THE HERITAGE INHERITOR

TW speaks to SONAVI KAICKER - CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER of Neemrana Hotels, a graduate from Lady Shriram College in Psychology Honors and Rhodes Scholar from Oxford University, about her journey, views on tourism, the hospitality industry and the philosophy of Neemrana.

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A Psychology Honours from Lady Shriram College and a Rhodes Scholar in Psychology and Management at Oxford University how did you finally get associated with the Hospitality industry?

As a child, I was always fascinated by the world of hospitality. My mother often told me that hotels weren't only about glamourous spaces as there was a lot of hard work behind the scenes that goes into running hotels. My late grandmother Sheila Nath was very enterprising and thoroughly enjoyed sourcing unique items for the Neemrana Hotels and was also the one who trained the local people in Ramgarh and started the natural Neemrana jams using the spare fruit from the Ramgarh orchards. So, the world of hospitality has been an inherent part of my childhood.

As a young Indian woman Rhodes Scholar, I was certain that I wanted to contribute to my own country and be a part of the growth and change that I wanted to see. When I joined Neemrana Hotels in 2010, I knew that the responsibilities were going to be manifold, but I was certain that I wanted to take the Neemrana vision forward as there was a lot of potentials that still hadn't been tapped. As a second-generation hotelier at Neemrana, my focus is always to maintain the USP and philosophy of the Neemrana Hotels and to learn from the successes and ordeals of the first generation.

What are the key factors, according to you, that makes Neemrana Hotels successful and a favourite among tourists?