On the path to revival

Hoteliers talk about their plans to revive business, new offers for guests, and the need for priority vaccination.

Neha Rawat

The signs of recovery shall be seen only when majority of the population is vaccinated, feels Kush Kapoor, CEO, Roseate Hotels & Resorts. “While our business will definitely be impacted, we are confident that this time recoveries will be sooner due to the aggressive vaccination drive.More importantly though, since hospitality staff is guest-facing, they are at a high-risk position to contract as well transmit infection. We therefore urge the government to consider priority vaccination for hospitality workforce,” he says.

Kapoor adds that the industry continues to request the government for an industry status, lower taxes to attract more business, change in excise policy, one-stop window for approvals, online processes, short-term interest free or low interest loans for rebuilding business and immediate transmission to all industry segments viz., hotels, tour operators (inbound, domestic), travel agents (online and offline) and any other ancillary entity that is supporting the industry on term loans and working capital loans. Besides, existing overdraft limits can be doubled for the industry and immediate cash relief must be extended to the hotels so that they can avoid mass lay-offs of their employees.

Domestic market a priority
The new initiatives at Taj Hotel & Convention Centre Agra have yielded results. Rahul Joshi, its General Manager, says, “With a focus on domestic markets through strong performing offers, we will expand the outreach and our strategy in future will be to reach out to the markets which become more accessible by air. We continue to monitor the evolving situation. MICE has been a strong segment for our hotel; we hope to see more recovery and confidence on this front.”

The hotel has introduced new offers based on demand. “The growing demand for staycation and workcation in a safe, well serviced ambience, is clearly visible in the booking trends. A scenario such as the last year is also an enabler to innovate, to chart a new course and to implement new initiatives in a manner like never before.Technology will continue to play a very important role going forward,” Joshi adds.

As the country enters into fresh restrictions once again and the vaccination drive continues, Kochi Marriott Hotelcontinues to evolve with fresh strategies to deal with the changing situations, which seem to be quite unpredictable. Subhankar Bose, General Manager atKochi Marriott Hotel, says, “The vaccination drive has been steady across the country. However, the government directive clearly states that we need to be mindful even after vaccination by continuing to wear a mask, observe social distancing and opt for regular sanitisation. We need to explore our business opportunities carefully keeping in mind the safety of both our guests, our employees and our associates. Safety would be our utmost priority and business revival will depend on the situation and government directives.”

The hotel is doing its best to safeguard the health of guests. “We still do not know the intensity of the second wave. Moreover, associates employed in the industry continue to provide services for quarantined guests, making them vulnerable to the infection. If the second wave is turning severe in nature, it would be ideal if hospitality associates are made eligible for priority vaccination,” Bose says.

Flexible policies a must
With the second wave in India, Samode Palace & Samode Bagh is now gearing up to re-start operations keeping stringent precautionary measures in place. Vivek Yagnik, General Manager, Samode Palace & Samode Bagh, says that a lot of study has gone into preparing his staff and hotels to welcome guests back. “We have re-assessed and re-planned our brand and service standards in preparation to ensure the highest level of guest safety.”

He adds that their cancellation policies are flexible and date changes are provided to all guests. “We encourage guests for longer stays and all-meal plans so that venturing out of the property is avoided. However, we have seen a surge in cancellations and date changes. But with our flexible policies, we are hoping this is only momentary. The RT-PCR mandatory test for all ensures maximum safety,” Yagnik adds.