3*, 4* and 5* have become a clichéd expression in travel trade. While business travelers love the “standard” nature of services and expectations it involves (who wants a surprise at the end of a tiring day!), the leisure travelers just seem to be increasingly feeling unexcited and even restless at upon arriving to a “Standard” hotel / resort.
This is something new the travel trade is having to grapple with. Having to meet customer expectation of every time arriving to “something new and different”. There are several things that can make a difference and guests seem to not only notice and appreciate these but even go gaga over it and become hotel’s invisible brand ambassador for times to come.
This is something new the travel trade is having to grapple with. Having to meet customer expectation of every time arriving to “something new and different”. There are several things that can make a difference and guests seem to not only notice and appreciate these but even go gaga over it and become hotel’s invisible brand ambassador for times to come.
Lets discuss some of the things that make a difference.
Friend away from Home – Finding a friend away from home is a genuine surprise. Guests love hotels having people that come across as friendly and genuinely warm.
Best of hotels have people and a culture of tip mongers. A business hotel may have corporate executives who love such pampering and tipping but a traveler to a resort will surely expect more than just hanging around.
Within business hotels Ginger hotels, Lemon Tree and some of the other newer brand of hotels, I found had a completely different culture of people who appeared to more friendly, helpful and less hungry for tips. It made a good impression and as a customer I will surely go back to these for more.
Within business hotels Ginger hotels, Lemon Tree and some of the other newer brand of hotels, I found had a completely different culture of people who appeared to more friendly, helpful and less hungry for tips. It made a good impression and as a customer I will surely go back to these for more.
Leisure segment, Banjara Retreats came across as a completely fresh implementation of common sense concepts of hospitality. Everything works at a clockwork precision but nothing seemed hurried. There no tip mongers, there were plenty of smiling happy faces and there were those who were willing to share as much info and experience, as you’d want them to. Whats in the Menu – When Chefs start to behave like interior designers, hotels need to worry. Interior Designers have a habit if tinkering with time tested concepts in the name of “Creativity’. Cuisine is about what as a guest you can relate to and enjoy. Enjoyment is better if you can relate to it better.
Its also important to understand what cuisine the segment you cater to relates to and idea should be to constantly working in perfecting it so that more and more customers are able to relate to it.
Most hotels have digressed from basics of a recipe and there is degradation in terms of authenticity and taste of cuisine in general over generations of cook. Short cuts, fast preparatory methods, lack of understanding of ingredients etc. has given way to an unhealthy and inferior variety of food that is served across cities.
Its also important to understand what cuisine the segment you cater to relates to and idea should be to constantly working in perfecting it so that more and more customers are able to relate to it.
Most hotels have digressed from basics of a recipe and there is degradation in terms of authenticity and taste of cuisine in general over generations of cook. Short cuts, fast preparatory methods, lack of understanding of ingredients etc. has given way to an unhealthy and inferior variety of food that is served across cities.
Guests traveling on leisure now is a very experienced customer when it comes understanding and appreciating cuisine. So anywhere the guests see any authentic implementation of local recipe, its instantly appreciated. Even the time tested dishes cooked with local ingredients and recipes give a completely different twist and that is something that is most appreciated by guests.
Chambal Safari lodge (80 kms South of Agra) is one of those where I had some known vegetable preparation with a very good local twist to it.
Banjara Retreats serve a kind of cuisine that guests can relate to and enjoy. There is variety for every profile of guests.
I’d been to Swaswara, a retreat where idea is not to indulge but to look within. Here meals are made on the health lines but even then cooks there had turned the entire so called cuisine theory (got to have oil, butter and cheese to make things tasty) upside down to create some very tasty but very healthy meals.
I’d been to Swaswara, a retreat where idea is not to indulge but to look within. Here meals are made on the health lines but even then cooks there had turned the entire so called cuisine theory (got to have oil, butter and cheese to make things tasty) upside down to create some very tasty but very healthy meals.I happened to go to a Taj Hotel Chain trade party (where perhaps idea was to impress us hapless trade visitors with some wide range of cuisine) and while food was tasty, I could simply not relate to anything. It was simply too complicated.
Umpteen restaurants have a menu that’s more like a hard cover book and it’s even harder to understand. If my evening depends on how a hapless captain is able to understand my preferences and make recommendations, then I guess I’d better choose another restaurant.
There is room for more – Rooms in standard 3*/4*/5* are typically as standard as they can get. However in a resort it does not work that way. Any feel of local architecture, craft and ethnicity is most welcome and appreciated. If the implementation is required to be seamless and subtle. Anything “on the face” may be a good novelty but wont last beyond a few weeks.
Umpteen restaurants have a menu that’s more like a hard cover book and it’s even harder to understand. If my evening depends on how a hapless captain is able to understand my preferences and make recommendations, then I guess I’d better choose another restaurant.
There is room for more – Rooms in standard 3*/4*/5* are typically as standard as they can get. However in a resort it does not work that way. Any feel of local architecture, craft and ethnicity is most welcome and appreciated. If the implementation is required to be seamless and subtle. Anything “on the face” may be a good novelty but wont last beyond a few weeks.
There is a reason and purpose to which the hotel is made and that should come across in the background, more so in the rooms, amenities and services etc. Hotels that achieve this aspect always seem to do better than those who create something but the purpose and concept does not come across very clearly. e.g. Its silly to see a luxury jungle lodge in Kanha have managers wearing black Suits.
Oddities – All Hotels start with some oddities. But those who adapt fast survive and thrive better. A resort situated on the edge of the forest reserve overlooking the beach, when it did commence operations, the front office / travel desk had no clue how guests can visit the reserve forest. It was a shocker. Hotel had no idea of the potential that the reserve forests had in terms of bird watchers and wildlife enthusiasts visiting it.
There are other hotels having rooms with no windows. Just Imagine rooms with no windows. Then there are hotels where rooms open right into a common check in area. A noisy group arrival in the morning can mar holiday of any guest staying there.
We just found a heritage home in high Himalayas that cannot be approached by road during certain hours as road leading to it is closed due to local traffic regulations. Amazing isn’t it. What happens to the guests that arrive during those hours.
There are hotels which are candid about some of these, there are hotels that adapt on these and make sure that guests are oriented accordingly. These are the ones that often seem to do better than others.
Moral of the story - Guests are getting sophisticated and can read between the lines. So its best to be purposeful and genuine and be sure that age old cliched hospitality is passe.
