With over a decade of experience in the hospitality industry, Sharin brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the role.

In his new role at Hilton Bangalore Embassy GolfLinks, Joseph will be responsible for driving the hotel’s commercial strategy, maximizing revenue, and developing strong relationships with key stakeholders and will work closely with the hotel’s leadership team to ensure the property continues to deliver the exceptional guest experience for which Hilton is renowned.

Sharin’s appointment marks an exciting new chapter for the property, and the team is confident that his experience and passion for the hospitality industry will enable the property to continue to grow and thrive in the coming years.

Commenting on his appointment, Tejus Jose, General Manager, said, “We are thrilled to have Sharin Joseph join the team at Hilton Bangalore Embassy GolfLinks and look forward to contributing to the success of this exceptional property. The hotel’s reputation for delivering an exceptional guest experience is second to none, and I am eager to build on this foundation to drive growth and revenues.”

Joseph has a proven track record in sales and marketing, having held various positions at Marriott International, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, Hyatt Regency, Lemon Tree Hotels & Royal Orchid Hotels in India. Most recently, Sharin served as the Director of Sales and Marketing at Courtyard and Fairfield by Marriott Bengaluru, Outer Ring Road.

Read More: Appointments

The property, which is located along Visakhapatnam’s serene coastline and has a view of the Bay of Bengal, is eager for Gosain to join the team. Nitin Gosain brings a decade’s worth of experience in front office operations and has accomplished many milestones, such as being an ACDC Champion and being awarded Manager of the Year 2014–15, along with undergoing service excellence workshops and many more.

In his new role, Gosain will be responsible for cultivating professional connections with guests in order to encourage customer retention, alongside developing strategies to achieve goals and budget targets in full compliance with both internal and external audit recommendations.

Additionally, he will be tasked with overseeing and managing the day-to-day operations of the customer service team, ensuring that all team members are trained and equipped to provide exceptional service to guests. Furthermore, he will be responsible for monitoring guest feedback and using it to continuously improve the customer experience. As the front office manager, Mr. Gosain will be working closely with other departments to ensure seamless integration and cooperation in achieving the overall goals of the organization.

Prior to this opportunity, Nitin Gosain had a diverse career in the hospitality industry, having worked on brands such as Pullman and Novotel New Delhi Aerocity, Accor Hotels, and the Taj Hotels group of resorts and palaces. Alongside his operational duties, Nitin Gosain will have a significant impact on financial management and coordination at the hotel.

Ravi Rai, the Cluster General Manager of Novotel Visakhapatnam Varun Beach, The Bheemili Resort managed by Accor, and Novotel Vijayawada, expressed confidence and stated, “Nitin Gosain will be a valuable asset to their team and ensure high guest satisfaction while making them feel at home. With his decade of knowledge and his expertise and passion for the industry, we are sure he will be a resource to the hotel as well as to the department.”

Read More: Appointments

Prabhat Singh will oversee key hotel operations and strategy execution for the property. Prabhat Singh brings over 13 years of hospitality industry experience to the AHS Group. He began his career with the noteworthy Leela Group and has since worked with several hotel brands,  including Marriott, and Radisson, to name a few.

His career has seen him hold multiple roles of responsibility and leadership initially within the Food & Beverage Department before growing into, revenue, sales, and overall operations. Most recently, he worked as the General Manager of a Boutique Wellness Retreat & Spa.  

Said Shalil Suvarna, Senior VP-Operations & Pre-opening, AHS India, “Eastin Easy Vita located in the Sangli district of Maharashtra offers comfortable accommodation along with approachable and value-driven services. Prabhat’s experience in hospitality will surely reinforce the established service initiatives and continue living the brand promise, being the first international property in the region. He embraces a goal-oriented work culture with a  strong liking for challenges and learning.”

He added, ” His proven ability to effectively handle multiple levels of responsibility with an unwavering commitment to the guest and employee experience makes up for a promising path to elevating Southeast Asia’s fast-growing Hotel  Management Company’s distinguished status.”

