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16th Hotelier India Awards: Unravelling the winners

Celebrating the winners shaping the future of Indian hospitality.

The 16th Hotelier India Awards, hosted by Hotelier India; the country’s most respected hospitality magazine, honoured exceptional leadership and achievement across the industry.

Here’s the complete list of winners at the 16th Hotelier India Awards, celebrating the individuals who continue to shape and elevate Indian hospitality.


Lifetime Achievement Award

Vivek Nair
Co-Chairman and Co-Managing Director, HLV Limited


The Alchemist of Hospitality Award

Puneet Chhatwal
Managing Director & CEO, ICHL


Hall of Fame Award

Vikramjit Singh Oberoi
Managing Director & CEO, EIH Limited

Sudeep Jain
Managing Director, South West Asia, InterContinental Hotels Group


Celebrity Chef of the Year Award

Rohit Ghai
Michelin-star restaurateur and author


GM of the Year Award

Luxury to Upper Upscale

Nishant Agarwal – The Leela Palace Chennai

Upscale to Midscale

Saptarishi Biswas – Sheraton Grand Chennai Resort & Spa
Suveer Sodhi – Courtyard by Marriott Outer Ring Road, Bengaluru

Economy to Budget

Manuj Bahl – Howard Johnson by Wyndham Udaipur
Anand Singh Rathod – Sarovar Portico Jaipur


Chef of the Year Award

Luxury to Upper Upscale

Rohit Sangwan – Taj Lands End

Upscale to Midscale

Amit Dash – The Westin Gurgaon New Delhi

Economy to Budget

Mukesh Bhardwaj – Golden Tulip Bhopal


Chief Engineer of the Year Award

Luxury to Upper Upscale

Lokesh Jangid – Alila Fort Bishangarh

Upscale to Midscale

Ferdinand Fernandes – Hilton Chennai

Economy to Budget

Punit Sharma – Sarovar Portico Jaipur


Director of Rooms of the Year Award

Luxury to Upper Upscale

Naveen Raaj – Conrad Pune
Neha Kapoor – JW Marriott New Delhi Aerocity

Upscale to Midscale

Neha Sharma Yadav – Pullman New Delhi Aerocity

Economy to Budget

Aseem Bajaj – Ginger Mumbai, Goregaon


F&B Person of the Year Award

Luxury to Upper Upscale

Anirban Sarkar – Grand Hyatt Mumbai

Upscale to Midscale

Saurajit Nanda – MAYFAIR Lagoon
Jatinder Pal Singh – Sheraton Grand Whitefield Hotel and Convention Center

Economy to Budget

Nabajyoti Kaushik – Fairfield by Marriott Kolkata


Finance Person of the Year Award

Luxury to Upper Upscale

Sanjeev Kumar Gupta – Taj Lands End, Mumbai

Upscale to Midscale

A Poornananda Reddy – Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel Hyderabad, Banjara Hills

Economy to Budget

Viswanath Ramesh K – Regency Tuticorin by GRT Hotels
(A Unit of GRT Hotels and Resorts Pvt. Ltd.)


Front Office Manager of the Year Award

Luxury to Upper Upscale

Sumit Anand – The Leela Palace New Delhi

Upscale to Midscale

Himanshu Rai – Novotel & ibis Bengaluru Outer Ring Road

Economy to Budget

Aakash Thakur – Golden Tulip Bhopal


Hotel Manager of the Year Award

Luxury to Upper Upscale

Avinash Sehrawat – Taj Mahal Palace & Tower, Mumbai

Upscale to Midscale

Sunaina Manerker – Pullman & Novotel Aerocity
Jenvie Peters – Holiday Inn Mumbai International Airport

Economy to Budget

Naveen Kumar – Keys Select by Lemon Tree Hotels, Hosur Road, Bengaluru


Housekeeper of the Year Award

Luxury to Upper Upscale

Priyanka Rana – The Oberoi Gurgaon

Upscale to Midscale

Bhushan Satam – President, Mumbai – IHCL SeleQtions

Economy to Budget

Manish Choudhary – Hometel Chandigarh


HR Person of the Year Award

Luxury to Upper Upscale

Mohana Priya NS – Park Hyatt Chennai

Upscale to Midscale

Sonia Sharma – Hilton Mumbai International Airport

Economy to Budget

Sanjukta Sangiri – Hilton Garden Inn


IT Person of the Year Award

Luxury to Upper Upscale

Nandkishor Jaiswal – Fairmont Mumbai & Sofitel Mumbai

Upscale to Midscale

Nikhil Padinjaroot – Hilton Bengaluru Embassy Manyata Business Park

Economy to Budget

Sandeep Kumar – Comfort Inn Tulip Heights Bathinda


Laundry Person of the Year Award

Luxury to Upper Upscale

Vaibhav Dolas – The Taj Mahal Palace and Towers

Upscale to Midscale

Ramesh Sati – Pullman & Novotel Aerocity


Marketing & PR Person of the Year Award

Luxury to Upper Upscale

Puja Singh – Raffles Udaipur

Upscale to Midscale

Snehadipta Pyne – Grand Mercure Bangalore,
Grand Mercure Mysore & ibis Styles Mysuru


Procurement Person of the Year Award

Luxury to Upper Upscale

Ravi Shankar – Grand Hyatt Gurgaon

Upscale to Midscale

Ranju Bhattacharjee – Vivanta Guwahati

Economy to Budget

Prashant Morajkar – ibis Styles Goa Calangute


Revenue Management Person of the Year Award

Luxury to Upper Upscale

Mehul Sushibine – ITC Kohenur

Upscale to Midscale

Poorna Dhananjayan – Holiday Inn Bengaluru Racecourse

Economy to Budget

Kartik Chadha – Holiday Inn Express Bengaluru Bommasandra


Safety & Security Person of the Year Award

Luxury to Upper Upscale

Nilesh Sawant – Taj Lands End, Mumbai

Upscale to Midscale

Ravinder Kumar – Radisson Blu Plaza Delhi Airport

Economy to Budget

Pramod Jagtap – Fairfield by Marriott Mumbai International Airport


Sales Person of the Year Award

Luxury to Upper Upscale

Amol Reel – Conrad Pune

Upscale to Midscale

Vikas Mittal – DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Bengaluru Outer Ring Road

Economy to Budget

Arun Kumar – Holiday Inn Express Gurugram Sector 50


Unsung Hero of the Year Award

Luxury to Upscale

Brijmohan Barbar – The Leela Palace Udaipur

Upscale to Midscale

Rani Chouhan – Le Meridien Hyderabad

Economy to Budget

Yellayya Charyulu – Grand Kakinada by GRT Hotels


Wellness Person of the Year Award

Luxury to Upper Upscale

Dr. Avantika Kochar – Mulberry Shades Bengaluru Nandi Hills,
a Tribute Portfolio Resort

Upscale to Midscale

Malsawm Dawngkimi – The Westin Gurgaon, New Delhi


Young Hotelier of the Year Award

Luxury to Upper Upscale

Urvashi Khandelwal – The Leela Palace Chennai
Tanmay Deshmukh – The Oberoi New Delhi

Upscale to Midscale

Vishakha Kashikar – Ginger Candolim