Motiongate Dubai - A New Theme Park On The Block

Theme parks are amusement parks that are planned loosely around a significant idea or theme. These parks are divided into various sections that use diverse elements to convey to visitors that they are in a specific place or time, or also to tell a unique story. Walt Disney and Disneyland are the first names that comes into the mind as the first theme parks in the world  in Florida and California. They are rated among the largest and most visited themed amusement parks in the world.  

A theme park is a place with attractions made up of rides. They have a combination of different types of rides, clubbed with retail, restaurants and other entertainment outlets. Several are themed to a specific area; there is water parks, parks modeled after toys, parks modeled after movies or types of movies, usually adventure or action. Theme parks target an interesting mix of audience that includes adults, teenagers and children.

Riding high on the popularity, it comes as no surprise that MOTIONGATE was launched in Dubai. Dubai is recognized as a world-class vacation destination and the latest attraction offering luxury resorts, amazing food, out of the world experience for adventure and relaxation, world class infrastructure and a shopping haven. Dubai offers something for everyone to enjoy.

Motiongate is one of the newest and most exciting theme parks in Dubai. The park is part of Dubai Parks and Resorts, the Dh13.2 billion project at Jebel Ali. It is a Hollywood and Bollywood inspired theme park located in Dubai Parks and Resorts. It showcases themed areas and attractions best-in-branded entertainment from three of the largest and most successful motion picture studios in Hollywood – DreamWorks Animation, Columbia Pictures and Lionsgate and opened in December 16, 2016.

At Bollywood Park, the rides and attractions are inspired by popular Bollywood classics, including Don, Sholay and Lagaan. This is the world’s first amusement venue which is themed around Bollywood movies and fascinating Indian culture. The main attraction is the 850-seater Rajmahal theatre that exclusively hosts the region’s first Bollywood Broadway-style musical extravaganza. One can also experience live shows, where the visitors can enjoy stunt shows and performances depicting blockbusters like Dabangg.

A lot of research had gone into designing the Bollywood theme park wherein the consideration was not only for the Indian Patrons but also taking into account the popularity that the Bollywood stars have across the globe. They have picked the biggest stars of Bollywood like Aamir Khan, Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan. The fact that Bollywood is very much male centralized in reflection in the park as well, it has a scope of expansion and likely to have more attractions with more leading ladies’ themed attractions.

By:

Surya Teja

Student, INLEAD

Bed Time Fables

"Don’t lose sleep over anything" is an age old saying...a nicely made bed, a mattress that you can sink into, a soft pillow and a comforter infused with peaceful and restful sleep can take care of the situation temporarily. What one craves for after a long, eventful and sometimes stressful day is a good night sleep. The bed linen and the mattress industry in India have become highly competitive and price sensitive. Suppliers have seen a sudden rise in budget hotel segment and the demand of the number of keys has also risen to 20, 0000. Owing to the guest preferences in all aspects of hotel amenities and rising consumerism in the country it has forced the industry stakeholders to offer good quality bed products at competitive prices. Not compromising on the guest comfort, sellers make sure that the guest should get a sound sleep and get hotel management team to be well aware about the product features and quality. In a survey, it was found that 70% - 80% of the guest sleep on a hotel bed 3 days in a row and it’s during this period, the hotels and its housekeeping try and ensure the guest get a sound sleep and luxurious feel during their stay.

Hospitality segment in India is showing a steady growth with many international chains starting and functioning in India, the mattress industry is buoyant, and the manufacturers are endlessly bringing in modernism and technology to have an extra edge over the competition. What’s in the offering in this segment is wide range of mattresses to bed linen types and also different types of pillows. In fact, few Hotels today are offering pocketed spring mattresses of height ranging from 10 – 16 inches. Hotel developers are also moving towards procuring global brands. India is emerging as a major production center for bed linen and has attained topmost position as compared to its competitor’s turkey and china. In the recent years US, Japan, South East Asia, Middle East and European countries have emerged as major export destinations for India.

Brands today are centralizing their products as this leads to consistency and experience. The linen whether bath or bed is an important aspect of guest’s personal experience. Housekeeping is becoming more creative. There is a paradigm shift in bed making and the display of towels. Blankets and night spreads are moving out for duvets. Bed making has bed runners, decorative pillows and towels are displayed as pillow art.

Pillows are considered as one of the important aspects of bed comfort. Hotels have different types that are provided in guest rooms’ e.g. hard pillows, soft pillows, neck pillows, memory foam pillows, gel pillows, latex pillow, spinal support pillow, Ayurveda pillow, musical pillow and many more. So, it becomes very important to educate the buyer.

One of the major challenges faced in this segment is with longevity or recycling. Hotels prefer linen that can last to 100 washes or more. Most hoteliers believe thicker the product, better the linen quality, this mind set has to change. Hotels should indulge in softer, lighter and higher thread count; it also saves water and energy.

