It’s not often that a hotel room is booked based on suggestions alone or by the mere popularity of its hospitality brand. It’s almost characteristic of a frequent traveller to research a recommended property.
Review websites have made it easy to read about actual experiences, browse through a gallery of “real” photos and understand why a property has received the rating it has. Most reviewers are generous about giving a detailed account of their stay, from the staff’s attitude to the size of the bed.
These reasons (and competition) are exactly why hotels constantly feel the need to up their game. Hospitality chains aren’t just competing with other giants on the market, but with personalised service at luxury boutique hotels too.
The changing trend in travel challenges hospitality brands to continue innovating and keep up with varying needs across age groups. Business properties must efficiently stay abreast with the millennial corporate traveller on the go. Flexible workspaces, night spas and limited staff-connect are only the beginning of what these temporary abodes have to offer today.
TECHNOLOGY
Japan raced ahead of its competitors last July by introducing an English-speaking dinosaur robot and a Japanese-speaking humanoid as receptionists. This Henn-na Hotel in Nagasaki Prefecture reduces human interaction to negligible, right from check-in to check-out. Keys are replaced by face-recognition scanners to unlock doors, bags are sent to the room on a machine, and a smart kiosk lets you help yourself to food and beverages at the cafe.
The novelty garnered much attention from the world — the first ever robot-staffed hotel. Despite the excitement for a futuristic property, most who stayed there have commonly expressed on tripadvisor.in, an interactive travel website, that it was awkward without having a human greet and assist you.
Nonetheless, it’s still a property that intrigues many. Marriott, on the other hand, understands the importance of human interaction — it remains as little or as much as you want it to be. Marriott guests already have an app to process the entered booking number, check-in and check-out time.
“As you land into Mumbai, you can log into the app and tell us that you’re on your way, “ says Ayesha Bhalla, director of sales and marketing at JW Marriott Mumbai Sahar. “Let us know if you would like your room to be set to a certain temperature, if you want a hard or soft bed, number of pillows maybe, and if you would like to have your food laid in your room on arrival.” This is possible through the live chat feature on the Marriott Mobile App. Once you intimate the hotel of your arrival, an employee will wait at the reception to greet and escort you to your room.
Apart from booking a room, Marriott’s app can manage spa appointments and restaurant reservations too. At the time of check-out (which can also be done through the app), services used, with date and time, will be emailed to you with your hotel bill and charged to your credit card.
You can further limit human interaction to a bare minimum on 17 Marriott properties (visit mobileapp.marriott.com for the list). Their mobile key feature — a digital key that appears on your phone’s screen — works just as well as a keycard. This means, your check-in process is entirely through the app without the need to physically inform the hotel that you have arrived, to collect your room key from the reception.
While Marriott isn’t sure of when exactly it will launch the mobile key in India, Hilton Worldwide has announced that next year it will make this feature available at its Indian properties. Only members of HHonors will be able to use the virtual key through Hilton’s mobile app.
Hilton’s vice president (development, India) Kaushik Vardharajan says, “HHonors members can use their smartphones to directly go to their room without going to the front desk to get a room key. Using Bluetooth and pressing their phone against the doorknob will open the door. We will have this facility in India at all our hotels from next year.”
Moving on from booking/self-service apps, in all rooms, ITC Grand Chola Chennai has iPads to control curtain shades, television and radio channels, lights and even the air conditioning. The device ensures that you don’t have to get out of bed unless absolutely necessary. The daily newspaper is accessible through the iPad, spa treatments and restaurant reservations within the property are managed through it, as well as request for in-room dining, control of the “do not disturb” sign, hotel directory, electronic bill so far, door camera, ITC-owned Wills Lifestyle store and of course, internet browsing.
FLEXIBILITY
In some cases, not getting out of the hotel altogether for multiple meetings can be an option too. Hotel areas can very well turn into offices — and it’s not by hiring the business centre or boardroom.
Zubin Todiwalla, rooms division manager at Sofitel Mumbai BKC says, “As times are changing, workplace flexibility is a concept that is being acknowledged by a growing number of companies.” In addition to supplying guests with good wifi connectivity in the lobby, Sofitel Mumbai BKC has also created areas where guests can “have a quick meeting with a group of people along with requesting for refreshments and treats.”
Lemon Tree Premier hotels in India have designed their lobbies such that they work as social spaces for small group interactions. This means, wifi is available to hold quick power meetings. On special request, certain properties may allow coffee to be served at these waiting areas.
“We have started designing social lobbies by bringing the outside in, where guests can interact, work and collaborate,” says Sareena Kochar, vice president-housekeeping of Lemon Tree Hotels. “Inclusion of workstations [on a few properties] breaks the monotony of the typical lobby set-up and gives the guest a sense of comfort in his routine motion.”
