BW HOTELIER got in touch with Shiv Bose, General Manager, Sheraton Grand Chennai Resort & Spa to understand his take on the pandemic, ongoing vaccination drive and revival of the hospitality sector.

The COVID-19 pandemic did jolt the world with its surprise entry into the scene. However, it could not stop the lovebirds from carving their unified journey with the help of the services provided by various resorts. BW HOTELIER interacted with Shiv Bose, General Manager, Sheraton Grand Chennai Resort & Spa to know how they handle events like weddings in the backdrop of COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing vaccination drive.

Match made in Sheraton Grand Chennai Resort & Spa

Commenting on their plans regarding the wedding segment, Bose said, “We enjoy the tag of being the preferred venue for weddings and associated events. From curated weddings at the lawns overlooking the sea to ballroom setups, we have done it all.”

Bose also highlighted the steps taken to amplify their opportunities in this segment. The hotel offers themes with selected décor, food options and service offerings customised according to the chosen theme. “In addition to this we are also working with event planners across the terrain towards a holistic experience both for them and their clients,” he added. 

He further stated, “We plan to talk about our offerings in various online and print media publications over the course of time and create awareness of our expertise in this segment. A lot of our weddings are solemnised by virtue of word-of-mouth publicity by guests who have been patrons of the past.” 

Vaccination rollout will boost confidence amongst guests

When asked about his views on the vaccination drive that is ongoing simultaneously and its impact on guests, he said, “We are optimistic with the vaccine rollout because that will boost confidence in our guests and will bring about the advent of travel. We are witnessing great occupancy at the resort and the will in our guests to plan vacations and book packages in the offing. The vaccine jab will only support the cause for travel and uplift morale in the market for both business and leisure travel. The caveat here is the speed of distribution and the endeavour by pharma companies to make it accessible to our large population.”

Expecting a positive future for the domestic segment in 2021

Discussing about the future of domestic segment, Bose said, "The pandemic has reemphasized the importance of domestic travellers and harnessing the potential of domestic business to structure hospitality business streams. I am confident that this learning will not be forgotten, and the trend will continue to fuel demands for hotels and resorts for the large part of the current year."

He believes that the Corporate travel especially in the domestic segment is bound to grow. “I will not be surprised if there is a spurt in business travel post the availability of the vaccine in the nearest pharmacy,” he said.

Precaution is better than cure!

In the initial days of January, some leading hotels had reported instances of COVID-19 outbreaks. Considering that, Bose said that their resort conducted spot checks of their team members. “This was conducted by us as a precautionary measure. To our good fortune, the reports came negative which did cause relief,” he claimed.

He elaborated, “The situation is such that prevention is the best antidote and at the resort we have incorporated a slew of preventive measures. 'Commitment to Clean' launched by Marriott has a detailed undertaking from high touch point areas in rooms to public spaces. We stringently follow all the necessitated protocols which has been greatly appreciated by all visiting guests. For our team members and guests, we do thermal checks and encourage our associates to wear gloves and masks and use digital and distance safeguards.”