The e-commerce market has also opened new channels for distribution and has made it easier for sellers to reach out to audience. Despite the stiff competition, the market is growing and it will be an interesting watch to see how the industry players will adopt technological advancements to stay ahead.

By: 
Ms. Bindu Menon
Sr. Faculty, INLEAD 

Try Staycation This Season

Considering travelling to a cold place, an icy mountain, a tropical resort, an island in the middle of nowhere for a holiday? This season, try STAYCATION. What’s that you ask? Read on and find out.  

Staycation also referred to as Holistay is a portmanteau of "stay" and "holiday". Simply stated, it is a time when a family or an individual stays at home sleeping in their own homes, but do indulge in leisure activities within driving distance. So is this a new trend; no not exactly, staycation had become popular during the recession times when families were forced to forego their holidays because of the economic crisis. It became popular during 2007 – 2010 during the financial crisis and in the UK in 2009 as a weak pound made overseas holidays significantly more expensive. The trend is catching up again similarly like another new trend that now is catching up is going back to the roots, where hotels are not actually selling luxury to lure the guests; it’s the rustic charm, which is attracting guests.

What has led to a marginal rise in this segment? So, when an individual or family actually goes for a vacation, there is a lot of planning that is cumbersome to many and also there are issues like unpredictable exchange rates, visa regulations and political instability that contribute to reluctance in travelling abroad. A personal observation is also that for many the reason for taking a break is …RELAXATION. But, how many of us do actually achieve this. In some cases we are busier than our normal working days. This however doesn’t lessen their itchy feet, and has led to an increase in “staycations” – which are vacations nearer to home. It is also a great way of exploring domestic tourism.

There is a misconstruction among many that travel is only valuable if you travel to other countries to see new cultures and foreign lands, but this is not true domestic travel can be just as much of a special experience as international travel. Domestic travel can be an enlightening and rejuvenating experience for those who cannot afford overseas travel.

So, what can one do to maximize a Staycation:

·         Visit a local museums

·         Arrange for a beach/pool party

·         Go biking

·         Catch up on a movie

·         See a play

·         Go shopping: women would love this while men would detest

·         Catch up on sleep, hammock sound really relaxing

·         Read a book

·         Explore on a leisure activity

·         Go to an adventure park

·         Take a mini cruise

·         Participate in environment conservation activites

·         Read a book

·         Indulge in wellness( Spa, Tai-Chi)

The trick is to deviate from daily routines and truly make it a vacation. Do things that you would do during a vacation, don’t do the regular household chores. Remember that though you are at home…but you are on a vacation. 

By:

Ms. Bindu Menon,

Sr. Faulty, INLEAD

Sustainability in Hotels

What is that impacts the business, what is it required to be done by a hotel to the front runner, what is it that others are doing right and you are not able to identify it and lastly how can a hotel achieve a balance between the invested amount and returns. These are questions that are constantly challenging and will continue to do so. There has been a growing awareness among hoteliers and investors to figure issues that is impacting the sustainability of hotels.

Sustainability is crucial for any entrepreneur. It has been observed that guest remain loyal to brands that offer incredible experience, while the other hotels whose services are considered mediocre loose out in creating an impressive impression thereby not having bankable guest whom they can rely on for business. So let’s in a small way look at strategies that can be induced by hotels to be sustainable.

Being Available

The managers of the hotel are crucial to the success of the hotel. They have to be out there, reaching out to guests, interacting with them, finding about their stay, issues or any short comings. What usually happens is that the General Managers are so busy with mails, meetings and fortified wooden doors. To know the guest better, they have to be accessible. Guest love this, they appreciate the fact that the manager has taken out time. Of course they don’t want them to be hovering around, it’s reassuring for them that you are accessible. This is also reflected in social media travel and blogging sites where they leave positive comments and testimonials.

Market it Right

Individual hotels and hotel groups should be extremely competitive in their marketing efforts. The website definitely has to be eye catching but at the same time should use engaging headlines and illustrations on the landing page. Hotels should identify the target clientele right, and use that create content. Hotels use a lot of data analytics to get repeat guests.

Digital Marketing

In a survey conducted by Global Market Metrix Hospitality Index (MMHI), guest priorities differ by region, culture and country. Location so far has been regarded globally as the primary factor that determines hotel choice, price and past experience comes next. It’s a digital age; hoteliers will have to design innovative strategies for online visibility, content engagement, ROI tracking and user experience. Mobile search seems to be the strength of digital marketing. The hotels website has to be optimized for mobile search and should be compatible to all mobile devices.

Being Disabled – Friendly

Most of the hotels today are inclined towards catering to the needs of the differently abled. India and Indian hospitality industry still has a long way to go before being completely inclusive, but there is a significant change in this direction. Hotels today have ramps; signage’s and rooms to accommodate the differently abled. This segment is not fully explored and remains untapped by the hospitality industry.

