While expanding into new territories is key to our robust growth plans, creating differentiated experiences for our guests is also central to our brand philosophy.

ACCORDING TO a World Economic Forum 2019 report, India ranks 34th in the world travel and tourism competitiveness index. This is no surprise to us at Hyatt, as India has always held a significant position for us on the global growth map. Our journey in the country began over three decades ago, with the launch of Hyatt Regency Delhi in 1983. Since 2005, we have grown tremendously and have added over 26 new hotels to our portfolio in the last 15 years. Today, operating with eight Hyatt brands in the country - Andaz, Park Hyatt, Grand Hyatt, Hyatt Regency, Hyatt Centric, Hyatt, Hyatt Place and Alila, India stands third only to the US and China in Hyatt’s global pipeline. 

Our aggressive growth plans and achievements in 2019 are testament to this. The year gone by marked the expansion of the Hyatt Centric brand in India with the opening of Hyatt Centric Candolim Goa. We also introduced two Alila properties - Alila Diwa Goa and Alila Fort Bishangarh (Jaipur) as part of our global acquisition of Two Roads Hospitality. Recently, we announced the opening of Hyatt Regency Thrissur and Hyatt Regency Dharamshala resort, which join 11 hotels under the Hyatt Regency brand in India

As we move forward into 2020, we recognize that the industry is witnessing a paradigm shift in the way people are travelling, the cities they are travelling to and the reasons they are travelling for. Travel for both business and leisure is no longer limited to large cities or only to luxury hotels. Travellers are today working and holidaying even in smaller destinations and have a range of hospitality needs while travelling. Our growth plans in India are in sync with this dynamic shift. We plan to open 11 new hotels in India across Hyatt brands and be where our guests are travelling. Which is why we are establishing our presence in emerging business, leisure and cultural destinations such as Alibaug, Udaipur, Jaipur, Dehradun, Digha, Trivandrum, Vijaywada and Vadodara. 

While expanding into new territories is key to our robust growth plans, creating differentiated experiences for our guests is also central to our brand philosophy. We understand that the mindset of the quintessential Indian traveler is evolving alongside technology acting as a positive disruptor. Today’s travelers prefer having their queries answered at the tap of a screen. To this end, Hyatt has an app that offers guests several functionalities which include but are not limited to searching, selecting and booking rooms at any of our Hyatt hotels. Our app and our tech-friendly hotel services have strengthened our guest relationships and contributed to impressive successes and achievements for Hyatt in India. 

However, our focus at Hyatt is never on business alone. And any company or group is only as good as the people who comprise it.  

Attracting the right talent and retaining them have remained big challenges for the hospitality and tourism sector. The industry has been specifically viewed as a challenging place to work in as it functions 24X7. At Hyatt, we have taken this challenge as an opportunity to constantly strengthen our people policies and introduce best practices for the industry. We have a Leadership Talent Exchange Program that supports our experiential learning objectives and provides innovative ways to challenge and motivate employees. The program is designed to give managers the opportunity to experience another location, brand or position from the one they are currently in. 

Our commitment to making Hyatt a diverse and inclusive workplace runs through all our corporate decisions. Our global program RiseHY aims to provide youngsters from less privileged backgrounds with the opportunity and training to create a career for themselves in this industry and our hotels. The program has active associations with organizations such as Youth Career Initiative (YCI), which supports young people who have faced a wide range of barriers and are between the ages of 16 to 24 to gain the skills and experience they need to take the first step in their career.

Along with caring for our people, we are also committed to caring for and giving back to the communities we operate in.

As a responsible organization, we have a strong moral obligation to maintain a healthy ecosystem and conserve the environment we operate in. Our 2020 water goal is to reduce water consumption per guest night by 25% compared to a 2006 baseline, and by 30% in water-stressed areas. To this end, we have taken concrete steps towards eliminating plastic and waste at our hotels. Park Hyatt Hyderabad has partnered with WaterHealth India to set up a water purification and glass bottling unit on the hotel premises. Hyatt Regency Delhi also opened an in-house water bottling plant. Most Hyatt properties have stopped using plastic bottles, eliminating single-use plastic bottles from the residencies. These small, but important initiatives are critical to us, as caring for our communities is embedded in the DNA of our brand. 

Till date, in our journey in India, Hyatt has exemplified how to embrace the best of local culture while maintaining international hospitality standards. As we set forth into a new decade, we are committed to focusing our efforts towards building a successful – and most importantly, a caring - business.

This article was published in BW hotelier issue dated '' with cover story titled '5 Years Young & Just Begun'