THE PARK Group of Hotels
We utilized the lockdown period to set-up a special task force, which pre-emptively looked into the functioning and
kept a tab on operations. This was the time to restructure and relook at the way businesses are being operated. We discussed innovative ideas to tackle the challenges. Today, due to our combined team effort on various possible scenarios for the next few months, we are ready to return to business. With ‘Leadership through Differentiation’, we are confident to rise above the tides of crisis.
Apeejay Surrendra Park Hotels Limited (ASPHL) launched #THEParkHeartofHope to provide a helping hand to guests and neighbours, especially the senior citizens for help with groceries, medicines or food.
The hotels distributed fresh, hygienic and wholesome food to the needy and COVID-19 frontline warriors. THE Park Bangalore had a Free Food Hour every day, where people in need could access clean drinking water, hygienic food and a sanitization station.
THE Park Chennai put together a ‘Community Cupboard’—a space dedicated to donation of clothes from hotel’s employees, which were laundered before being distributed to the underprivileged. Senior citizens needing any kind of help—buying groceries, medicines or food—called up the hotel for help.
These giving back initiatives directly impacted more than 20,000 people during the lockdown. Staying true to their culture code and values, Apeejay Surrendra Park Hotels Limited (ASPHL) optimized the use of technology and social media to ensure employees remain engaged and motivated.
The employees working from home were being up-skilled with online and e-learning modules being conducted by inhouse training managers, faculties from Apeejay Institute of Hospitality (AIH) as well as outsourced faculties. Apart from the in-house training modules, the employees were encouraged to explore learning sites such as coursera.org, which hosts numerous free courses on business, leadership, finance, human resources, technology and much more. The team conducted more than 60 sessions during the lockdown.
The teams created multiple workgroups that are both crossfunctional as well as a specific function based. These platforms inspired, connected and enabled teams to be creatively inspiring, spontaneously joyous and daringly different.
Frontline Heroes
Chef Ashutosh Awasthi, Executive Sous Chef, THE Park Kolkata :
Chef Ashutosh Awasthi lives barely 12 kilometres away from the hotel and yet continued to live at the restaurant from the day lockdown started. During the lockdown, his and his team cooked extra meals for the lesser privileged and took care of them daily. Be it the orphanage where the hotel delivered food or serving the guests staying at THE Park Kolkata, he made sure that the food he prepared makes someone smile in the tiring times.
Joy Ramchiary, Team Leader – Security, THE Park Hyderabad
Joy Ramchiary’s job became ever so important as he took multiple rounds at the hotel to ensure that everything is alright at all points in time. His team and his team went to several refugee camps and government camp areas to provide food and essentials for people there. They worked proactively and provided a vehicle for pick and drop to staff who could not commute to the hotel due to non-availability of any transport. Ramchiary personally delivered medicines to many elderly citizens and the smile on their face spoke of the biggest recognition he ever received.
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