- First of all congratulations on completing 10 glorious years in the hospitality industry, How has your journey with ITC been so far?
Thank you for all the support extended to ITC Grand Chola as it completes 10 glorious years of it’s existence. I take this opportunity to thank all our stakeholders who have been a part of our illustrious journey so far.
it has been nothing short of a fulfilling journey with ITC Hotels in various cities across the country from Agra, New Delhi, Bangalore, Kolkata, Mumbai and now heading the South as Area Manager in Chennai. I am also excited to set up and launch ITC Hotel’s first International foray in Colombo and the expansion of ITC Hotels’ footprint in Sri Lanka.
An alumnus of the Institute of Hotel Management, Mumbai and a graduate from the ITC Hotel Management Institute, I have been a lifer with ITC Hotels. Being quality and creative driven, I have endeavoured to cultivate and sustain the finest hotel operation, by developing and maintaining meaningful relationships with guests, team members and peers alike.
- Since the hotel is all about giving tribute to Tamil Nadu, do the interiors of the hotel reflect its culture?
The first hotel of its kind, ITC Grand Chola is rooted to the soil, and takes inspiration from the Chola dynasty. A glowing tribute to the splendour of Chola architecture, the hotel defines the destination with its uniquely carved and textured exteriors that reflect the influence of Chola temple architecture and particularly its finest examples: the Brihadeeswara, the Gangaikondacholapuram and the Airavateswara temples.
Stretching across eight acres, ITC Grand Chola has been built to express the grandeur of the Chola Empire in scale and luxury.
Indescribably grand and conceived to recreate the awe-inspiring interiors of the palatial Chola temples and royal durbars, the beauty of the lobby – Sangam is enhanced by the flamboyant sweep of the intricately carved balustrade, the engraved steps to the ornate landing, the friezes and the symmetrically arranged pillars finished in elegant white stucco, reminiscent of the temples of South India. The wheel design on the Grand Staircase symbolizes the Wheel of Life and is the most photographed venue in the city! The ceiling is dressed in a spectacular expanse of shimmering crystal chandeliers in the shape of domes interspersed with deeply carved motifs of flowers, to enhance the feeling of being in a timeless space.
A spectacular bronze and copper horse stands on the right to signify the valour and pride of the Chola kings. It stands in veneration of its erstwhile rulers resplendent with its bridle and accessories beautifully fashioned from metals that were significant during the Chola period.
- ITC is very keen on refined and warm hospitality to their guests, Can you tell us a bit about any special hospitality initiatives that the hotel takes for its guests?
At ITC Grand Chola Responsible Luxury is manifest in our endeavours to bring alive local traditions and customs through the architecture and interior design, cuisine and wellness offerings, service rituals and sustainable practices, exemplified through eco-embedded products, eco-easy services and eco-sensitised associates.
Evening Ritual at ITC Grand Chola draws inspiration from ITC Hotels credo of ‘Responsible Luxury’ and the theme of ‘Rooted to the soil’. Responsible Luxury Ambassadors walk down the Grand Staircase carrying lit diyas at the backdrop of the magnificent ‘Chariot of Victory’, reminiscent of the glorious Cholas.
Traditional Indian instrumental music creates a mesmerising ambience while the lamps kept on the grand steps leading to the Sangam Lobby are lit ceremoniously. Guests savour Indian sweets while experiencing this visual treat.
Embodying the ethos of providing luxury with a green touch, our LEED Zero Carbon certified and Platinum Green Hotel invites budding minds to experience the sustainable initiatives taken by the hotel, such as generating water through Atmospheric Water Generator, workings of Water Bottling Plant at site and many more.
- Can you explain to us your relationship with the brand, and what GM learnings you bring in with your experience?
My journey began with ITC Windsor, Bangalore and since then have held various senior management positions at several ITC Hotels in Agra, Delhi, Kolkata and Mumbai, setting definite and impeccable examples for my successors.
I was an integral part of the pre-opening team of ITC Maratha, Mumbai and instrumental in setting up the food and beverage operations of the hotel that has been the talk of the industry. During my tenure at ITC Maratha, the hotel was established as a force to reckon with in Mumbai and came to boast of formidable award-winning food & beverage signature brands such as Peshawri, Dum Pukht, Dakshin and Pan Asian. I believe, one must be quality focused and precision driven by utilizing contemporary & modern management style combined with deft operational skills that also helped me grow exponentially.
- Since the hotel has a large scaled landscape and also focuses on MICE segments, what are the upcoming plans of the hotel concerning the upcoming wedding seasons?
Conferences and banquets take on the ultimate shades of green luxury at ITC Grand Chola. The hotel offers the most lavish of banqueting options – spread over 4200 sq mtr for conventions, banquets, meetings, conferences, symposiums, exhibitions and performances.
A sprawling 2465 sq mtr, Rajendra is one of the country’s largest pillar less banquet halls Rajendra has its own pre function area of 658 sq mtr and can be divided into eight separate halls. It also features a private VIP entrance, a freight elevator capable of accommodating a limo, drop down screens and projectors making it the preferred banquet choice for discerning guests.
For Weddings, our focus will continue to hold ‘Responsible Weddings at Rajendra’, where luxury events are not just about a lavish 5-star ambience or about offering the city’s finest services and facilities – it is about delivering all of this with responsibility, so that when you hold your celebrations you become part of an effort that actively works at reducing our collective carbon footprint.
- How do your best describe your team who have stayed with the group since the pre-opening era?
Our people who have stayed with us for a decade today are strengths and pillars of not just ITC Grand Chola but also the brand as a whole. How are people were taken care of during the pandemic speaks volumes for itself and has become a benchmark in itself. ITC Hotels has been an employer of choice and I truly think that this is the best place to work. The kind of time and resources that we spend just in training and in creating awareness and The kind of money and effort that went into taking care of our employees is a testimony of what we stood for in terms of our manpower policies and procedures.
- What is next for ITC Grand Chola.?
I don’t see another hotel of this scale and size coming up in our market. The responsibility lies with us to ensure that we don’t get complacent. We did face some challenges when we started scaling up our business again—there’ s always going to be certain challenges that you face in terms of your product and services. We need to ensure that we do not lose out on those moments of truth as far as our customer is concerned.
