FHRAI Magazine - Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Associations ...

[ Contents ]EditorDeepa SethiAssistant EditorSanjeev BharSub EditorDivya GoyalAdvertisingGunjan SabikhiHarshal AsharShovan KanungoPrem SagarDheeraj ManglaDesignAlpana KhareNeeraj AggarwalNeeraj NathFHRAI REPRESENTATIVESON THE EDITORIAL BOARDChairman, Publications Sub-CommitteeVijai PandeMarketingS.P. JoshiFHRAIB-82, 8th Floor, Himalaya HouseKasturba Gandhi Marg, New Delhi 110001Tel: 91-11-40780780, Fax: +91-11-40780777Email: fhrai@vsnl.comFHRAI Magazine is published, edited andprinted monthly by Durga Das PublicationsPvt. Ltd. On behalf of Federations of Hotel andRestaurant Association of India andpublished from Durga Das Publications Pvt.Ltd.72 Todarmal Road New Delhi 110001Email: info@ddppl.comPrinted at Cirrus Graphics Pvt. Ltd.B 62/14, Phase-II, Naraina Industrial AreaNew Delhi 110028February 2012810163036384244President’s MessageMain StoryThe Money SpinnerNews UpdatesFHRAIReportBengaluru on the RiseGM CanvasDilawar S. NindraWyndham Grand AgraProducts & ServicesCulturePattachitra52545658626466Money MantraEventful SeasonsGuest ColumnRates ReboundF&BSingapore Lures Delhi GourmetDine OutDaniell’s TavernThe Imperial New DelhiChef TalkMichael SwamyMichelin-starred ChefTaxationMovementsFor Editorial Feedbacksanjeev@ddppl.comFor Advertisinggunjan@ddppl.com48OutboundResort World Manila68EventsTel : 91-11-23731971Fax: 91-11-23351503This issue of FHRAI Magazinecontains 68+4 pages coverAll information in the fhrai magazine is derived fromsources, which we consider reliable and a sincere effortis made to report accurate information. It is passed on toour readers without any responsibility on our part. Thepublisher regrets that he cannot accept liability for errorsand omissions contained in this publication, howevercaused. Similarly, opinions/views expressed by third partiesin abstract and/or in interviews are not necessarily sharedby fhrai magazine or DDP. However, we wish to adviceour readers that one or more recognised authorities mayhold different views than those reported. Material usedin this publication is intended for information purposeonly. Readers are advised to seek specific advice beforeacting on information contained in this publication whichis provided for general use, and may not be appropriatefor the readers’ particular circumstances. Contents of thispublication are copyright. No part of fhrai magazine or anypart of the contents thereof may be reproduced, storedin retrieval system or transmitted in any form without thepermission of the publication in writing. The same ruleapplies when there is a copyright or the article is taken fromanother publication. An exemption is hereby granted forthe extracts used for the purpose of fair review, providedtwo copies of the same publication are sent to us for ourrecords. Publications reproducing material either in partor in whole, without permission could face legal action.The publisher assumes no responsibility for returning anymaterial solicited or unsolicited nor is he responsible formaterial lost or damaged.This publication is not meant to be an endorsement of anyspecific product or services offered. The publisher reservesthe right to refuse, withdraw, amend or otherwise deal withall advertisements without explanation.All advertisements must comply with the Indian andInternational Advertisements Code. The publisher willnot be liable for any damage or loss caused by delayedpublication, error or failure of an advertisement to appear.Request Note:Federation of Indian NGOson Drug Abuse Prevention(FINGODAP) is a network ofaround 500 Drug de-addictioncentres. We request membersto donate used & discardeditems of the Hotels such asfurniture, linen, electricalitems, fixtures etc for whichyou could contactDr. Rajesh KumarExecutive Director,FINGODAP; Ph: 011 26893872,Cell: +91 9891268872,Email: spym@vsnl.comCover picture: Hospitality & TravelAssociations joined hands on a commonplatform to form the Federationof Associations in Indian Tourism &Hospitality (FAITH). The event took placeon February 9, 2012 in New Delhi.6 FHRAI Magazine february 2012 Visit FHRAI Website: www.fhrai.com

[ Message ]President’s MessageDear Readers,February 9, 2012 was a historic day when ten national tourism industry Association’sPresidents signed the FAITH formation. FHRAI is core member of FAITH. Mycolleagues from the executive committee, Vice-President Mr. Ratan Marothia, Mr.Rajindera Kumar, Mr. Bharat Malkani and Mr. Garish Oberoi also signed for FAITHwith me, in presence of our Secretary General, Mr. M.D. Kapoor.Now as a FAITH co-core member, may I request you to attend the TAAI Conventionwhich is going to take place in Istanbul, from March 11-14, 2012.I am delighted to share with you that our 47 th Annual FHRAI Convention will be heldin Goa from September 6-8, 2012. This is the first time that six months before ourFHRAI convention, we already have confirmations for synergy from International HotelAssociations like, AH&LA; IH&RA and SATAS (South Africa Tourism); logistics churncommitment from FAITH, to begin with.Good news from the Sub-committees, just formed: The FSSAI seminar date hasbeen announced for March 16, 2012 in New Delhi, along with NRAI & HRANI, by ourdynamic Chairmen of Seminars and FSSAI Sub-committee Mr. Dinesh Advani andMr. Pradeep Shetty, respectively. We are working towards compiling our submissionsto the public notice by the FSSAI, way before the 31 st March deadline, this year.We are preparing for our proposals on the Government’s Foreign Trade Policy 2011– 2012, the Star Hotels Classification HRACC norms as well as the last minute Pre-Budget re-submissions for Taxation. Good news on Infrastructure announcement isround the block!In the next issue I will mention about my recent visit to the FHRAI Institute (FIHM)and the Ministry of Tourism (MOT).Cornell School of Hotel Administration held its first Hospitality Summit in Mumbai inJanuary, this year. The program was attended by more than 175 delegates includingHR professionals. I am pleased to announce that FHRAI was one of the PrincipalSponsors.I welcome the new office-bearers, Mr. Dinesh Advani as the Joint Honorary Secretaryof FHRAI and Mr. SM Shervani as the Vice-President of FHRAI.Friends, join me in congratulating our fraternity member Ms. Priya Paul, Chairpersonof Park Hotels, Apeejay Surrendra Group, on being conferred with the Padma Shreeas well as our professional associate Mr. Pravin Parekh, too for the Padma Shree.With warm wishes,Kamlesh BarotPresidentkamleshbarot@revivalhotel.com(facebook.com/kamlesh.barot; twitter:@KamleshBarot)8 FHRAI Magazine february 2012 Visit FHRAI Website: www.fhrai.com

[ Main Story ]The MoneySpinner10 FHRAI Magazine february 2012Visit FHRAI Website: www.fhrai.com

[ Main Story ]It is a great idea to include a casino in a hotel property to add glamour andzing and attract guests. But restrictive state policies in India have ensured thatthis lucrative proposition is confined to a few states only. Nonetheless, withinthis restriction, casino hotels have proved to be a great idea with the potentialto increase the rate of revenue by manifold and would provide opportunitieswherever possible.Sanjeev BharIf the report of Price-WaterhouseCoopers (PwC) GlobalGaming Outlook Report for 2011is to be believed then Asia will leavethe US market behind as the largestmarket for casinos. Also, interestingly,countries in Southeast Asia are attractingtourists in huge numbers by promotingtheir gambling avenues, often clubbedwith hotels. In India, gambling normsstay restrictive as only Sikkim and Goaallow casinos as a part of entertainmentoption in addition to the Union Territory,Daman.Hotel-Casino RelationshipCasinos in the Southeast Asia market likeMacau and Singapore have caught thefrenzy of the hospitality industry in a bigway. In India, the restrictive laws have notonly hindered the partnership between thetwo but also the possibility of flourishingstand-alone casinos. However, despite therestrictive scope, the relationship betweenthem has been blossoming and reapingmutual benefits.For example in Goa, known forits number of floating and off-shorecasinos, the latter has paved way toPic: The Zuri White Sands, Goa Resort & CasinoVisit FHRAI Website: www.fhrai.comFHRAI Magazine february 2012 11

[ Main Story ]Priti ChandPradipta MohapatraTashi Wangyalto have casinos, it also addresses theaspirations of the people staying in theproperties. The State Government wantsus to offer an infrastructure that wouldbe at par what the casino. Casinos are aluring factor for the property, as travellersthese days are quite demanding abouttheir choices from rooms to F&B optionsand the right casino within the hotel.”Chand says that a casino, as an addedfacility for the guests, surely attracts bothdomestic and foreign casino aficionados,adding that it thereby eventually becomesa convenient and comfortable choice forguests to entertain themselves.While drawing comparison in thedomestic and international scenario,Wangyal says that theirs is a land-basedlive gaming casino and they are definitelygrowing and learning with time. “Casinosdefinitely add value to the hotel and drawa new segment of clients altogether, whichis yet to be tapped. We will definitely berubbing shoulders with the best casinosin Southeast Asia.” Meanwhile, Zuri’sDunes as an off-shore casino engagescasino enthusiasts in the live gaming thrillwithout stepping out of the property.Chand adds, “During the heavy Goanmonsoon, the scope is very high for us toengage guests in the casino.”Those who have tasted success withthe casino hotels in India are definitelyitching to get more of it. Zuri, for havingcatered to this segment where 30-40 percent of in-house guests visit the casino,is looking for other hotel options as well.“Our casino being located inside thepremises allows the revenue to go up.We plan to manage 10 to 12 hotels andown five more hotels in the next five yearsacross the world. We will accordinglyplan for casinos in relevant propertiesand destinations. Casino is a very delicatetopic in each state or country. So itdepends entirely on the situation, evenif we are prepared to invest in a casinooriented property.”Mohapatra adds that Mayfair Resortsis on the verge of acquisition for a plotof land in Goa nearby the sea, “Wherewe plan to build a small property incomparison to our Gangtok resort but itwill also offer a casino to the customers.The hotel will be built on 1.5 acre of landhaving 30 keys and we would expect thisproperty to give us an edge just like theSikkim property,” he sums.14 FHRAI Magazine february 2012 Visit FHRAI Website: www.fhrai.com

[ News Updates ]Religious tourism to be promoted bycreating seven circuitsSeven tourist circuits will be developed across India by the Ministry of Tourism to promote religious tourism. “India is hometo a number of religions and there is a huge scope in terms of boosting tourism in religious places,” informed Subodh KantSahai, Union minister for Tourism. The ministry, he said, is preparing a detailed project report to identify religious places wherepeople can visit and stay for spiritual nourishment.The aim of the project, he added, is to facilitate a packaged tour-like experience for people who visit religious places. “Wehave already engaged consultants to work on these circuits and hope to engage various state governments in the project,” headded. The ministry will identify Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jain, Sikh, Sufi and Sarva Dharma places.While the Christian circuit will have the churches of Goa, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, the Sufi circuit will include places in Delhi,Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh. The Sarv Dharma Circuit, topromote national integration, will be aligned along Tirupathi-Chennai-Velankanni-Nagoor and Vaishnodevi-Golden Temple-Sacred Heart Church (Delhi)-Nizamuddin.The ministry has taken up the matter with industry stakeholders and has identified 35 destinations for Phase I and will coveranother 89 places in Phase II.Best Western to set-up 66 hotels in next5 yearsSudhir SinhaGlobal hotel chain Best Western International is focused on the expansion of its presencein India and is confident about India playing a prominent role in the global growth of thecompany. Going forward, the company plans to raise `1,600 crore from various franchisees toset-up 66 new hotels in India over the next five years. David Kong, President and CEO, BestWestern International informed, “Return on investment is high in Tier-II cities. We will focus ongrowth opportunity beyond the metros, where quality hospitality is just emerging, especially inTier-II and Tier-III cities.”Talking about the investment plans of the hotel chain, Sudhir Sinha, President and ChiefOperating Officer, Best Western India informed, “We are expecting an investment in the rangeof `55-60 lakh per hotel room in the 5-star hotel category, `40-45 lakh in the 4-star category and`20-25 lakh in the 3-star hotel category, excluding the price of land.”Kong added, “Best Western sees this as an opportunity across different segments in Indiaand is equipped to meet the market needs with its three ranges of hotels - Best Western, BestWestern Plus and Best Western Premier. The renewed focus is a part of its commitment tounderstanding and fulfilling the growing needs of the customers here.”The new focus areas of growth will be the 4-star hotel categories with Best Western Plus and5-star hotel categories with Best Western Premier properties — 60 per cent will be in the 4-star and 5-star categories and theremaining will be 3-star hotels.Betting big on Tier-II and Tier-III cities he remarked, “Discerning high-end travellers who stay in 5-star hotels are unable tofind suitable accommodation in Tier-II and Tier-III cities in India at the moment. With Best Western Plus we endeavour to fill thisgap in the market.”Regarding the group’s commitment to India, Devang Amin, Chairman, Best Western International commented, “Hotels needsolutions that enable them to grow their earnings and drive more traffic and build loyalty. Best Western addresses these needsand redefines hospitality partnership by providing the broadest portfolio of proven, integrated and adaptive solutions.”The company is now looking at adding 66 hotels in its India portfolio within the next five years. Currently Best WesternIndia has 34 properties in operation. The hotel will unveil eight properties in the country in this financial year. Starting from theAurangabad property, which will be launched in July this year, the hotel group will unveil its second property in Kolkata. The restof the hotels would be unveiled in Hyderabad, Bhubaneshwar, Kodaikanal, Bengaluru, Mumbai and Goa.Sudhir Sinha shares that The Best Western India is on the verge of finalising a deal with a Madhya Pradesh-based realtorfor 30 hotels adding, “The plan to ink a deal with the MP-based realtor will be finalised in another month’s time. It will be apartnership for 30 hotels where investment for 10 hotels will come from the developer while the other 20 hotels would be leasedproperties.” The company is also in talks with a Thailand-based company to invest in India.18 FHRAI Magazine february 2012 Visit FHRAI Website: www.fhrai.com

