Where Hospitality Says Stay Well

The unassuming demeanour of Rohit Vig doesn’t belie his senior position in the StayWell Group.

Good Design For Hospitality

Recently I went out for dinner to a luxury hotel and was offered a table next to the window overlooking a beautiful garden. The ambience was enchanting with a candle lit table and soft background music.

Scent Of A Hotel

The trend of adopting a signature scent is not as new as we may think.

Security And Risk Management In Hotels

Security and risk management have become an important part of the hospitality industry today, particularly after the 9/11 US and 26/11 Mumbai attacks. November brings back the memories of the havoc created by terrorists in Mumbai 10 years ago. On completion of a decade of the dastardly deed Ashok Malkani examines whether the industry still continues to maintain the same alacrity in maintaining safety and security of the property, as well as the guests.

Reflections Of Green Hospitality

With the threat of global warming, extensive air and water pollution and fast depletion of non-renewable energy sources looming over us, luxury without environmental responsibility has translated as an irresponsible luxury which we can no longer afford.

Shine With Wellness

A perfect oasis of wellness and relaxation is the Shine Spa for Sheraton at Sheraton Grand Bangalore Hotel at Brigade Gateway. Offering personalised services and using unique blend of oils, the beautifully done up 11 treatment rooms covering 945 square meters of contemporary splendour, are dedicated to uplift your senses.

Fitness For Hospitality

With the growing health consciousness, fitness consciousness is also rising in urban Indian society. The need for visiting gyms has become more pronounced among the upper echelons of urban India, though urban middle-class India is also getting swayed if not swept by the fitness wave.

Food Trends During 2018

From organic and sustainable food to local and regional delicacies, 2018 has been a huge year for food trends in India’s food service industry.

Haven For Leisure And Business Travellers

As you traverse through the Mumbai-Pune Highway, at the Balewadi Junction (also called the Orchid Junction), the imposing structure of The Orchid Hotel, Pune catches your eye. Huge billboards of ‘SmILE Orchid’ greet you on the highway, making you wonder if The Orchid Hotel, Pune has changed its name.

Addressing Guests' Feedback

Digitalisation and social media have become important elements for tourists as far as selection of rooms in hospitality properties is concerned. Referring to online reviews of the experiences of the guests had at hospitality properties has begun to play a major role in their opting for a particular property.It has thus become essential for hotels to take notice of these reviews and not only respond to them but also rectify shortcomings pointed out by the disgruntled guests. Ashok Malkani gauges the impact that these reviews have on hotels and how the properties respond to these reviews.

Relation Between Room Pricing And Revenue

Success of a hotel depends, to a large extent on pricing, particularly of rooms. A welldesigned hotel pricing strategy can do wonders by giving a strong push to the hotel revenues. How you arrive at an appropriate pricing and what kind of strategy you use is an important issue. Appropriate pricing strategy is an important step towards hotel revenue maximization. To a consumer the price may be a plain number, which the hotel may quote differently at different times and to different people. But reality is different! Ashok Malkani, on delving deep into the hotels’ room pricing strategies, finds that the reality is not what the layman imagines. Though, of course, one aspect which almost everyone knows is that the most important factor is the demand and supply balance.

Designed To Attract

External factors often influence the mood of a person. Walking leisurely on a beach or sitting in a waiting room at a hospital have obviously different effects on the human psyche. Similarly, the atmosphere of a hotel could attract or deter a guest. A hospitality property’s lighting, furniture, room arrangements, etc. greatly contribute towards the overall ambience of the property, and also towards the property’s perception among its guests and potential guests. Ashok Malkani gets the views of some of the hospitality industry professionals to gauge how the hospitality properties can create an inviting environment, which can add to the luxury of the property and give satisfaction to the visitors.

Hospitality Enhances With Digital Edge

Technologies are significantly changing our lives and the industries, and India’s hospitality industry is no exception to this all pervasive trend.

What Kind Of A Leader Are You - A Maker Or A Breaker?

The author is a Hospitality & Feature Writer and Columnist for some of the world’s highest ranked Hospitality publications. Her industry writings are used as references in case studies and hotel schools. She is a recognised and national-poll winning Corporate Communications specialist, PR Strategist and Writer. A seasoned hotelier, she loves to present hospitality industry watch, insights, case studies and analysis to her ever-increasing base of global readership. She has over two decades of experience in Hospitality Communications and Brand Management and has worked with some of the best global hotel companies - The Imperial New Delhi, The Oberoi, New Delhi, Hyatt Regency Delhi. Aruna was appointed to the Board of Association of Emerging Leaders Dialogues (AELD), as the second Indian representative and the only woman leader from India.

India's Hospitality Industry: Prospects And Challenges

Despite several challenges, India’s hospitality industry has shown impressive performance during 2018.

Steps Towards Sustainable Measures

Sustainability is very crucial and hotel & restaurant teams are taking great measures in this direction.