“Sustainability is increasingly seen as a prominent factor in hospitality decision-making, but is not yet fully embedded in business thinking”

By:
Ms. Bindu Menon
Sr. Faculty, INLEAD 

Wellness industry: a new dimension

Health according to WHO is defined as “a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”. That’s why this industry is not just limited to providing medical services and remedial care. The primary market for these segments is consumers in the age bracket of 25-35 years, with financial independence and disposable income.

So is the term “wellness” being overused, is it just a fad or being hyped? It comes across as an industry that has not been explored or mostly not used in its appropriate context. Wellness is accomplishing one’s full latent; it is self-directed and an ever-evolving process. There are seven dimensions to wellness: occupational, spiritual, intellectual, emotional, environmental and physical. Wellness is more than just products that are designed to make us feel good or be physically fit.

So what exactly does the wellness industry include? The industry includes spas, slimming & fitness sectors, salon and cosmetic therapy services, alternate therapies among others. People today are very conscious of how they look and feel, also it comes across as an ideal retreat from a chaotic day. While they are mainly enrichment needs, it also focusses on being therapeutic, which is required to maintain a aseptic and fit lifestyle. From spas to slimming centers to non-invasive surgery procedures, there is an entire array of services that the wellness industry can offer. These industries have flourished by taking advantage of ancient Indian therapies like yoga, meditation, Ayurveda etc. Thanks to the growing popularity of the wellness industry, it has fuelled the tourism industry in India.

Hotels too are wooing their guests through wellness. Most of the hotels irrespective of the fact whether its business or leisure is focusing on this segment. The hotels today either have their own signature spa brands or have outsourced the requirement to private spas. Irrespective of the formats hotels ensure that they have few components related to the wellness industry made available for the guest.

While the industry has the potential to boom in future, challenging path lies ahead. The biggest blockade is the lack of trained personnel for this sector.  The Indian wellness industry has seen changes, while the guests have become fully aware of the wellness needs; many spa schools have also opened across the country resulting in trained and skilled man power.  To hire quality manpower is the main issue, sadly most professional in India are by chance and not by choice.
The lifestyle that most of have nowadays wellness is a necessity and not a luxury. It promises to bring lot of positive changes not just physically, mentally as well as emotionally.

- Ms. Bindu Menon
  Sr. Faculty, INLEAD

No frills: are economy hotels taking the center stage today?

Travelling has become a global phenomenon and has contributed to the rise of economy/budget hotels globally. The growing popularity of budget accommodation brands have led to many of the luxury brands including the same in their brand portfolio. The budget brands offer value, ease and suppleness within the realms of affordability. It’s an understood fact that economic liberalization is gaining momentum and with that business travel has increased in leaps and bounds. While there’s a rise in the disposable income of the middle income groups, the interest within the same segment for travel has also contributed to the upsurge of economy sized hotel.

It's not only airlines which are cashing in on the 'no-frills' model but hotels as well. According to the Indian Association of Tour Operator's (IATO), in India, there are around 1,285 budget hotels with a 51,000 room keys. Owing to the growing response, hospitality players are now intensifying their operations in the budget category.

According to HVS International, a hotel consultancy, economy/ budget hotels have great prospective across the country. What works better or could be considered successful would if the hotel has a brand affiliation or a unique USP to survive. Queries for branded budget hotel in India are growing by 179% year on year as compared to just 36% year on year growth in standalone budget hotel queries.  Budget hotel queries already account for 35% of total accommodation searches and a large share of 47% of search queries are for the brands providing budget hotel inventory online.

So, does staying at budget/economy hotels mean that one has to compromise on quality; of course not the hotels cut out on certain services, but not at the cost of quality. Budget hotels scale down certain non-essential services to reduce cost. One of the reasons for this sudden demand is the demand for accommodation in tier I, II and III cities and also their low operational cost. No frills hotels are for those who look for clean rooms, comfortable surroundings and hygienic washrooms. They also offer the regulars such as laundry, Wi-Fi, multi cuisine restaurants etc. other facilities or services required will be provided at extra cost. They attract students, business traveler, corporate on a slab system and at times airlines. They are quite popular in the domestic market and also have a demand from inbound traffic too.

Budget hotels have a promising market, but needs to focus more on a quality and personalization driven approach. The hotels to a large extent are able to achieve this because they have lesser number of rooms which helps them offer personalized services. Getting guest feedback will also help in improvising on service standards. Branded hotels or chain segments in this category are able to also generate brand loyalty and repeat business.