Read More: Appointments

With a rich experience of over 10 years in the hospitality industry, Vishal has grown within Hyatt over the decade with Hyatt Regency, Hyatt Place & Hyatt Centric as in his current job role.

A seasoned hospitality & operational professional who strongly believes in teamwork and innovative food and beverage concepts, Vishal will spearhead the young and vibrant team at Hyatt Centric Candolim Goa to achieve greater heights of success. In his new role, he will be responsible for forecasting, planning, controlling and evaluating the overall Food & Beverage operations at the hotel.

Apart from listening to his rock & metal favorites and watching football, in his leisure time, he is always on the lookout to explore and enjoy local food & beverage offerings that Goa has to offer.

He says, “I am very passionate about beverages and there is always something new to learn every day. Furthermore, I am elated to grow within Hyatt and will strive to create an exciting and memorable food & beverage experience for our guests at Hyatt Centric Candolim Goa.”

Read More: Appointments

In this article, Vrushank Shah, Assistant Professor – Marketing Management at Institute of Hotel Management, Aurangabad (IHM Aurangabad) shares insights on the new industry dynamics and how the pandemic has provided an opportunity to unfreeze and rethink educational priorities.

Today’s Traveller: Has a window of opportunity been created by the pandemic for the education system?

Vrushank Shah – IHM Aurangabad: The pandemic has provided us with an opportunity to unfreeze and rethink our educational priorities. With the advent of E-learning, it is necessary to note that the purpose of education is to impart learning rather than to teach, compelling us to review the problem of learning effectiveness. An inclusive approach towards experiential learning seems to be an apt solution, which helps students to learn holistically, by redefining the role of the learning facilitator and reviewing approaches to student assessments.

Today’s Traveller: What is the biggest challenge being faced by the education system currently?

Vrushank Shah – IHM Aurangabad: The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has led to the disruption of the education system. During the pandemic, the learning facilitators(LF) replicated their classroom teaching activities over the digital platform, which helped to transfer knowledge but learning effectiveness seems to be ambiguous.

This proposition was even backed by leading academicians who believe that learning loss is global and significant. The purpose of education is to impart learning, however, due to the current situation and restrictions placed by COVID-19, it is difficult to do so digitally.

Digital learning seems flexible and less time-consuming, but it should not jeopardise the domains of learning:

• cognitive (C) – knowledge/ development of intellectual skills
• affective (A) – growth in feelings/emotional/ attitudes of the individual
• psychomotor (P)– including perception, guided response, adaptation/ coordination

The traditional lecture delivery and discussions over digital platforms attempt to cover the C and A levels but fail to facilitate learning holistically.

Today’s Traveller: How can the education community/system mitigate these challenges?

Vrushank Shah – IHM Aurangabad: An innovative pedagogical approach of the flipped classroom for E-learning may be considered which is based on new demands of a knowledge-based society, new student expectations, and new technologies.

• Critical thinking and independent learning skills need to be encouraged, which requires active learning, giving plenty of opportunities for students to develop, assess, practice, and manage the acquired knowledge. 
• Students expect technology to be used wherever possible to assist them in studying, improving vital informational and technical literacy skills.
• Continued advancements in digital technology, empower the student to access, create and share knowledge, increasing the learning effectiveness.

In these daunting and challenging times, flipped classroom approach may be implemented by concentrating on the LF and the student, which can help them to progress to the C, A, and P stages of learning.

Today’s Traveller: What kind of strategic measures can be taken to create effective learning solutions?

Vrushank Shah – IHM Aurangabad: Redefining the role of the LF and reviewing the assessment strategy can help to create effective learning. The instructor needs to adapt to the roles of moderator, facilitator, mentor, assessor, and even a coach, to provide support and control the e-learning environment. It is therefore imperative that the LF re-skill themselves, re-develop their competencies, and provide robust e-learning facilitation.

