Indian cities are going through a vortex of lockdowns and openings and then lockdowns again, throwing most businesses out of gear.
While every segment has been badly hit, hospitality is among the worst. Hotels, to open, need cities to stay open and guests to come in. Bengaluru was among the first cities in India to open in June after a nationwide lockdown. Even as we write this, we have received news that it has again been placed under a two-week lockdown due to rising infections.
Quite frustrating for hoteliers! However, Bengaluru has had a good month-and-a-half run with no lockdown, in which hotels have been allowed to open. The time may have offered hoteliers in India’s tech city an insight into the ground reality of opening up properties in fluid, complex times such as these. We spoke to Bengaluru hoteliers to examine what the process has been like and what lessons they can offer to hotels in other parts of the country.
Srijan Vadhera, General Manager, Conrad Bengaluru.
Conrad Bangalore’s General Manager Srijan Vadhera says, “Given the current quarantine restrictions outlined by MHA, business travel, which is the main contributor of business to hotels in the city, continues to be nonexistent, as of now. At this stage, the recovery of this segment seems long-drawn and only once travel restrictions are lifted, will we be able to ascertain the pace of our recovery.”
Vadhera recommends a two-layer approach to opening up a business. “The first is concerning travel, flight and mobility restrictions that were implemented by the government. This is our 30-60 day window. In this case, our focus largely emphasises on the demands of the local market. For those residing in the city, our focus has been on leisure, weddings and celebrations, and food & beverage. To me, this is the immediate window.”
In the second layer is the 60-90 day bracket, which is subject to travel relaxations extended by MHA. “I am sure that once the travel restrictions are eased out, we will slowly and gradually start targeting domestic corporate customers. Our strategy here is to focus on the relatively less impacted industries—healthcare, government and nationalised institutions, banking and infrastructure, to name a few. To ensure that we remain relevant and top of the mind, we have increased engagement on digital marketing platforms.”
Slow recovery of celebratory events and leisure segment
Fredrik Blomqvist, General Manager, Four Seasons Hotel Bengaluru
Since Unlock 1.0, the hospitality industry in Bengaluru has seen a gradual pick-up in the leisure segment. Fredrik Blomqvist, General Manager, Four Seasons Hotel Bengaluru reports the emergence of ‘backyard tourism’. “We are targeting local patrons and expatriates, providing great staycation options for them to enjoy a getaway in their city, and there is increased interest in our suite offers. We have also noticed that ‘backyard tourism’ is taking precedence and guests from nearby locations are driving down to have an experiential getaway. Staycationers are currently more in number than business guests because flights have not opened up fully and companies are prone to working from home.”
Somnath Mukherjee, Area Director – Karnataka and General Manager, Taj West End, Bengaluru
The IHCL hotels have reported an increase in milestone celebrations. Somnath Mukherjee, Area Director – Karnataka and General Manager, Taj West End, Bengaluru says, “We have seen celebrations of events such as wedding and work anniversaries and momentous birthday. Our target audience has responded positively to offers such as in-suite dining and curated private dining in alfresco spaces as well.” Taj West End, Bengaluru’s lush gardens spread over 20 acres of land offers the right set of circumstances to conduct small events with social distancing and an opportunity of open-air as against closed spaces.
Manas V. Krishnamoorthy, General Manager, ITC Windsor
According to Manas V. Krishnamoorthy, General Manager, ITC Windsor, leisure, private celebrations and bespoke wedding within government regulations will see some amount of uptick. ITC’s Bengaluru hotels have also seen some traction from leisure travellers seeking a change.
The same trend of leisure and staycation demand has been witnessed by Conrad Bangalore for which the
domestic market generates about 52% of its business. “These offers excite local families who may be fatigued being restricted to the confines of their homes. These are families with children and couples alike, who are looking to ‘break-away’ from their routine for a while,” adds Vadhera.
“Additionally, we see a considerable amount of demand emanating for weddings and celebrations, although not on the same scale as earlier. We have seen slight traction with rooms being booked for guests or the bride and groom on each occasion.” The quantum of queries in the wedding segment has seen an uptick and will remain crucial to their plans of recovery.