- Ms. Bindu Menon, Sr. Faculty, INLEAD 

HOSPITALITY vs. SERVICE

Is there a difference…no it’s same…or used interchangeably? Arguably one might say that hotels are a part of hospitality and all the allied industries would be categorized under service. So why are we discussing this since it could mean the same or used in varied context. To further decode it according to Aaron Bare, entrepreneur and strategist: Service is delivering on your promise. Hospitality is making people feel good while you’re delivering on that promise. “Hospitality” means exceeding the basic services you promise.

Hospitality as a term or as an industry is not new it has been around for ages, but the fact is that there are too many players and then there’s a lot of competition, so what that unique element that you provide that makes you shine on, favored and recommended. For those who are acing hospitality carry on and for those who have been stressing more on service it’s never too late. Incorporating hospitality into the existing service standards doesn’t mean that one has to change their entire system and processes. In turn what needs to be done is to include a small gesture in the service model that would stand out, become worth mentioning. Once done you’ll discover that guests will notice the difference and will boast to others about their special experiences.

Few examples where hospitality takes over service would be:

Accor Hotels at its Sofitel and Novotel properties in Philadelphia, Chicago, New York and Washington, D.C. –identified their loyalty members interests through their social media profiles. On arrival there was gift given to the guest “Take guest recognition to the next level, to a more powerful level.

Ritz-Carlton Resorts of Naples asked Facebook fans how they like their coffee. If you answered, then stayed with them, your coffee would arrive perfectly sugared—without having to ask.

Hospitality today has become synonym with every industry not just hotels. Earlier it was understood that if you are working with hotels only then one needs to become hospitable. But the fact today is that every service industry is focusing on hospitality, it has become an integral part of any business operations. It’s a tool that is used to have a demonstrative link with a guest/client or customer. Just look around hospitals, airlines, retail sectors, corporates and educational institute all are focusing on creating that distinctive connection with people that they serve or cater to.

So how can one achieve this? There’s a saying that attitude can’t be trained, I however disagree on this. The result may not be instantaneous and is unquestionably time consuming and needs an individual approach. Is it possible, the answer is a big yes, the key being hire and train right.

You know how to train people to become better at what they DO ...

The Bad News: The essence of hospitality cannot be taught as if it were another job skill.

The Good News: You don't need to teach it. It should come naturally which is an innate capability of all human beings.

The Great News: You may already know WHAT works, but when you really understand WHY it works, maintaining that warm feeling can become remarkably effortless.

- Ms. Bindu Menon
  Sr. Faculty, INLEAD

Trending in Food Service

Food service industry trends are changing, primary reasons being Globalization...Exposure...Millennials. While the focus always will be towards quality food, restaurants are also looking at selling an experience to their guest. Restaurants operating in metros and mini-metros are uplifting the predictable but expected restaurant business. While great food & beverage, ambience, pricing and courteous staff are essential factors, people always look for something new and diverse that a restaurant can offer.

Thematic restaurants are quite popular with guest and they do attract a lot of customers. People, of course will discuss and speak of food, but what they also would campaign for would the theme or the décor. Listed are few restaurants that are based on themes, while many may look incredible to dine at, there would be some you wish you didn’t know.

Ice Bar in Delhi is made of ice that includes the chairs and tables too. Guests are provided with coats and gloves. The restaurant maintains a temperature of -10. Kaidi kitchen in Kolkatta and Chennai is based on a jail theme and the staffs are dressed as prisoners and jailers. The Bombay Stock Exchange in Mumbai prices their drinks according to the popularity; Café Dalal Street in New Delhi too has the same service rules for beverages.

Some more to the list of interestingly themed restaurants

        1) 70 mm, Hyderabad; for Bollywood enthusiasts

        2) Bhaijaanz, Mumbai; definitely for Salman Khan fans

        3)  Taste of Darkness, Hyderabad; exactly as the name suggests

        4) Gufha, Bengaluru; themed like a natural cave

        5) Ciclo Café, Chennai; is India's first Cycling Café

        6) Natures Toilet Café, Ahmedabad; probably India's first-ever toilet themed cafe 

        7) Tihar Food Court, New Delhi; South Asia’s largest prison complex. Nothing unusual, except   that the employee, like most of his colleagues, would be a convict

Another trend that is catching up is “Food on the Move”. The concept is based on mobile cafes and restaurants. The set up could be on luxury buses, coaches or vans. While the concept has gained a lot of popularity in the West, making it commercially viable in India would lot depend on development of the infrastructure and streamlining of traffic?  Hijackk in Ahmedabad is a mobile bus restaurant. They have a fixed menu which they change frequently and the customers are taken around for a hour and half ride in Ahmedabad.

Latest innovation that’s really interesting is Edible Cutlery; imagine if the cutlery used could be edible. Hyderabad based Bakeys Food Pvt. Ltd has recently launched edible cutlery. They are made from edible flours; flavors can be added according to customers’ preference. They are governed by regulations laid by Food Safety & Standards Act. Whether restaurants will introduce them into their daily operations and would guest love it only time would tell.