Reviewing the assessment strategy will also help to inculcate C, A & P levels of learning by concentrating on the delivery of the lecture, assessing learning abilities, and providing feedback formatively.

This can be possible, by answering the three basic questions: 

• What do teachers and educators want students to learn and experience?
• Have students achieved the intended goals of e-learning?
• How can educators use collected evidence to improve students’ e-learning?

Today’s Traveller: How can the education community convert these thoughts into actions and implement them?

Vrushank Shah – IHM Aurangabad: The Teaching methodology need not be limited to lectures but could be extended to tutorials and independent learnings.

• In guided learning, LF plays the role of an instructor
• In scenario-based learning, LF exhibits roles of trainer/ moderator
• In learning through exploration and discovery (LEAD), LF provides flexibility for students to discover and assimilate knowledge by questioning and sharing perspectives.
• In game-based learning/ simulations, LF empowers the learners to solve problems and participate in situations

Learners could be encouraged to set learning goals and allowing them to reflect and develop a personal development plan.

The medium of assessment may need to be contemporary. Written/ Oral examinations may have to slowly phase out, while classroom presentations, interviews, learning logs, performance tasks, portfolios, and response journals, virtual role plays, developing Blogs, Vlogs, and Videos may have to be encouraged to demonstrate creativity. Furthermore, a multi-dimensional approach of assessment feedback can be incorporated, constituting expert’s opinion, peer critique, and self–reflection.

By implementing such an inclusive approach of the flipped classroom, the LF can attain higher levels of cognitive engagement, progressive learning through experience, and profound reflection over the experience, coinciding with the C, A, and P levels of learning.

Read More: Hospitality First

Megnath Padamlal Gautum has joined as the General Manager at Royal Orbit The Fern, Jabalpur. 

Megnath Gautam is a well-known Hotel Management & Catering Technology professional with level three HACCP certification with 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry. 

He has earlier held top management positions in hotels like Kamat Hotels, Hivision Foods, Victoria International Hotel in countries like Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and India.

He brings in advanced management techniques with his rich international experience in best practices in quality and cost control and operations working in the Operations Management in the hotels.

The hotel has 111 stylish rooms which offer a wide range of upscale accommodation options at an unbeatable price.

The hotel offers a wide choice of banquet halls, lush green lawns and convention halls for meetings, product launches, seminars, birthdays, anniversaries, social gatherings, exhibitions and wedding receptions with areas ranging from 800 sq. ft. to 3 Acres.

Read more: Appointments

In his new role CJ as he is better known in the industry, will launch the soon-to-open 200 room Palace, a reflection of modern palatial grandeur, inspired by the Rajputana heritage.

He will be instrumental in introducing The Leela Palace Programming and signature Palace Service to the Pink City while ensuring that it is delivered with authenticity and the graciousness of Indian hospitality.

With over 20 years of extensive hospitality experience, Chandrashekhar Joshi has worked with Hotels like Le Meridien Pune, JW Marriott Juhu Mumbai, Renaissance Mumbai, JW Marriott Mussoorie and JW Marriott Jaipur. Prior to joining The Leela, CJ was the General Manager Renaissance Bali Uluwatu Resort & Spa.

A passionate hotelier with a proven track record of managing both city and leisure hotels, Chandrashekhar Joshi has a strong business insight and the distinctive ability to get the best out of his teams. A pre-opening expert, with some very successful hotel openings, Chandrashekhar Joshi has ensured that his hotels ramp up quickly while maintaining a strong market positioning. His forte lies in curating and delivering exceptional guest experiences propelled by a strong background in Food & Beverage operations and Sales and Marketing.

“We are delighted to have CJ lead the opening of The Leela Palace Jaipur. His astute business acumen and deep understanding of Jaipur as a market as well as the expectations of a discerning luxury leisure traveller will be a great asset as we launch and position the newest Palace in our portfolio in a highly competitive luxury travel market,” said Anuraag Bhatnagar, Chief Operating Officer, The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts.

