From leading the operations at some of IHCL’s (Indian Hotels Co Ltd) most iconic hotels such as the Taj Mahal, New Delhi, and Taj Falaknuma Palace, Hyderabad, to, most recently, heading the team at the Taj Santacruz, Mumbai, Ritesh Sharma has always been a hands-on leader, role model for his team and apparently also a favourite with the guests.
Excerpts from our interview:
- You started your career with the Taj 20 years ago and are today one of the youngest GMs to helm the iconic Taj Mahal Palace. How has the journey been so far?
It has been an absolute honour to be a part of IHCL (Indian Hotels Company Limited). Like every hotelier, it has also been my dream to be associated with our flagship The Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai. I am humbled and immensely grateful to have been given the opportunity to lead the flagship.
The journey so far has been that of immense learning and striving for excellence. I come to the hotel with the same sense of pride and excitement that I had on day one when I started this remarkable journey. Throughout the course, I have been guided by mentors who have helped me shape the learning curve and worked with colleagues who continue to endeavor to bring Tajness (driven by emotion rather than logic, Tajness means taking care of the tiniest of your everyday needs and addressing the simplest of queries in a unique, never-before experienced way) alive each day. This has not only fuelled an innate desire to persevere through every tide but has also helped build a deep sense of conviction in myself as an hotelier and as an individual.
- What triggered your interest in the hospitality industry? Where did it all begin?
I come from a family of non-hoteliers. As an unsure teenager, but with the zeal to make a difference, I joined the hotel management school in Chennai to develop a deeper understanding of the role of an hotelier in shaping guest experiences. This only happened when I started my journey with IHCL and found myself completely entrenched. I came to value the charm of being an hotelier and the ability to create memories for each of our guests, not limited by geographies or cultures and truly offer them a home away from home experience. Having been privy to an environment wherein every colleague would do their best to go above and beyond their duty to deliver exceptional experiences has been a source of immense inspiration. And honestly, once you’ve worked at the Taj – there is no going back. The magic of our hotels pulls you in.
- What are the main challenges one faces in hotel management? How do you go about resolving any customer dissatisfaction issues?
As young hoteliers, we have always been taught and encouraged to put ourselves in our guests’ shoes and lead with empathy. Most of the times, the guest just wants to be heard. Each of our team members displays a deep sense of calm under pressure and is guest-oriented, ensuring that they are able to re-define the guest experience before they check out of the hotel. This is how we work towards bringing the philosophy of Tajness alive.
Having said that, we also understand that our industry is constantly evolving wherein our discerning guests are always seeking unique experiences. Given this scenario, one of the biggest challenges we face today is how to remain ahead of the curve and continue to pioneer novel experiences across all guest segments.
- The hospitality industry suffered more than other markets during the pandemic. What are the services you’ve introduced to bounce back, especially after the pandemic?
Indeed the hotel industry was hugely impacted but the pandemic brought out the most innovative side wherein the hotels carved new avenues to meet guest expectations. It also brought to the fore newer customer segments and niche experiences that needed to be addressed.
Keeping up with the changing times, we had to re-think and re-imagine our offerings that allowed us to bring new experiences for our guests. Some of the key services that we have introduced that are still going strong are QMIN (our dine-at-home offering), apart from various new revenue streams that have brought in a lot of interest along with revenue. We further strengthened our in-resident programs that entailed city-led experiences and focused on complementing staycations with an array of dining experiences. Gifting on special occasions and festive dates also gained prominence as a new revenue stream owing to which we have introduced unique gifting solutions. We continue to keep our innovation wagon accelerated and move the needle on delivering exceptional experiences.
- What is your vision for the future of the hotel?
Founded by Jamsetji Tata, Indian Hotels Company Limited’s (IHCL) iconic brand Taj was established in 1903 with the opening the flagship – The Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai. For 120 years, the hotel has been renowned for its world-class service of genuine warmth and sincere care. In today’s dynamic environment, with ever changing consumer behaviour and in keeping with its legacy of service excellence, our iconic brand Taj has reached a portfolio of 95+ hotels and more than double its room inventory over the past five years – a rare achievement by a global luxury hospitality brand.
With a sharp focus on customer experience with the introduction of Care@Tajness, the Taj continues to carry its glorious past to the consumer of the future with a holistic approach to guest delight.
At the flagship, this is magnified multi-fold – we hope to see The Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai, shine bright on the global stage for the next 100 years as the pioneer of exciting new concepts in hospitality and food and beverage. Taking on the tenets guided by Care@Tajness, the flagship of the future will have Re-engineered service standards, Re-imagined offerings through innovation backed by our strong culture of Responsiveness. Our vision is in line with the organization’s growth strategy of Avhaan 2025 to make the flagship the most profitable and iconic hotel in the world. We’ve introduced new experiences to make the overall guest experience richer to remain a market pioneer.
- If you had to pass on one piece of advice to an aspiring hotel GM, what would that be?
My advice would be to work hard towards achieving excellence and striving towards maintaining the highest standards of product and services in any hotel that you lead. A deep knowledge of our industry to build a strong foundation paired with a thorough understanding of guest and stakeholder requirements is key. We belong to a rapidly evolving world (digital and otherwise) and hence it is imperative to keep learning and up-skilling to ensure relevance at all times.