[ News Updates ]Aamod Resorts opens GoldenTurtle FarmAfter establishing resorts with distinctive themes in Shimla and Dalhousie, Aamod Resorts launchedGolden Turtle Farm (near Manesar) on the outskirts of Delhi-NCR on January 22, 2012. According toGaurav Jain, MD of the company, family getaway places are becoming an interesting option for holidayduring weekends. “Therefore, we have taken this property as a management partner on long term. Ourfocus is to offer exclusive properties with high end options for weekend holidays,” he added.The resort has 10 villas and is a 45-minute drive from Gurgaon’s IIFCO Chowk. It has swimming pool, golfcourse and various activity opportunities for in-house guests like foosball and other indoor games apartfrom the proposition of soft adventure that is being devised for the guests. The company is targetingfamily and corporate groups. “The resort would primarily target families to come in groups. We arealso targeting corporate travellers holding designation in senior management. The resort will also be aproposition for hosting events, parties, etc. The idea is to offer Delhi a nearby option for secluded holidayGaurav Jainthan in off places like Neermrana or Pataudi.” The company is marketing the property to reach out totravel agents and tour operators and essentially, event managers.With this new property, Aamod Resorts also enters into management domain to grow faster. “Our approach would be to growboth in organic and inorganic forms and in the next five years, we wish to have 3-4 properties on the outskirts of Delhi-NCRgiving a unique proposition for weekend getaways. We have also shortlisted two locations in Himachal Pradesh and have a plotof land in MP, which we wish to develop into resort later,” informed Jain.Keys Hotel signs a management contractwith Shraddha ResortsShraddha Resorts and Keys Hotel, mid-market brand of Berggruen Hotels, have jointly announced the signing of a managementcontract, to operate ‘Keys Hotel Shirdi’ consisting of 80 well furnished rooms. The hotel will have a restaurant, lounge, boardrooms, business centre, activity zone and gymnasium. It is scheduled to open by December 2012. The Hotel will cater todevotees visiting the pilgrim place, giving guests an opportunity to stay in a state-of-the-art facility at affordable rates. It isestimated that on any given day around 25,000 devotees visit Shirdi on pilgrim. The number reaches to about half a millionpeople on holidays. Shani-Shingnapur of Lord Shani & hill station Bhandardara are other popular destinations around Shirdi.The hotel is located close to the proposed airport at Shirdi. Sangram Deshmukh, CMD, Shraddha Resorts said, “We aredelighted to be associated with ‘Keys Hotel’ management, a national chain, with hotels operational across the country, and lookforward to a long-standing association.” Sanjay Sethi, Managing Director and CEO, Berggruen Hotels added, “This is our firstventure in the pilgrim market and we are glad to be associated with Shraddha Resorts, hospitality arm of Sangram Realty, one ofthe leading property developers from Pune. We are positive that through our services, our esteemed guests will not only have arewarding spiritual experience but a truly pleasing hospitality experience as well.”Modern and stylish yet in budget makes Keys hotel a trend-setter in the hospitality industry particularly due to consumerdemand for value for money and quality accommodation in the country. Apart from Shirdi, Keys Hotels is also looking foropportunities in other pilgrim markets like, Tirupati, Puri, Haridwar, Ajmer, Bodh Gaya, Katra, Rameshwaram, etc.22 FHRAI Magazine february 2012 Visit FHRAI Website: www.fhrai.com

[ News Updates ]Hi-Aim Hospitality Summit is scheduled forMarch 22-23 in New DelhiHi-Aim, one of the foremost hospitality summit addressing areas of design,interiors and management is to be organised from March 22-23, in the Capital atLe Meridien. In its debut edition, Hi-Aim will try to showcase itself as the megaevent presenting an elaborate exposition, featuring as many as 50 niche brands,showcasing state-of-the-art products, which are a part of the hospitality industry.This was notified at a curtain-raiser event of the summit, which showcased itsapproach as India’s first hospitality summit and exposition based on interiors,design and management.Hi-Aim is the brainchild of Neeraj Kodesia (Proprietor, Premier Magazine),Anil Sharma (Architect and Proprietor, ASA) and Romesh Kaul (Director,Naaz Hotel Consultants). At the curtain raiser event, the agenda Hi-Aim wasdeclared through a presentation. Kaul outlined the list of confirmed panellists,which includes some of the top names from the global hospitality, design andarchitecture scenario. Up for discussion during the 2-day event will be issues likethe future hotel, designs that are eco-friendly and contain a business-relatedrealism and other technical know-how for entrepreneurs and operation-relatedpersonnel. “Every industry requires brand ambassadors and the hospitalityindustry is no different. With Hi-Aim, we want to create that kind of brand valueRomesh Kauland create a product that attracts discussions, initiatives and charts the roadahead,” said Kaul.In their debut year, Hi-Aim looks to become an annual event on the global hospitality calendar and become a forum fordiscussions on the present technicalities of design and operations, as well as pre-empting future trends, all within theperspective of current and expected economic uncertainty. “This kind of conference will bring to the table people involved inDeveloping Design, Construction of a Hotel, Project Managers and Chief Engineers for the first time on a hospitality forum.They can evaluate present and future technical requirements,” remarked Anil Sharma, Director, Hi-Aim.26 FHRAI Magazine february 2012 Visit FHRAI Website: www.fhrai.com

[ News Updates ]Starbucks Cafés to open 2 stores in Indiain 2012Tata Global Beverages and Starbucks Coffee Company recently announced a joint venture between the iconic internationalcoffee brand and the 2 nd largest branded tea company in the world. The 50-50 joint venture, named TATA Starbucks, will ownand operate Starbucks cafés which will be branded as Starbucks Coffee ‘A Tata Alliance’. The retail stores will be developed incities across the country, beginning with stores in Delhi and Mumbai in calendar year 2012.In a separate sourcing and roasting agreement between Starbucks Coffee Company and Tata Coffee, the latter will roast coffeeto supply Tata Starbucks and to export to Starbucks Coffee Company. This agreement has paved way for consumers in India toenjoy the premium ‘Starbucks Experience’, while further discovering the unique taste of high-quality. “The joint venture withStarbucks is in line with Tata Global Beverages’ strategy of growing through inorganic growth focussing on strategic alliancesin addition to organic growth,” stated RK Krishnakumar, Vice Chairman, Tata Global Beverages. “It opens up exciting businessopportunities and new formats for Tata Global Beverages. Starbucks brings unique retail expertise as well as a shared senseof business values. We are excited about the opportunities the alliance presents to innovate in the retail space and bring newbeverage experiences to more consumers in India, leveraging the global in-home expertise of Tata Global Beverages and theglobal out-of-home expertise of Starbucks,” he added.“We’re very pleased to have found the best partner for Starbucks in Tata – a company that shares so many values for conductingbusiness in a way that earns the trust and respect of our customers and partners (employees),” said John Culver, President,Starbucks China and Asia Pacific. “We look forward to bringing the ‘Starbucks Experience’ to customers in India by offering highquality ‘Arabica’ coffee, handcrafted beverages, locally relevant food and legendary service,” Culver added.The TATA Starbucks joint venture will operate cafés under the Quick Service Restaurant category. This partnership will enablethe introduction of the unique ‘Starbucks Experience’ to the Indian consumers. Through a separate coffee sourcing and roastingagreement, Starbucks and Tata Coffee will work towards developing and improving the profile of Indian-grown ‘Arabica’ coffeearound the world by elevating the stature of Indian coffee through joint marketing efforts, as well as improving the quality ofcoffee through sustainable practices and advanced agronomy solutions.(L-R) R. Krishnakumar and John Culver28 FHRAI Magazine february 2012 Visit FHRAI Website: www.fhrai.com

[ FHRAI ]Dear MembersThe 47 th FHRAI Annual Convention will be held in Goa from September 6-8, 2012.Under the able leadership of our President, Kamlesh Barot, we are all set to finalise thetheme and various business sessions that would take place. The convention chairman is ourSecretary, Vivek Nair. The dynamic personality from HRAWI Sunit Kothari will co-chairthe convention. This convention is expected to create new records.FHRAI has also taken key initiatives to form various sub-committees. In this issue we arefeaturing two critical sub-committees with their respective chairmen talking about theirideas to take the work forward. The seminars and FSSAI Sub-Committees will take criticalmeasures to empower the hospitality members and make them sound in their operations.The Chairmen of the sub-committees have outlined the critical aspects of the same,highlighting their plans for the year that will immensely help FHRAI members and otherhospitality professionals at large.I also take this opportunity to put forth certain issues that FHRAI members need to know. In this issue we have ponderedover the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards and its relevance for you in the hospitality industry. Further, we arereproducing some of the critical pointers as excerpts from the budget recommendations that FHRAI presented to the Ministryof Finance, Government of India for consideration, in the Annual Budget of the FY 2012-13. We, as always, remain hopefulabout this Annual Budget session for the hospitality industry.Vijai PandeChairmanFHRAI Publications Committeevijaipandit@yahoo.co.inThe 47 th Annual FHRAIConvention to beheld in GoaThe 47 th Annual FHRAI Convention will be held in Goa fromSeptember 6-8, 2012. This year, the Executive Committee ofthe FHRAI, has made a special effort to finalise and announcethe confirmed dates for our convention, considerably well inadvance, so as to enable our valued members and colleagues inthe media to conveniently plan their schedules accordingly. Thetheme chosen and an impressive list of our key speakers will alsobe unveiled shortly.Blessed with pristine natural beauty, a proud and distinctivecultural heritage and mesmerizing tradition of warm hospitality,Goa is deservedly counted among the world’s top touristdestinations. FHRAI is confident that it will serve as an idyllicsetting and spectacular backdrop for this prestigious event.The FHRAI Convention has always been one of the mostanticipated and widely attended events of our industry’scalendar. Each year, hundreds of delegates, comprising averitable who’s who of the hospitality and tourism sector,congregate on this vibrant platform for vivid and enrichingdeliberations on the myriad strategic and competitive dynamicsshaping the industry. Our members are offered an unparalleledopportunity to engage with a multitude of stakeholdersincluding political dignitaries, top policymakers, technocrats,global entrepreneurs, business icons as well as representativesfrom civil society and the media. For the first time this year,International and National Associations of eminence shallsynergize with FHRAI on the convention. In addition tobenefitting from carefully structured and stimulating businesssessions, they also enjoy ample occasions to network and bondwith their peers, in a leisurely and congenial atmosphere.The organising committee for the 47 th FHRAI Conventionis being chaired by Vivek Nair. FHRAI is indeed fortunate tobe able to leverage Nair’s outstanding leadership, vision andrich experience as one of Asia’s most admired hoteliers andaccomplished entrepreneurs. Under his dynamic stewardship,our forthcoming Convention promises to set new benchmarksof excellence and innovation and will certainly prove to be anagenda-setting event for the whole industry. He shall be ablyassisted by co-chairman, Sunit Kothari.30 FHRAI Magazine february 2012 Visit FHRAI Website: www.fhrai.com

[ FHRAI ]FY 2012-13: Pre-BudgetRecommendationsFHRAI has presented a detailed report as its budget recommendations. Beloware some of the excerpts from the memorandum presented to the Ministry ofFinance, Government of India.Inclusion of Hotels in the InfrastructureLending List of the RBIFHRAI Voice: In the list of infrastructure projects, hotels maybe included just like airports, seaports, railways, power, etc.In fact, earlier for several years under Section 10(23) g of theIncome Tax Act, hotels were added to the infrastructure list sothat interest received by financial institutions and banks for loansextended to hotels were tax exempted. However the section itselfwas discontinued with effective from April 1, 2007.Recommendation: We understand that the matter is beingreviewed at the level of the Cabinet Secretary and a committeeof secretaries is expected to be convened shortly to examine thematter further. We request that the inclusion of hotels in RBI’sInfrastructure Lending List be done immediately so that thevarious benefits accorded to the sector will apply to the hotel sectoras well and will facilitate immediate investment in the hotel sector.FHRAI’s request is pending with the Ministry of Finance,Government of India, Planning Commission of India andRBI with respect to the inclusion of hotels in the InfrastructureLending List of RBI as published in RBI Circular No.RBI/2009/10/151 DBOD-BP.BC No.42/08-12-015/2009-10dated September 9, 2009.With the extension of Section 35 AD to hotels, which wasgiven only for priority sectors like cross country pipeline carryingoil and gas, cold storages and warehouses, FHRAI has beenrequesting the Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry ofFinance, Government of India, Planning Commission and RBIto include hotels in the list of Infrastructure Lending issued byRBI vide Circular No.DBOD. BP.BC.52/21.04.048/2007-08dated November 30, 2007. After the inclusion of hotels in theInfrastructure Lending list, specialised financial institutions likeIDFC, IIFCL and IL&FS, etc. can extend financial assistanceto hotels with a higher debt-equity ratio of 1:4 instead of thepresent ratio of 1:1.5 which was prescribed by CommercialBanks and Institutions when it was part of the CommercialReal Estate (CRE).Also as hotels have become capital intensive specially dueto the very high cost of land in metros, it is necessary that thehotels be given financial assistance like infrastructure projects withrepayment schedule extended to 15 years with a moratorium of 3years for construction and 4 years for the final stabilisation period.As almost 80,000 guestrooms are still required to beconstructed to meet the present shortage of hotel rooms in thecountry at an average cost of `40 lakh per room a mammothamount of `32,000 crore is required to be invested in hotels. Asairports are included in the CRE, it is only justifiable that thetwo arms of tourism – airports and hotels – be both accordedinfrastructure status and that would only be achieved if hotelsare included in the Infrastructure Lending list of RBI.Approval of take-out finance for hotels:As has been approved recently for infrastructure projects, RupeeTerm Loans extended to infrastructure projects by CommercialBanks and Financial Institutions have been granted approvalto have them replaced by Foreign Currency Term Loans (asper extant RBI norms on ECBs) so that these infrastructureprojects are able to avail loans at lower rate of interest whichis typically charged for foreign currency loan. This scheme oftake-out finance has been requested to be extended to hotels byinfrastructure lending institutions and other commercial bankswho can arrange foreign currency loans in lieu of Rupee termloan already sanctioned and availed of by infrastructure projects.Such grant of approval of ECBs for hotel projects wouldrender them more economically viable and reduce the cost ofinterest during the construction period which, in typical hotelprojects constitute a large amount, especially given the highrate of interest charged by commercial banks and financialinstitutions for Rupee term loan.Thus with lower cost per room, hotels would be able tocharge lower room tariffs a point which has raised by both theMinistry of Tourism, Government of India as well as foreigntravel agents/tour operators. The high capital cost of setting-upof hotels in India including the escalating cost of land have ledto high room tariffs which could be reduced once the interestrate during construction period is brought down.Hotels in India could thus have comparatively priced tariffswhilst a competing destinations such as Malaysia, Indonesia,Thailand, Sri Lanka, etc.Indirect TaxesService-taxRecommendation: The exemption with respect to foreign travelagent commission should be introduced with retrospective effect.The deputation of employee should not be treated at par withmanpower supply as it’s the way large multinational companiesoperate and one can not provide services to oneself. It is notcorrect to treat it as manpower supply. It should not be subjectto service tax.There is a need for clarity on the procedure that has to befollowed to avail service tax credit. There should be a FAQ toavoid ambiguous interpretations while availing the credit. Properclarification is required for abatement and credit mechanism.Duplication of tax levies should be avoided. The valuationrules should provide for proper apportionment of transactionvalue towards goods sold and services provided.It should be provided that liability should be on the serviceprovider alternatively if main portion of the services are executedoutside India, then the scope should not be extended to cover thoseVisit FHRAI Website: www.fhrai.com FHRAI Magazine february 2012 31