Read More: Movements

Meet the dynamic Managing Partner of Prognosis Global Consulting, a full service Consulting, Asset Management and Advisory Services Company focused on Hospitality, Leisure and Food Services industry in the South Asia Region. 

In a career spanning almost 25 years, with 17 substantial years in the field of hard-core Hotel Operations, today, Ritu Chawla Mathur is one of the few senior women managing partners in India’s Hospitality Consulting landscape; and one with an ideal blend of hotel operations proficiency and high-yielding hospitality consulting expertise.

In her new avatar as an entrepreneur, she also made time to revisit her latent passion for Art. Ritu has had no formal education in art, except her art classes that she thoroughly enjoyed while in School. 

Ritu Chawla Mathur says “Even though I am a Hotelier by profession, I’ll always be an art fanatic at heart, first. My style is evolving every day, but I enjoy abstract and bold representations of simple things in life. For me my paintings are a reminder of celebrating the ordinary, a time to stop and smell the roses”. 

Ritu has been part of the Organizing Committee for ‘Oorja – A redefining expression’ an Art Show for a Cause, in Bangalore, along with being a participating artist.

Ritu Chawla Mathur is also the National Vice President of WICCI Hospitality and Tourism Council that provides an independent forum for Women in the Hospitality & Tourism Industry who can ‘connect and grow’ in their professional pursuits through its goals of networking, communication, education and support.

This is her story:

Beliefs
Does a glass ceiling exist??!! Frankly, I’m not here to answer that for you. But I’m here to share some subtle lessons that I have picked along my journey of 25 years as a career woman, which can help you arrive at your own answers. I’m going to be brutally honest and hopefully inspire and see ourselves less as victims and more as change-agents and rescuers.

Changing the narrative – Success to me
In a hospitality corporate career, defining success seems quite simple. Another step up the career ladder. A larger team. A bigger hotel to run. A better salary.

So when I told my dad, after almost two decades in a thriving career of my dreams with  some of the best Hotel chains in the country, that I was going to marry and then quit my hard-earned positions as GM, it definitely came as a shocker not only to my family but to many. Parting a high-flying job in the peak of your career as a GM of an International chain was almost looking like failure!  Was I giving up on my ambitions?

It was after 17 years as a busy career professional, that I married. I married very late! But let that be hope for women who have spent more time on their careers first and had to sacrifice personal priorities, because leaving my high-paying corporate job was one of my best decisions so far! 

It helped me discover what success really means to me. Today, as an entrepreneur and Managing Partner of my growing Hospitality Consulting firm I still passionately enjoy my cerebral hospitality work, feeling at peace with the right balance between work and relaxation and having enough time to pursue my other hobbies and passions be it art or philanthropy, also helping me connect with my self-identity. 

So I would say create your own ‘success-story’, and dare to dream differently. Find your own lane and proceed to win!

Indra Nooyi’s sweetest and shortest route to success for career women resonates with me, “Pick the right husband.” This couldn’t hold truer for me. I did. And here I am. So to be a future female corporate kingpin is to also give more thought to your choice of spouse. If I had one mantra to share it would be to find a man who is a mental match, but who is happy to play a supportive role in your career.

My real journey of growing into who I am today really started with these choices, uncovering parts of me with each new stage of my life and helping me change the narrative.

Raison d’etre
I am a second generation hotelier. Both my parents have been part of the Hotel Industry from the early years of its advent in India. So there was little surprise that this is all I’ve ever wanted to do and become from as far back as I remember! We lived in Hotels for most of my formative years. I would eat, sleep and dream hotels.

However, when the time came to take up a Hotel Management career my mother was never keen. In spite of herself being a product of the Industry, she had seen the difficult environment of long hours, less pay, glass-ceilings and even a social unacceptance of women in such roles and was hoping to protect me with the discouragement. 

