Navi Mumbai has established itself as a hospitality hub. With a variety of properties functioning in the area and new projects in pipeline, international and domestic brands are competing for the guests in the area. As Subhabrata Roy takes over as the new General Manager of Four Points by Sheraton Navi Mumbai, Vashi, BW Hotelier speaks to him on his plans for the year ahead and more.

The
Four Points by Sheraton Navi Mumbai, Vashi saw a four per cent increase in
overall occupancy this year, exceeding its targeted occupancy for the year
ending March 31, 2016.

“We
are working on exceeding the targets this year as well”, said Subhabrata Roy,
General Manager of the hotel, while speaking to BW Hotelier. So far the hotel
occupancy hovers around 82-83 per cent with domestic and international guests having
an equal share of total rooms. The average length of stay of guests is 3.5
days. Roy told us that the Guest Experience Index (GEI) is 8.7 per cent for the
hotel. The TripAdvisor rating has also increased considerably.

To
get the momentum going, the hotel is taking aggressive steps on guests as well
as staff engagement, according to him.

“Guest
interaction is crucial. Initiatives have been taken to increase guest
engagement. On the request of our in-house guests, we have changed the in-room
dining menu and are also planning to come up with a new menu for the buffet”,
informed Roy.

Steps
have been taken to focus on staff engagement and training as well, he said. Activities
like salsa classes and food festivals in the cafeteria have been introduced, he
shared. “I believe these small things definitely adds value in the long-run”,
said Roy.

Another
aspect of getting guests to the hotel and keeping it in the news is social
media. The hotel is in the process of revamping its social media pages and a
new dedicated agency have come on board to look after the social media pages of
the hotel, according to the GM.

Other
important revamps keeping the new targets in mind include, the relaunch of its salon
in May, 2016 and a home drop facility for guests who stay within a 3 km radius,
to prevent drunk driving, which is also in the works.

With
the rising cost of Heat Light Power (HLP) measures have been taken to bring
down the variable costs to add to GOP.

“New
inventories will come up in Navi Mumbai over the next couple of years and we are
prepared for the competition. With guest and staff satisfaction in place,
handling additional pressure would not be a challenge for us,” affirmed Roy.

The
guest has become much more savvy, he shared, “nowadays the guests are well-versed,
thanks to the Internet and social media. Brand awareness has increased and they
know what to expect. In addition, guests have developed palate for different cuisines.
We get to know and learn a lot from our guests.”

Talking
about the mantra for success in a hotel, Roy said, “A hotel needs to get its
positioning right. This should be followed by right service, quality service
and correct marketing strategies.”