ECHO 2016 COLLEGE MAGAZINE

HOTELIER’S ARTICLE
Travels…Breathing thin air
otels come in various sizes, services
Hl e v e l s a n d e v e r y o t h e r
categorization that college teaches. So I
will narrate my experience of a kitsch
hotel, quite unique but to truly appreciate
my experience I do have to create a
backdrop to my wanderings.
I’d travelled to a barren landscape, the
kind you need to see to believe. The
monstrous mountain sides were stark
and lonely, freezing cold at night and the
bare rocks burned during the day. Trees
didn’t exist, grasses dotted only the river
side and a stubble of a scrub held the
loose soil together. It is a dessert for the
lack of rain, and no oxygen for the lack of
trees. So everyday breathing was hard.
This was how my sojourns took me - to a
cold, high and desolate dessert, Kaza. A
comparison to help understand the
lifestyle difference- Kaza valley has no
sub-urban farm for vegetables and fresh
produce, there is no daily milk delivery,
water freezes cold in the pipes, electricity
is erratic (it’s the best the government
has been able to do) and the internet LAN
unheard off. To construct anything every
cement bag had to be transported from
all the way down the snaky valley, over
Manali pass, across the mountain ridges
from a town. But all is not bleak. The
beauty of the place is breath taking, the
24 ECHO - 2016
solitude incomparable and its simplicity
charming. And that is why I chose to visit.
After hours driving through the twisting
and winding roads along the Himalayas I
came to a small town. Barely two
kilometers in length and perhaps held
less than fifty families, I arrived at Kaza; a
bare town in the narrow valley of two long
mountains ridges and alongside a
deserted river. I was dusted in the finest
tyre kickup and disjointed from all the
bumps, when we had road, and thumps
when there was a lack of them. I arrived
at a curious hotel.
It was two stories high and the tallest one
around. A strange mixture of local
architecture and western signage
intrigued me even before I walked in the
front door which was just off the road. I had
booked this hotel after taking into account
it had the highest rating on Tripadvisor and
the lack of other establishments.
I stepped into what I could only describe
as a quaint coffee-shop cum reception.
Light and airy, the checkered table cloths
w i t h t h e n o t r a d i t i o n a l t a b l e
appointments seemed strangely
welcoming. The reception desk, because
Saikatpal,
Assistant Manager Learning,
Hyatt, Gachibowli.
ospitality industry shining
Hamongst the best performing
industries in the world, implies
interacting with people, anticipating
and fulfilling guest needs and wants,
and also travelling the world, thus
combining work with the excitement of
exploring different countries, their
regions and cultures.
Although success may depend upon
unpredictable variables, it may be wise
to think carefully about what it takes to
evolve toward hospitality success.
When on the top of the hierarchy, one
soon discovers that responsibilities
include the pain of dealing with various
complexities inherent to the hospitality
that was all there was to the front office,
was covered in artifacts, so many that I
skipped over them completely to pay
attention to my hosts questions. They
were expecting us, knew all our
reservation details by heart and even
remember our email conversations. That
was a comforting relief because if not for
this place I would quite know what do
with myself for the night.
MS. PALLAVI
Training Manager,
Taj Vivanta & Taj Deccan
industry. At that level one has to
perform and deliver to the satisfaction
of property owners, the operating
brand, guests, employees, and the
local community.
According to the World Travel and
Tourism Council, travel and tourism
accounts for 8% of the world's jobs and
has the highest potential for growth of
any industry. International travel alone
accounts for more than 840 million
tourists annually. The economic, social
and environmental impact of tourism
is significant and vital to creating
sustainable jobs and quality of life. As a
vast, dynamic and growing industry,
hospitality and tourism provides
tremendous opportunity for ambitious
students who are creative, adaptive,
willing to learn and striving for results.
The mantra to a successful career in
this industry is keep your focus, and be
ready to adapt.