However, I was adamant and with my father’s (hesitant) support, I was privileged to join the hand-picked first batch of IHM, Aurangabad (erstwhile, Indian Institute of Hotel Management) run by the Taj Group of Hotels. So I left home, at the young age of 17yrs, never to look back.

I believe my undying passion for the industry, determination to succeed (and maybe even prove a point!), and commitment to hard-work (as I had seen my parents slog long hours, so I knew what I was getting into) was all defining outcomes of my early growing years. 

In addition, my choice of a strong educational foundation and efforts to eventually join the Taj Group as a Management Trainee in the iconic Taj Mahal Hotel Palace & Towers, Mumbai in my foundation years, catapulted my career in the right trajectory. I later realised in life that following my passion that also pays me, with an organization that resonated with my personal values, was my very raison-d’etre.

My Success Mantra
With my first employer, they moved me every 2-3 years to new hotels and new roles across the country. In my younger years I grabbed the opportunity to explore new cities and just to experience the adrenaline rush of meeting new people – guests and colleagues, alike. 

I was extremely lucky and blessed (humbled and grateful to my mentors) to get my first executive position, as an acting HOD (FOM) in the ripe age of 26 years, leading a team of 30; in 2008 I was one of the youngest GMs of the Taj Group – at the Taj Fisherman’s Cove, Chennai – in those days, viewed as a very challenging position by many, owing to its aggressive labour union. 

I was also selected for the first batch of a sponsored Executive MBA at the SP Jain Institute, Mumbai while working almost 14-16 hours a day as the EAM of a Luxury hotel, leaving me to burn the midnight oil while working a demanding full-time job, sacrifice a lot of my personal life to upskill myself and complete the program, at any cost.

The point I’m trying to make is that there were many firsts and I volunteered for them all! I am of the opinion that every woman, if she makes the choice for a long-haul career, can succeed. You must have the grit, commitment, dream and you will. 

The game is to work hard, stay resilient and get into executive positions early, so you can exercise flexibility and work-life balance that helps you push right to the top. 

Give it your all! Work hard, take initiative, be fearless, don’t just lean forward – plunge in, at every turn embrace the opportunities that come your way — raise your hands and let people know you are up for challenging roles!

Be persistent, be resilient and be purpose-driven.

In the People Business

With each leadership role, I faced a unique set of challenges. In the initial years, as I became a manager at a very young age, it was simply to be taken seriously and have my team execute instructions (you must be aware of the rant : Boss ban gayi hai toh attitude dikha rahi hai).  

As I grew into my senior roles, the challenge became the ability to influence positive outcomes by motivating diverse teams for maximum impact and managing the various stakeholder expectations. 

However, whether dealing with my hotel gardener or my ownership team, some of the people-management skills that have always held me in good stead were: leading by example; empathy; never making it personal or below the belt; not seeking the spotlight but helping others become the stars of the show; respect and transparency while dealing with people across all levels; and never relying on favours but letting high standards of performance and work-ethics talk for me.

My Vision for my Industry
While we women have all that it takes to make good leaders in the Hospitality and related Services industries, from the time I joined and quarter of a century later, we continue to be under represented, especially at senior levels.

Diversity must not just remain a feminine agenda but become a business agenda! Having women leaders in our teams, yields unparalleled opportunities and competitive advantages.  And as smart leaders of tomorrow, to have winning gender-balanced teams – we must be aware of these advantages and support it!

It is time to shift the discussion away from a lingering women’s problem or an issue of equality or glass-ceilings and instead focus on this as a massive business opportunity.

Notes to my younger self

If I could give my younger self some advice it would be that some traits that we women bring on to the table cannot be undermined – well-organized, full of compassion, spiritually aligned and well-balanced (between task & people). 

