Signum Hotels and Resorts: an emerging and independent hospitality company

Signum Hotels and Resorts, an emerging and independent hospitality company is a brand set up by a bunch of experienced hoteliers. With hotel properties both in India and the UK, is eyeing major expansion of its portfolio in India through both managed and leased hotel assets. Set up less than two years ago, the company currently has 7 hotels across India and 12 service apartments in UK, vies to manage 1000+ keys by 2021.

The group is focused and determined to be the best choice of the large scale, as well as medium-scale investors and developers, by providing expertise and hospitality solutions to convert their dream into a reality. Signum has a vast experience of hotel operations and marketing with various national and international brands. We have already signed four more properties in India and all of them will get operational before March next year.  By March 2020 we will have 14 hotels. We are signing at least one hotel a month and our strike rate with owners is as high as 95%. The properties in the pipeline include 138-key Serviced Apartment in Golf Course Road Gurgaon due for opening in January next year.

Sharing details of the brand and the brand architecture, Mehul Sharma, CEO & Founder, Signum Hotels and Resorts said that Signum denotes “creating significance” for both owners as well for the destination.  “We try to create significant value to the owners, to the asset as well as the local community around it. We try to offer unique experiences pertaining to the place for our guests.  These experiences are strongly backed by very strong brand structure, brand architecture, and SOPs”.

At Signum hotels and resorts we understand the value of comfort and convenience and deliver high-end services that bring delight to our customers. We own the state-of-the-art methodologies to run and manage the best of properties in the best of locations. Signum leaves a signatory mark with creative and novel hotels and resorts. We have a diligent and result oriented team who form the biggest asset of our organization. The signum team comprises of hoteliers with more than two decades of experience in the Hotel industry. They have profound expertise and knowledge of managing hotels and have worked with renowned chain of Hotels like Taj Group, ITC, Radisson, etc.  Because of this, Signum has been able to pick up the best practices of all the leading brands and customise it to create a better customer experience.

We, at Signum Hotels and Resorts cater to all kinds of guests both tourists and business people. Hence, we are carefully located in close proximity to business districts from where the maximum corporate demand is being generated and are well connected with airports and other transport facilities. Signum Hotels and Resorts cater to a niche market, this positions us to compete against giant hotel brands and also experience-oriented players. Mehul Sharma, Founder & CEO of the hotel company said “Now, if the property is iconic enough, has a great story to tell and makes good business sense, we will sign a management contract and deliver it with an unparalleled adventure for our guests by providing them with niche, luxury and significant experiences that are up close to nature. As I believe guests want to stay in a place where the hotel does the thinking for them, offer fantastic spaces for them to relax, meet like-minded people and experience local cultures.”

Hospitality industry adds significantly to the GDP of the country, and globally the industry is one of the biggest employers. The company has been able to create strong software and brand manuals.  “We have invested heavily into IT and people. At Signum Hotels and Resorts, we look for employees who love what they do and are warm and inviting. In order to be successful in the hospitality industry one will need to possess the right skill sets and qualities as it is not an industry for everyone to work for. Therefore, one should maintain a positive attitude while dealing with guests and provide the best possible customer service. Soft skills are the DNA of hospitality students as they are trained to be good with people, even under pressure. “Every day is different and presents new challenges. Hence, our employees have to be able to appear calm amidst the chaos and still get the job done.” Our employees are more valuable to their managers by working in multiple areas and expand their skill set be it technical or leadership. Being a leader is important in the hospitality industry. After all, hospitality is all about providing outstanding service and leaving customers with a smile on their face, which is a role that isn’t necessarily suited to everybody.” Because of this, Signum has been able to pick up the best practices of all the leading brands and customise it to create a better customer experience.

“The mindset is changing. People want their assets to be run by real professionals so that the value of their assets are appreciated”. Our focus as a brand will continue to provide significant experiences and impact on the in-design architecture. The brand currently has properties in Delhi NCR, Jaipur, Kasauli, Dhaulagiri, and Shimla. We have plans of acquiring and operating 50 hotels in the next 2 years betting on experiential offerings and undefined factors. In the next 12 to 18 months, Signum Hotels would be focusing to consolidate in the 3-Star and above space in segments like Villas, Apartments, Palaces, Hotels, and Resorts in more prime and offbeat destinations across the country such as Goa, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Mandawa, Shimla, Bandhavgarh, Varanasi, Pune, Chandigarh, Ludhiana, Hyderabad and more.

