Suman Gahlot, GM, Aloft New Delhi Aerocity, talks about the myriad ways in which the hospitality industry has adapted to the pandemic.

The impact of Covid-19 has left nobody and no industry unscathed. While for some it has been a boon especially in the ferociously competitive world of e-commerce, the growth of which has only accelerated beyond algorithms, for others less so.

Hospitality as we knew, experienced and cherished was turned on its head in a matter of lightning fast moments which proffered very little time to process, ponder or procrastinate on the magnitude of changes which came charging at us. As seasoned hoteliers, we are trained and prepped to handle crisis calls with the utmost level headedness, calm and composure but while what came our way was unparalleled, the silver lining of it all (and there always is one!) was the agility and steadfast resolve with which we all embraced the change and re learnt, unlearnt and reimagined hospitality in a way we would have never even thought of before!

Plush hotel rooms being converted to almost hospital ward like settings, the traditional warm, friendly welcomes which our guests are accustomed to was replaced with a physically distant welcome, while still being as socially connected as possible with teams in full protective gear, one could easily mistake a hotel for a hospital, but given that was the need of the hour, it was managed, organised, orchestrated with the most seamless precision and perseverance given this was the ‘new normal’. 

Food being served to guests in take away, single use plastic was a far cry from the beautifully dressed and decorated dining experiences that we were sublimely known for. We had to kiss goodbye to the days the room was serviced twice keeping in mind high levels of personalisation for a guests stay and switch them out for levels of service which were unfathomable to us.

Less is more is a mantra we were getting used to very quickly. The extravagant, lavish banquets, celebrations, family occasions, zen yoga sessions almost seemed a distant dream, with us having to limit all interactions, scale down attendance and the number of guests in all our outlets almost making a 250 room luxurious 5 star hotel into a 50 room beautiful boutique setting with a more personalised level of service albiet in head to toe protective gear.

Whilst day to day operations underwent a colossal shift, some of these were actually a breath of fresh air, which pushed our creativity levels even further. Luxury Five star hotels would have never thought of extending their offerings for home delivery services, but that was a new found business model which not only worked to the advantage of the hotels overall business but also for guests who could have their favourite delicacy personally prepared for them and delivered to their door step, best suited for days when another home cooked meal just wouldn’t make the cut, given the number of lockdown days we have had.

Utilising spaces in a way that the fewer number of guests we had could enjoy every aspect of the ambience, experience, moving away from the typical Sunday buffet’s to a more a’la carte, elevated, personalised dining experience curated just for them.

Socially distant events with reduced numbers, has opened our eyes to the fact that whilst we still love and adore the larger than life weddings, celebratory occasions – there is as much gravitas and fun to be had in a more intimate settings of fewer guests which whilst we had no choice with, now we are seeing a trend towards these becoming a surprising request.

Even the perceptions and expectations of guests have undergone a whirlwind change. From wanting their rooms to be serviced multiple times a day, the most discerning of travellers now prefer not having their room serviced if its just a short stay and they are now more measured about what they do and don’t need. It's their and our little step towards a more sustainable future.

Virtual connections and meetings were something of an exception in 2019 , but what a difference a few months make! We are all more virtual and tech savvy and I have to admit the meetings online are a lot more efficient and while they can never replace personal interactions, they certainly have expanded our horizon on having a more hybrid model to suit all purposes. We recently even hosted a wedding which was streamed live to 250 guests across seven countries & multiple timezones!

Change is the name of the game and it has never been truer than now! While we do earnestly hope to return to the way things were, there may be some changes that are here to stay and shape the future of this dynamic hospitality industry which even though a little bruised from the pandemic, will only emerge stronger.