To achieve success in any business format, one has to be different with pragmatic business sense. While it’s good to be fervent on innovation, restaurateurs should be cautious to not compromise on the basics like food quality, hygiene and friendly staff.

-Ms. Bindu Menon

 Sr. Faculty, INLEAD 

The tough choice to make

There are a plethora of accommodation options that are available nowadays to guests. They can choose from luxury hotels to business hotels or budget hotels or serviced residences.  Since the options are many, guests are often left with the big decision of making a choice. While the decision might depend on various factors, like budget, location, occasion etc., there’s one particular option that is slowly but sturdily climbing the popularity charts- the serviced residences.

Serviced residences or apartments caters to people looking for both short as well as long term accommodation. As their equivalent hotels these too are equipped with all the hotel-like amenities. They stereotypically provide guest with fully furnished space along with cooking utensils. In comparison to hotels they are less expensive; benefits include more space and privacy, ease when travelling with a family, and can save money with cooking one's own meals.  They are mostly spruced with all the modern comforts one can find in a hotel.

Let’s take a look at how this segment started to gain popularity. The conception probably first started in the US. It all started with the progression of business travel and is now gaining repute in India’s hospitality industry. According to the Global Serviced Apartment Report, there’s an 80%increse in the number of serviced apartment taking it to a figure of 75000. In the 1990’s there was a lot of international travel that was happening due to economic liberalization, new set ups and joint ventures. Initially they stayed at hotels, because the concept of apartment hotels did not exist. Later when these travel started to become more frequent involving longer duration of stay, they chose to stay at any of the swelling serviced apartments.

The initial growth of serviced apartments though was driven by international business travelers or expats, the domestic business travelers have also backed in strengthening the same. Serviced apartments are gaining popularity in the urban market like Mumbai, Delhi-NCR, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Pune. These segments are also gaining popularity with the leisure segments of travelers, as they too feel that stay at five-star hotels for longer period can get very expensive. With serviced apartments one gets the advantage of reasonably priced accommodation, more space, privacy and comfort of home cooking your own food. Some of these apartments come with high end housekeeping services and laundry.

While the Indian market has lot of stand-alone serviced apartments, many hotels are also launching new properties that would be launched as serviced apartments. They may be studio rooms or may have anywhere between one to a three bedroom. Serviced apartments that are managed and operated by hotel, the guest can enjoy all the facilities that a hotel would offer them; which include bed & breakfast, household assistance, gym, conference room and banqueting space. In simpler terms, they offer a home away from home with tremendous value for money.

Serviced apartments are here to stay and gain popularity. As of now they have major presence in metros and mini metros. In future their popularity can be extended to tier II and tier III cities such as Kanpur, Panipat, Kohlapur, Nasik etc. in many cities many such facilities are being built to meet the needs of both business and leisure travelers.

- Ms. Bindu Menon

  Sr. Faculty, INLEAD

Career Seminar with the Hilton Worldwide

INLEAD recently hosted the Hilton Hotels Worldwide on its campus for a Career Seminar. The PACE workshop was aimed at making the students aware about the various career opportunities they can explore with the esteemed organization.  Hilton Hotels Worldwide, a renowned brand in the hospitality sector, is expanding its wings in a big way and is coming up with many career opportunities.

Established in the year 1919 in, Texas, U.S.A., Hilton has thirteen different   brands in its kitty. Mr Amit, Head HR, Hilton Hotels Worldwide, spoke at length about the different job opportunities which the Hilton Worldwide is providing to young candidates who are willing to join the hotel industry. He reiterated that, those who have the zeal and interest should become a part of Hilton family. He went to state that they have two different programs to cater for the young recruits. First is Management Trainee program of two years and the other is General Manager training program in which the recruits less than one year can apply. If the recruit passes he/she can become General Manager in next five years in Hilton and will get international exposure.

Mr Amit and his team answered every related question of students like recruitment process of the hotel, their marketing strategies, growth etc. and all questions were answered diligently. The session was overall productive and students kept coming up with questions. Students also got to know many new things about one of the top notch brands of hotel industry.

Prateek Bhatt, April 2016, INBM: “The talk was very relevant for all of us who have just taken admission at INLEAD and are therefore exploring all possible avenues of growth.”

Akshay Bhatnagar, October 2015, INHM: “It was a session which proved to very beneficial to me, since I am from the hospitality sector. I really look forward to joining this company.”

Personalizing Guest Experience

To be perceived as a brand or hotel that personalizes guest experience, are hotels giving into the rising guest demand? Is this the only way to be omnipresent and to be popular choice among guests? With new technology, mobile apps and hotels in all brands and sizes evolving every day, the industry will have to be innovative and go all-out to give guests incredible experience to be competitive.

