After two years of mayhem, the pandemic era was undeniably a rigid phase with numerous travel restrictions and several variants of coronavirus emerging, not only to all people but majorly affecting the hospitality industry as a whole. Harsv Manu Kaushik, F&B Director, The Park New Delhi, recollects, “Undoubtedly, the hospitality industry was one of the most impacted industries by the pandemic. Not only did many people in the industry lose their jobs, but the industry itself witnessed significant changes in the way the market functions. Moreover, one cannot disagree with the fact that along with the employees, the employers underwent massive pause due to unprecedented lockdowns; hence the speed of recovery was challenged time and again. To conclude, the industry faced lockdowns and cancellations in the second and third waves of the pandemic leading to a severe business downturn in the past two financial years.”
The same industry is now ready to bounce back on a greater business level. They have now fetched new innovative and creative packages for the guests, which can be altered and designed according to their needs, bringing all their needs under one roof and leaving them with no hassling around, all catering to post-covid care. “The SOP created aims to minimize all possible physical contacts between staff and guests and maintain Physical distancing and other preventive measures like sanitiser dispensers in all guest areas specially at the entrance, using face covers/ masks, Number of guests in elevator to be restricted, contact less process like OR codes, Online forms, Digital payments like e- Wallet are some of the measures implemented by the hotel,” articulates Kalpesh Kerkar, Banquet Manager, Fairfield by Marriott Mumbai.
Planning a wedding in India has always been a tumultuous mission. With the upcoming wedding season hitting the calendars and blocking the dates, guests are running from hotel to caravansary to find their desired date and location. Unlike when guests usually attended weddings wishing the guests and having leisure time, since the pandemic, the dynamics of the ‘big fat Indian wedding’ have changed, and a few guests are attending the wedding.
The guests now focus more on a bespoke experience, a heartfelt ambience and various cuisines to choose from. Kerkar further enhances, “We have an All-inclusive package for weddings, including Banquet venue, décor, planners, and rooms for a bespoke experience for our guests.”
In addition to these bespoke experiences, hotels have also come up with innovative wedding packages which help future couples find all their expected necessities in one place, with specially curated offers for each couple in a personalised and specified manner. Kaushik, from The Park New Delhi, says, “We believe that each bride and groom deserve a wedding venue as unique as their union, and we at The Park New Delhi know the importance of this celebration. One of the experiences our guests truly appreciate is – arranging a visit to their choice of worship place, before or after the wedding ceremonies happening in the hotel. , since we are located at a very prime location in Delhi, we are nearby an array of religious places of worship like the Bangla Sahib Gurudwara, Shri Laxmi Narayan Mandir (Birla Mandir), Arya Samaj Temple, Free Church Connaught Place, Sacred Heart Cathedral Catholic Church, and Moti Masjid, as per our guests’ preference we do arrange a visit to their choice of worship place, before or after the wedding ceremonies happening in the hotel.”
Destination weddings, an ongoing mania nowadays, have promised an immense rise in revenue for hotels and would benefit from regaining losses caused due to the global pandemic. Prashant Tripathi, Director Sales & Marketing, Le Meridien, Jaipur Resort and Spa, improves. “With the Indian wedding season gaining momentum again, there has been a considerable increase in business queries. The customer preference in wedding destinations is still inclined towards domestic locations, with Jaipur getting quite a major share in the wedding market. Also, Le Meridien Jaipur Resort & Spa being a leisure resort, has attracted quite a good business owing to weddings at large. Our hotel, with well-appointed 126 rooms, is the perfect venue for an intimate wedding of 250 to 300 guests offering a complete buyout to wedding hosts looking for exclusivity and privacy. This buyout offer has been well received in the market and is a primary source of good revenue share.”
The comeback seems reassuring to the hotel industry and to the patrons with new advanced practices and high-end expertise in planning a perfect wedding. Prashant Tripathi, Director of Sales & Marketing, Le Meridien, Jaipur Resort and Spa, elaborates, “We are showcasing what makes our hotel different from the rest, whether that be our unique history, stunning architecture as well as the commitment to sustainability and partnering with local vendors. By offering virtual interactions and highlighting positive customer experiences, we are trying to meet the ever-changing needs of our clientele.
Although the wedding season is very hands-on, the past year has brought about new virtual capabilities to make for more prosperous seasons to come. Investing considerably in photography and videography while also being listed in online venue directories and getting featured in publications. The need for the buzz to be always around the brand by social media activations, email marketing and other efforts are also aligned to achieve the same.”