Conrad Bangalore has done considerable events in June already and until a vaccine is launched, it is fair to say that the banqueting experience will be different from what it used to be. “With social distancing measures and heightened hygiene protocols, guests will see visible hand sanitization stations across the hotel. That being said, the DNA of spreading the light and warmth of hospitality is what our guests are familiar with, and that remains unchanged,” adds Vadhera.
Dine-in and in-room dining
While at this moment, due to the second lockdown, guests cannot be welcomed for dine-in at hotels, in June several properties were witness to an increasing interest in the dining-in experience.
Shibil Malik, General Manager, Sheraton Grand Bangalore Hotel at Brigade Road
Shibil Malik, General Manager, Sheraton Grand Bangalore Hotel at Brigade Road, says, “We have begun seeing some early signs of recovery, especially in the dining segment, as our guests gained confidence with our stringent hygiene standards and felt safe to venture out of their homes.”
At Conrad Bangalore, the F&B venues are slowly welcoming more people for meals and celebrations in small groups. “We are pleasantly surprised to see a healthy number of walk-ins daily in our restaurants, despite the current restrictions on liquor service,” says Vadhera.
Besides opening all the rooms and suites, meeting and banquet venues and Conrad SPA, the hotel has unbolted two of its dining venues—Caraway Kitchen, the all-day diner and Tiamo, the alfresco by the poolside Mediterranean restaurant. “Conrad Bengaluru is certified ISO 2200:2018 Food Safety Management System, an international testament to the hygiene standards, and our food handling
complies with all FSSAI norms.”
At Four Seasons Hotel Bengaluru, the Asian brasserie, Far& East, has generated considerable interest in
the first 10 days of opening. “However, the new curfews announced will set it back slightly (8 pm daily and through the day on Sundays),” says Blomqvist.
In-room dining is likely to see a spurt as more guests go back to eating in the room. “For guests enjoying
a meal in the comfort of their room, our team members deliver food at the doorstep, and unlike the pre-COVID era, do not enter the room. Certain services have been minimised, e.g. turn-down service is available every third day of the stay, mini bars have been removed, all magazines have also been removed.”
ITC Windsor has introduced alternative in-room dining experiences with individual pre-packaged portions served under a cloche. The package comes with sanitised and sealed crockery, cutlery and tableware as part of their ‘Knock and Drop’ menu, which enables guests to have zero contact with associates.
A hotel as an office
There is an interest from corporates to hire suites and other spaces, where their executives can meet, discuss projects or just spend some time. Conrad Bangalore has launched ‘Work from Conrad’, a property based campaign to offer that ‘break’ from working continuously at home.
“We offer free high-speed WiFi in a clean, hygienic environment. Packages with coffee and small bites have seen some traction,” adds Vadhera. THE Park Bangalore is focusing on attracting people who would work from a hotel and are confident about its safety and hygiene standards.
Private dining rooms such as this one at Four Seasons Bengaluru allow for effective social distancing to families.
“We have created a customer journey map video for our guests. This amplifies our SHIELD protocol and helps us deliver our message of care and protection. We are promoting this through social media and to
our database.”
Taj West End, Bengaluru’s ‘work from hotel’ offers are day packages especially constructed with an individual or corporate need in mind. Sheraton Grand Bangalore Hotel at Brigade Gateway has introduced the experience of office spaces out of the hotel, offering reliable and safe plug & play workstations and just-intime meeting spaces.
The first tentative steps
All hotels have begun implementing safety and hygiene protocols drawn up by their umbrella hospitality group. At IHCL’s hotels, including Taj West End, Bengaluru, the measures incorporated range from basic thermal screening to the critical intensive hospital-level sanitisation of high-touch areas, as well as contactless processes.
The pandemic demands that businesses re-think and re-invent keeping the new norms at the core. Hotels have had to reorganise spaces such as lobbies and other public areas to incorporate physical distancing protocols. “Restaurants with reduced seating also have had to rework their manning, sourcing and the overall service flow. In-room dining has seen a complete overhaul and has been made contactless,” adds Somnath Mukherjee, Area Director – Karnataka and General Manager, Taj West End, Bengaluru.
