The Hindu Business Line : Hotel industry cautioned on challenges

Kochi, Nov. 2 Architects should be seized of the growing awareness and need to bring in aesthetic designing of hotels and resorts to meet the increasing global expectations, Mr Mahesh Narayana, Senior Architect and Director of architectural consultants Iyer & Mahesh has said.

This is more important now, particularly at a time when countries like India have been gaining considerably in terms of foreign exchange revenue from international tourism, he said while delivering the keynote address at a technical seminar on ‘Global Trends in Hotels and Resorts’ organised by the Kerala Chapter of the Institute of Indian Interior Designers (IIID) here.

Mr Mahesh, a fellow of both the Indian Institute of Architects and IIID, said “this style is picking up steadily, both in terms of domestic and international tourism, during the past few years, and it is likely to grow for some more time to come”.

To exploit this welcome trend, he said hotels and resorts have to be spruced up to meet all tastes and expectations in all areas of operations, from interior designing and ambience to facilities and flow of services, especially at restaurants, coffee houses and the kitchen.

Citing an example, he said the eatery is a major attraction of the changing food habits of the upper middle class younger generation.

The new trend has brought in substantial increase in the demand for varieties of fast food and the suppliers of vegetables, meat and the spices have been taking advantage of the emerging markets in the form of new spices and food formulations, even prompting them to extend their services to hotel kitchens of late.

According to Mr Mahesh, international architecture is now concentrating on design concepts to meet LEED rating. The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System encourages and accelerates global adoption of sustainable green building and development practices through the creation and implementation of universally understood and accepted tools, and performance criteria.

Iyer & Mahesh is a 30-year-old firm of architects, engineers and interior designers that has made its mark by providing high quality, effective design services.

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