Opening new doors

His affable and friendly demeanor puts you at ease immediately, but don’t be fooled by that charming smile – this seasoned hotelier doesn’t suffer fools gladly. KB Kachru, chairman-South Asia of Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, has not just seen the industry evolve and grow but has also played a significant role in ringing in changes.
Over cups of green tea and lunch at the Park Plaza, Gurgaon, Kachru looks back at the eventful journey over the last three decades and forward to achieving his vision of having 100 operating hotels in India. “The key issue is the growth of the company and the strategy that should help us in moving towards our objective of what we want to be five years from now. We are fortunate to have made inroads not only in metros but also in secondary and tertiary locations. As an international company, we had the courage to go to these places and it is paying now,” Kachru says.
Kachru goes on to add that Carlson Rezidor aims to have a strong presence in every state of the country and, as a move in that direction, the group has targeted state capitals first. “Working towards achieving this, in the last three years, we have covered 75 per cent of the state capitals,” he reveals.
But how does he plan to achieve this in the light of the global slowdown? “India has always had its own challenges besides the impact of the economic slowdown – but it is a combination of challenges that pushes you and makes you perform,” he quips.
That growth won’t be easy is a fact acknowledged by all hotel brands since there are challenges in terms of real estate, government approvals, funding, skills, amongst others, but the trick to overcome them lies in “working around things” says Kachru. And having been part of many committees that have brought about a positive change in the hospitality industry, he should know.
The key brands with a focused presence in India are Radisson Blu, Radisson, Park Plaza and Park Inn by Radisson. Other than these brands, Carlson Rezidor also has an established brand in the mid segment – Country Inn and Suites which, according to Kachru, has been the market leader in that segment.”
“We are very excited about Park Inn by Radisson that is a mid-market brand but very tech savvy, contemporary, with more colours. Keeping in mind the average age of a traveller in the next five years, it has a very young concept and the mock-up rooms are ready,” adds Kachru.