Passion and Perseverance are the two Ps that are required in abundance to succeed as a hotelier. And Souvagya Mohapatra has them both in abundance. A hospitality and tourism industry professional with an exceptional and consistent record of success in developing and management of luxury hotels, building excellent guest relationships, improving the revenue, performance, brand building and launching of properties, Mohapatra has contributed actively for over 28 years in the country’s hospitality industry.
He started his career with The Oberoi Group and spent most of his professional life with Mayfair Hotels & Resorts. From a Hotel Manager to the Executive Director of the company, he had one of the most memorable tenures of his career at Mayfair.
Currently serving with Atmosphere Hotels & Resorts as the Managing Director for India, Nepal, Bhutan and Sri Lanka operation, Mohapatra believes that his best is yet to come. In an exclusive interview with Hotelier India, the very unassuming yet dynamic hotelier shares how his journey from an executive to an entrepreneur has been laced with a dedication to learn, a passion to achieve and a dream to build…
Read on, to know more about the man who’s now on a mission to create a strong and robust ‘Atmosphere’ in India’s hospitality industry.
What triggered your interest in the hospitality industry? How did it all start?
Hospitality was always my dream job. When I started my career 30 years ago, hotels were an upcoming industry, which offered a great working environment. And where the opportunity to meet senior dignitaries from all walks of life, who were guests at the hotel, and the associated glitz and glamour were a very big draw, vis-a-vis other career choices.
I started my initial years with the Oberoi, Bhubaneshwar. A chance meeting with Dilip Ray, 28 years ago, made me join Mayfair Hotels. He was building a team of experienced young professionals for his hotel and had the intention to make more hotels. For me, it was an opportunity to grow, see and experience more. Thereafter, it has been truly a passionate drive to see how I could contribute to make the group bigger and better. If I look back at my career, I would say my constant dedication and willingness to learn has taken me where I am today – from the frontline/ grassroot to the Managing Director of a reputed hospitality group.
Very few careers are as rewarding as ours but to aspiring hoteliers, I must say that though rewarding, it is also very trying. Many-a-times, it will check your patience because dealing with guests and ensuring a satisfactory stay from them by anticipating their expectations is not an easy task. Passion along with perseverance is what is required to succeed in this industry.
You worked with some of the best brands in the industry before Atmosphere… What have been some of the biggest learnings at those places?
I started my career with the Oberoi Group and that is where I had a strong foundation in terms of learning guest services and core hotel operations. Subsequently, my association with Mayfair Hotels & Resorts for 28 years were also the years in which the portfolio of Mayfair grew from one property to 12 world class properties. Be it identifying business opportunities, conceptualisation, procurement of right materials, determining project viability, execution of projects, designing the overall operational SOPs for the new properties or ensuring compliance with the statutory requirements, the experience that I gained in the growth phase was tremendous.
And now, for the simple reason that Atmosphere Hotels and Resorts is looking forward to expanding its footprint in the Indian market, I believe I am in a position to use this wealth of experience in a more impactful way. Apart from strategizing the sales and marketing activities for better RevPAR, business expansion has been my forte and passion right from the beginning. This is now key to what we are doing at the upcoming Atmosphere Hotels in India.
“Very few careers are as rewarding as ours but to aspiring hoteliers, I must say that though rewarding, it is also very trying. Many-a-times, it will check your patience because dealing with guests and ensuring a satisfactory stay from them by anticipating their expectations is not an easy task. Passion along with perseverance is what is required to succeed in this industry.”
This apart, my association with industry associations such as Federation of Hotel & Restaurant Association of India (FHRAI), Hotel & Restaurant Association of Eastern India (HRAEI), Odisha State Tourism Promotion Council (OSTPC), Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) and The Associated Chambers of Commerce & Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) as executive council member and office bearer, has provided me the opportunity to learn the best practices of the industry from the best leaders. It has also given me a more comprehensive understanding of the nuances of the Indian hospitality market, and I look forward to introducing Atmosphere Hotels and Resorts to these important industry institutions and
vice versa.