Roseate Hotels and Resorts : Aims at providing an unparalleled experience, every single time

India is a large market for travel and tourism. It offers a diverse portfolio of niche tourism products cruises, adventure, medical, wellness, sports, MICE, eco-tourism, film, rural and religious tourism. India has been recognized as a destination for spiritual tourism for domestic and international tourists. In Independence speech from Red Fort, Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged people to visit 15 domestic tourist destinations in India by 2022 to promote tourism. India was ranked 34th in the Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report 2019 published by the World Economic Forum. Roseate Hotels are a collection of luxury boutique hotels and resorts that prides itself on a warm ambiance and distinguished services. Spread across the UK and India, Roseate Hotels and Resorts aim at providing its guests with an unparalleled experience, every single time.

Roseate Hotels & Resorts, the uber luxury hospitality brand offers a global collection of one of a kind stay experiences and includes a portfolio of new and existing ultrachic luxury hotels that are carefully curated envisaging the best in design, art, hospitality and personalized service centered around guest experience. Today the brand offers a collection of 6 uber luxury properties in India and the UK each having an individual brand identity under Roseate Hotels & Resorts.

The name Roseate comes from a bird with pink-hued plumage. Avant-garde, imaginative and contemporary in design, each Roseate hotel has a story to tell. Key focus is laid on service, aesthetics and detailing of hotels that pave way to stylized accommodation with high business efficiencies at city hotels and exquisite leisure options at resort locations. Within India, the group has presence with three properties namely The Roseate New Delhi, Roseate House New Delhi and The Roseate Ganges Rishikesh. Their presence in the United Kingdom includes Roseate House London, The Roseate Reading as well as The Roseate Villa Bath. All these properties embody the brand philosophy of showcasing a new spectrum of hospitality.

“We are opening up a luxury co-working space which is different from what our contemporaries are offering. Others include a 24X7 hours breakfast service at DEL, an inhouse movie theatre Upstage, the largest Indian restaurant in the city – Kheer with a 24 hours license and an old school bar Chidya Ghar with 24X7 alcohol license. It is an all ladies managed bar. We offer complimentary laundry services to all our single lady travellers,” says Kush Kapoor, CEO, Roseate Hotels & Resorts.

Awards and Recognition

“We have already won more than 20 awards since the brand inception including Conde Nast Traveller, Outlook Traveller, Hindustan Times, Asia Spa, PATWA International and Travel + Leisure to name a few. Our hotels find great feedback from guests on tripadvisor and social media platforms which can be seen through their reviews and testimonials.”

Work Culture

The organization has a very friendly work culture. The employees are treated as family and are taken out most care. There are regular seminars and meetings to keep the employees updated about the current industry trends to offer better services to the customers without any teething troubles. Further the employees are also motivated to come forward and give their suggestion if required. “Employees won’t give their hundred percent unless they feel they have some time for their personal interests along with some mental and physical peace through yoga classes, Zumba, sound healing and sports offered in our Delhi hotels,” added Kush.

Customer Relationship

“My personal experience and opinion would be to do something that competition can’t do. Be yourself and simple instead of trying to be something that you can’t do and are trying to fake as today’s guests are well travelled and have little room for the banal. The second focus would be innovation and personalization,” explained Kush.

Way Forward

“All foreign companies are at present focusing on India to invest and all the major brands have opened already or are opening in India. There is a substantial growth of Indians moving abroad for business and leisure trips once or double in the last three years which proves that Indian travel have the spending power which has only shown a multifold increase. One can only be successful if young talent are nurtured. Hand hold them and keep innovating as travellers or employees both are constantly looking for something new in their routine or experiences,” concluded Kush.

NEEMRANA: DELIVERING A UNIQUE, AUTHENTIC INDIAN EXPERIENCE

Pioneered of heritage hospitality and delivering something different to each guest with its 18 magical properties to the date, the unique seed of Neemrana was sown in 1991 under the wise hegemony of Late Francis Wacziarg and Aman Nath. The Neemrana founders wished that every guest’s little joys and discoveries be different in each property because people travel primarily to live out the difference. That is why; the hotel chain continues in the rooted, experiential tourism that the non-hotel hotels offer.

THE VISIONARIES

Aman Nath

Aman Nath, Chairman always innovates and adds his magical touches to all the heritage hotels under the Neemrana brand. He is a historian by education but from an early age he has painted, written poetry practiced graphic design and copywriting for several advertising campaigns. He has sold everything from beer and jeans to housing colonies and even India. He has co-written/authored fourteen illustrated books on different aspects. As an inveterate traveler after walking 400 km to Mount Kailash and sub-Antarctica Aman has contributed to several travel magazines.

