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The sky is the limit
Virender Razdan, general manager of Sheraton Park Hotel & Towers, Chennai, is extremely bullish about the future of the hospitality industry there.
Razdan is sitting pretty in sultry Chennai, devising tactics to handle the current situation; juggling lower ARR’s against operating costs.
However, he says that the name of the game these days is RevPAR: “ARR does not go to the bank; it has to be revenue at the end of the day. Right volumes at the right price, coupled with controlled expenses, results in profit for the hotel.”
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Razdan has a surefire ‘threeprong approach’, which has never let him down yet; “It is a mosaic of revenue performance, environmental consciousness and initiatives, and corporate social responsibility.
It means going beyond the call of compliance to make for world-class products and services to satisfy our customers on a consistent basis, supported by concern for safety”, he says. “I am personally quite bullish about the Chennai market.
2010/2011 will see an increase in the room inventory - there will be quality supply in terms of rooms and F&B outlets.
Major international players will show their presence. New hotels should be in a position to break even sooner rather than later. Chennai is a market which has not grown to its full potential till now, but should see a meteoric rise in the coming years,” Razdan states.
A common mistake many general managers make is that they tend to overlook micro aspects while looking at the macro picture; “One needs to keep both aspects in mind.
Certain strategies have to be dealt at the micro level, and some in macro,” he says. Asked whether he thinks ITC has become too complacent, and rests too much on the laurels earned by its flagship property, the Maurya, in New Delhi, he gives an animated response, saying the company is among one of the largest players in the Indian market, and their hotel division has the most aggressive approach.
“ITC will strengthen its presence with more luxury hotels in the major metro cities in the next five-six years”, he affirms. As to why Bukhara – the Maurya’s signature restaurant – hasn’t enjoyed the same phenomenal rate of success in other cities, he says that different markets have different needs.
Razdan has also served with the Oberoi Group earlier; what are the various learnings he has imbibed from his tenures with both the chains? “Two companies, both with different styles of operation, but the same focus on ‘Product, Processes, and People’. Both companies have created landmark hotels.
I am lucky to have been a part of the best of both worlds,” he says. Hailing from an utterly scenic, but unfortunately terror-riddled state, himself (Kashmir), does he think, especially in the light of current happenings both in India and worldwide, that hotels should assume more direct responsibility for the security of their properties?
“Hotels can take security to certain levels, which has been upgraded to the best possible in recent months. Our core competence is to serve our guests and in the meanwhile not to compromise on hotel, or guest, security. We all have to create a more secure environment for future businesses,” he says soberly.
Razdan is an acknowledged wine connoisseur: “We are in the life style and luxury business. I think the right knowledge and feel of luxury habits definitely help us to perform better in today’s environment, where you are competing with the best in your trade, and that too on your home turf,” he says spiritedly (sic!).
His personal favourites are the Chardonnay from New Zealand and the Borolo from Italy. Not many are aware of the fact that Razdan actually wanted to be a fighter pilot, however, man proposes and God disposes.
“When you are young you dream of flying high. I did the same; wanted to fly my own plane and manage my life from great heights The difference (in my aspiration) has come of flying an actual aircraft to flying on the business plane, where the dimension and magnitude remain the same - in our business I must say that the sky is the limit. It is how and where you fly to, that is important in today’s world,” he says philosophically.
So from aspiring fighter to battling hotelier – how has the journey been? “It’s been a hallenging one”, Razdan signs off.
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