Was there anyone in particular who inspired you early in your career? What did you find so inspiring about this role model?
I have been born and brought up in a family where transparency, freedom to follow your dreams and communicate and work towards your goals, was the norm. I was an average student but had a lot of determination and aspirations for myself. Post my degree in hotel management and internship with the Oberoi Group, I was fortunate to get associated with the Founder of Mayfair Group – Mr Dilip Ray. With the support and guidance of Mr Ray, I started working with Mayfair 28 years ago from Mayfair Rourkela as a Manager. I have learnt a lot from Mr. Ray with regards to his disciplined daily life, a complete leader in terms of man management, identifying a business opportunity and a holistic approach for conceptualising a project until its completion.
I, now, see my association with another dynamic hospitality leader – Salil Panigrahi, Managing Director of Atmosphere Core, as the natural next step in my growth, that being one of entrepreneurship. Mr Panigrahi is a proud Indian, born and raised in Odisha, and has been awarded the prestigious Pravasi Bharatiya Samman 2021 by the President of India in the Tourism category for his contribution to the tourism industry in Maldives and for strengthening the relationship between India and Maldives through his Indian Ocean hospitality brand. The award recognizes his stellar contribution to the tourism sector through the development of acclaimed resorts in the Maldives which has enhanced India’s reputation.
It has been a long journey for me so far, with a lot of hard work and learning, but it has also been exciting, rewarding and totally worth the ride. With my partnership with Salil in Atmosphere Hotels & Resorts, I envisage my best yet to come.
What appeals to you the most about your current job as the MD of Atmosphere Hotels & Resorts – India, Nepal, Bhutan, and Sri Lanka?
Atmosphere is a hospitality group having its registered office in Singapore and corporate office in Maldives. It manages eight luxurious properties in Maldives located at the various Islands. It is also adding two more properties in Maldives and two properties at Sri Lanka. Having successful ventures in Maldives and upcoming Resorts at Sri Lanka, now the Group wants to venture into India, Nepal & Bhutan.
With Atmosphere Hotels & Resorts, there is an interesting opportunity to bring to India and other geographies in the region, the capability of a ‘specialist resort operator’. Even in cities, where most international brands have a cookie-cutter approach to hotel design and operations, we hope to and are planning/ designing hotels which will be more ‘lifestyle’ in approach. Yes, they will be in business locations, metros and cities, but they will be unique in their design and service ethos.
In the capacity of Managing Director, India Operation, I am looking forward to extending the footprints of the Group beyond its horizon. Presence in the markets like India, Bhutan, Nepal and Sri Lanka will certainly boost its reputation in global arena. I am committed to enhance the footfall of high-end domestic and foreign tourists through bringing Luxury Resorts at strategic tourism destinations.
What is special about Atmosphere Hotel management that separates it from your competitors? What is the USP of your brand?
Atmosphere Hotels and Resorts is one of the leading resort management companies in Maldives. As you are aware, Maldives is host to some of the worlds’ best brands and is fiercely competitive in terms of the quality of service and guest expectations. In such a market, Atmosphere stands out from the crowd for the warmth of its service and the quality of its delivery. Though a young brand, we compete with the best and you may be aware that one of our resorts, The Ozen Reserve Bolifushi, has been ranked second in the top luxury hotels of the world, by the Trip Advisor Traveller’s choice awards.
Atmosphere has extensive distribution reach across the world with active tour operator contracts from USA, UK, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Russia and CIS countries, Middle East, India, China, Japan, Korea, and South-East Asia. In most of these markets, Atmosphere also has PR presence, active direct sales presence as well as partner sales presence. In India, Atmosphere’s brands, OZEN and OBLU, are some of the most widely known brands for Maldives. The brand is now known to denote quality of service, understanding of leisure experience and our signature ‘Joy of Giving’. These are some of the USPs of our company which sets us apart from our competitors.
As the brand is growing, how is your role evolving?
