Hotelier India Magazine - October 2017

In this issue

At first look, Dilip Ray, owner and CMD of Mayfair Hotels & Resorts, seems like an unlikely person to grace the cover of Hotelier India magazine. Barring one, nine of his 10 hotels are concentrated in India's North Eastern region. He is not seen at most industry events. Little is known about him in trade circles; he likes to maintain a low profile And that is precisely why we thought he is the perfect candidate for our cover story this issue. Though Mayfair Hotels & Resorts does not do any marketing, it has over 80% occupancy for most of its boutique properties, despite charging a premium for their rooms. The company employs over 2000 employees, almost all of them from Odisha. It has an attrition rate of less than 5%, something one rarely hears about in the hospitality industry. Since 1982, Ray has set a measured growth pace for his company, whilst balancing his political responsibilities. He is now foraying into the big league, opening a hotel in Kolkata, which is a departure from Mayfair’s design-led properties. Will this one-man brand be able to hold its own against the big daddies in the hospitality business? Only time will tell. Talking about design-led assets, this issue we find out how hoteliers across the board are working closely with architects and interior designers to implement thoughtful aesthetic improvements in their hotels to attract guests through well-thought-out artistic changes. They are showing more openness in adopting contemporary design styles in their guest rooms and public spaces, as long as it elevates their brand’s ethos to an aspirational level from the guest’s perspective. Another interesting thing in this issue is revisiting the past while preparing for the future. We spoke to some erstwhile Hotelier India award winners, asking how the award helped them in their professional and personal lives. We also asked them to advice contenders who would soon be filing nomination forms for the upcoming Hotelier India Awards 2017.