The newly launched Lemon Tree Premier City Centre Gurgaon that opened in June 2016 doesn’t have a lobby in the real sense of the word. It is an extension of the two restaurants at the lobby level from where you can order refreshments if you like. You could just as well use it as your temporary workspace during the day.
In the evenings, the lobby’s mood lighting and music can transform to something more upbeat. Especially on weekends, it could convert to a party ambience (facility for a DJ console is in place) should the hotel see a demand for it.
EXCLUSIVITY
Privacy has a whole new meaning when it comes to booking rooms. You’re riding a lift at The Leela Ambience Gurgaon Hotel & Residences. Your fellow passenger swipes his keycard on the number panel and hits level six. Nothing unusual about it. He must be a guest of the hotel. Only, he isn’t. He isn’t a visitor of a guest either. He is staying on The Leela property, but is actually a guest of The Royal Club.
Hotel-within-a-hotel concept is an exclusive luxury accommodation that is offered by an existing full- service property. Take The Royal Club as an example — a “hidden” hotel on the top floor of all Leela properties. It has its own lobby and check-in counter that is different from that of The Leela reception.
Guests of level six experience a slightly more luxurious experience than other hotel guests. Each suite has a 24-hour butler service, airport pick-up and drop are in a chauffeured limousine, tea and coffee with snacks are available at the lounge round the clock, complimentary cocktail hours from 6pm- 8pm are exclusive to The Royal Club, early check-in and late check-out are options, and the boardroom in The Royal Club Lounge can be booked (free) for two hours per day of the stay.
While guests of level six are allowed to access other facilities of the hotel, guests on other levels cannot access the sixth floor unless invited to do so.
A similar “secret” is held on the topmost floor of Sofitel Mumbai BKC — The Club Millésime Lounge. Todiwalla says, “It is a backdrop for our most discerning guests to appreciate its exclusivity and privacy.”
Separate check-in and check-out area, access to Club meeting rooms, 24-hour tea/coffee, daily high tea service, cocktail hours, airport pick-up and drop and butler assistance are the standard exclusive services to the premium floor. “In addition to these,” Todiwalla adds, “The Club Millésime Lounge has a library of expensive coffee-table books and a cigar humidor with classic cigars such as Monte Cristo, Gurkha Heritage, Hoyo De Monterrey and more, for guests who would love to enjoy a leisurely smoke on the specially designed open terrace of the Club Millésime Lounge.”
LUXURY
Leisure travellers too look for an edge beyond clean rooms, beautiful views and friendly staff. Ambience ranks high, and if it has a defining element to it, the property has already won several brownie points before check-in.
Soneva Jani has taken the extra step to enhance your in-room experience. A luxury resort, it will open on one of the Maldives’ islands next month. In-room facilities include what other luxury properties on the country’s private islands have to offer: water villas, private pools, and direct access to the Indian Ocean from the villa. The tiebreaker, however, is the retractable roof.
The roof of the master bedroom of every Soneva Jani Water Retreat or Reserve slides back at the press of a button. Guests can stargaze from their beds without having to step outside. Should it rain, the roof closes automatically.
Neemrana Hotels promises a vintage- themed stay, and it does exactly that by restoring ancient Indian palaces, forts and erstwhile colonial abodes into hospitable heritage properties. The website describes itself as: “Monuments of historical significance with different stories to tell about our glorious history and culture. And, they have been restored by us to their past magnificence and glory!”.
The Fort Palace of Neemrana, a 15th century building is the first hotel by the group that was spotted in 1977. Ancient architecture intact, it is a travel back in time to live in settings where history was once alive. Each room tells the story of its foremost occupier. While the furniture is built to suit the needs of the 20th century human, its designs are much inspired by the past.
ITC Hotels and Jodha Heritage work on a similar concept: WelcomHeritage. Their aim is to acquire, restore, and maintain India’s heritage properties. They include palaces, forts and havelis that tell stories through their reinstated decor and architecture. Nature resorts are also part of their 41-property portfolio that focus on preservation of the environment.
These are just a few examples of how hotels have essayed a creative approach to pamper the guest — corporate or leisure. Four Seasons Mumbai is another such brand. Its spa is open to in-house guests for an additional six hours from 10pm- 4am for its clientele that is essentially the busy business traveller. It’s a good option for the fatigued guest who has checked in at an odd hour and is in need of relaxation to fight off jet lag.
Europe is already seeing millennial brands such as Marriott’s Moxy, Carlson Rezidor’s Radisson Red and Hilton’s Canopy. They are live examples of how hospitality giants are launching new services to match the needs of millennial travellers. They’re hip in appearance, play with minimalistic designs and are casual in approach. The focus is on lifestyle and locality, cleverly offering comfort at a cheaper price through reuse or smart use of space. It’s only a matter of time before they open in India. Radisson Red is already scheduled to open in Mohali in the last quarter of next year. Until then, we have W Goa to look forward to this month.