Atmosphere Core is a dynamic and fast-growing international hospitality company currently operating eight resorts with 1,000+ rooms in the Maldives (with four more under build). Atmosphere Core’s distinguished portfolio comprises The Ozen Collection, Colours Of Oblu, and Atmpsohere Hotels & Resorts, with a rich diversity of guest experiences within each of these brands. These hotels range from Upper Upscale to Uber Luxury.
Having successful ventures in the Maldives and upcoming resort in Sri Lanka, now I have partnered with Salil Panigrahi (Group Managing Director of Atmosphere Core) on expanding in India, Nepal, and Bhutan in the capacity of Managing Director for India, Nepal, Bhutan & Sri Lanka operations. We have successfully signed four hotel management agreements in various cities and are targeting many more destinations in India and in Asia Pacific.
Both Salil and I, being from Odisha, are greatly enthused to promote and develop the tourism industry in Odisha. We are delighted to note that there is now an enhanced confidence in the hospitality and tourism industry in Odisha, hence, the company and its Board of Directors have decided to set up luxury resorts at Bhubaneswar, Puri, Konark, Chilika Lake, Koraput, and other scenic destinations through FDI and investors.
From a ‘role evolution’ point, it’s about what you are focussing on/ driving at a particular point and what you are keeping an eye on for the time being. For the last 18 months or so, my focus has been on Business Development, because we need hotels to begin with. Now that we have a pipeline of signed hotels (under development) and few more term sheets, which will materialise soon, my immediate objectives are changing to pre-opening, operations and HR. We are inducting people at senior leadership to helm the various roles. Having a strong corporate leadership structure in Maldives has been a boon. We are building the bedrock for the main-land entity.
In your impressive list of career achievements, what do you personally see as your greatest achievement?
I am thankful to my mentors, my previous teams, and the partners for whatever I have achieved in my career so far. There are quite a few achievements in my career that I would like to mention. Spending over 30 years in the hospitality industry is a long time in anyone’s professional career. I started my career from Oberoi Group, before moving to Mayfair Hotels & Resorts in 1994. I have seen Mayfair grow from just one to 12 world class properties. This is where I grew as I was given the freedom to express my ideas and manage accordingly. Starting off as Manager of Mayfair Rourkela, I gradually rose up the rank of Executive Director of the company in 2012, a position I held till 2020 – a career achievement that I am very proud of. I am happy that I have been able to contribute, at a leadership level, to the emergence of a strong regional five-star luxury brand, especially in east and central India, which has typically been a place where hotel investors shy away from luxury hotel investments. We have been able to put cities like Bhubaneshwar, Siliguri and Raipur on the map, for MICE and large weddings, which earlier was restricted to only metro cities.
My passion, dedication and love for the hospitality industry led me to be a part of the management committee of industry associations like Federation of Hotel & Restaurant Association of India (FHRAI), Hotel & Restaurant Association of Eastern India (HRAEI), Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) and The Associated Chambers of Commerce & Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) – the great forums to interact with most key stakeholders, including hotel owners. More importantly, I see my association with these forums, as being forums, where I was able to take ahead the agenda of bringing prominence to luxury hospitality investments in the regional towns of east and central India.
“The greatest lesson that I have learned is the art, science and commerce of the hospitality industry. I truly admire and feel proud to be associated with this amazing industry called ‘Hospitality’ where the learning never ends.”
Now with Atmosphere Hotels and Resorts, we are bringing a portfolio of exquisite hotels and resorts in India, which will be unique in their product and service design, in the markets they open in. We are in talks with hotel owners and investors in Bhutan, Nepal, and Sri Lanka as well, to bring brand Atmosphere to these destinations. So far with the support of the team we are in the right direction and in the verge of adding excellent properties in our portfolio.
What have been the greatest lessons you have learned about the hospitality business since you started almost three decades ago?
Working in the hospitality industry teaches you skills you cannot learn anywhere else. It teaches you about prioritization, swift problem-solving, communication, humility, and how to keep a smile on your face despite difficult situations. Some of the lessons that I have learned while working in the hospitality industry are communication skills, teamwork skills, multitasking skills, adapting to different cultures, flexibility, positive attitude, attention to detail, time management, problem-solving etc.