An online Personal Experiences study shows that 74% of users loose interest when they don’t find anything that can interest them or have their preference’s identified. Most of guest looks for things that can catch their fancy, read their minds and also be able to deliver the same. They expect a hotel to match up to their individual needs and not offer something that is readily available or can be bought off the shelf. So how can hotels personalize guest experience?

Property Management Systems can bring about enterprise level automation to any segment of the industry with the unlimited data storage. Information from reservation or during registration can be stored to be retrieved at a later time should they book again. Cloud data enables the information to be shared at other hotels within the chain leading to enhanced guest experience. Hotels today spend a lot of time and effort in creating guest history and updating guests personal information, studying guest behavior, mannerism along with their likes and dislikes.

In a survey done by Yahoo, 78% of guests desired for some kind of a personalization. The ways how a hotel can achieve this would be by:

1) Personalized emails

2) Courtesy calls in room

3) Post departure thank you emails

4) Online guest feed back

5) Guest designed services

6) Favorite newspaper/magazine addressed with name

7) Suggesting spa reservation

8) In-room check-in

9) Special services and amenities for women

However what could be a treat to one person could be inconvenience to the others. For e.g. an invitation for a dinner at the hotels premium restaurant to a family travelling with young children might not be interesting, but for a couple on their honeymoon this could be alluring.

Hotels are focusing on delivering a more intimate experience….taking it to the next level, while the physical structure of the room would remain the same, what changes is the services and amenities during the stay.

The “Mass” tactic to providing the same product to the entire guest cannot be a successful long term plan. Guest today is demanding and looks for products that define individual happiness. Streamlining the delivery mechanism around personalization will eventually lead to sustainability.

-Ms. Bindu Menon, Sr.Faculty, INLEAD

Hotel Management Information System

Technology is making deep inroads into the hospitality industry, and hotels across the world are looking to use technology to make operation smooth and efficient. The quest for performance and efficiency in the hospitality industry has given rise to the development of a host of hotel management systems. In order to keep our Hotel Management students in with the changing technological trends in the industry, INLEAD recently organized an Industry Expert Workshop with Mr. Tarun Dua - Associate Director HRD & Training, Country Development & Management Services Pvt. Ltd.

Mr. Dua talked about the various issues that are connected with the MIS for hotel services, the intricacies involved and the precision required in maintaining the same. The main agenda was to make the students aware about the importance of quality and maintenance of MIS in hotel and help them assess the amount of time and energy spent towards data management and the precision involved.

Mr. Dua led the students through the basics of MIS and also shared some very insightful and real time reports from his hotel and explained about the concept of MIS in detail. He mentioned about the 5 elements of MIS -- Timeliness, Accuracy, Consistency, Completeness and Relevance, and with the absence of even one the report generated will not hold any value. He further stated that for any hotel, room is a highly perishable product and Room Sales is of utmost importance on a daily basis. Rooms generates 70 – 80% profit margin on sales and is also the most expensive commodity for a Hotel.

He also explained how with the growing competition in the industry, it’s important for a hotel to understand the needs of their guest, for example, things like what gets sold most, what guests demand for most, what food material get used least and results in loss and how a good hotel management software, allows hotels to do just that.

He concluded the session with a very valuable thought; he said “always remain focused in life if you want to achieve your goal.” 

Hotels with unique concepts

It’s the 21st century and people presume everything and anything different or unique that could be done has already been done and achieved. Well, the Hotel industry doesn’t believe in this philosophy for sure. There are hotels all over the world which are coming up with new concepts almost every day to provide the best of amenities possible to its guests. Hence, I feel they believe a mention for maintaining their uniqueness and thinking out-of-the box concepts even in this 21st century, highly competitive world.

• Marina Bay Sands in Singapore with its unique design and 2560 rooms, has become one of Singapore’s iconic buildings. The hotel offers separate amenities for business and leisure traveler. There are 32 food and beverage options, including 14 fine dining restaurants and 18 casual dining establishments. The hotel also houses the world’s 2nd most expensive casino.

• Burj-Al-Arab, Dubai is an icon of modern architecture and classic design, on a man-made island of the mainland Dubai. The hotel has the highest tennis court in the world which also doubles up as a helipad. It is graded as a 7 star all-suite hotel with 202 duplex suites. The hotel amenities include chauffer driven Rolls Royce for personal outings and access to the artificial Majles Al Bahar beach.

• Tron themed ice hotel in Jukkasjarvi, Sweden was inspired by an eye popping nightclub depicted in Tron. Two British sci-fi fans Ben Rousseau and architect Ian Douglas-Jones built a Tron-themed hotel suite entirely from ice and snow. The entire hotel is made up of ice, including the bed. Every November, ice from the frozen Torne river is fused with snow to remake the hotel – new themed suites are designed every year.