The best women leaders I’ve worked with and role-modelled are well-rounded people. These women are master multi-taskers and highly collaborative (though not afraid to get territorial to protect their domain!). So my two-penny advice would be to spend the earlier days honing and capitalizing on these very traits that give you an edge.

I believe, theoretically, every woman could be capable of reaching the top of her organization. Right? What sets women such as Indra Nooyi and Ginni Rometty apart from the rest of the similarly talented women are: they embraced opportunities, benefitted from their higher emotional intelligence; sought out the right mentors at various stages; grew their teams along with them, looked for respect more than recognition, had supportive families and dreamt big!

As women, we do not have to “fit in” we just need to wear our superhero capes and don our superpowers of the strong-willed, purpose-driven, and passionate women that we are.

Read More: Corporate Connect

An intimate wedding is all the trend as the big fat Indian celebration has become a more personal affair. 

With the new norms around physical distancing, couples want to spend their life’s most special moments in exotic and awe-inspiring settings with far more personalisation and attention to detail. Recent trends show that the number of wedding bookings hasn’t slowed down, just the size has reduced. 

As a part of its proposition, Taj introduces Intimate Timeless Weddings offering unique locations, carefully curated menus, exotic themes and the quintessential Taj service, which has been re-strengthened with an assurance of the highest standards of safety.

Thematic celebrations steeped in heritage and grandeur, or breezy nuptials on the shore, Taj’s array of exceptional hotels, serve as breathtaking backdrops for a dream wedding. “Regally yours” is now a popular choice for couples who are rediscovering the magic and allure of Taj’s authentic grand palaces in Rajasthan and for those who have always envisioned fairy-tale weddings. 

Goa has always been a favourite. The balmy beaches and laid back inimitable Goa spirit comes alive in Taj’s sprawling and spectacular beach resorts located across the north and south-west coasts of Goa.

For those seeking serenity, Taj’s resorts in Corbett at the foothills of the Himalayas and in Rishikesh by the banks of the majestic Ganges serve as peaceful and rejuvenating havens. Spectacular venues of iconic Taj hotels in Kolkata, Delhi and Mumbai, having played host to millions of Indian weddings, make for exceptional urban locations for intimate celebrations.

In the current times, an E-Concierge service digitally assists guests in planning including virtual visits to hotels and locations.

The dedicated concierge brings together a team of specialists who will curate every whim, fancy or wish your heart desires; the most skilled and inventive Chefs who create culinary wonders; talented florists and dedicated staff, who make it their mission to transform dreams into reality. 

Read More: Lifestyle, Weddings and Wellness

He will be supported by all other country leaders and functional heads in refining the central and country or regional organisation structure.

This appointment is in line with the company’s efforts to strengthen its revenue and growth organisations to give it the impetus to be one of the first to come out of the pandemic.

Globally, OYO has over 43,000 hotels in 800 cities across 80 countries.

Anuj Tejpal is one of the founding members of OYO and was previously the Global Business Development Leader.

He is among the core leadership team that built OYO as the industry knows it today.

In the last 7 years, Tejpal advanced progressively and took on bigger mandates, challenging assignments and has emerged successful each time.

In his most recent role, he helped set up the OYO China business from the ground up. He has now passed on the baton to Gautam Swaroop, the recently appointed CEO for the company business in China, while continuing to be the Chairman of OYO China.

Tejpal will be reporting directly to Ritesh Agarwal, Founder and Group CEO, OYO Hotels & Homes.

Commenting on the development, Dinesh Ramamurthi – Chief Human Resources Officer – OYO said, “The past few months have been challenging for the global hospitality industry. At OYO, we’ve utilized this period by going back to basics and being fully reliant on our core strengths while realigning some functions to create a leaner and agile OYO. As a step ahead in this direction, we’ve appointed Anuj Tejpal as the Global Chief Commercial Officer. He would be responsible for driving global delivery of revenue for hotels, including overseeing revenue and OTA management, along with direct demand.”