However, the greatest lesson that I have learned is the art, science and commerce of the hospitality industry. The art of how to conceptualise and develop a hotel or resort keeping in view its feasibility, positioning, designing, planning, adopting smart technology, and ensuring return on investment (ROI). I truly admire and feel proud to be associated with this amazing industry called ‘Hospitality’ where the learning never ends.
In your opinion, what should a hotel do in order to be considered a quality place for guests to stay?
Good service quality is essential for a successful hotel business. To ensure that guests enjoy their stay and leave satisfied with the experience, it’s important to employ effective strategies to improve the service quality in your hotel.
• It’s important to know who your customer is and understand their needs. By gathering information about your customers through surveys, feedback forms, or even just conversations with them during check-in, you can get a better understanding of what they’re looking for in their stay.
• Focus on the details. Little things like cleanliness, quick response times, attention to detail, and providing guests with quality amenities can make a big difference. Going the extra mile to make sure everything is in order will leave guests with an unforgettable experience.
• Embrace feedback. Incorporating guest feedback into your operations through reputation management is an excellent way to improve service quality in your hotel. Make it easy for guests to provide feedback, whether through surveys or online ratings, so you can make changes and adjustments as needed. Understanding what your customers are looking for and adapting accordingly is the key to success.
In my opinion, if the above strategies are adopted by hoteliers, that particular hotel becomes a quality place for the stay.
What kind of advice can you give ambitious professionals who wish to climb the career ladder as you did?
I am grateful to many people who have mentored me throughout my journey so far. Equally, I have been blessed with great support from my teams over the years. My journey has been laced with lots of learnings, experiences, guidance and blessings from all. My sincere advice to the young and ambitious professionals who would like to excel in their careers would be:
• Adopt a business mindset and know your company’s vision.
• Be a good team player.
• Demonstrate excellent communication skills.
• Maintain a professional attitude at work.
• Take the initiative and set a positive example.
• Be open to feedback and don’t be afraid to ask for help.
• Be abreast of and welcome the information and technology which is entering your work domain.
• Whether it’s the guest or colleague, never forget sensitivity in your dealings with them. Remember, it’s always better to hear and anticipate before you act.
What is the best advice you’ve been given as a hotelier?
As a hotelier, I was always advised by my mentors to think out of-the-box. I was strongly advised to follow the below mentioned key entrepreneurial traits that made me successful as an hotelier:
• Critical and creative problem-solving: Successful hoteliers should know how to identify a real-world problem.
• Taking risks fearlessly and having a growth mindset: True hotel entrepreneurs take risks. They push the boundaries and go outside their comfort zone to solve problems and turn vision into reality.
• Conviction and dedication: To ride the highs and lows of business, entrepreneurs have no choice but to be totally dedicated to their vision and have conviction.
• To look after my teams’ learnings, welfare and growth.
From an executive to an entrepreneur, how would you describe your journey so far?
Over the years, my passion for excellence in hospitality and contribution to the tourism industry has brought me a lot of recognition and laurels. I was conferred with ‘Fellow of IIHM’ by International Institute of Hotel Management & International Hospitality Council, London, during 2021, the prestigious ‘Honorary Diploma for Outstanding Contribution and Excellence in Tourism & Hospitality’ by the World Congress of Poets (WCP) under the auspices of the World Academy of Arts & Culture (WAAC). I was recognised as the ‘Architects of the Indian Hospitality Industry’, heading the most successful hotel brands and have been included from 2016 till now in the Power List by Hotelier India, for five consecutive years.
I am happy that I have been able to contribute, at a leadership level, to the emergence of a strong regional five-star luxury brand, especially in east and central India, which has typically been a place where hotel investors shy away from luxury hotel investments.
My involvement in reputed organisations and national associations as the executive council members and office bearers have taught me immensely to become a complete professional. All these positions are dedicated for the development of tourism in India. Besides the above, with my sheer dedication and passion for hospitality, I have served eminent personalities across the world with the personal touch and fine hospitality that India is known for – ‘Atithi Devo Bhava’. I can say I’ve had a very satisfying career, so far, in the hospitality industry.