[ FHRAI ]Seminars Sub-committee - FHRAIDinesh S.AdvaniChairmanThe whole idea behind a Seminars Sub-committee at FHRAI is to disseminate informationon topics of interest and relevance to hotels and restaurants.At HRAWI we have been conducting seminars for over 10 years. In a year we cover about6-9 seminars in various cities of Western India. Till date we have done seminars in Mumbai,Pune, Baroda, Ahmedabad, Indore, Goa and Loonavala.The topics we have covered are of daily operations such as front office operations,F&B controls, sales & marketing, bartending, housekeeping operations, human resources,social media & internet marketing, security management to name just a few. We have alsoconducted seminars on some out of the box topics like stress management. We bring inspeakers from the fraternity who are more than happy to share their knowledge with the members. Normally in the month ofMarch we have a seminar on the budget and its implications and for the last several years we have Anil Harish speaking on thistopic. Often we have covered topics on burning issues which involve government laws and their implications.Kamlesh Barot, FHRAI President, mooted the idea of having these seminars pan-India. Hence, we are proposing to conduct2-3 seminars in every region over the year. We have shortlisted several topics which we would like to cover this year such as theFSSAI Act, managing hotel and restaurant operations, etc. Members are more than welcome to send their suggestions to theSecretary General of FHRAI.The Seminars Sub-committee will consist of 5 members from the different regions namely, Chetan Mehta, Rajiv Gogia,Rakesh Roy, Gurvinder Singh Juneja and T. Nataraajan. I am banking on the support of my able committee members as wellas the regional associations to take this forward.Our first seminar is in New Delhi on the Food Safety Act which we are conducting along with the HRANI and NRAI, onMarch 16.FSSAI Sub-committee - FHRAIPradeep ShettyChairmanThe Food Safety and Standards Act of India (FSSAI) is a new act that has come into placeto regulate storage, manufacture and sales of food to ensure availability of safe and wholesomefood for public consumption. FSSAI was implemented from August 2011. Under FSSAI, all foodrelated laws have been converged to present a holistic comprehensive law.The law that has been introduced is an ambitious one and FHRAI welcomes the same. Webelieve that the industry representation is needed on the following counts (a) Practical difficultiesinvolved, (b) need for relaxation of penalties and (c) such other rules which may have to bealtered based on the ground realities such as the economic scenario and cultural dynamics of the industry prevalent in India. Wesuspect that problems will start arising when new standards will be implemented and members are likely to be caught unaware.Moreover, presumably the new standards may also lead to rise in cost of operations thereby making our end products costlierfor the customers. Needless to mention that greatest challenge would lie in engaging skilled/trained workforce to adopt this newfood law.FHRAI’s initiative to have a FSSAI Sub-committee is directed towards:• Studying this law in greater details to understand its finer nuances by constituting a core committee where expertise wouldbe drawn from legal, food science, food consultants to key knowledge areas in the food industry. This core committee plans tosubmit a comprehensive document taking into account constructive suggestions, valid objections and suitable recommendationson various aspects of this new law. This report will be presented to the FSSAI Chairperson and expect to do it by March 31,2012. Furthermore, this core-committee would also engage itself with the authority on a regular basis to keep the authoritiesupdated as the new law evolves.• Creating awareness among the members with regard to the various facets of the new law viz., licencing, rules & regulations, etc.framed under this law and standards prescribed etc. The objective being that of ensuring sufficient dissemination of informationto all members so as to enable them to be prepared for the incoming change. We, accordingly, plan to conduct seminars andworkshops pan-India, may be four – one in each region – where core committee will take the issue forward and combine withF&B professionals, chefs & owner/operators who will be our target audience in this context. We also wish that the essence ofthe law with great details to percolate to the lowest level of our industry workforce by enabling ‘Train the Trainer’ module andsynergise a movement wherein our regional set of trainers will be able to train others in the industry, wherever needed.34 FHRAI Magazine february 2012 Visit FHRAI Website: www.fhrai.com

[ Report ]Bengaluruon the Rise6 Hotel Intelligence • India, Bengaluru • January 20126 Hotel Intelligence • India, • January 2012Bengaluru’s hotel market has been evolving since the last decade, which haschanged the landscape of the Cyber City. The status of India’s Silicon Valleyhas definitely had an impact on the hospitality business which is evident fromLodgingLodging the DemandDemand results DriversDrivers of the recently released Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels report whichAs an established commercialdiscussescity with a significantthepresencegrowingof yearsBengaluruin terms of incrementalhospitalityGrade A commercial stock.market. Excerpts from the report…As an established commercial city with a significant presence ofdomestic and international companies, the nature of lodging demanddomestic and international companies, the nature of lodging demandin Bengaluru tends to be dominated by commercial demand whichin Bengaluru tends to be dominated by commercial demand whichcontribute close to 75-80% of the city’s overall lodging demand andcontribute close to 75-80% of the city’s overall lodging demand andthe remaining from a mix of leisure (5-10%) and (MICE) Meetings,the remaining from a mix of leisure (5-10%) and (MICE) Meetings,Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (10-15%).Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (10-15%).Commercial SegmentCommercial SegmentCommercial real estate development has played a pivotal role inCommercial real estate development has played a pivotal role inshaping Bengaluru’s hotel markets. The city leads amongst allshaping Bengaluru’s hotel markets. The city leads amongst allIndian metropolitan cities in terms of occupied office stock and hasIndian metropolitan cities in terms of occupied office stock and hasa total commercial Grade A stock of 6.1 million square meters (asa total commercial Grade A stock of 6.1 million square meters (asof December 31, 2011). Bengaluru has witnessed a Compoundedof December 31, 2011). Bengaluru has witnessed a CompoundedAnnual Growth Rate (CAGR) of around 26% over the last sevenAnnual Growth Rate (CAGR) of around 26% over the last sevenOverall, Bengaluru has witnessed a double digitCompound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) for bothinternational and domestic passenger traffic, duringthe eight year period from Financial Year (FY)2003-04 through 2010-11.International passenger traffic has increased from 0.5 millionpassengers in FY 2003-04 to 2.2 million passengers in FY 2010-11, an absolute growth of more than 340 per cent. The domesticpassenger traffic in Bengaluru has risen from 2.7 million in FY2003-04 to 9.4 million in FY 2010-11 recording a 23 per centCAGR. Also, the passenger movement has revived after a declinein domestic passenger traffic and retarded annual growth ininternational passenger traffic in FY 2008-09 due to the economicrecessionChart 1: Grade A commercial Stock and Vacancy in BengaluruChart 1: Grade A commercial Stock and Vacancy in BengaluruCommercial Stock Stock(in (in million million sq. sq. meters)7766554433221100Source: Jones Lang LaSalle REIS, IndiaSource: Jones Lang LaSalle REIS, Indiayears in terms of incremental Grade A commercial stock.Chart 1 below presents the historical and future estimated totalChart 1 below presents the historical and future estimated totalGrade A commercial stock and vacancy for the Bengaluru market.Grade A commercial stock and vacancy for the Bengaluru market.Commercial Supply Distribution across Micro MarketsCommercial Supply Distribution across Micro MarketsIn terms of micro-markets, both SBD and PBD have surpassedIn terms of micro-markets, both SBD and PBD have surpassedthe amount of commercial office stock available in the CBD area.the amount of commercial office stock available in the CBD area.With the availability of larger land parcels suitable for built-to-suitWith the availability of larger land parcels suitable for built-to-suitrequirements of the IT sector, SBD is the market leader in terms ofrequirements of the IT sector, SBD is the market leader in terms oftotal Grade A stock in Bengaluru with a total supply of 2.9 milliontotal Grade A stock in Bengaluru with a total supply of 2.9 millionsquare meters (as on June 30, 2011). The PBD follows with a supplysquare meters (as on June 30, 2011). The PBD follows with a supplyof 2.3 million square meters with Whitefield alone contributing almostof 2.3 million square meters with Whitefield alone contributing almost80% of the total stock in the PBD. In contrast, Bengaluru CBD has a80% of the total stock in the PBD. In contrast, Bengaluru CBD has atotal stock of only 0.6 million square meters.total stock of only 0.6 million square meters.2005 2006200720082009201020112012E2005 2006200720082009201020112012EStockStockVacancyVacancyChart 2: Commercial Supply Distribution across Micro Markets (1H 2011)Chart 2: Commercial Supply Distribution across Micro Markets (1H 2011)3,500,000 35.0%3,500,0003,000,00035.0%30.0%3,000,0002,500,00030.0%25.0%2,500,0002,000,00025.0%20.0%2,000,0001,500,00020.0%15.0%1,500,0001,000,00015.0%10.0%1,000,000500,00010.0%5.0%500,0005.0%0.0%CBD SBD PBD*0.0%CBD SBD PBD*StockVacancyStockVacancySource: Jones Lang LaSalle REIS, IndiaSource: * PBD commercial Jones Lang stock LaSalle includes REIS, total India stock of Whitefield and Electronic City* PBD commercial stock includes total stock of Whitefield and Electronic CityCommercial Stock Stock (sq. (sq. meters)Micro Markets in Bengaluru• Central Business District (CBD): This micro-marketcomprises offices of major companies along the MG Road,Residency Road, Richmond Town and Brigade Road. TheCBD area comprises primarily high end developments acrossall categories of real estate.• Secondary Business District (SBD): SBD of Bengalurucomprises areas along the Outer Ring Road, Old AirportRoad, Old Madras Road, Hosur Road, Intermediate RingRoad, Indiranagar and Koramangala. This micro-marketfeatures larger projects in comparison to the CBD due tolower land prices and well developed infrastructure facilities.• Peripheral Business District (PBD): This micro-marketcomprises of Whitefield, Devanahalli and the ElectronicCity. These areas are characterised by largescale built-to-suit IT techno parks or campuses.16.0% While the Electronic City is a well developed14.0%16.0%electronics industrial hub located in the south of12.0%14.0%10.0%12.0% Bengaluru, on the eastern side, Whitefield gained8.0%10.0%importance because of the IT/ITeS development6.0%8.0%accompanied by improved connectivity.4.0%6.0%2.0%4.0%0.0%2.0%0.0%vacancy (%) (%)vacancy (%) (%)Lodging Demand DriversAs an established commercial city with asignificant presence of both domestic andinternational companies, the nature of lodgingdemand in Bengaluru tend to be dominated bycommercial demand which contributes closeto 75-80 per cent of the city’s overall lodgingdemand and the remaining from a mix of leisure(5-10 per cent) and (MICE) Meetings, Incentives,Conferences and Exhibitions (10-15 per cent).Commercial Segment: Commercial realestate development has played a pivotal rolein shaping Bengaluru’s hotel markets. The cityleads amongst all Indian metropolitan cities interms of occupied office stock and has a totalcommercial Grade-A stock of 6.1 million sqmtr (as of December 31, 2011). Bengaluruhas witnessed a CAGR of around 26 per cent36 FHRAI Magazine february 2012 Visit FHRAI Website: www.fhrai.com

