In this issue

Finally, at long last, the Indian government has taken note of the biggest issue facing the hospitality industry: the sharp and unsustainable GST rates that were pulling the industry down. Two weeks ago, the GST Council announced a rationalization in the GST rates for mid-scale and upscale hotels. This comes as a much-needed relief for the industry ahead of the festive season. While the industry and the country is grappling with an economic slowdown, a move such as bringing down the GST rates by the government will encourage people to travel more, particularly on leisure trips, with their families. Ultimately, from Diwali to the New Year, family travel witnesses a spike and the rationalization could not have come at a better time. Clearly, this is the one right thing, the shot in the arm that the industry needed. Pune, the city of Peshwas, true to its royal legacy, is now home to India’s second The Ritz-Carlton. Opulent, a modern classic and timeless, the hotel has transformed the luxury hospitality segment not just in Pune, but in India.

Besides, our Cover story features Atul Chordia and Ranjit Batra wherein they speak about how they have ensured that their passion delivers profits. They keep a keen eye on both, the finer details of the projects they fund and execute, and the P&L. Amongst our line-up is a candid interview with Prashanth Rao Aroor, who decodes the potential of Tier 2 and 3 markets and why overleveraging and irresponsible specs are hurting the hospitality industry. Also within this edition, you will read articles on how hotels are dealing with the economic slowdown, transformative lighting that has helped create interesting experiences within hotels, our take on all-day diners as the new profit centres, and how guest apps will draw in higher footfalls.

How To Cope With The Economic Slowdown

The hotels let us listen in on their survival strategies and come up with some interesting solutions to stay profitable.

5 mins

Acing The Mid-Scale Market

IntelliStay Hotels is focusing on technology and talent upgrade on the back of the fresh round of equity it just raised. CEO Prashanth Rao Aroor decodes the potential of Tier 2 and 3 markets, and why overleveraging and irresponsible specs are hurting the hospitality industry.

9 mins

How Panchshil Is Transforming The Luxury Hotel Game In Pune

Panchshil Realty is a name synonymous with luxury. From its ultraglam residential projects to its equally striking commercial ones and its out-of-the-box branded hospitality projects, it has come to redefine the luxury space with an emphasis on high-voltage glamour, uber-luxury and its attention to detail. Atul Chordia, Chairman and Ranjit Batra, President – Hospitality Management are the men of the moment, as The Ritz-Carlton Pune makes its debut on India’s hospitality landscape. Given their deep-seated passion for innovation, their eye for detail and their insistence on not following any discounting policies that are detrimental to the luxury hospitality business and image, the two have ensured that Panchshil’s hospitality business always tops the game. In a candid interview, they talk about what luxury means to them, the pulls and pushes of working with brands, the need for better training and talent, and why The Ritz-Carlton Pune will prove to be a game-changer in not just the Pune market — which is experiencing a strong demand despite a decline in the auto industry, but also in India’s luxury hospitality.

10+ mins

The New Wave In Hotel Lighting

LEDs and the Internet of Things (IoT) are the new game-changers, enabling hoteliers to drive revenues, footfalls and save on the energy cost, even as they serve up some dramatic lighting options

7 mins

The 24-Hour Diner Has Emerged As The Star Of Experiential Dining

The quiet transformation of all-day dining from a classic coffee shop, which belonged to the 1970s, to a culinary theatre of sensory dining and how it redefined indulgence

6 mins

The Emergence Of Tech-Forward Guest Apps

This is an idea whose time has come. Modern-day apps go beyond basic check-ins to help hotels understand their guest's preferences, needs and desires

8 mins

Read all stories from Hotelier India

Hotelier India Magazine Description:

A definitive guide to successful Hotel Management.

Published by ITP Media (India), and circulated to a carefully targeted audience of hoteliers country-wide, Hotelier India combines the latest news analysis, products news, industry features, business trends and best practices to create a must read title for professionals in the country's hospitality industry.

Regular sections in the title include up-to date local and international news; interviews with hotel general managers and other senior staff; comment and analysis from industry professionals; market intelligence; round table sessions with every sector of the hotel community; industry case studies, destination reports and product updates. Hotelier India's combination of strong industry-specific content, including a heavy focus on new products and service innovations, and its local industry audience, makes the title the perfect advertising platform for suppliers to the industry. India's hospitality industry is forecast to become one of the most stable in the coming years. Today, there has never been a greater need for Hotelier India, nor a better time for suppliers to enter this market.