Sarbendra Sarkar is the Founder and MD of Cygnett Hotels and Resorts. Sarkar’s 27 years of diversified experience encompasses all aspects of hotel operations, project development, business development and brand management. Today he shares insights with- Sayli Mohite, Sub-Editor for Hotelier India, on his hospitality journey, the current hospitality market, the wedding business, expansion plans for the hotel and more.
- How has your journey with Cygnett been so far?
It has been a very fruitful journey where we have been able to establish Cygnett Hotels and Resorts as one of the leading hotel chains of the country. We have been recognized as the fastest growing hospitality chain in the country by reputed organization like HVS.
We have been able to expand our presence across the country with brands that cater to different market segments. Apart from giving a reputed brand name to our partners, we have also given them a holistic support be it sales and marketing, call centre, distribution or technology.
- Any hospitality trends that you swear by?
The demand for weekend travel is here to stay. We have seen hotels now becoming a destination in itself. Guests want to relax in hotels with their families giving them ample time and sharing some memorable moments with each other.
The world class highways that have been created in recent years means that people will be happy to travel to nearby destinations whenever they get small breaks. These sojourns are going to be in high demand going forward.
- What makes Cygnett different from its competitors in the market?
Cygnett Hotels and Resorts is a progressive and tech- savvy company focused to meet the ever-evolving needs of today’s traveller. The new age traveller is looking for a range of experiences that is beyond just ‘staying’ in a property. For example, learning and engaging with local people is important for them. Eating cuisine that is regional as well as organic is a part of their travel itinerary. That’s the reason we offer to our patrons what we call as ‘Cygnetture Experiences’ in all our properties
As a hotel chain, we have the distinction of owning and creating brands that cater to the ever-evolving demand of the market. We are very excited to launch our new addition, “Cygnett Retreat” to our portfolio of brands. We have seen that there is a vacuum in the space of offering boutique resort experiences in a budget-friendly manner. With Cygnett Retreat, we want to meet the demand from such travellers. These resorts will have an inventory of 40 or fewer rooms. We are considering markets like Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Goa for opening properties under the brand.
The importance of wellness has gained significant importance in the covid world. So, we are launching a new wellness brand, “Ayurvyaas”. The brand aims to offer a holistic wellness experience to our guests for physical, cognitive, and spiritual healing using ancient Vedic sciences and contemporary practices. The properties under the brand will have an inventory of 200 or more rooms with a dedicated to Care & wellness wings.
Technology is at the core of the Cygnett brand. Technology is a core enabler in our USP to deliver the “Cygnetture Experiences”. We have our own state-of-the-art, next-generation technology platform called the “Cygnett CX” . This platform seamlessly integrates with our cognitive website. We are also brainstorming to identify how we could use Artificial Intelligence in our system as well.
- Can you quickly brief us about your expansion plans for the year 2023?
I am glad to share that we are expanding strongly with the pandemic situation improving considerably. We have recently added new hotels in places like Dehradun and Jaipur.
And going forward we are well placed to achieve our target of 100 hotels in the next five years. We are expecting 2023 to be a very good year for our expansion plans. Besides 4 to 5 projects in the North East, we are looking to open new properties in markets like West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Goa, Rajasthan, Odisha, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh to name a few. Our growth strategy will focus on smaller markets that have a lack or no presence of branded hotels.
“The aim is to be 100 hotel chain in the next 5 years and have presence in different market segments be it budget, Upscale ,midscale or wellness. We also expect to strengthen our international presence going forward”.
Sarbendra Sarkar is the Founder and MD, Cygnett Hotels and Resorts.
- Cygnett does cater to the wedding business. How do you market yourself in the wedding business being known as a budget hotel brand?
Cygnett is not just a budget hotel brand, we have properties that are in mid segment market like Cygnett Park. Wedding is an integral part of any hotel that has a banqueting space. We have been receiving healthy demand from the wedding market. In fact in some of our properties like Jaipur, wedding contributes about 50 per cent to the hotel’s overall revenue. We have recently come up with a new product Wedding Bells By Cygnett to offer one stop solution to our guests looking to host their wedding in our properties.
- A message to the young hoteliers out there with regard to the current hospitality market?
The hospitality market is here to stay and thrive in India. We are a growing market with many destinations still lacking enough hotel rooms. The tourism sector of the country is also thriving with ample room for new destinations to be promoted and developed in terms of infrastructure. I think exciting and promising days are ahead for the hospitality industry.
- Where do you see yourself taking the brand in the next years?
Like I mentioned above the aim is to be 100 hotel chain in the next 5 years and have presence in different market segments be it budget, Upscale ,midscale or wellness. We also expect to strengthen our international presence going forward.
