Visheshwar Raj Singh, general manager of the much-awaited Trident, Bandra Kurla, Mumbai, tells Punam Mohandas he and his team are not content to pigeonhole themselves as mere hoteliers.
What are your main responsibilities as general manager of the Trident, Bandra Kurla, going to entail?
My primary responsibility as general manager would be to ensure a seamless opening. This will be followed by a phase of consolidation where the focus will be on developing guest loyalty, increasing market share, maximising revenue, and increasing team engagement while minimising attrition.
What do you foresee as the most challenging part of your job?
My biggest challenge would be to ensure that the years of hard work that have gone into the hotel bear fruit in terms of continuously delivering an exceptional guest experience, increased revenue, and market share.
The room inventory in north Mumbai is already quite high and increasing every year, so the key differentiator will be service. In my opinion, the answer lies in genuinely happy smiles and engaged employees. The challenge would be to sustain the intensity of this kinetic energy that is palpable the minute you walk through the entrance or service doors.
What qualities do you have that you think make you the right choice for this role?
Having worked at some of the finest hotels within The Oberoi Group and having handled front office operations at The Oberoi, Bangalore during the ‘dot-com’ boom years, I think I have acquired a healthy mix of a passion for excellence and business management skills. Perhaps that experience coupled with a down-to-earth, people-oriented management style, contributed to my being chosen to lead this hotel.
You are a home-grown Oberoi product; what is it about the Oberoi group that commands your loyalty?
I view my approach to life as an extension of The Oberoi Group’s philosophy. The company’s core values reflect my personal beliefs, and that probably explains why I have never thought of leaving. This is a company where people treat others as they wish to be treated themselves.
What do you see as the USP of your hotel?
Trident, Bandra Kurla is the most contemporary hotel in north Mumbai, located in the city’s new financial and commercial district – the Bandra Kurla Complex. Our hotel’s proximity to the airport and convenient access to business, entertainment, and shopping centres will make it an ideal destination for business and leisure travellers. We have used technology sensibly and thoughtfully throughout the hotel to enhance guest comfort, convenience and safety.
Would you care to share some of the business strategies you hope to implement? How will your hotel identify itself among the plethora of hotels that already exist, what will be its niche?
Our key differentiators are location, product quality, and service. Finally, to top it all and seal the deal, we offer warm and caring service delivered by an energetic and well trained team. My team and I are not content with pigeonholing ourselves as hoteliers or hospitality service providers. We believe that we are in the business of making memories.
Whom do you perceive as your closest competition?
Every five-star hotel in north Mumbai is our competitor – but the geographically closer hotels will of course feature more prominently in our sales meetings and revenue discussions.
The opening has been delayed; do you think this has made people lose interest in the property, or has it only whetted the appetite?
The extended pre-opening period has allowed us to bypass the normal ‘soft opening’ phase and welcome guests to a complete and fully finished hotel.
What has been the most unusual experience of your career so far?
A guest at The Oberoi Amarvilas in Agra once asked me to organise a sunrise visit to the Taj Mahal as he planned to propose to his girlfriend. He also wanted an elephant waiting at the gate when they returned, with a banner that read, “She said YES!” We did manage to arrange the elephant as I recall, but it was quite a challenge trying to keep it out of sight – after all, there are only so many ways to conceal an elephant! There was also the challenge of explaining this to the mahout, who confounded everyone by asking what he was supposed to do if the lady said “No”!
Where in the world would you like to work the most and why?
The world has shrunk so much that I would hate to limit my options by naming any one corner of the global village, however, I grew up in Nainital, which was a quiet and peaceful little hill station, so my instinct is always to return to the mountains. Unfortunately, there are currently no world class hotels in the Kumaon region, so it looks like I will have to build my own ‘hotel on the hill’ sometime in the future!
Away from your work, what do you do to relax?
Apart from bird watching and wildlife photography, I love to watch movies. I enjoy reading works by creative and irreverent authors; I also listen to a lot of music. I spend a lot of time researching and buying gadgets and generally chilling out at home with my wife, Sanaya, and our two cocker spaniels, Schlomo and Blunder.
