In conversation with BW HOTELIER, Gorav Arora, General Manager, Novotel Mumbai Juhu Beach discusses the strict cleanliness and hygiene measures, initiatives taken for the F&B segment, increase in staycations and many more.

Nestled amidst the shores of Juhu Beach overlooking the Arabian Sea, Novotel Mumbai Juhu Beach is AccorHotels magnificent beachfront property and was one of the few hotels operational through the lockdown. With the lockdown restrictions easing and the hospitality industry slowly picking up pace, BW HOTELIER talks to Gorav Arora, General Manager, Novotel Mumbai Juhu Beach, about about the market response, F&B business, how cleanliness and certification standards can be used as  a marketing tool and industry’s increased focus on domestic tourism.

Tell us briefly about the market response to the reopening of hotels in Mumbai?

We appreciate the decision by the Maharashtra Government to allow opening of hotels, and subsequently restaurants. Being a cosmopolitan city, Mumbai caters to demand from all segments owning to its connectivity, location, and versatility. Mumbai is also known as a city of resilience and has always emerged stronger after multiple crises and challenging situations. True to its image, the city is showing signs of strong growth in terms of hotel occupancies and we believe that this trend will see an upward trajectory in the coming months. 

Our hotel has been operational through the lockdown as we had a few foreign nationals staying with us, who were unable to leave the country at that point in time. A team of Heartist® staying in-house assisted in all operational activities while maintaining utmost cleanliness and hygiene measures.

As times improve, we look forward to welcoming more guests. The health, safety and well-being of our patrons, staff and partners continues to be our top priority. We have in place strict measures adhering to both governmental requirements and Accor’s ALLSAFE label, group’s cleanliness and hygiene protocols, developed and vetted with Bureau Veritas.

Business travel and MICE have been among the key growth segments in Mumbai’s hospitality industry. With the current scenario, what market segments are going to drive the performance of hotels in this region?

In the current scenario, business travel has been limited. A potential rise in occupancy has come from families who are tired of staying at home for several months and want a change in location. They are opting for staycations, workcations and to celebrate special occasions like birthdays and anniversaries. 

Located at the beachfront, Novotel Mumbai Juhu Beach is an ideal venue for a relaxed time. Our rooms offer a breath-taking view of the sea as well as easy access to the beach, multiple dining options and good internet connectivity. Accor introduced  ‘Let Us Take Care Of You’ campaign between July and September 2020 which gave travellers the opportunity to stay at any of the chains hotel’s with a host of special offers, unique experiences and indulge in a break from daily monotonous schedules, all while enjoying safe and responsible travel. We saw a very positive response to this campaign with many guests choosing our hotel to relax and rejuvenate. 

Given that business travel has reduced, and MICE activity continues to remain low, it is anticipated that the domestic leisure market will be a key focus over coming months with staycations, workcations and dine-in opportunities driving growth.

F&B has been another significant contributor for a hotel. What creative initiatives have been taken by you to maximise your F&B business?

Food and beverage is an important aspect of our hotel contributing to 50% of revenue and we have always been innovating and incorporating local as well as seasonal offerings. Currently, three of our restaurants: Sampan–our Indo-Chinese restaurant, The Square–our all-day dining restaurant and Gadda Da Vida–our sea-facing lounge bar are open, adhering to government guidelines. Specialty dishes and classics from the other restaurants are available on the menu to continue to delight our guests. They can also be ordered through our takeaway and delivery services.

In addition to hygiene and sanitisation measures, we have introduced a contactless menu option where guests can view the menu from their own devices. Individual plating and smaller portion sizes have also been introduced for safety measures and to avoid wastage. Our in-room dining menu also includes signature specials from all our restaurants.

From April, we introduced a takeaway and food delivery menu. We ventured into this concept amid the pandemic and used it as an opportunity to deliver favourite food to our guests who were unable to come to the restaurants due to the restrictions. For delivery, we partnered with food platforms like Zomato and Swiggy and have been receiving a good response.  

Currently, through our newest campaign ‘For the Love of Travel, For the Love of Now’, Accor is encouraging guests to follow their hearts and cherish every moment of life. As an extended leg of this campaign, Accor has announced ‘Missed Celebrations’ offer to ensure that guests can celebrate their special occasions with friends and family. ‘Missed Celebrations’ provides guests the opportunity to celebrate their anniversaries, birthdays, family dinners or small gatherings with friends and earn rewards. With our dine-in services open again, we have seen a gradual rise in diners with regular guests coming back. 

Our team continues to look at new ways and means to enhance our food and beverage services to entice our guests and deliver exceptional experiences, especially with the festive season coming up. 

What was the percentage of revenue that you used to generate from Weddings market in the pre-covid times? What are the latest developments in this market?

Weddings were always popular at Novotel Mumbai Juhu Beach and will continue to be a crucial segment in driving revenue. In pre-COVID times, weddings generated around 60% of banquet revenue and currently we are seeing major revival from this segment.

