The Director of Sales & Marketing of The JW Marriott Mumbai Juhu talks about the hotel’s performance and the changes introduced in their branding and communication strategy.

Social media has kept us connected in these challenging times of the pandemic, with most industries and sectors adopting it in their daily routine to reach out to the maximum number of people. The hospitality industry too has adopted social media as part of their hotel marketing strategy now more than ever before as there is a need to engage with the customers on a daily basis, especially to instill confidence among the guests about the safety and hygiene in the hotel as well as keeping them updated with the ongoing activities and offers. 

Commenting on the changes brought about in the branding and communication strategy of The JW Marriott Mumbai Juhu, Deep Vahi, Director of Sales & Marketing, said that the hotel has shifted towards communicating via digital mediums extensively. Their content showcases the hotel as an urban resort offering panoramic views of the Arabian Sea and mindful experiences as they realised that the guests were seeking revitalising getaways closer to home.  

“Our communication around the ‘Commitment to Clean’ programme and our focus on safety and hygiene across all functions at the hotel has taken centre stage since April 2020,” Vahi added. 

Taking up the mantle

The hotel witnessed a relatively good performance in the first few months of 2021, almost at par with the previous years in terms of the occupancy until the second wave of the pandemic hit in mid-April 2021. “In the past couple of months, it’s been a gradual but steady progress on the path to recovery due to the vaccination drive across the country and the phase-wise lockdown relaxations,” Vahi adds. 

The JW Marriott Mumbai Juhu’s revenue streams constitute rooms, banquet venues in terms of intimate weddings (as per the government guidelines) and Marriott Bonvoy on Wheels, their food and beverage home delivery initiative. Vahi says that, however, rooms continue to be the largest contributor which is mainly driven by domestic travellers, families seeking safe staycations and corporate travel which continues to pick up at a glacial pace.  

Have the travellers’ preferences shifted then? Vahi says the guests are now opting for longer stays, dining experiences within the hotel and all-inclusive packages with experiences for multi-generational families. He shares that in this regard, their family-centric  programme, Family by JW, offers experiences that appeal to every generation, ensuring the whole family can come together for their most meaningful moments. “Moreover, the quality of a service in terms of the brand, safety, hygiene and the extent of luxury has become the primary deciding factor and is given preference over price.”