over the last seven years in terms of incremental Grade-Acommercial stock.Chart 1 below presents the historical and future estimatedtotal Grade-A commercial stock and vacancy for the Bengalurumarket.Commercial Supply Distribution across MicroMarkets: In terms of micro-markets, both SBD and PBDhave surpassed the amount of commercial office stock availablein the CBD area. With the availability of larger land parcelssuitable for built-to-suit requirements of the IT sector, SBD isthe market leader in terms of total Grade-A stock in Bengaluruwith a total supply of 2.9 million sqm (as on June 30, 2011). ThePBD follows with a supply of 2.3 million sq mtr with Whitefieldalone contributing almost 80 per cent of the total stock in thePBD. In contrast, Bengaluru CBD has a total stock of only 0.6million sq mtr.34nt344 ntnt.r..trrtddSupply DistributionAccording to the research, Bengaluru has 48 branded hotelswith 7,734 rooms spread across various star categories. Someof the prominent international operators in Bengaluru includeIHG, Starwood, Accor and Wyndham.Chart 3 indicates the city’s room inventory distribution amongsix categories as of date based on the research. As highlightedin chart, 5-star deluxe hotels represent 15 per cent of the totalHotel Intelligence • India, Bengaluru • January 2012 9supply while 5-star hotels dominate with 33 per cent of the totalinventory. The 4-star hotels contribute 21 per cent whereas the3-star category contributes 24 Hotel per Intelligence cent. In • the India, past, Bengaluru the serviced• January 2012 9apartment segment was categorised under the local unbrandedHotel Intelligence • India, Bengaluru • January 2012 9sector. However, with the recent accelerated growth in extendedstay demand in the city, the serviced apartment segment hasbeen attracting the attention of major international lodgingbrands. Serviced apartments in Bengaluru are currently offeredby four properties in the branded segment namely OakwoodPremier Prestige, Royal Orchid Suites, Mercure Residencesand Ascott Group’s recently opened Citadines collectivelycontributing 6 per cent to the overall branded lodging supply.Chart 3: Room Invetory CategorisationThe 2-star category contributes only 1 per cent to the overallbranded supply.Chart 3: Room InvetorySerivcedCategorisationApartmentsChart 3: Room Invetory 2-star Categorisation6%Serivced1%Apartments 5-star Deluxe2-star Serivced Apartments6%15%2-star 1% 6%5-star Deluxe3-star 1%5-star 15% Deluxe24%15%3-star3-star 24%24%4-star21%4-star4-star 21%21%Source: Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels Research, India5-star33%5-star5-star 33%33%Source: Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels Research, IndiaSource: Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels Research, IndiaVisit FHRAI Website: www.fhrai.com FHRAI Magazine february 2012 37

[ GM Canvas ]For a city like Agra which isworld famous, it is a challengeto manage a property that offerswhat the city is known for, whilesimultaneously adding a unique twistto its offerings. Wyndham Grand Agrahas tried every bit to be different in thisrespect and has approached the taskaggressively. Dilawar S. Nindra, GeneralManager of the hotel developed andimplemented standards for both styleand quality and has put them to use inthe hotel’s operations.The property, which is spread over18 acres of land has been positionedinnovatively. According to him,Wyndham Grand Agra is a masterpieceof architecture built on the ‘MughalTheme’ with world class royal amenities.“The property has a massive spread witha splendid display of terraced lawns,colourful musical fountains and antiqueinteriors that will take the guests back tothe era of Mughal emperors and royalty.It is a hotel which will give culturalexperience along with a true sense ofhospitality. Our mission is to give ourguests a true value-for-money stay andmake ourselves a landmark in this city,”Nindra says.The property began its operationson November 19, 2010 under the name‘Orient Taj’ and later on October 1,2011 it tied-up with Wyndham GrandAgra to start its new journey. “Post oursoft opening the business started comingin from day one as the inventory in Agrais small. We started attracting touristswith its palatial look which the guestscrave for and wish to stay in,” he adds.The property is consistentlymaintaining the standards of a leisurecity while simultaneously positioningitself as a business hotel. He says,“Wyndham Grand Agra is primarily aleisure property and our approach willalways be to make our guests enjoy theirstay here.”The Heritage CityNindra says, “Agra is a very populartourist destination. It is home to the TajMahal, one of the Seven Wonders ofthe World. The architectural splendoursof the mausoleum, the fort and palacescontribute in making the city a leadingdestination for tourists. This helps thehotel to immediately connect to thetourists as well.”The city is growing and taking itsstature higher on the tourism map.“Agra is experiencing huge footfall asit is a favourite sightseeing destinationfor foreigners. The hospitality industryin this heritage city is transformingitself by working towards improvement.Rising competition and the fight toposition itself at the top in terms ofleading tourism numbers, is a new foundenergy. The leaders of this industry arediscovering new ideas and innovativetactics for successful hospitality productsand services that would take the dreamahead and also make every day for itsguests memorable,” observes Nindra.In order to reach the top, Agra hasbeen taking numerous steps to becomea sound tourism oriented city. He hastaken note of a few things which willtake the city in a completely differentdirection. He says, “Certain steps takenby the administration here will go a longway in making Agra even more beautiful.There have been improvements in theinfrastructure like the tourism police,which is one of the best ways to projectthat the job of securing tourists is takenvery seriously; has given confidence tothe tourists to explore Agra without anyinhibitions and pre-conceived notions.Further, cleanliness in and around TajMahal have been maintained well, whichis a very good area with whatever limitedresources are its disposal.”Lastly, he says, I would add that theTourism Guild of Agra as an activeassociation helps in boosting newdevelopments in tourism and hospitalityof this city.Visit FHRAI Website: www.fhrai.comFHRAI Magazine february 2012 39

[ GM Canvas ]Contributing to the CityThe city is being developed beyond theTaj Mahal. Even the hospitality industryis strongly promoting this aspect whichwill make tourists stay for a longerduration in the city. Nindra remarks,“Agra has more than the Taj Mahalto offer to its visitors. There are manyexcursions which cannot be covered ina day long trip alone. The city boastsof many cultural activities and shows,apart from theme plays which havebecome very popular these days withthe tourists.”Now, as an added incentive for thevisitors to stay longer in the city, the hotelhas even built a helipad. This reducesthe travel time from Delhi or other citieswhich gives ample time to relax in thehotel as well as explore the city beyondthe Taj Mahal. “In fact, with this service,we have been able to curtail the traveltime to 20 minutes from Delhi to Agragiving them more time to enjoy the city!”Talking about the property, which isfairly new, he feels it has connected withthe city and its tourism. “We are theonly hotel in the city that is completelybuilt in Mughal architectural style. Our‘Presidential Suite’ is 4,000 sq ft and isthe biggest hotel suite in Agra. One alsogets to see the Mughal Garden and thecolourful musical fountain in the middleof the hotel, which has been designedkeeping ‘old times’ in mind,” Nindrasums up.40 FHRAI Magazine february 2012 Visit FHRAI Website: www.fhrai.com

[ Product & Services ]Turkish Airlinesintroduces its newBusiness ClassTurkish Airlines, Europe’s fastest growing airlinecompany and a Skytrax awardee for the ‘Best AirlineEurope’, has come up with a high quality service inits new Business Class. The new Business Class cabinis laid out in a 2-3-2 configuration and offers fullyreclinable 75 inch flat beds for sleeping space. A seatpitch of 61 inches is provided to ensure passenger’scomfort and mobility. Main Control unit, located in thecentre console at the front end of the armrest, providesfull control of the bed. A generous and ample legroom allows passengers that extra bit of stretch in the long haul flights.The seat acts like a personal masseuse and relaxes the muscles to the hilt. Each Business Class seat comes with a PC powerreceptacle that supplies energy for the laptops and similar electrical devices. The centrally located table moves forward & backwardand even swivels to offer more freedom.It is the first carrier to offer live, inflight television on Trans-Atlantic flights. High speed internet access and Wi-Fi enablepassengers to use their mobile devices such as, notebook, iPad, tablets, etc.Equipped with personal touch-screen monitors and Planet digital system, the passengers can enjoy movies and music from theselection in more than 7 languages. Passengers can also watch the take-off and landing footage on their screen via the two camerasmounted at the front and back of the aircraft!Turkish Airlines boasts of the world’s largest fleet of flying chefs on their new Business Class. Passengers are served a wide rangeof alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks on-board. The breakfast options include a range of beverages, fresh fruits, cold cuts, cheese,fresh yoghurt and muesli.Fine GrainWhiskyRadico Khaitan, one of thelargest liquor companies inIndia has nationally rolled outa new premium brand ‘AfterDark’ Whisky. ‘After Dark’ isthe finest grain spirits blendedto offer perfect taste for theconsumers. The brand namehas various connotationsattached to it. It’s set in theworld where night unfolds andbrings with it fun, adventureand excitement.The brand plays the role ofgetting people together andadding energy & spontaneity tothe evening. Currently availableall across India, it targets theyoung and energetic peopleand is priced at Rs 450 for 750ml. It comes in a canister pack,which is the first-of-its-kind inthis segment.Super Soft Mattress TopperThe Hush Super Soft Mattress Topper improves the quality of sleepby cushioning the bed surface and adding to the sleeper’s comfortlevel. As an added benefit, Topper also prolongs the life of themattress. Filled generously with lush, slow-release, virgin microfiber,this product gives a soft and buttery feel. Additionally, the innerfibers are pocketed to avoid uncomfortable lump formation. Theouter casing is designed with specially treated water repellentfabric. The Hush Super Soft Mattress Topper offers the sleepersublime comfort and lends a plush, sink-in feel to the mattress,ensuring comfort and sound sleep.42 FHRAI Magazine february 2012 Visit FHRAI Website: www.fhrai.com

[ Culture ]Pattachitra:A New Story on the Leafof HospitalityRaghurajpur in Odisha known for its famous ‘Pattachitra’ (Leaf painting),shows how nature and eco-friendly approach are still very much part ofIndia’s art tradition. And now after the State Institute for Development ofArts & Crafts, Bhubaneshwar; the hospitality industry of Odisha too is pullingall strings together to promote this exemplary art form and the village thathouses it.Sanjeev BharThere are certain creations in lifethat are best appreciated andgiven apt definition when they aremade in front of you. Pattachitrais probably one of those myriad mysticalart forms that lie hidden in India’sheartland. It is referred to as paintingsthat are etched on Patta or a dried palmleaf (also Tamra patra in Sanskrit).The history of this art form goes backto the 5th century BC. Raghurajpuris one of the most popular placesof Odisha (erstwhile Orissa) that isknown to have nurtured this craft. Thisfascinating village is situated at a distanceof 14 km from the temple town of Puriand is a noted heritage crafts village,where the community has been formedby skilled artisans. The village is alsoquite popular because it is the birthplace of Late Padma Vibhushan GuruKelucharan Mahapatra, a doyen of theIndian classical dance form – Odissi.The State Institute for Development ofArts & Crafts, Bhubaneshwar promotesthis village to create knowledge aboutthe craft as well as to ensure that this artform survives.An now the hospitality industryof Odisha is also making an effort topromote this par excellence culturalaspect by including a visit to this craftvillage in the itinerary of the tourists.44 FHRAI Magazine february 2012 Visit FHRAI Website: www.fhrai.com

[ Culture ]Harihar Patra, Director Marketing,Toshali Resorts International believes,hospitality has a strong role to playin evolving the craft by promoting itaptly. “We get a lot of internationalclientele. Therefore, we take them tokey traditional points, like Raghurajpurthat brings out the true essence of theculture of the state and also pushes ittowards further enrichment by providingit with the required vital support system.Tourism plays an important role andhospitality can definitely give a directionto it. Our aim is to sustain this craftwhich is being carried forward fromone generation to another since ages.”It is also an attractive journey for thetravellers to witness the art of makingPattachitra at the village itself.Travellers can enjoy the entire process ofPattachitra, from the art of preparing leaves,sketching and finally, the painting that isdone on it. The use of organic colours alsosends out a message revered by the worldartists nowadays, which has remained thetradition of the craft since ages.The pictures that come to life throughPattachitra go through a long process.A number of small rectangular framesare carved and painted with colours andlater joined together piece-by-piece toeventually bring a story to life. Once thepainting is done, the palm leaf strips arejoined with a metallic wire or thread tocreate a complete canvas. The processof applying colours comes much later.An artist takes each of these strips andneatly engraves his imagination with afine carving tool.Watch an experienced artist like‘Maga Nayak’, master craftsman whoruns Krishna Arts & Crafts in NayakPatna near Raghurajpur, go aboutetching his thought directly on the Pattastrip without even making a rough sketch.He directly applies his carving tool on tothe Patta strip to carve a scene. At first, ashe carves it, the picture does not seem tomake any sense. However after applyinga paste of soot and oil on the leaf, whichis then allowed to settle for a minute, theblack soot sinks into the finely engravedlines and then is simply wiped off with acotton cloth… His imagination suddenlycomes alive on the leaf !Once all the Patta strips are drawn onin this fashion and mellowed yellow, thecanvas showcases a complete paintingin black. It can then be enhanced withdifferent earthy colours or can be left asit is. In this fashion, Nayak says, it cantake a month or more to complete apainting where different Patta strips needto be articulately designed and correlatedso that the painting appears perfectwhen small individual pieces are joinedtogether.In Pattachitra, stories about princesand princesses, kings and queens,various gods and mythological scenesare engraved conventionally, which arecomplimented through ornamentationof flowers, trees and animals, which arethen painted to give a complete image.Everything is so delicately carried outthat the final image really commandsattention. “This art form is greatlyappreciated in Raghurajpur and allVisit FHRAI Website: www.fhrai.com FHRAI Magazine february 2012 45