LATE FRANCIS WACZIARG

Late Francis Wacziarg, co-chairman, Neemrana Hotels Pvt. Ltd. with an eye for people and an ear for music, intuitively made India his home when he arrived in 1970 after completing his MBA in France. He worked in the French Trade Commission in Bombay and then opened the BNP branch in New Delhi. What began as a project soon grew into a heritage hotel empire. Late Mr. Francis Wacziarg was a founding member of INTACH and a trustee on IFA. Wacziarg and Aman Nath co-authored The Painted Frescoes of Shekhavati. In 2014 they were given the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Ministry of Tourism for pioneering heritage tourism in India.

SERVICES ON OFFER

Neemrana hotels cater to a diverse clientele – travellers seeking authentic and historical experiences, honeymooners, couples who visit for pre-wedding shoots, families, friends celebrating milestone birthdays or a casual reunion, backpackers, fancy motorcyclists, pet lovers, birdwatchers, conference organizers, Corporate that are looking at unique destinations for their offsite and more. Neemrana Fort-Palace which was once a tragic ruin now splendidly restored with India’s first thrilling zipline, palaces stepped over 14 levels with 77 rooms/suites, 3 conference halls, hanging gardens, private courts and balconies to romance. Two outdoor pools (one heated) with a rejuvenating spa and health club, an intimate area for young toddlers and the adjacent Neemrana eco-farm which grows organic food for our farm to fork luxury.

DIFFERENTIATING FACTORS

What set Neemrana apart and still does was the fact is that none of the hotels were built to be hotels. Each building was in a state of decay and ruin and had been lovingly revitalized by the team. The hotels span from the 14th to the 21st century and each hotel is a complete destination in itself. “At Neemrana, we have a very strong focus on the heritage and experiential aspect of hospitality, which inherently is a local characteristic. We take pride in the fact that the majority of the team is from the local village and has been trained by Neemrana to run their local heritage with pride,” states Aman Nath.

A GLIMPSE OF INDUSTRY

Hospitality continues to be one of the most dynamic industries in India today. The trend has moved gradually from consumerism to experiences. All age groups are travelling and one of the major challenges for all heritage hotels with a local workforce continues to be the challenge of grooming the team and in recruiting skilled manpower to cater to the requirements of the diverse clientele. Indians, in particular, are much more interested in discovering their heritage – this is a huge trend that Neemrana pioneered and an opportunity for all the heritage hotels.

SUCCESS SECRET OF NEEMRANA

Apart from the fact that they began early, Neemrana holds the most magical and unique heritage properties. There is a very young and talented team that is always working round the clock to enhance the guest experience. The best part is that people at Neemrana always put their selves in the guests’ shoes and view the same situation from the guests’ perspective. Focusing on organic growth, both at the macro and micro level has always been Neemrana’s credo for manageable growth. An approach where talent is built from within, an organizational structure that rewards talent, and management that executes a responsible growth strategy, keeps Neemrana on a solid footing!

THE CORPORATE ETHOS

At Neemrana, people are free to express their ideas and to discuss their problems/ grievances to arrive at innovative solutions. There is also the concept of a non-hierarchical hierarchy which helps the flow of communication and resolving conflicts that may arise.

BUILDING LONG TERM CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIPS

Neemrana keeps the guests engaged through different social media platforms by keeping them updated and this further enhances their connection with Neemrana Hotels. ‘Friends of Neemrana’ is one of the initiatives that keep loyal guests constantly in touch with the team and helps them understand guests’ needs and create special experiences for them.

FEATHERS IN THE CAP

Over the years, the Company has won several awards recognitions:

  • National Tourism Award for Deo Bagh, Gwalior in 2016-17 and 2017-18 for the Best Heritage Hotel (Classic Category)
  • Outlook Traveller Award for the Best Heritage Hotel 2018
  • Outlook Traveller Award for the Best Destination Property 2017
  • Hall of Fame Award for The Glasshouse on the Ganges, Rishikesh, Uttarakhand and the Deo Bagh
  • CSR Health Impact Awards for the Health Awareness Campaign of the year 2017.

