Rohit Bajpai, General Manager, Sheraton Grand Palace Indore, says, F&B plays a significant role for establishing brand recognition

It may be the most populous city in the state of Madhya Pradesh but Indore boasts of being the cleanest one in the country, a tag it has earned for six consecutive years. Also known for its cotton handloom industry, as an education hub and its street food, night markets and much more, Indore is home to magnificent palaces, temples and innumerable places of interest. Little wonder then that it is frequented by tourists from far and near and has loads of potential when it comes to the tourism and hospitality markets.

Sharing his views on the same, Rohit Bajpai, General Manager, Sheraton Grand Palace Indore, says, “Indore has significant potential for employment generation as it is a destination for culture-based tourism due to its proximity to the jyotirlingas of Mahakaleshwar and Omkareshwar. The heritage textile industry of Malwa is well-known for its quality and affordable prices. Since the city lies in SEZ, corporate tourism is at its peak in this region. The infrastructure of the city is magnificent with lots of IT parks and there are large numbers of educational institutions too, which is an added advantage for our hotel business. These educational institutions conduct seminars and conferences due to which a large number of guests need hotels for stay during the entire event.” 

He adds that as Indore is the financial capital of the state, various national and international activities are organised in the city. Apart from this, there has been a steep increase in the number of sports activities due to the presence of international level facilities which, in turn, is beneficial to the hotel industry. “Indore also serves as the training centre for different departments and space is required for conducting trainings which is an added advantage,” Bajpai says.

Excerpts from an interview:

Year-end vacation and festive season for Sheraton Grand Palace Indore

The year-end was fantabulous. Our revenue picked up pace and we witnessed a lot of corporate movement. The key highlight was the spell-bounding performance of the sales team. Equal emphasis was given to both offline and online marketing activities to achieve the desired objectives. A wide variety of offers were extended to the clients. Owing to dynamic policies, footfall increased at a considerable rate and we received bookings from different corners of the country. Also, our property was on the top of the list of the clients who chose us as their wedding destination. Sheraton was also the first choice in terms of hosting events. We aimed at different spheres to generate leads and boost our business. Excellent feedback was received from the clients for the hospitality offered. Overall, it turned out to be a golden quarter.

Role of F&B in business

Every area in the hotel is crucial to overall performance but the food and beverage division, the hotel’s lifeline, is significant for establishing brand recognition. It is the primary force behind ensuring high customer satisfaction by giving guests excellent service that leaves everlasting memory. While adapting to the evolving trends, the F&B has shifted its emphasis to include more options for health and wellness, sustainability and eco-friendliness, technology-based ordering and payment methods, increased competition from dining options outside of hotels and constant focus on being more adaptable to satisfy changing customer demands. We are happy to dispel the idea that hotels must sell non-vegetarian food to survive by proudly sharing that our hotel is a pure vegetarian hotel, serving 500-plus vegetarian delicacies for the last three successful years.

Changing customer demands 

Being in the hotel industry, we have to be on our toes to meet customer demands and adapt with the upcoming changes and to ensure the best experiences for our guests.

1. Keep up with customer preferences and expectations: It’s important for hotels to stay up-to-date on the latest trends and preferences in the industry. This can include offering more sustainable practices, providing faster and more reliable internet, offering contactless check-in and check-out, providing more health and wellness options and more.
2. Collect feedback and use it to improve: Hotels should regularly solicit feedback from their guests and use that feedback to make improvements to their services and offerings. This can be done through surveys, reviews and social media monitoring.
3. Invest in technology: Technology can help hotels better meet the needs of their guests. This can include mobile apps for easy booking and check-in, digital room keys and in-room entertainment systems.
4. Train and empower employees: Hotel staff should be well-trained and empowered to meet the needs of guests. This includes providing exceptional customer service, being able to handle guest complaints and requests, and anticipating guest needs before they arise.
5. Personalise guest experience: Personalisation is key to ensuring the best guest experience. This can include offering customised room amenities, personalised recommendations for dining and activities and remembering guests’ preferences from previous visits.

Overall, by staying attuned to customer demands, collecting feedback, investing in technology, training employees, and personalising the guest experience, hotels can ensure that they are meeting the needs of their guests and providing the best possible experience.

Technology as an enabler 

The increase in technology has proved to be a boon and definitely helped the industry grow. Marketing tasks have become easier. Like facilities such as mobile check-ins and checkouts, choosing a room of choice before even checking-in to the hotel have made the experience of guests’ par excellence. But at the same time, the human touch for which the hospitality industry is known for has also not been reduced. To maintain it, there are many touch points like personalised welcome services, spa services and the most importantly, the Guest Relations Department which takes care of the overall experience which has to be outstanding. We being humans need good food and sound sleep which cannot be replaced by technology, and hence, I do not see the rapidly growing technology will pose any major threat to the hotel industry as we provide food and shelter which are the basic human requirements. Besides this, our call centre executives take utmost care to give human touch to the clients and check for their satisfaction levels.

Initiative to control wastage of food and energy

We have a tool known as MESH (Marriott Environmental Sustainability Hub) with the help of which we capture and calculate carbon, energy, water and waste consumption. With the help of our experienced chefs, we ensure the food is prepared in required quantities and not wasted. We compost food scraps to reduce the amount of waste that goes to landfills. We are mindful of portion sizes when cooking and eating. And to save energy, we ensure the turning off lights and appliances when not in use. We have been using energy-efficient light bulbs and appliances and have installed insulation in walls, attics, and basements to reduce energy loss.

Evolving trends in 2023

After Covid19, the hospitality industry has come across the many new trends and given us a fair chance to capture the market. For 2023, there will be increased focus on sustainability and eco-friendliness; integration of technology to enhance guest experience and increase efficiency; emergence of new hotel brands and alternative accommodations; emphasis on wellness, health and safety, including health protocols and amenity offerings; greater personalisation of guest experience through data-driven services; expansion of virtual and augmented reality experiences; growth of F&B offerings as a key differentiator; increased investment in outdoor and communal spaces; development of hybrid models combining elements of hotels, serviced apartments and co-living spaces and rise of sustainable tourism and responsible travel practices.

To sum up, we are wishing for the best for 2023. After recently hosting the G20 Summit in our hotel, we hope to gain MICE business and establish ourselves as a top wedding destination for visitors from across the world.