[ Culture ]homes follow this tradition,” Nayak adds.As he shares and teaches the techniquesof this craft, young children by his sidepractice this traditional form as theypractice engraving the leaves to fine tunetheir creative skills.A lot of change is taking place in thisart form and creativity is being usedtowards newer horizons. Noted artist GKMaharana of Sun Crafts in Puri, who isknown for his Pattachitra styled sareessays, “This craft has become extremelypopular and we get international ordersfor sarees that take more than six monthsto make offering a distinct look based onthis art form.”Apart from Pattachitra, paintings onTussar Silk are another attraction that isequally worked upon by the Pattachitraartists in Raghurajpur and otherwise. Thepaintings on silk usually showcase tribaland village lifestyle. There are some thatsimply use black ink and portray multidimensionshapes for designs that lookvery attractive. According to Nayak, tribalpaintings and mythology are usually thecommon themes chosen for Pattachitra.There is a definitive style of this art formand artists bring in their creative inputswithin that to give it a new direction. Thisway the art form is changing yet keepingthe age old essence intact.”Apart from such paintings,palm leaf engravings, papermasks, paintings on coconut andSupari (betel nut) also attracttravellers allowing them to peepinto the world of Pattachitra thatis surviving with support fromthe Government. The Ministryof Tourism, Government ofIndia and the United NationsDevelopment Programme(UNDP) India recognise andthereby offer an intense artexperience to discerning touristsby taking artists from this villageto many cities to showcase theirtalents.Though the art form ofPattachitra and Tussar paintingsare in great demand all acrossthe world and are being exportedby India, a visit to this secludedregion is a different experiencealtogether. Raghurajpur in thisrespect has really evolved as a craftvillage in every sense. It becomesapparent the moment one stepsdown and enters this locality. Abig billboard welcomes all andthe houses elegantly decoratedwith these paintings showcase thetalent that this village possesses.46 FHRAI Magazine february 2012 Visit FHRAI Website: www.fhrai.com

[ Culture ]Reaching RaghurajpurThe craft village of Raghurajpur canbe reached from Bhubaneshwar(nearest airport) which is 50-kmaway. It is just 14-km from Puri andcan be accessed through taxi andcoach services available easily.Lying on the coastal belt, itis advisable to avoid visiting thecrafts village during Monsoons.September-April is the besttime to visit the village whenthe temperature falls down to acomfortable level averaging 26°C.It is said that every single house in thisvillage promotes this craft and is takingthe heritage forward.The village houses display the craftand entering these small homes givesa wider perspective on how the artistsmake incredible things using such basicmaterials. Their painting style carved onwood, wooden dolls, even cowdung andpapier mache (chewed paper) toys, etc.bring a new dimension to this handicraft.This unique traditional craft ofOdisha comes to life in this villageand has been preserved for long. It isheart-warming to see that childrenare also deft at this craft and join theirparents in learning the tradition. Thisage old art form has not lost its sheenin the commercial dynamics of exportopportunities it commands. Changes arewelcomed to ensure that paintings lastlong, keeping the spirit of this craft at ahigh. This village undoubtedly ensuresthat the tradition remains alive as a craft,enjoyed by kinsman and tourists alike.Visit FHRAI Website: www.fhrai.com FHRAI Magazine february 2012 47

[ Outbound ]Filipino StyleEntertainment@Resort World ManilaNow entertainment has a new address in The Philippines. Travel to Manila’srecent dining, entertainment, casino and shopping destination - ResortsWorld Manila (RWM) for a 360 degree entertainment.Megha PaulAlifestyle compound thatfeatures world class casinos,cuisines, accommodation andacrobatic shows by performersfrom as far as Ukraine and Belarus,RWM is located in Newport City,opposite the Ninoy Aquino InternationalAirport (NAIA) Terminal 3, in Manila,The Philippines. The resort is a jointventure between AGI and Genting HongKong. The project, occupying a part ofthe former military camp near Manila’sairport, has three hotels with 1,574rooms, 30,000 sqm casino area and a30,000 sqm shopping mall. The globalleisure, entertainment and hospitalityenterprise Genting Hong Kong alsoowns the leading cruise operator StarCruises.Personal Butler at YourServiceRWM is home to three hotels namely the5-star Marriott Hotel Manila, the newlyopened budget lodging Remington Hoteland its centrepiece, the luxury all-suitecasino hotel, Maxims Tower. The firsthotel of the complex, Maxims, is said tobe the country’s first deluxe casino hotel.Owned and developed by the GentingGroup, Maxims has 172 all-suite rooms,each furnished with modern facilitiesand served by a personal butler. Thehotel has three Royal Villas, each withan area of 535-548 sqm and with its ownpatio, garden, pool, kitchen, massageroom and dining area. The hotel’s 600sqm presidential suite features a jacuzzi,an audio-visual room, two pavilions anda garden, among other facilities.The first 5-star international hotelto open in the complex is the MarriottHotel, which has 342 rooms, three diningoutlets (Velocity Entertainment Bar, CruSteakhouse and the Marriott Café), aballroom, multiple meeting rooms, a spaand other amenities.There’s a place for everyone at RWMand that includes the budget-conscioustravellers. The newly opened RemingtonHotel is a budget hotel offering superbaccommodation at affordable prices.48 FHRAI Magazine february 2012 Visit FHRAI Website: www.fhrai.com

[ Outbound ]Meetings GetawayMICE will play an important role inhelping the Genting group achieve itstarget of increasing arrivals to ThePhilippines. Talking about tappingthe MICE segment, Michael Goh,Senior Vice President - Sales says, “ThePhilippines has enjoyed a steady increasein tourism. With an environment that isprogressively becoming more conduciveto business, the Philippines and Manilain particular, are fast becoming a soughtafterMICE destination in Asia. Thus,RWM aims to cater to the ever-growingdemands of corporate guests.”According to Goh, being close to theairport is an added advantage for the newMICE destination. He feels, “RWM islocated on the 25-hectare Newport City,just opposite the NAIA Terminal 3 inNewport City. This is expected to boost thearrivals of MICE and group travellers.”Visit FHRAI Website: www.fhrai.com FHRAI Magazine february 2012 49

[ Outbound ]Naresh RawalThe group also aims to position RWMas the ultimate stopover for the group orcorporate travellers who are planning tovisit Manila and then move on to leisuredestinations such as the islands of Boracay.To attract the Indian clientele toRWM, Genting Hong Kong has alreadystarted promoting Manila as a destinationamong Indian travellers. Outlining theimportance of the India market forRWM, Naresh Rawal, Vice PresidentSales – India & South Asia, Star Cruises,confirms, “We are targeting leisure, FITand MICE segments from India. Thegroup has already started promotionalactivities in the country. We have alsoorganised the first familiarisation tripto Manila in January for the Indiantravel trade to give them a first-handexperience of the destination and itsofferings.”Shop Till You DropRWM redefines shopping with theNewport Mall, the four-level shoppinghaven that is home to a dazzling arrayof high-fashion boutiques and worldclass dining outlets. Newport Mall isthe place for shoppers with a taste forluxury brands in fashion and jewellery,world class cuisine and some of the mostexciting entertainment in the metro. ItsMediterranean-themed, modern classicarchitecture transports you to anothercontinent as you enter the vast openspace of The Plaza at the Newport Mall,a charming indoor piazza naturally lit bya breathtaking glass skylight.Entertainment GaloreThe fun never stops at RWM withworld class entertainment happeningthroughout the day, seven days a week.50 FHRAI Magazine february 2012 Visit FHRAI Website: www.fhrai.com

[ Outbound ]Catch live acrobatic performances ormusical acts on stage at Bar 360 orwatch one of the grand productions atthe Newport Performing Arts Theatre.Four premium cinemas and the NewportPerforming Arts Theatre are available.And when the sun goes down, theexcitement continues to pick up with thevibrant nightlife at the RepubliQ Bar,the newest superclub from the Embassybrand.Exhilarating GamingExperienceOne special thing about RWM is itsspacious gaming centre. You can tryyour luck at the gaming centre. Thenewest hotspot in the Philippines leisureand entertainment landscape also offersa world class gaming experience. Withthree floors of table games and slotmachines, it offers a thrilling experiencefor both first-timers and seasoned highrollers. Excitement begins the momentyou step onto our luxurious casino floorsand continues to build up when you getinto the action in the game of your choice.The casino has become an attraction forboth young and old people.Visit FHRAI Website: www.fhrai.com FHRAI Magazine february 2012 51

[ Money Mantra ]Eventful SeasonsHoteliers maximise their revenue vis-a-vis major events that take place invarious cities. With the help of effective marketing and sales strategies whichrely on sound technology solutions, this potential benefit market can betapped and utilised to the fullest to generate maximum revenue.Sivaprasad GangadharanMajor events provide a unique opportunity for Indianhoteliers – a chance to increase their revenuepotential and improve their ongoing financialstability. An influx of new guests visiting a new cityfor a major event can not only provide short term revenue, butcan also encourage repeat customers, providing a platform togrow a hotel’s brand.Large scale events can have long lasting positive impact notjust on the local hotel sector, but on the local business andcommunity as a whole. Dhiraj Trivedi, Corporate Directorof Revenue Management & Electronic Distribution, RoyalOrchid Hotels India, highlighted, “Large scale events, likethe recent Commonwealth Games, lead to the developmentof infrastructure used in the tourism sector, including thetransportation system and communication network, which inturn means better opportunities to capture business. Betterinfrastructure also paved path for foreign investors – includinghotel groups - who were previously hesitant to set their basein India.”Given the recent attention to large scale events in India,it is somewhat surprising that many local hotel owners andmanagers still fail to recognise the need for ‘pre-event’ planning.Without a proper level of planning prior to an actual event,Indian hoteliers may find themselves disappointed by the lackof patronage when the event takes place. Similarly, withouteffective marketing and sales strategies in place in the lead upto the actual event, hoteliers may find they do not reach theirfull patronage potential like they had originally hoped for.Merwin Dawson, Group Revenue Manager, The LeelaPalaces Hotels & Resorts highlighted how some large scale eventsdo not live up to the expectations of the hoteliers when he said,“Expectations are often highly inflated, as in the case of theCommonwealth Games where 1,00,000 visitors were anticipated,yet in reality only 70,000 people actually turned up.”While there is always a great deal of excitement and highexpectations in the Indian hotel community when an eventapproaches, there is also a high degree of uncertainty aroundwhat strategies will be most effective. A major event, such as‘Ardh Kumbh Mela’, can assistin delivering a hotel propertyfinancial stability for some time intothe future. Therefore, preparingfor the event period adequatelyshould be a priority for all hoteliers.By following the five methods(stated below), Indian hotelierscan be confident that during theperiod of a major event, they willbe able to achieve their overallrevenue potential and assist in thedeliverance of a successful event.Minimum Length ofStayOver the course of the eventperiod, hoteliers throughout therelevant city are encouraged toenforce minimum length of stayrequirements. This will encouragelonger booking periods andwill have a positive impact onoccupancy levels throughout thearea.The length of stay requirementsimposed by hoteliers would need52 FHRAI Magazine february 2012 Visit FHRAI Website: www.fhrai.com

[ Money Mantra ]to differ according to the event that will be held. For example,an event such as the Commonwealth Games, which lasted fornearly 2 weeks would present a very different scenario whencompared to an event like the Formula One Grand Prix, whichwas for a few days only. This is due to the length of which theyrun and the amount of patronage they normally generate.Find the Appropriate ‘Balance’Paying careful attention to the balance between normal basebusiness and the actual period of the major event will helpguarantee that all long-term occupancy levels will be improved,while simultaneously maximising the patronage level during theevent.Research undertaken has shown that the initial days of theevent will see an increase in the overall demand, but it hasalso shown that there is a potential for many customers to behesitant due to pricing and logistical concerns.A carefully planned strategy aimed at this segment of themarket will be needed to maximise occupancy levels. Thisstrategy should be developed between the hotel owner andhotel manager and also any relevant sales and marketing staffinvolved in the hotel.Optimal Pricing StrategiesThe pricing strategies in the lead up to the major event willhave to be carefully managed by individual hotels. While anexpected increase in demand on significant days will allow ratesto be driven accordingly, this will not be the case in other lesssignificant days.It is recommended that a careful and direct marketingstrategy should be put into place to entice visitors to arriveearlier than the significant periods of the event. This wouldmean hotels would need to pay significant attention toparticular days.For example, when considering the IPL T20 crickettournament, each town that is hosting a match needs to focusnot only on the day of the match, but also the preceeding days.If the tournament final was to be held on a Saturday night inMumbai, hotel owners and hotel managers in that city needto pay particular attention to days such as the Wednesday andThursday by using optimal pricing strategies.Pre-Payment PlansTo minimise the impact of costly last-minute cancellations, it isrecommended that hotels implement a system of phased prepaymentrestrictions.By clearly stating the terms and conditions of ‘no-shows’and cancellations, hotels will be able to dramatically minimiseany potential negative impact on revenue. If, as expected, thereare a large number of cancellations over the course of anevent, these pre-payment plans will allow hoteliers to recoupa large slice of their lost profits. These profits will then becomplemented by last minute fill-ins.OverbookingAppropriate overbooking levels should be set to counteract theexpected rise in cancellations. This will often be in the nightleading up to the climax of an event; be that a Thursday beforethe Grand Prix weekend or a Friday before a Sunday Tennisfinal.The implementation of these recommended strategies,combined with careful and detailed observation of the levelof demand, will allow hoteliers to achieve the correct balancebetween price and demand.Another area of the hospitality industry that must beunderstood when preparing for an event is the growingpopularity of third party booking sites, which now meanscustomers throughout the world can book their hotel visitsround-the-clock. This also means they have access to theprice on offer of numerous hotels in any city of any countrysimultaneously.This second point is of particular importance when Indianhoteliers prepare for a major event. With all the hotels in anarea competing for the same client base, particular attentionneeds to be paid to ensure a reasonable amount of rate parityis offered between hotels. While visitors will expect higher ratesthan normal, they will be sure to compare prices with differenthotels to ensure a reasonable level of consistency.A thorough market analysis prior to the event will also allowfor a range of succinct marketing tactics to be developed,helping a hotel reach its full capacity for the duration of theevent. Indian hoteliers should also not worry if their roomsare not filling up as quickly as they anticipated since the monthprior to the event is usually the time when most visitors finalisetheir accommodation arrangements.Indian hoteliers need to conduct their own detailed researchinto future major events. They need to know the scale at whichthe event will be executed, whether it is being marketed in theright way and if the expectations of the organisers match thereality. Hoteliers must consider wider issues when evaluatingfuture major events and how actively their property shouldtarget potential visitors. Issues like security surrounding anevent and how well the organisers have prepared for this andcommunicated a message of safety to potential tourists shouldbe a key consideration for hoteliers. Nikhil Sharma, AssistantVice President Operations, Lemon Tree Hotels said on thisissue, “The adverse publicity associated with the preparednessfor the recent Commonwealth Games had a negative impacton the demand. Overall, the terrorist threats associatedwith the event did not have a positive impact. According toa Commonwealth survey by TripAdvisor.com, 93.5 per centof foreigners from the Commonwealth nations were notinterested in coming to New Delhi. TripAdvisor.com did anonline poll and found out that 93 per cent of them didn’t wantto travel to India out of which 14 per cent declined due tosecurity issues.”If a hotelier can independently gauge how well they expectan event to run in the future (rather than taking it at face valuefrom the organisers themselves) they will also have a better ideaabout the effort required (if any) to attract guests for a futurelarge scale event.It is of pivotal importance that while preparing for anincrease in demand, especially due to a sporting or culturalevent, hoteliers must adequately prepare their business. Hotelsform a major part of the local tourism industry and can oftenplay an important role in shaping the opinions of the touristsabout the host city, rather than the event itself. This can haveeither a positive or negative effect on the long term financialstability of an entire market and is an important aspect toconsider when planning for a major event.By successfully achieving the balance required, Indian hotelowners and managers will be able to maximise their revenuepotential during an increased period of patronage, whetherthat be in New Delhi for the Grand Prix or in cities likeBengaluru or Kolkata for IPL cricket tournaments.(The writer is Regional Director Subcontinent Sales for IDeaS. The viewsexpressed by the author are personal.)Visit FHRAI Website: www.fhrai.com FHRAI Magazine february 2012 53