Novotel Mumbai Juhu Beach is an ideal location for those who want a destination wedding in the city itself. Nestled amidst the shores of Juhu beach, the hotel overlooks the magnificent Arabian Sea and is a picture-perfect location. The venues offer natural lighting and a glimpse of the vast ocean. 

Currently, more intimate gatherings have become the need of the hour. The hotels outdoor, sea-facing space allows greater flexibility and movement that comply with current guidelines. To ensure distanced is maintained, layout of indoor venues has been rearranged. Tables are set at least six feet apart, with fewer guests seated together. Guests can steer away from self-service buffets and opt for staffed food counters or plated dinners.

Novotel Mumbai Juhu Beach is an ALLSAFE labelled hotel and safety measures in all wedding packages include thermal screening, masks for all guests, hand sanitisation stations and social distancing practices.

As new hygiene norms and standards have come into play, what training model has been adopted for your staff for their daily working?

To ensure the safety of guests and employees amid pandemic, Accor elevated its hygiene and safety norms even further by launching a unique cleanliness and prevention label, ALLSAFE, our global cleanliness and prevention standards which have developed with and vetted by Bureau Veritas. The ALLSAFE label communicates to guests that these standards have been met in hotels. An ALLSAFE Officer is also appointed, who strictly monitors that safety and hygiene standards are being adhered across the hotel regularly.

Novotel Mumbai Juhu Beach is accredited with the ALLSAFE certificate and we have put all mechanisms in place for the safety of guests and staff. Everyone entering the hotel undergoes mandatory thermal screening and is required to wear a mask in the premises. Guests are also encouraged to view online menus of restaurants on their own devices. The number of chairs and tables in the restaurants have been reduced as per the guidelines to ensure social distancing. Digital screens and posters with social distancing messaging have been put up across the hotel to ensure guidelines are being followed, and common areas and high touch points are regularly sanitised. Apart from wearing protective gear, our staff is given regular practical and theoretical training under the ALLSAFE modules, which enables them to understand the situation and act accordingly. 

Housekeeping has a leading role to play in the new normal. What is your take?

In past housekeeping was a core operation designed to be flawless yet invisible, now it must be beyond flawless and highly visible. Cleanliness and adherence to any new certification standards that come about will act as a marketing tool. The housekeeping team plays a vital role in the cleanliness and maintenance of the hotel. In the present time, their profile has been further elevated to ensuring that stringent room and public area checks are carried out to ensure maximum levels of hygiene being maintained through the premises.

In accordance with our ALLSAFE cleanliness and prevention label, an extensive set of new hygiene and sanitation procedures have been implemented to ensure the safety of guests and employees.  Dedicated hand sanitiser stations are placed near high touch points, single use items are optimised across the hotel and disinfecting wipes are used for cleaning different surfaces. Signage encouraging hand washing and social distancing are placed across the hotel. Routine checks are carried out by our housekeeping supervisors to ensure all sanitisation and cleanliness requirements are conducted and documented. In addition to the housekeeping team, we also have the ALLSAFE Officer, who is responsible for ensuring the guidelines for hygiene and sanitation are monitored and added measures are introduced wherever necessary. 

With the increased focus on domestic tourism, what is your take on the revival of the industry?

The hotel industry is hoping for more relief and relaxations from the government, but more importantly, it is essential to ensure that guests are comfortable to come back to hotels and restaurants once again. We all are adjusting and working in the new normal of hospitality. Changes are being made at every touch point in the guests’ journey right from meet and greet to sustaining long-term relationships.

Guests have become more tech-savvy during the lockdown and digital interaction has gained popularity now more than ever before. The focus has now moved towards connecting with existing and potential guests across various digital platforms and reiterating promotional activities and safety measures taken by the hotel.

In Mumbai, there has been a slow pick up in business, however, each week is looking better than the previous week. Staycations, daycations and workcations are few opportunities to capitalise upon using attractive pricing. We are also getting inquiries from those who are traveling to the city for medical purposes and expect some business from this segment. 

Online food delivery continues to be one of the few segments emerging as a winner through the pandemic. For Mumbaikars, the eating-out culture has been subdued with looming safety ad hygiene concerns and online delivery has come to rescue. Restaurants have collaborated with delivery partners to aid their businesses. Since food and beverage is an important aspect for our hotel, we at Novotel Mumbai Juhu Beach have a takeaway and home delivery menu, which includes signature dishes from all our food and beverage outlets. This move has been well received by our guests and it supports our business as well.

What would be your message for the guests who may be making their travel plans for the near future?

Travellers want to be assured that the places they are staying and dining at are safe and sanitised. Our key messaging is to assure our guests of a safe and hygienic environment with the ALLSAFE measures that are implemented at our hotel. Once their confidence is restored, we believe more guests will be motivated to venture out and enjoy our hospitality. We have seen a strong response so far and, together, the team is working harder towards welcoming and taking care of our guests.