Four Seasons Hotel Bengaluru opened on June 15 with the ‘Lead with Care’ program which outlines clear procedures that function via a three-pronged approach, entailing enhanced cleanliness, heightened guest safety, and comfort and empowered employees.
The hotel has deputed a hygiene officer who is focused on implementing enhancements to already stringent procedures. “A key part of the service experience will continue to be the Four Seasons App and
Four Seasons Chat. Features include the ability to make and manage reservations, request luggage pickup, airport transfers, room service and restaurant reservations,” says Fredrik Blomqvist, General Manager, Four Seasons Hotel Bengaluru. “Wait-free check-in and check-out are also offered, while Four Seasons Chat integration offers instant translation of 100+ languages, giving you the option of contactless engagement throughout your stay.”
ITC Hotels in Bengaluru (ITC Windsor, ITC Gardenia and Welcom-Hotel Bengaluru) opened their chic doors on June 8 by launching the ‘WeAssure’ initiative. “In a first for the hospitality industry, ITC Hotels
will receive accreditation by the National Accreditation Board for Hospitals & Healthcare Providers (NABH)—the leading standard organisation for sanitation, hygiene, safety and infection control practices,” says Manas V. Krishnamoorthy, General Manager, ITC Windsor.
ITC Windsor, Bangalore has reengineered guest experiences with minimal associate contact (including digital ordering and e-payment solutions) and remodelled the hotel layout. “We have incorporated WelcomSeparators—movable barriers between tables to ensure safe distancing; tableware, crockery, cutlery pre-sanitised and served in individual sealed pouches; individual servings for sauces and condiments; hand sanitisers on each table; QR-code enabled digital menus and e-payment.”
Conrad Bangalore has implemented the Hilton CleanStay program that identifies 10 high touchpoints across public areas, rooms, dining and event spaces. “These global guidelines have been developed in conjunction with Reckitt Benckiser, makers of Dettol & Lysol, and in consultation from Mayo Clinic,” says General Manager Srijan Vadhera.
The visible ‘sanitisation at the porch’ offers a safety and hygiene assurance from the time a guest steps within the hotel. “The digital key via Hilton Honors App allows for seamless access to the guest room and public areas,” adds Vadhera. “Express check-in takes place in the comfort of the room, where our team member completes necessary formalities.”
At Sheraton Grand Bangalore Hotel at Brigade Gateway, a safety deck has been created to communicate the steps undertaken. “Smart visual questions have been incorporated at critical touchpoints in a guest journey to remind them of the significance of social distancing. We have leveraged the expertise of our hygiene partners to train our associates, both in theory and in practice,” says Malik.
The layout of the restaurants has been reorganised to allow for adequate gaps between the tables of about 1.5m each. “The reservations at our restaurants are being effectively managed to avoid crowding. Traditional menus have been replaced by QR codes to aid the contact- less experience.”
Ajit Singh Garcha, Area General Manager, THE Park Bangalore
The Park Bangalore has installed charmoir, a portable hand-wash and sanitiser station at all entry and exit points with the foot-push mechanism. All cars are disinfected and cleaned for each guest. “Check-in cards are UV treated before being handed over to guests. Emergency contact numbers are shared via WhatsApp and email before check-in,” says Ajit Singh Garcha, Area General Manager, THE Park Bangalore.
The in-stay experience is marked by cleansing and sanitising with electro-static gun sprayers and VIREX fumigation. The rooms are left vacant for 72 hours before the next check-in. Identified high touch-points such as doorknobs, remote and tables are disinfected with VIREX / OXIVIR.
Bengaluru’s hotels have begun promoting small conferences and events. But this has meant major modifications to the venues. “We have introduced assisted buffet at our meeting venues, minimising multiple external touches. Hand sanitising stations have been established at various high-traffic locations such as hotel entrances, banquet elevator banks, and in all our meeting spaces,” claims Shibil Malik, General Manager, Sheraton Grand Bangalore Hotel at Brigade Road. “We expect more people will opt for individual portion food items, served with minimal contact.”