[ Guest Column ]Rates ReboundFollowing the demands from various tourism segments,the room rates instead of going over the board, havesustained. Indian travel trade would benefit if thisdemand continue to rise with reservations coming inadvance. Though, the challenge would be to balanceadditional room supply growth with projected growth.Julie ParodiIn 2011, India’s December bookingactivity was substantial, but it couldnot measure upto the vigorousvolume reached in the year 2010. Thedemand-inspired gains made in 2010 over2009, set a high bar for 2011, particularlywith a tepid global economy. However,December 2011 reservations did notfall far and stayed within 7 per cent oflast year’s level. This is a commendableperformance from two aspects. Onebeing that while India certainly has avibrant leisure market, much of its travelis business oriented. December is typicallya slower month for business travel and it isdifficult to gain additional ground duringlow-demand periods. The other aspectis that the consumers are keeping a tautrein on leisure spending overall. This isespecially in key feeder markets (such asEurope and USA), where uneasiness overthe potential impact of sovereign debtissues hits closer to home.India’s HotelsIndia commands the attention ofthe travel industry with its strongperformance and potential. With thepopulation of over 1.2 billion people,rising middle-class and growing economy,hotel companies are vying to play a keyrole in India’s prosperous future. Becauseof this attraction, these can be bothexciting and challenging times for India’sburgeoning travel industry. According tothe Department of Tourism, nearly 80per cent of India’s hotel sector is made upof independent, stand-alone properties.Therefore, major hotel chains are fillingthe void between consumers and travelproviders; for whom more standardisedor widely recognisable offerings arepreferred. Additional lodging options,whether independent or affiliated with agroup or a chain, is also filling the voidto suit different styles and needs acrossall segments. Even the growing religioustourism sector, for example, is creatinga diverse demand. Formerly associatedwith rustic accommodations, religioustravel has incited demand across midscaleand high-end offerings as it attractsa growing number of affluent travellersand families.It is this swelling demand thatis sustaining room rates. Althoughreservations have not kept pace with prioryear’s surge, however recently, ADR isholding firm. Aside from November,ADR has remained essentially equal toor just higher than prior year. Decemberwas no exception with its ADR back ontrack with prior year after slipping by-4.2 per cent in November.Intriguing TrendsThe challenge that India will face,however, is for this additional roomsupply growth to remain at par with itsdemand growth. Cities such as Delhi,where room inventory has risen morerapidly, are having a tougher timesustaining rates and revenue. Whereascities such as Mumbai and Goa, withrising demand and more moderatesupply growth, are experiencing greaterADR and revenue growth.54 FHRAI Magazine february 2012 Visit FHRAI Website: www.fhrai.com

[ Guest Column ]The overall trend for ADR tobe faring better than reservationsagainst prior year is being experiencedglobally, just in varying degrees basedon local circumstances and influences.Asia Pacific as a region, for example,is deriving additional benefits fromabove-average performances over prioryear from countries such as China andSingapore.India is also following the generaltrend of stays being equal-to or shorterthanlast year while being booked a littlefurther in advance. The average lengthof stay (LOS) for India in Decemberwas lower last year by -3.0 per cent.Shorter trips reflect both consumers’ andcompanies’ desire to control their costper trip, helping them to take the sameor more trips than last year. Similar orslightly wider booking window indicatesa stable degree of willingness to committime and money for travel. Such is thecase in India, with December 2011bookings made 22.25 days ahead oftravel versus 21.97 days in December2010. These results indicate behaviorthat is favorable to sustain business andleisure travel in times of uncertainty andspeak to travel’s resiliency.Both business and leisure sectors highlyvalue travel. Companies recognise it asbeing vital to build relationships withexisting and new customers, increasingmarket share and profit. Consumersconsider travel a necessary break fromeveryday routine for enjoying time withfamily and friends and enriching theirlives with new experiences.A country like India, which hasso much to offer, each sector, is in anadvantageous position to capitalise onand cater to both. It will be importantfor hotels and travel intermediaries tostrategically target domestic audiencesand the highest potential feeder markets.China, Brazil and Russia are countrieswith active outbound travel marketsand so are certain portions of Europesuch as Germany and the Scandinaviancountries. With portions of the MiddleEast and North Africa still experiencingunrest, travellers considering these areasmay be more easily swayed to make Indiatheir next meeting or vacation destination.The travel industry has the fortitude formany players but never underestimate itscompetitiveness – the savviest marketersof hotels and destinations will rise up tothe top.NOTE: The above analysis is based onover five billion monthly transactionsprocessed by Pegasus Solutions, theworld’s single largest global processorof hotel transactions. The datarepresents transactions from both theGDS (Global Distribution System) andADS (Alternative Distribution System)channels, representing the businessand leisure markets respectivelyfor approximately 90,000 hotelsworldwide. All data is on a date ofbooking basis unless otherwise stated.ADR (Average Daily Rate) and revenuepercentage changes are calculated fromvalues using a single constant exchangerate to eliminate the effects of currencyexchange rate movements.For more analysis on regional trends,visit www.pegs.com/thepegasusview,where you can also sign up for afree monthly subscription to ThePegasus View.(The writer is the Senior Director of StrategicPlanning and Editor, The Pegasus View. Theviews expressed by the author are personal.)India GDS & ADS Channels Combined — Recent 6-Month TrendVisit FHRAI Website: www.fhrai.com FHRAI Magazine february 2012 55

[ F&B ]to its Indian venue in New Delhi. Partof SPICE, a Singapore Tourism Boardinitiative, the event was an effort tobring together Singaporean and Indiancuisine in a complementary fashion asdishes prepared by celebrated chefs fromSingapore and India were spread out ona single platter.Talking about the USP of SingaporeTakeout, Randall Tan, Regional Director,South Asia, Middle East and Africa,Singapore Tourism Board remarked,“The finishing and plating of the dish tookplace out of the mobile kitchen, which tookabout four hours to set-up in each venue.Most of the preparations were done in theback kitchens.” According to Tan, foodestablishes an instant connection betweenIndians and Singaporeans. Indian spiceshave tremendous impact on some ofthe Singaporean cuisines. “Culinarypromotion is one of the best ways topromote tourism,” he added.In each city, Singapore-based chefsworked with local chefs to presentdishes inspired by Singapore’s flavoursand ingredients. In the Delhi event,Singapore’s Chef, Benjamin Seck fromTrue Blue Cuisine, an award-winningrestaurant serving Peranakan cuisineteamed up with Chef Manisha Bhasinfrom ITC Maurya and Chef RajkamalChopra from WelcomHotel Sheratonto bring out a selection of Singaporeinspireddishes to the city.Regarding the fusion of Singaporeanand Indian cuisine, Chef Seck said, “Ihave always been proud of my Peranakanheritage and of the diverse cultures inSingapore. Singapore Takeout is theperfect opportunity for me to share myPeranakan dishes with India and to alsoshow how Singapore-inspired flavoursand local ingredients can be incorporatedinto various cuisines.On teaming up with Chef Bhasinand Chef Chopra he said, “It has beenan enriching experience and it wasgood to see a positive appreciation ofthe food served amongst the discerningcrowd.” Chef Seck’s best-selling dish,Nyonya Prawn Curry with Roti Jalal(lacy pancakes) and his vegan renditionof Popiah Goreng (deep fried spring rolls)were a hit with Delhiites.Keeping in mindthat vegetarians form a large part of theIndian population, Chef Seck includedPopiah Goreng (fried spring rolls) andHun Kwee Jagong (coconut corn jelly) inthe menu. His version of Popiah Gorenghad deep-fried spring rolls with cabbageand carrot filling, served with a piquantvinegar and sugar-based chilli dip, whileHun Kwee Jagong was a chilled, coconutcorn jelly dessert made from green beanflour and wrapped in fragrant bananaleaves.Besides this, Indian chefs Bhasin andChopra also presented two fusion dishes.Laksa, a popular street food dish, is aspicy coconut rice noodle soup but ChefChopra reinterpreted this traditionaldish by incorporating it into Pulao, usingBasmati rice cooked with French beans,laksa paste and Indian spices. The LaksaPulao was served with spiced yogurt.Chef Bhasin showcased Duet of AsianInspired Antipasti, a dish featuring Scampiand Lemongrass Ceviche presented ina traditional Methi Dhania Papdi shell.Chef Chopra recreated Laksa Pulao,which he had earlier been showcasedduring the Singapore Takeout launch inSingapore in April 2011.FHRAI Magazine february 2012 57

[ Dine Out ]Daniell’sNew Curve58 FHRAI Magazine february 2012 Visit FHRAI Website: www.fhrai.com

[ Dine Out ]The popular dining place in the heart of the Capital – Daniell’s Tavern – in TheImperial New Delhi has gone for a new look and feel. But the restaurant doesn’tcompromise on its evergreen approach to connect the past with the present ina sumptuous manner, giving a unique edge to this old world hospitality.Sanjeev BharThe Imperial New Delhi has brought back manymemories to the city denizen vis-à-vis Daniell’s Tavernwhich now showcases a Live Kitchen and a menu thatrevisits India from the eyes of Thomas and WilliamDaniells. Vijay Wanchoo, Senior Vice President & GeneralManager, The Imperial New Delhi, feels that the restaurant hasa position of its own, showcasing the unique journey of Thomasand William Daniells, the two famous Bristish landscape artistswho set about experiencing the rich culture and tradition ofIndia’s landmark locations in 1786. “It is difficult to measure itsgrowth, as the restaurant is an epitome of Indian Heritage andstands for the art and cuisine that is so well researched and islinked beautifully to the history of ‘Hindoostan’.”Wanchoo remarks that customers are fascinated by thespread at the restaurant that connects them to the journey ofyesteryears. “We have a trained Sutradhar at Daniell’s Tavern,Visit FHRAI Website: www.fhrai.com FHRAI Magazine february 2012 59

[ Dine Out ]Vijay Wanchoowho is proficient in conducting art toursthat guests find extremely interesting. Also,the fact is that the lithograph of JantarMantar was painted from the exact spotwhere Daniell’s Tavern stands, connectsthe guests even more deeply to the intriguing history of India.”The new avatar of the restaurant presents a perfectamalgamation of art and cuisine and promises to give a newvision of the Indian subcontinent through the eyes of the artistduo, to both the inbound as well as domestic travellers.The Changed LookThe makeover of Daniell’s Tavern is like a sharp turn not manydiners would like to take. Yet, the novelty of the restaurant aimsto retain its popularity and the connection that it has effortlesslyachieved with all the gourmet lovers. “I have always thought ofmaking this place as authentic as possible since the restaurantreflects Indian heritage beautifully. To make this dream cometrue and to trace the footsteps of Thomas and William Daniells,through their journey in the 18th century India, I actuallytravelled to many of those regions where the Daniells had visitedand personally understood the original flavours of each dishthey had penned down in their diaries,” explains Wanchoo. Thisgave birth to a well researched menu with authentic flavours anda Live Kitchen to showcase the artistic efforts which went behindin making each dish.But will the perception towards the restaurant take a hit60 FHRAI Magazine february 2012 Visit FHRAI Website: www.fhrai.com

