Getting down to basics with a keen eye on detail is the success mantra for Nishant Agarwal, GM, The Westin Pune Koregaon Park
BY Babita Krishnan
Give us a short background of your journey.
My journey in the hospitality industry has been quite an exciting one. I started at The Imperial, New Delhi, and continued working with a series of brands including The Oberoi Hotels & Resorts, IHG and Marriott Hotels. My journey with Starwood Hotels & Resorts began in May 2013, as EAM at The Westin Mumbai Garden City. Overall the ride has been an exciting one and I carry fond memories and learning’s from each of these spectacular properties.
What is the best part of being a GM?
This is the age of great change and hotels need to stay agile towards customer expectations. In order to stay ahead, the GM’s role requires cognisance of stakeholder insights and expectations. The GM must take the lead and activate involvement in terms of owner expectation on assets and administration. Today, we shuffle among various management roles; hence the need for acumen on market performance, business segmentation, industry and financial norms and government policies and mandate along with embracing technology to meet guest satisfaction.
How do you keep the morale of the team running high? How do you motivate them?
To motivate young people to join the industry and keep staff turnover low, I believe in offering a competitive compensation package, continuous professional development and further career opportunities. A team of motivated, trained and loyal employees is the backbone of any operation and key to future success. I feel that hotels need employees who pay attention to detail, and provide exceptional service and unexpected 'wow' effects to deliver the competitive edge guests are willing to pay for. I enjoy grooming my team for hands-on situation handling and motivate them to create success where there was none and even greater success where it already existed.
What are the challenges that you face as a GM?
The challenges that one faces as a general manager are manifold. From achieving your revenue goals to maintaining employee work-family balance, one is constantly on toes in this role and there is never a dull moment. Moreover, there are also other challenges such as retaining employees and developing a more employee-friendly environment at work.
What are the revenue-enhancing strategies that you have adopted/introduced at the property?
The pro-guest and personalised approach by all our associates with the guest has been beneficial for our property. Our repeat cliental ratio has gone up by almost 50% in last two years which has helped us to maintain our occupancy. Westin is the top hotels in Pune in RevPAR and our revenue strategies have been focused on driving online and traditional channels. Whether it is a walk-in, advanced phone booking or an Internet booking, on any given day, we have flexible rate types available for guests for hotel booking.
Planned revenue management and distribution channels provide opportunities to raise prices during peak season and lower rates to encourage occupancy during off-peak times. We encourage experimenting with pricing in order to maintain a steady flow of guests and revenue. Focus on other operating departments such as spa, transportation and laundry with application of revenue management tools will be vital to grow the top line and forms an important part of the overall strategy for this year.
What are your favourite areas of the property?
My favourite part of the hotel is definitely the lobby, with its airy spacious ambience and natural light. Moreover, I find it the perfect place to interact with guests over a cup of coffee at our delicatessen cafe shop – Daily Treats. Another favourite spot during my day is ‘Potoba’ our delightful associate cafeteria. It is here that I spend quality time with our associates, re-energising, and tuning into the pulse of the hotel.
Share some of your guest experiences.
Certainly a wonderful experience was handling US President Obama’s visit to India, and also Nicholas Sarkozy during his tenure as French President. One of the most difficult experiences for me was that of working through 26/11. This series of events changed the face of our industry overnight. Suddenly, the integration of cutting edge security and the soft skills of hospitality began to merge into a more efficient synergy than ever before.
What has been the turning point in your career?
I can recognise three specific turning points in my career. First, the transition to being a manager. Taking on responsibility for more than just myself, was a humbling experience, one that has stayed with me through the years. Second, my experience with Oberoi Hotels, where quality is the driving factor of the company. Thirdly, my learning from Starwood. Balancing the drive for quality, while generating revenue streams. Simultaneously, managing the relationship between owner and operator of the business.
What according to you is the most important thing for success in the industry?
I believe that it is the little things that make a big difference in the way we drive and achieve results. My success code ‘Get down to the basics’- the close attention to the fine details of any operation whether F&B, rooms, housekeeping, engineering, etc. will make that operation first class.
What are some of the positive changes in the industry in the last decade or so?
The industry has seen numerous changes in the last decade. Today, hotel chains engage employees with the brand to help deliver consistent standards of customer service. Brands are also creatively introducing new and innovative talent–development programmes to effectively enhance service and communication.
Apart from these internal developments, another market revolution is social media. In today’s consumer-focused market, the use of social media is a must to engage your target audience. With social media being one of the primary tools to communicate your brand, marketers have also begun to use new and innovative strategies to push their brands globally.
What is the worst thing about being a hotelier?
Hotels are fast-evolving to meet customer expectations and business thrives on difference in innovation and service. While it’s a necessity for a hotel GM to lead with dynamism and strategic acumen, success lies with novelty in concept and staying ahead of the competition. GMs now have to be more informed of current trends and co-create new products and services, based on live and verified customer feedback.
However, with larger responsibility in the organisation, I believe that the vivacious nature of this work-profile can take-up a considerable amount of personal time and even lead to possible social isolation.
If not an hotelier, what would have been your second choice of career?
Perhaps an engineer, with a background in science, but hotels happened to me. Now, even if I make a conscious effort to make a switch, I can’t think of anything but hotels.