Novotel Mumbai Juhu Beach's General Manager, Manish Dayya speaks to BW Hotelier about his iconic North Mumbai property and the challenges of keeping up with the neighbours and staying relevant.

THE NOVOTEL Mumbai on Juhu Beach is an iconic property to say the least. Manish Dayya, General Manager of the hotel spoke with BW Hotelier about his charge and the challenges of running a property which has so much history behind it.

“Novotel Mumbai Juhu Beach is the ultimate refreshing getaway specially designed for natural living and to create a perfect balance between people and their environment. Overlooking some of the finest vistas and scenic waters of the Arabian Sea, our hotel makes for an ideal setting for shoots and various events,” Dayya told us.

The hotel has always been recognised for its Food and Beverage outlets and has a very loyal following in the area and is a favourite among many Bollywood personalities and their families. The hotel is home to five different outlets.

“Since our hotel is situated in a prime location, the main challenges include upcoming hotels near the airport and competition in the restaurant space. However, our loyal customers always prefer to come back and experience our warm hospitality,” he told us when we asked about competition.

“While the numbers speak well and current occupancies are in line with market potentials, we at Novotel Mumbai Juhu Beach, anticipate the market to improve further. So far, it has been a very encouraging 2017, which brings in greater expectations. Our hotel has established its identity well over the years. Domestic trends are setting strong signals of an ever growing market and that is here to stay at least till 2021,” Dayya added about the future projection for his hotel.

The hotel is working towards improving the product and refurbishing rooms and key F&B outlets, he added. “At Novotel Mumbai Juhu Beach, it is our aim to provide our guests with the best of hospitality experience. We firmly believe that innovation is the need of the hour as it is this that provides a key to success. One needs to constantly come up with creative ideas to keep up with the rising trends of the industry,” he added.

“With digitalization taking over, it is our aim to make the hotel a more tech-friendly space through new-age technology for our guests. We are constantly working to lend memorable experiences to our guests with personalized offerings and established a benchmark through impeccable service standards,” Dayya said.

“According to STR, we are currently number one in our competition set. With an increasing number of guests visiting the property and getting familiar with the brand and our services, we have managed to achieve a great share in the market,” Dayya informed adding that there were more travellers coming to Mumbai and looking for a place to unwind and spend quality time in, something which fit his hotel’s bill.

As far as getting increasing customer base was concerned, Dayya was a great fan of the AccorHotel global network and its strong loyalty program, which he felt would help get him more repeat customers as well as a solid loyal customer base.

“We are constantly innovating and creating ways of positive engagement through multiple channels to build long term customer relationships,” he added.