• Atlantis Hotel in Bahamas is located in one of the most preferred exotic holiday destinations. The resort has 6 different towers housing 11 different kinds of suites. Each suite has a different theme. The resort also has a casino, water park and fantasy camp for children.

• Emirates Palace Hotel, Abu Dhabi (on a man-made island) stands as one of the icons in the area. The hotel’s main theme is based on the royal palaces of the Arab royal families. The hotel has 394 rooms in different categories. The 4 royal Khaleej suites have their own reception and give private access to the beach. This hotel has the world’s first and only gold dispensing ATM machine.

• WhitePod, Betraye, Switzerland is located amongst Swiss Alps, this resort has 5 domed shaped structures, each 8 feet high. The resort has 24 rooms with luxurious amenities and limited electricity, and plumbing lines. It is located at a height of 5600 feet and is accessible only by ski or by foot.

• Conrad Rangali Islands, Maldives is set on a private island in the middle of the Indian Ocean. The hotel has water villas, beach villas, and water spa villas, with the facility for specialized treatments. Itahaa undersea restaurant is the world’s first and only undersea all glass restaurant.

• Treehotel, Harads, Sweden is a compound of four individual tree houses built among the native pines of the Lulea River Valley. Each tree house has been distinctively designed by a different architect and includes visually exquisite elements, such as a rope bridge entryway, a bright red exterior and a mirrored façade.

• Armani Hotel, Dubai located in world’s tallest man-made structure, the Burj Khalifa Tower. The hotel has 160 guest rooms including its suites located on the 38th and 39th floor. The hotel has been designed and styled by renowned designer Georgio Armani.

In the end, I would like to encourage the mankind to take inspiration from the hotel industry and try to be as unique as you can. After all, “You are one of a kind and unique. Never forget that.”

- Ms. Bindu Menon
  Senior Faculty, INLEAD

Hospitality Industry undergoing a technological Transformation

Every industry is experiencing a technology-driven renovation, and the hospitality industry is no different.  Bitten by the technology bug, there has been a change in the way business is being done. This technological revolution is allowing businesses to have a more convenient, informed and valuable relationship with their customers.

Listed below are few technological advances that are transforming the hospitality industry and enabling a new level of customer service:

1) Online booking systems

They are extremely widespread in the hotel industry, with many restaurants also beginning to accept them. This would require a well-designed, mobile-friendly website with a simple interface.

2) EPOS

Electronic point of sale (EPOS) systems are becoming more and more sophisticated, allowing hospitality venues to operate more efficiently and provide better customer service. By integrating with CRM, inventory management, information on capacity, reservations, stock, loyalty programs and more is accessible.

3) CRM

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software allows contacts and information to be organized and managed in one place. An effective CRM makes it easier to build ongoing relationships with customers, as well as making important details easily accessible to all staff via a cloud-based application.

4) Marketing Automation

 Marketing automation allows personalized emails to be sent to customers and prospects based on their activities and personal information. Advanced marketing automation software allows much more complex tasks to be performed, such as emailing customers who have been visiting or clicking on certain areas of the website or social media pages.

5) Social Media

 A social media presence is crucial, particularly given that Facebook is a popular platform for check-ins and reviews of restaurants and hotels. Attractive images are usually the most popular type of post. Businesses should also choose their social media platforms carefully based on their target audience, rather than simply joining all of them.

6) Smartphones

Hilton Worldwide has taken advantage of this by offering guests the ability to check in and out, select their room, check maps and make extra requests or purchases all from their smartphones. Another revolutionary service that soon will be made available is smartphones to function as room keys.

7) Smart appliances

Lighting, temperature, blinds, alarms, TV, radio and room service will all be controlled from a single tablet device, or from a single app that guests can download and login to from their own device.

Irrespective of the changes that these technology brings about , the truth is that they are there to enhance, not to replace, the core offerings of a hospitality business. Top quality food and customer service are still the fundamental pillars of the industry, but the technologies can make it easier to consistently deliver a memorable experience to your guests.

- Ms. Bindu Menon

  Senior Faculty, INLEAD 

Images Courtesy: Google Images 

Hotel Industry calling for Green Revolution!

“Sustainable development is the pathway to the future we want for all. It offers a framework to generate economic growth, achieve social justice, exercise environmental stewardship and strengthen governance.” - Ban Ki-Moon    

The Hotel Industry seems to have taken good inspiration from Mr. Ban Ki-Moon’s words of wisdom. Recent years have shown the Hotel industry trying to "green up" its operations, but the real question is, has this “Operation Green” gone beyond leaving out little cards to encourage guest reuse towels and linens?       

          

Hotels and hotel chains are taking sustainability more seriously, those little cards may seem like token environmentalism to some, but they can actually result in significant water, waste and cost reductions. The website Economically Sound reports that a 150-room hotel can conserve 72,000 gallons of water and 480 gallons of laundry soap every year by placing the cards in its guest rooms.  

