A management trainee in 1968 and a hotelier by 1994: Anil’s Madhok’s life as a hotelier is what true blockbusters are made of. But tell this to the soft spoken, always ready to hear a good idea Madhok, and there is a good chance that you would be doffed in zest. But prod him further and the industry legend will give you his key to success: “the life of a hotelier is a mirage, which will disappear one day. To be around, you have to look beyond the building and work for its people.” It was this life-lesson that he abides by, even after owning over 70 hotels in India and Africa with another 20 under development. “We have a pipeline of about 16 hotels that we hope to open in 12 to 18 months and are still receiving large number of requests for new properties,” reveals Madhok, who feels that the coming two years will be the “defining moment for the Indian hospitality industry, where the focus would be inbound tourism and mid market segment.” The group, which has recently launched its new property in Tirupati and has five different brands of hotels for different segments, has just launched its TV campaign to build brand awareness – and is strengthening its development team to focus on hotels and institutional services.