[ Dine Out ]The menu also includes Nawab of Oudh’s Pride (BhuneMurgh ke Parche), Shamiana Prawns (Sunheri Jhinga) andBenaras Special (Tandoori Phool). Clive’s Order (KasundiPaneer Tikka), Viceroy’s Favourite (Chicken Chettinad) andChingri Malai Curry (Bengali Prawn Curry) are other favourites.Shahi Tudka, the dessert from perhaps the Nizam of Hyderabad,is an absolute must!Stretching Food RelationsThe restaurant is also taking forward its relationship with its loyalcustomer group. Regular visitors look forward to an unparalleledexperience with a calm approach. Preparing the menu has alsogone through rounds of testing & tasting and original recipeswere brought from multiple regions of India where the Daniellduo travelled, suiting the taste of all age groups. “The menuhas been a labour of love bringing forth not only the taste ofIndia but the deep rooted history which I believe everyone wouldlike to relish,” Wanchoo adds. He further says, “Our guests fromUSA, UK and whole of Europe along with other parts of theworld love dining at Daniell’s Tavern and now, with the changewe expect them to relish an exclusive dining experience offeringdelights from various regions of India.”The hotel looks forward to a whole new journey drawingfood connoisseurs from across the world at it is a re-discoveredrestaurant. “Thomas and William Daniell may have returned toEngland in 1794 but they have left behind a valuable collectionof art, some of which is on display at Daniell’s Tavern which is agem apart from the taste that stays on with the guests who dinewith us,” sums up Wanchoo.due to this change? Wanchoo believes the perception will onlybe enhanced with this move as, “We have tried to create therestaurant’s new look as the most authentic pan-Indian heritagerestaurant, reflecting the history of India at its best. The charmof the bygone era, through the cuisine and the interiors, becomesan unforgettable experience and leaves an everlasting impressionon the mind,” he articulates.Added AttractionsThe Live Kitchen and the new menu have been incorporatedsuch that it links them to Thomas and William Daniell andcaptures their journey through food. The Live Kitchen will allowthe guests to watch the preparation of some of the finest regionalfares from the epic journey. Wanchoo explains, “The menubeing well researched and well thought of, presents a wonderfulfeast with strategic names from the landmark locations ofIndia. For example, the East India Soup (Jehangiri Shorba) orMulligatawny Soup (for vegetarians), are excellent orders beforethe actual gastronomic journey begins!” Other delights beingpromoted are Angrezi Sahib’s Choice (Kosha Mangsho), BurraMemsahab’s Favourite (Pepper Mutton) and Barrackpore’sFavourite (Mochar Ghonto). The Imperial New Delhi offers anode to this journey and presents this exceptional tour in the formof art and cuisine to the diners at the Daniell’s Tavern.When asked whether the same cuisine and taste would appealto the present generation, Wanchoo remarked that the menu isauthentic Indian cuisine which will appeal to everyone as it offersa broad range of delicacies from northern and western regionscapturing the true essence of India. In addition these delicaciesintroduce the guests to the culinary heritage of the country, justwhile dining at the restaurant. The recipes earlier were alsoinspired by Daniell’s journey but they did not have the delicacieswhich they preferred and noted while tracing ‘Hindoostan’.Visit FHRAI Website: www.fhrai.com FHRAI Magazine february 2012 61

[ Chef Talk ]SimplifyingFoodMichael Swamy, chef from Le Cordon Bleu is aculinary professional trained in London. He has beenassociated with some leading food establishments.The Michelin-starred chef recently unveiled his booktitled, ‘East Indian Kitchen: The Enduring Flavours ofMaharashtrian-Portuguese Fusion Cuisine’. He talks tothe FHRAI Magazine and shares the deeper side ofhis culinary journey.Sanjeev BharWhat was the lure behind writing a book on food thataims at connecting with people in a distinct manner?What makes a chef stand apart from a writer is when he givesthe readers something more to read than just recipes. Peoplewant to read and learn more about food. Internet, DiscoveryChannel, etc. have opened up new areas of exploration.However, unlike television, books are tangible and create anaura whereby a reader can refer to them again and again. Thefact that it is the first published volume on the subject of acuisine that is 400 years old, makes one want to share it withthe rest of the world.Tell us more about ‘East Indian Kitchen’. Why hasit been named so when the description suggestsinsights on Maharashtra-Portuguese Fusion Cuisine?The book is about the regional cuisine of the Christiancommunity of Mumbai, mostly coastal in nature. It is a fusionof Portuguese, British and Maharashtrian cuisines. It is differentfrom the Goan traditions, which uses dried masalas instead offreshly ground masalas. The book covers the basic history of thecommunity and their food.The name was taken from The East India Company whenthe Christians in Mumbai (then Bombay) wanted to associatethemselves with the British and not the Portuguese. Being verytypically Maharashtrian in origin, they wanted to differentiatethemselves from the Goans.What has been your learning in becoming Le CordonBleu chef?At Le Cordon Bleu, I was lucky to have had a bunch ofMichelin star chefs teaching us. They groomed us to think outof the box and in ways to step out and be more than just chefs.It was in London that I was introduced to the world of stylingand food media.The fact that one is recognised by Michelin and Zagat - twointernational bodies - means that the chefs have attained a levelof perfection. They instil a sense of dedication and perfection asthey teach various budding chefs.Tell us about your journey as a chef and the process ofrelating to the psyche of people who relish food?Having had the luck of travelling almost all my life, the journeyhas been an exciting one; especially when moving into the worldof food media and food styling. I have worked with my team withdifferent cuisines and with international chefs. One gains firsthandknowledge of a diverse range of cuisines. It is while interactingwith these chefs and seeing what they create on both nationaland international levels that one sees what the customer wants.Most customers actually want clean honest food and not somevariation. Good clean presentation and value for money services.What are the key characteristics that make the tasks ofa chef interesting and challenging according to you?One of the main characteristics is to be true to oneself andput the customer first and give them their money’s worth.The ability to change and adapt is another vital ingredientfor achieving success. One has to continuously read and tryout new dishes to create trends. Being a chef is not just aboutcooking, it’s about perfecting the environment around the food;be it about staff, the restaurant, kitchen and hygiene. Mostchefs have forgotten what it is to shop! They want everything tobe delivered to them. Going to the market and checking what isseasonal, trying out new foods is a characteristic that makes thewhole exercise worthwhile in the making of a chef.As a writer, how have you perceived the food worldaround you?The food world is exciting and demanding. As a writer one can62 FHRAI Magazine february 2012 Visit FHRAI Website: www.fhrai.com

[ Chef Talk ]bring to the readers a sense of excitement, belonging and discovery.By trying not to be repetitive one can give readers a differentperspective between great fare and regular mundane fare.Which company are you associated with in India?How would you describe your role as a corporatechef for a company vis-à-vis that of an executive chefin a hotel?Currently I am associated with Masterchef India and JunoonHospitality which is run by Chef Vikas Khanna and their IndianProjects. I used to be the Corporate Chef with The Bowl Housewhich offers Asian food and has six restaurants across India. Iam also associated with the Hyatt, Marriott Hotels, The Lalitand several food companies like Kellogg’s.Being an Executive Chef of a hotel is no big deal. Thosechefs have the managerial staff behind them as their backboneand in the end it is the hotel that stands out and not the chef.The challenge is in stand-alone restaurants. Chefs from standalonerestaurants have the freedom of creativity and control andmost great chefs who have earned Michelin and Zagat statushave come from stand-alone establishments.As a corporate chef one is more involved in creativity andculinary branding rather than the daily operations of a hotel.You had been associated with a TV show fairlyrecently. Do you think that food has really gone overthe top as a business/commercial angle or has itretained its simplicity, even in this 24x7 media glare?In Masterchef India, I and my team handled the entire foodangle for Masterchef India for both the seasons. From ideatingto conceptualising to grooming the judges and teaching themabout international and regional cuisines, was an interestingexperience. I believe, food has certainly gained in importanceand new concepts like Molecular Gastronomy etc. havesurfaced with time. It is simple food that will always remain asa mainstay.How do you compare the standard of culinaryexcellence in the two worlds – India and the West?India has a long way to go with respect to the culinary excellence.In the west culinary training takes place in an institute or thechefs work their way to the top. Most of our graduates jointhe industry as Commis De Partie and so they don’t gain athorough grounding in the basics. Another problem is that thestaff in restaurants come from the working class, who are usuallyuneducated and don’t treat food with passion.Chef’s ChoiceDuck MoileIngredients:Duck1 kgGhee/oil4-6 tbspOnions 2(sliced rings)Garlic flakes 12(sliced in fine julienne)Ginger1” piece(sliced in fine julienne)Green chillies 6(sliced in fine julienne)Bottle masala2 tbspChicken stock750 mlBrown palm vinegar60 mlSalt1 tspBlack pepper powder1 tspMethod:• Wash the duck and cut into 16 pieces• In a pan, heat oil and sauté onions over moderate heat, tillgolden brown• Add garlic, then ginger and chillies and sauté till fragrant• Mix in bottle masala and fry well, till ghee/oil separatesfrom it. Sprinkle in a little water if required, to preventburning• Add duck and fry on high heat to seal the pieces. Stir for 5minutes before adding the stock• Bring to a boil, lower heat and allow it to simmer for 1 hour• Add vinegar, salt and pepper in the last 5 minutes ofcooking• Serve hot with crusty bread or steamed rice• Variation: Use chicken in place of duckServes: 4 – 6What are the latest trends in global cuisine and how isIndia contributing to it?It’s just a handful of chefs who are making a change. The bestof chefs are going abroad and making changes and a namefor themselves. Only a minor percentage are coming back tochange the style of Indian food. In order to become a globalneed, Indian food must get a complete makeover. Indian chefsare now working with Molecular Gastronomy a concept thathad dwindled away. In terms of trends, we are always a stepbehind. We need chefs to stand out and create trends and notjust follow them.Heston Blumenthal is now working on Victorian food.Chefs should take a break to travel, discover new food trendsand incorporate it in their style. This style however is again topresent simple food. Chef Saby of the Olive Delhi and ChefVikas Khanna are the two Indian chefs who are trend-setters incooking in India as well as abroad.Visit FHRAI Website: www.fhrai.com FHRAI Magazine february 2012 63

[ Taxation ]IT Deduction fromSalary IncomeSubhash LakhotiaTax and Investment ConsultantDirector, M/s. R.N. Lakhotia & Associates &The Strategy GroupThe importance of Circular No. 5 can guide through the various facets of taxdeduction of Salary Income.For salaried employees, every year the Governmentof India issues a detailed circular which gives salientfeatures relating to tax deduction at source on SalaryIncome. Yet, there is a Circular No. 5 dated August 16,2011, which has been issued by the Central Board of DirectTaxes. I would suggest that every salaried employee must havea detailed look at this circular, which will guide about all aspectsconnected to the taxation of Salary Income. For the benefit ofall, I may inform here that some of the salient features containedin the said circular are with reference to employment with morethan two employers during the year. For this purpose, the circularprovides that the present employer may be given full details ofthe previous salary and the previous employer together withprevious TDS. Then the new employer will add and accordinglydeduct tax thereon.Likewise, while claiming deduction of house propertyinterest loss, the salaried employee should give a statementof computation of loss and a statement of verification. The‘Form of Verification’ which is just one line has also beenprinted in the circular; it states – ‘I, …(name)..., do declarethat what is stated above is true to the best of my informationand belief ’. The employee can also ask the employer todeduct the tax on his other income.The new Circular No. 5issued by Central Boardof Direct Taxes containsexhaustive details withrespect to House RentAllowance (HRA) for salariedemployees and claiming itfrom the employerA question also arises whether a salaried employee isentitled to any tax deduction from his Salary Income or not?Circular No. 5 of Central Board of Direct Taxes also clearlystates that tax on employment or professional tax as we call64 FHRAI Magazine february 2012 Visit FHRAI Website: www.fhrai.com

[ Taxation ]The Circular No. 5 speaksin greater details about thecondition to claim deductionof interest on borrowedcapital for computationof the income from housepropertyit, will be allowed as a deduction in computing the incomeof the employee under the head - Salary Income. It may alsobe noted here that standard deduction, which was earlieravailable to the employees from their Salary Income is notallowed now, as the same has been discontinued.The new Circular No. 5 issued by Central Board of DirectTaxes contains exhaustive details with respect to House RentAllowance (HRA) for salaried employees and claiming itfrom the employer. According to the circular, HRA will beexempted on being minimum of the following cases:1, 1999, the deduction with respect to interest on borrowedcapital will be allowed as a deduction to the employee withrespect to the residential house property to the extent of`1,50,000. The salaried employees will be happy to notethat such loan for residential house property can be takenfrom any person and the details of the interest should besubmitted to the employer to avail the tax benefit rightfrom the employer. The various tax deductions which arepermissible to the employee, like any other tax payer, willalso be granted deduction by the employer. In regards todeduction under section 80G with respect to donation,etc. paid by the employee, according to the circular thededuction on the donations, which are admissible as adeduction as per section 80G of the Income Tax Act, willhave to be claimed by the tax payer in return of income.However, only in cases where donations are made to thePrime Minister’s National Relief Fund, Chief Minister’sRelief Fund, etc. the tax deduction may be granted by theemployer.Circular No. 5 issued by the Central Board of DirectTaxes is an exhaustive circular which speaks about thecomputation of different types of perquisites. It alsospeaks in clear terms about the various tax deductions andexemptions to be granted to the employee and as such thecontents of this circular will be really very important to theemployees as well as employers. If you desire to have a studyin greater details the contents of this circular, then visit www.incometaxindia.gov.in• Actual amount of HRA received• Excess of rent paid over 10 per cent of the salary• 50 per cent of the salary in Kolkata, Mumbai, Delhiand Chennai towns• 40 per cent of the salary in other towns of IndiaMoreover, the circular states that if the employeeis staying in his own house, in that event he will not getany deduction from HRA received by him. Likewise, it isclearly mentioned in this circular that the employer shouldbe satisfied about the expenditure incurred on the paymentof house rent by insisting on production of evidence ofactual payment of the rent before granting deduction fromHRA. The employees will be happy to note that accordingto this circular junior employees, where they draw HRA upto `3000 per month, may be exempted from productionof the rent receipt. This has been done to do away withadministrative problems.Whenever the salaried employee receives salary in arrearor in advance, he is entitled to claim relief in terms ofsection 192 of the Income Tax Act, 1961. Circular No. 5clearly states that to avail the benefit of tax relief in terms ofsection 89 the salaried employee may furnish to his employer,particulars in Form No. 10E with respect to arrear salaryreceived, etc. for which the employee desires relief in termsof section 89 of the Income Tax Act, 1961. After receivingthe filled up Form No. 10E the employer will grant the reliefin respect of arrear salary, etc.The Circular speaks in greater details about thecondition to claim deduction of interest on borrowedcapital for computation of the income from house property.The details clearly help the salaried employees to go aheadand claim their tax deduction with respect to ‘interest onthe borrowed capital from the employer’ itself. It may bementioned here that only when the loan is taken after AprilVisit FHRAI Website: www.fhrai.com FHRAI Magazine february 2012 65