Demiurgic Hospitality: Delivering quality through a sustainable business model

The hospitality industry got a shot in the arm when investments in the sector were booming between 2005 and 2010. With large private equity and bank funding, hotel and tourism infrastructure, the sector came to be defined as a separate entity from real estate. However, the sector has advanced rather unpredictably since then. Factors such as oversupply of hotel rooms, competition from shared economy models, and a blind spot in events based tourism, and experiential hospitality to appeal to a new generation has changed the landscape of the Indian hospitality sector today “Demiurgic Hospitality” is a company that was launched in early 2017 with a vision to create a National Brand.

“When I started this company, there was no prior entrepreneurial experience but had a vision and technical knowledge of the culinary field. I always wanted this brand to soar heights and to have the market presence across cuisines & boundaries by creating a consortium of brands. I wanted this brand to be a market leader in quality, quantity & hygiene. Following my dreams and my passion, I started on this journey in January’2017 and took over a running brand called “World in a Box”. The operations of the brand started in Aug’2017 and gave the company a good start. Very soon our first internal brand started its operations under the banner of “Deseez-The Food Designers”. Deseez is our Indian cuisine brand which primarily focuses on Kababs, Biryani’s & Indian Curries. The brand was accepted well and is well known in the market,” says Gautam Chaudhry, MD, Demiurgic Hospitality.

The company’s vision is to be the biggest F&B operator in the country serving quality food, prepared in hygienic kitchen & delivered with impeccable service. To facilitate and deliver on the vision, the firm has defined the USP’s as below:

  • We operate a state of art kitchen in the heart of the city.
  • Strongly believe in digging out lost recipes.
  • Hiring the right team is our strength. Each and every member has to pass through the final round of interview with our Managing Director “Chef Gautam Chaudhry”, to have the same vision floating through the team.
  • We take pride in our processes and strictly adhere by them.
  • 5 Star experienced team and always focused on delivering personalized service.
  • Food, counters & platters styling.
  • Creating food theatres.
  • Conceptualizing theme restaurants and standardizing operations.

The Founder

Demiurgic Hospitality is the brain child of “Chef Gautam Chaudhry”, who is focused on delivering quality through a sustainable business model. He understands that delivering for a long term goal is only possible with attention to details and being more proactive than being reactive to situations. Demiurgic Hospitality under the able leadership of “Chef Gautam Chaudhry” works with NGO’s like Chef & Child foundation, Sneha Nilaya and many more. He is an active mentor to “Rasoi Queen”, a COWE (Confederation of Women Empowerment) initiative. He is a joint secretary at ICF (Indian Culinary Forum) working for the chef’s community and building up the chefs for the future.

Milestones Achieved

The firm has achieved many awards and recognition such as

  • Most promosing entrepreneur” by “Economic Times.
  • Top 10 Chef’s of the country”, by “Hotelier India”. It was an honor sharing the space with Chef Hemant Oberoi & Chef Ananda Solomon.
  • Michelin Recommendation for my restaurant in Beverly hills named “Tanzore”.
  • Silver Hat Awardee by Indian Culinary Forum.
  • The Pink Poppodom, was conceptualized and launched by “Chef Gautam Chaudhry” won various awards & accolades and was covered bby “BBC Good Food” as the best Modern Indian Cuisine Restaurant in Asia.

Work Culture

“Identify the best talents in the organization & then empower them to take decisions starts with letting them take baby steps towards decision making and gradually help, guide & hand-hold to bigger ones. The firm conducts regular meetings with the team and let them do the talking which will eventually motivate them to come up with ideas. Discuss the concerns with them and make them a part of ideation sessions,” added Gautam.

Customer Relationship

“There is only one strategy to build a long term association with your customer and that is keeping yourself in his shoes. Always take every feedback very seriously; it keeps you a step ahead of bigger issues in future. Criticize yourself before a client does. Use your product or services yourself on regular basis and think keeping yourself in your client’s shoes. It is better to over criticize than being left behind.”

OUR MISSION

To establish Demiurgic as an international brand by leveraging quality excellence and cornering demographic barriers.
To grow the market presence across cuisines by creating a consortium of brands.
To emerge as a market leader in terms of quality, quantity and hygiene.
To indulge customers with innovative experiences matching global standards of service excellence.
To excel in customer satisfaction and loyalty.
To create next generation FMCG products for the millenials.
To establish a network of base kitchens and restaurant models.

Future Roadmap

“Industry is growing at a fast pace and it is important for any F&B organization to keep up the pace with technology. The company has plans to spread its wings in various segments of Food & Beverage. Immediate plans are to establish the social catering division “The Catering Inc.”, in the industry and make a mark as a market leader in the segment,” concluded Gautam.

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