Creating new revenue streams
Creating ancillary revenues is the name of the survival game. While hotels continue to focus on domestic
travellers and the repatriation business, which will remain the key segments until international travel resumes, they intend to fill this vacuüm by focusing on ancillary revenues and offering specially curated value-added packages.
Hotels such as Taj West End Bangalore have set their sights on residents who form a very significant segment for the F&B business. Mukherjee says, “Early in the lockdown phase, we had introduced contactless food take-away service—Hospitality@Home, which offered gourmet food, bakery and wellness hamper from the JIVA spa as takeaways from our hotels. We have launched Qmin in Karnataka, a differentiated food delivery experience where guests can order their favourite dishes from our iconic restaurants across the city, and will be launching the app soon.”
Conrad Bangalore has initiated a host of ancillary services, ranging from laundry and housekeeping services in high-end residential apartments in and around our vicinity. “Like industry peers, we have also started food deliveries. From a knowledge-sharing perspective, we have been in discussions with catering colleges, where we share industry insights and practical knowledge of the workspace, through virtual platforms and physical sessions.
Taj West End Bangalore’s ‘work from hotel’ offers are day packages especially constructed with an individual need in mind
The charges associated with this are the bare minimum, as our focus remains on educating the hoteliers of tomorrow,” claims Vadhera. With several employees from other industries working from home, the hotel has had several HR leaders reach out to them for fun employee engagement activities. “Recently, we conducted paid virtual sessions with corporates and leading associations, where we showcased Conrad’s Culinary Excellence in a workshop.
“ The ancillary revenue streams could also come from offering office space solutions at hotels, packed food boxes delivered to offices, and family staycations within the city, says Malik. “We have introduced flexible cancellations or date change options until the end of this year. The social segment and wedding business will continue to be a major source of revenue, but with limited numbers. Our all-inclusive ‘Intimate wedding package’ that caters to smaller gatherings has been received with great positivity.”
Differential offerings to draw in guests
From interesting staycation packages to all-inclusive offers, hotels in Bengaluru have pulled out all stops to attract footfalls in what could offer lessons to other cities that will open up later. Many hotels have broken on bent regular rules, such as check-in and check-out policies.
IHCL has launched quite a few initiatives in-line to re-imagine their offerings such as 4D – Dream, Drive, Discover and Delight. “It offers guests the perfect opportunity to drive with families and friends to discover, unwind and be one with nature once again. Karnataka offers myriad choices—from colonial charm to coffee plantations and dense rainforests at breathtaking destinations such as Coorg and Chikmagalur, amongst others. Guests can choose from exclusive villas, bungalows, cottages, or suites across hotels,” reveals Mukherjee.
IHCL’s Urban Getaways programme encourages travellers to take short and much-needed break post the country-wide lockdown. “They can choose from the many experiences that will allow them to enjoy a mini-vacation within the comfort of their resident city.”
ITC hotels in Bangalore have introduced a responsible dining initiative that presents mindfully curated menus based on a harmony of seasonal selections. “Familiar flavours and inventive cuisine feature healthy, delectable fares under the ‘Local Love’ and ‘Seasonal Produce’ sections,” states Krishnamoorthy.
Gourmet Couch is another of ITC’s curated menu offering from their signature restaurants. “Guests can order their favourite dishes from restaurants such as Royal Afghan and Dakshin, from the comfort of their homes.”
Four Seasons Hotel Bengaluru has put out interesting offers to get in guests in the form of RESTART 2020 package, which offers guests one night’s stay free for every two nights, and THE SUITE LIFE offer with a mid-year staycation in a suite, with early check-in and late check-out.
At Sheraton Grand Bangalore Hotel at Brigade Road, a staycation package offers inclusions such as meal credit worth Rs 2000 per night, early check-in and late check-out, complimentary room upgrade on availability, In-room beverages on arrival with breakfast and high-speed internet.
For most Bengaluru hotels this has been a phase of experimentation. Many realise that for city hotels, small and medium entrepreneurs who travel will hold the key. “We must also recognise that the backbone of domestic business for hotels has been the small-to-medium business lines that will take much longer Taj West End Bangalore’s ‘work from hotel’ offers are day packages especially constructed with an individual or corporate need in mind.