[ Movements ]MovementsDr. Manjula ShettigarSpa ManagerGoa Marriott Resort & SpaDr. Manjula Shettigar has been appointed as the SpaManager at the Goa Marriott Resort & Spa. She hasvaried experiences as a Duty Doctor and a GeneralPractitioner. Subsequently she joined the Park Hyatt GoaResort and Spa as an Ayurvedic Doctor (Assistant Spa Manager), which was awarded‘World’s No.1 Spa’ among other accolades. Her last assignment was that of AssistantSpa Manager at Hyatt Regency Pune in June 2010.Anurag BaliExecutive ChefFairmont JaipurJasmeet ChowdharyDirector of Sales & MarketingFairmont JaipurJasmeet Chowdhary has beenappointed as the Director of Salesand Marketing, Fairmont Jaipur. Shehas over 15 years of experience inthe hospitality industry. In the launchphase of the present assignment, sheis responsible for ensuring revenuemanagement, targeted sales andmarketing efforts towards achievementof specific objectives and operationalgoals for Fairmont Jaipur.She is entrusted with a myriad scopeof work in her current profile, fromtalent enhancement, selection of teammembers, training and guidance topricing strategy by segments, salesprocess, fostering a co-operative workenvironment, maximising productivityand implementing brand initiatives.Chowdhary, prior to joining Fairmont,has worked with The Leela PalaceKempinski, Udaipur as Director of Sales& Marketing. She began her careeras Guest Relation Executive with ParkRoyal, New Delhi. She has also beenassociated with brands such as TheOberoi, New Delhi, The Claridges,New Delhi and The Bass Hotels &Resorts, New Delhi.Anurag Bali has been appointed as the Executive Chef ofFairmont Jaipur. In his current role, he will be overseeingthe culinary operations at the hotel. A graduate fromthe Institute of Hotel Management in New Delhi andan alumnus of Culinary Institute of America New York,he is a specialist in Italian and Spanish cuisines. Bali hasa decade long professional experience in this field whereby he worked all acrossIndia including the Taj Group, The Claridges and Berggruen Hotels. Over a periodof time he has set-up six restaurants across cities including two award-winningestablishments.In his previous assignment as Director F&B for Svenska Hospitalities - a Swedishboutique luxury hotels brand, he established and oversaw the F&B operationsfor two of the groups’ hotels. He was involved in developing the brands such as(Berggruen Hotels’ Keys Hotels and Svenska Hotels). He has been featured on the‘FoodFood channel’ as one of the celebrity Indian chefs on their various shows. Heis also the Anchor Chef for an Indian version of the popular television series ‘ReadySteady Cook’ a format owned by Endamol shot in over 17 countries.Shrikant S WakharkarGeneral ManagerThe Grand New DelhiThe Grand New Delhi announced the appointment ofShrikant S Wakharkar as the GM of the property. Prior tojoining The Grand, Wakharkar was the GM at InterContinentalThe Lalit Goa Resort, Goa.In his capacity as the GM, Wakharkar will be responsible foroverseeing and implementing high operational standards at The Grand, which issituated in Vasant Kunj and is a sought-after property for organising conferences,seminars and social functions.Wakharkar has more than 20 years of experience in operations and standards,business forecast and marketing, guest relations and community outreach, staffingand human resources. He has also worked as Resident Manager of Taj SamudraHotel, Colombo, Sri Lanka, F&B Manager of the Taj President, Mumbai and AssistantF&B Manager of Taj Mahal Palace & Towers, Mumbai.66 FHRAI Magazine february 2012 Visit FHRAI Website: www.fhrai.com

[ Movements ]Atul LallGeneral ManagerFairmont Jaipur, IndiaAtul Lall joined as the GM of Fairmont Jaipur which is the first property of Fairmont Hotels & Resortsin India. In his new role, Lall’s focus will be to manage the opening of this new hotel, which is beingpositioned as a gateway to the brand’s landmark in the Pink City of Rajasthan. He will oversee theentire operations and overall performance of Fairmont Jaipur.Lall has worked at Gleneagles Hotel in Scotland and has held a series of progressive positions in theUnited Kingdom, Singapore, Maldives and India with brands including The Oberoi Hotels & Resorts,Taj Hotels, Palaces and Resorts and The Claridges, New Delhi. In his previous roles he has beenresponsible in the opening of luxury properties of The Oberoi and Taj Group. He joined Fairmont from his former position asthe Director & COO of Keys Hotels.Lall has a degree in Major in Economics & Commerce from Bombay University, Elphinstone College and went on tostudy Global Hoteliering at the Queens University Ulster, United Kingdom. He further attended the Executive EducationManagement Program at IIM – Bangalore and the Advance General Managers programme conducted by Cornell UniversitySchool of Hotel Administration.Scott ThomsonGeneral ManagerHilton New Delhi-Noida-Mayur Vihar andDoubleTree by Hilton New Delhi-Noida-Mayur Vihar, IndiaScott Thomson has been appointed as the GeneralManager of Hilton New Delhi-Noida-Mayur Vihar andDoubleTree by Hilton-New Delhi-Noida-Mayur Vihar;two upscale full-service hotels operated by HiltonWorldwide, conveniently located in proximity to theindustrial and commercial hubs of East Delhi andNoida in India.Samir SenguptaDirector of SecurityThe Westin GurgaonWestin Hotels & Resorts announcedthe appointment of Samir Senguptaas Director of Security at The WestinGurgaon. In this role, Sengupta willbe responsible for developing andimplementing security strategy toensure compliance with hotel securityinitiatives for effective guest security.Sengupta comes with over a decade’sexperience of working with some ofthe best hospitality brands such asTaj Hotels, Resorts and Palaces andInterContinental Hotels Group.He is an avid cricket and soccer fanand is also passionate about travellingand listening to music..Thomson brings with him extensive experience with a career that spans more thantwo decades in the hospitality industry and includes positions in New Zealand,Australia, Hong Kong and India. He was previously the pre-opening GeneralManager of Langham Place, Koregaon Park, Pune, the company’s first property inIndia. Prior to that, he managed Langham Place in Mongkok, Hong Kong, for twoyears and The Langham Auckland inAuckland, New Zealand, for almost three years.This was preceded by stints with Grand Hotels International, Park Royal Queenstownand Auckland, New Zealand and The George Christchurch, New Zealand.Michael G. SinghGeneral ManagerAditya Sarovar PremiereAditya Sarovar Premiere has recently announced theappointment of Michael G. Singh as the General Managerof the hotel. His responsibility will be to ensure efficient andeffective operations in all areas of the property speciallydepartment goals, budgets and financial planning for the hotel.Along with his team, Singh will ensure the maintenance of high quality standards,complete hospitality check, performance check and brand standard audit. He willbe responsible for delivering strong business results through optimising profitability,cost control and increasing revenue. He has been appreciated and acknowledged forhis strong acumen in budgeting and financial planning which is backed with provenrecords in increased efficiency of high hospitality standards and reduction of cost.He has 13 years of experience across diverse areas in hospitality managementranging from F&B, rooms operations, systems installations and front officemanagement.Visit FHRAI Website: www.fhrai.com FHRAI Magazine february 2012 67

[ Events ]RCI hosts unique ‘Shared Ownership’conference in Mumbai, IndiaGeoff BallottiRadhika ShashtryRCI, the global leader in vacation exchange and part of the WyndhamWorldwide family of companies, hosted the ‘Shared Ownership’ conference atJW Marriott, Mumbai. The primary objective of the conference was to help theaudience discover the key to turning assets into opportunities as it delves into the‘Shared Ownership’ industry in detail. The conference covered key topics includingthe benefits of ‘Shared Ownership’ and how it can be successfully integrated intoleisure real estate developments.The day-long conference received an overwhelming response and proved tobe an essential forum for hoteliers, resort owners, real estate developers, investorsand hospitality consultants to help them understand and explore the benefits of‘Shared Ownership’. Emphasis was laid on the ways in which it can be successfullyintegrated into leisure real estate developments to maximise the revenue potentialof available assets.“RCI was early to advance the case for timeshare development in India,” saidGeoff Ballotti, CEO, RCI. “And the tremendous success that RCI’s affiliates have experienced across the country over the past 20years, confirm the opportunity for all developers of real estate to explore the many benefits that ‘Shared Ownership’ has to offer. Ouroperations, marketing and business development teams in our offices across India remain more committed than ever to help ourdevelopers capitalise on the significant demand for their vacation offerings and services that is growing in India today.”The Imperial, New Delhitakes the trophy homein an interesting matchagainst Viceroys XIAfter a successful victory at the Inter-hotel Cricket Tournament 2011, taking home the FAAR trophy, The Imperialpartnered with the Viceroys XI team for yet another round of interesting batting. The Imperial batting first, won by 111runs making 277 runs in total consuming 30 overs. With the captain of the team, Vijay Wanchoo, Sr. Vice President &General Manager at The Imperial taking 4 wickets, victory came running on the pitch, to The Imperial team. The matchwas played against Viceroys XI team which is a group of expatriate cricket enthusiasts in Delhi with an eclectic mix ofthe Australians, Englishmen, Americans, Irishmen and Scots and has a track record of giving their opponents a run fortheir money.Wanchoo soulfully expressed his views post winning the match, “It’s an exhilarating moment for all of us. Our victoryhas re-established the potential of The Imperial team against such strong teams. I am overjoyed with this win andthank my team members for all their effort and dedication shown towards winning a rather difficult match and alsofeel extremely proud to lead a team which is full of achievers and aspirers.” He further added, “I am sure The Imperialwould win many more of such matches in future with a winning team at hand.”The Imperial showed one of its best performances on the pitch and gave a tough target to its counterpart andultimately, trampled Viceroys XI team winning by 111 runs striking the cord in a jubilant way with one of the teammembers scoring 140 runs enabling to bag the trophy.68 FHRAI Magazine february 2012 Visit FHRAI Website: www.fhrai.com

[ Events ]JW Marriott Mumbaicelebrates Republic DayJW Marriott Mumbai celebrated the fervour of Republic Day along withthe decade of its inception in January 2002. Completing 10 years of asuccessful relationship with the city, JW Marriott Mumbai demonstratedtheir commitment to the community as associates from JW MarriottMumbai organised a gala event for the young children from CancerPatient Aid Association (CPAA) as a part of the deeply instilled Marriott‘Spirit to Serve programme’.The grand function was held at Enigma for children from the CPAAwho were accompanied by their parents. To celebrate their childhoodand innocence, associates from various departments of the hotel hadcome together to participate whole-heartedly in this initiative and engagethe little ones in fun-filled activities. The children were kept engaged invarious activities like singing songs from various Hindi movies, dancing tolatest tunes, musical chairs, etc. followed by an interactive cupcake makingcompetition where the kids adorned with chef caps, used their creativeskills in decorating ready-made cupcakes with a variety of toppings.The senior management team of the JW Marriott that participated inthe event included, Thomas Guss, General Manager, JW Marriott Mumbaialong with wife Anne Guss, Dharam Reshamwalla, Director of Finance, JWMarriott Mumbai, Divyangana Srivastava, Director of Human Resources,JW Marriott Mumbai, Hema Hariramani, Director of Sales & Marketing,JW Marriott Mumbai and Ravneet Arora, Director of Sales, JW MarriottMumbai and Vineet Mishra, Director of Operations, JW Marriott Mumbai.‘The East India Kitchen’book by Le CordonBleu Chef MichaelSwamy unveiledFood connoisseurs came together to celebrate the glory of Eastern cuisineat the launch of the book, ‘The East India Kitchen’ by Chef Michael Swamy’s of Le Cordon Bleu, in Zambar, New Delhi earlierthis month. The book cites the fusion of Maharastrian and Portuguese cuisine, which when clubbed together results in acombination that is unique and delectable at the same time.Chef Swamy said, “It was an honour to be in Delhi for the launch of the book. I was quite enamored by the turnout of peopleand had a wonderful time. The hospitality at Zambar was excellent and the food delivered by them was fantastic. It is my aimand goal to see Indian food reach an international level.”Capturing the very best of the eccentric cuisine from the East Indian region, the book showcases a variety of rich andcolourful recipes inspired from the fascinating culture. On unveiling the book, Amit Burman, Chairman, Lite Bite Foods said,“The release of this book is a moment of great pride for the Indian culinary circuit and we believe that the East Indian cuisinethat has been under shadows until now would be elevated by this launch. It gives us immense pleasure to host an East Indianfood festival at Zambar in lieu of celebrating this unique fusion cuisine.”Visit FHRAI Website: www.fhrai.com FHRAI Magazine february 2012 69