Green Hotels

In another initiative, the industry has also started with a new concept called the Green Hotels. Green hotels are basically lodging properties that implement environmentally friendly practices and programs to save water and energy while reducing solid waste. The goal for green lodging properties is to minimize their impact on the environment.

The relevance of being green in hospitality is growing – introducing and implementing green practices to save water, conserve energy, and reduce waste, with the added benefit of decreasing overall operating costs. The significant savings yielded can be applied to enriching the quality of guests’ hotel experience.

Do eco-conscious hotels appeal to travelers?

Environmental initiatives are not just the ‘good’ thing to do – but have business-building power by positively driving the decision-making of consumers about where to spend their money. A key element to ensure success with the roll-out of green practices is thorough education of hotel staff, from management through all departments in the organization. It is empowering when employees play a role in assisting the hotel fulfill its eco-conscious mission. Making a mindset of sustainability-consciousness part of the business culture is a reflection of a hotel’s commitment to corporate social responsible.

Few green practices that the Hotel Industry has adopted are as follows:

·         Biodegradable 100% recycled room keys

·         Carbon Neutral and Hybrid vehicle/transportation service upon request with Concierge Services

·         Bed linens changed upon guest request to aid in water and energy conservation efforts

·         Towels replaced upon guest request allowing guests the option of re-using existing towels

·         All light panels in meeting rooms are allow users to select the most efficient setting based on the event

·         Food not consumed for meetings is provided to hotel associates free of charge or donated to local charities

·         Local and organic food products are offered (options are limited due to short growing season) limiting carbon offset for shipping

·         Electronic thermostats in guestrooms with pre-set settings to minimize energy consumption

·         Biodegradable gift/amenity bags are used

Tom Brokaw, a famous American television journalist once said, “It's easy to make a buck. It's a lot tougher to make a difference,” and the Hotel Industry seems to be coming around the idea just fine.

- Ms. Bindu Menon

  Senior Faculty, INLEAD 

Images Courtesy: Google Images 

What’s on your Menu?

What’s on the menu? This is a question that most of us ask, about twice or thrice during a day. Food is a very important part of our lives. In fact, some of us even live to eat rather than the other way around.  For these foodies, a menu is like a sacred book that they want to religiously read over and over again till the time they have decided the perfect dish or dishes to satisfy the hunger in their stomachs.  

A menu can be defined as a presentation of food and beverage offerings. A menu may be à la carte – which guests use to choose from a list of options – or table d'hôte, in which case a pre-established sequence of courses is served.

Classic Menu Sequence

This format is used to lay out menus as well as to indicate the order of the various courses.

Course 0: Amuse-bouche / Amuse-gueule - A little bite before the meal begins: Greetings from the Chef de Cuisine

Course 1: Hors d'oeuvre (appetizer)

This course is used to manipulate the appetite for the dishes that are to follow.

Course 2: Potage (soup)

A potage is usually puréed and is often thick, well-seasoned meat or vegetable soup.

Course 3: Oeufs (eggs)

Oeufs are the dishes made from egg.

Course 4: Farineaux (rice & pasta)

This is Italy's contribution to the courses of the menu. It includes different kinds of rice and pasta.

Course 5: Poisson (fish)

Poisson are the dishes made from fish. Fish, being soft-fibred, prepares the palate for the heavier meats that follow.

Course 6: Entrée (entry of 1st meat course)

It is a complete dish in itself, garnished and sauced the way it is intended to be served.

Course 7: Sorbet (flavored water)

This course is a rest between courses. It counteracts the previous dishes, and rejuvenates the appetite for those that are to follow.

Course 8: Reléve (meat course)

This is the main meat course on the menu, and is commonly known as the “piece de resistance.”

Course 9: Rôti (roast)

This course normally consists of game or poultry.

Course 10: Légumes (vegetables)

These can be served separately as an individual course or may be included along - with the entrée, relevé or roast courses.

Course 11: Salads (salad)

Course 12: Buffet Froid (cold buffet)

In this course chilled meat pieces are served.

Course 13: Entremet de sûcre (sweet)

Entremets on a menu refers to desserts.

Course 14: Savoureaux (savory)

They are served hot on toast or as savory soufflé.

Course 15: Fromage (cheese)

Fromage (Cheese) may be served before or after the sweet course.

Course 16: Desserts (fresh fruits & nuts)

This course comes at the end of a meal. The French word desservir means "to clear the table."

Course 17: Cafe (coffee)

The classic menu sequence outlined above was and is based on logical process of taste sensations.  This classic sequence provides the guide for the compilation of menus, as it is evident in most examples of modern European menus.  

- Ms. Bindu Menon

  Senior Faculty, INLEAD 

Images Courtesy: Google Images