THAT LUXE FEELING

Hoteliers have been obliged to reinvent the perception of safety with luxury without skipping the human element

- VINITA BHATIA

Hoteliers at luxury properties are akin to puppeteers –they hold the strings of their guest’s happiness, comfort and safety, and have to operate these at multigenerational, multi-racial, multifarious levels. After all, their audience seeks, nay demands, personalisation, attention and service with a smile, whether they are individuals celebrating special occasions or corporate clientele conducting business meetings.

Even in this era of minimal contact, guests want to feel special while visiting a hotel. Hoteliers have been obliged to reinvent the perception of safety with luxury without skipping the human element, which is the very genesis of the luxury hospitality.

So, when guests visit JW Marriott Hotel Kolkata, associates welcome them with a smile, their masks notwithstanding. The hotel’s General Manager, Sumeet Suri strongly believes that the warmth and positivity of a genuine smile is contagious and can be sensed even through a mask. “This small gesture makes our guests feel welcomed and at home,” he noted.

These are few steps that the property has taken to extend a veneer of normalcy in life-after-shutdown. It has upped the ante in the traditional definition of luxury by offering personalised amenities to its regular and long-staying guests. Going a step further, associates even do their best to learn guest preferences in advance, and keep these amenities in the room even before people check-in.

“We frequently check on guests telephonically as we attend to their requests to provide a sense of belongingness. This personalised touch is becoming increasingly significant. Whether it is a call from our operators, orchestra managers or our events team, we convey our willingness to offer personalised services through as much as possible,” Suri added.