How a star hotel is born

The cappuccino you are having has gone through many rigorous stages, so enjoy it well,” I am urged, as I enjoy the steaming beverage, seated in the luxuriously adorned office of Tamir Kobrin, the dashing General Manager at the newly opened Leela Palace Hotel in New Delhi. With the successful opening of two properties — Leela Palace Udaipur being the other — under his hat, he is a natural choice when I set out to ask hotel chiefs about the challenges involved in launching a new property.

Even as I wonder about the “rigorous stages” demanded by a simple cuppa, Kobrin, almost as if reading my mind, says:

“A simple cup of coffee involves so many decisions. Which machine to buy, what size it should be, where should it be placed… which coffee will it blend well… what crockery to serve in, and so on. One mistake in any one step and the coffee goes bust.”

So, what are the chief challenges encountered in the crucial pre-launch stages of a hotel? Veterans in the field shared some of their insights.

Relationships: With more than a decade in the hospitality industry, Australian Matthew Cooper, General Manager of Courtyard by Marriott, Gurgaon, and a self-professed lover of Bollywood, compares the opening of a hotel to getting married. “…it involves relationships and the right equation between all stakeholders,” he says, adding, “The relationship between associates, customers, owners, corporate and vendors has to be developed well, so as to lead to a good, pleasant final opening. This has to happen much before the doors open to all, akin to the wedding ceremony being solemnised, otherwise one can sense the chinks here and there.”

Besides the physical and material infrastructure, the task of building a hotel calls for a strong foundation on the emotional front, agrees Pankaj Birla, General Manager of Jaipur Marriott. “The major challenge I faced was in building the team with the right people, as Marriott is all about people and we firmly believe that it is the people and associates who make all the difference.”

Timelines: Kobrin has worked in some of the world's most sought-after properties, including The Three Kings in Basel Switzerland, Mandarin Oriental in Hong Kong, Ritz Carlton in New York, Hotel de Russie in Rome and Malliouhana in Anguilla. Born in Israel, and brought up in Switzerland and the US, he is now fluent in several languages, including Hindi! That proves handy when he tries to enforce deadlines. “Date is never a date, it becomes a week very easily, and a week into a fortnight and so on. ‘ Ho jayega , Sir, don't worry; itna deri to chalta hai ' is the favourite line I get to hear. But I am absolutely averse to it. I talk to every worker in their language, be harsh or cajole, but see to it that the work is finished on time,” he says.

Schedules and deadlines proved the major hurdle for Birla too. “The main headache I faced was the continuously changing dates in the various stages of the project's completion. I also needed to ensure that delays do not affect the overall standards aligned with the product and the associates,” he says.

Quality matters: Kobrin highlights the importance of a trained eye to ensure quality control: “Most often, in order to finish the work on time and save one's skin, the workers or staff deliver output that does not meet the ultimate quality standard. One needs to have a ‘trained eye' to spot the defects/drawbacks instantly. For example, if the room cabinet/ work desk is not fitted well, the guy finishes the work, the carpet is rolled out, all set. You notice it much later, and then you restart the whole process. Carpet gets spoilt, furnishings get out of place and the entire room gets damaged and disturbed. So, you should be able to notice the minor drawbacks yourself and not wait for carpenters or project managers or department heads to come and inform you.”

For Cooper, the ‘bow and arrow principle' works well. As he explains, “To achieve the maximum effect with a bow you need to have the right equipment, and the string drawn back methodically to hit the bull's eye. That's how I do my operations — prepare well, set your target right, focus on it and hit it head on with hard work.”

Co-ordination is key: Kobrin relies on a flow chart to ensure smooth co-ordination. “There are hundreds of people working on your product — plumbing, electrical fittings, air-conditioning and so on… it is very important that they coordinate with each other, so that the plumber knows when he has to drill — before the glass fitting or after. I have realised that invariably they follow their own work schedule, which causes so much damage to the property and also a lot of time gets wasted.”

Retaining the team: “I have seen that retaining the staff during the intervening period is very crucial,” says Kobrin. “If the opening gets delayed, it is very important to keep the morale of the team high. It is the GM's responsibility to retain a good team by keeping it energised and motivated. Here the GM is the role model, he has to provide good leadership so that the staff does not feel insecure and run away.”

Checklist for the top job

One of the suggestions in Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey is to “Begin with the End in Mind”; I used this predominately in the hotel's opening — you have to create a destination goal so that your mission becomes a measurable journey.

Celebrate everything… the big wins and the small wins. Small celebrations show your team that hard work pays off.

I believe in Feng Shui, which suggests that energy is attracted to your establishment/life via water at the entrance. This energy translates into wealth and prosperity. The hotel's fountain was the first thing I made operational. Maybe it is superstitious, but why tempt fate? I also have a Ganesha idol over my door.

Martin Wuethrich, GM, Sheraton Bangalore Hotel at Brigade Gateway, Bengaluru:

Building a new team, branding and the successful launch of a new hotel is a dream for every GM. Problems are opportunities! Every obstacle you face can lead to amazing breakthroughs, so never see issues as a problem.

People make the hotels! Employees are your true dreamers. Together we all achieve and grow. When employees feel challenged to produce, you will get the best results. Create fun competition to encourage your employees to excel better than where your numbers currently are.

Quality service is what customers expect, so caring for your employees will ensure that your customers are well taken care of.

It is very important for expatriates to learn, respect and adapt to the new culture of your assigned country of work, and to ensure you understand guest and associate sentiments and requirements.

Pankaj Birla, GM, Marriott Jaipur

Think like an owner

Focus on the right product

Position the hotel right in the minds of the target audience as well as the hotel team

Get the basics right and everything else follows

Lastly , revenue kills all evil.

Mistakes GMs make

Tamir Kobrin, GM, Leela Palace Hotel, New Delhi:

We often compromise when hiring for the team. Choose people purely on merit and integrity.

Lack of communication — Verbal communication is the glue that binds the movement forward. You cannot see the project through via email instructions.

Aloof expats – Assimilation is important. We expats are brought in because of our international exposure. We should not make the mistake of remaining alienated or aloof from the local people.

Disconnect with staff — Get out of the comfort of an air-conditioned room and check the day-to-day work of every single worker. If you can't do it, heads of departments can't do it either.

Matthew Cooper, GM, Courtyard By Marriott, Gurgaon:

Expat GMs who do not embrace India will not succeed. This is a diverse environment. Just because you have worked in another city in India does not mean you understand the culture of the city you are coming into. You need to embrace the paradigm shift and expect the unexpected. Right from food and festivals to climate and clothes, each city and State is a new adventure. I say to expat friends, “If you think home is better, then there is no reason to stay.”

Remember, timelines are fluid. Do not bank on reliability. Assuming that because you have asked for something to be done it will be done is naive. The term “ho jayega” has given me new insights on how to manage my time.

Not engaging with the stakeholders from the start — this is the most critical factor. All levels of stakeholders must be engaged. From associates, to contractors, to owners, to customers. No part is more important than the other, and this fact deserves the biggest chunk of your pre-opening time. GMs who fail to do this will come up short in the long run.”

Tamir Kobrin, GM, Leela Palace Hotel, New Delhi:

We often compromise when hiring for the team. Choose people purely on merit and integrity.

Lack of communication — Verbal communication is the glue that binds the movement forward. You cannot see the project through via email instructions.

Aloof expats – Assimilation is important. We expats are brought in because of our international exposure. We should not make the mistake of remaining alienated or aloof from the local people.

Disconnect with staff — Get out of the comfort of an air-conditioned room and check the day-to-day work of every single worker. If you can't do it, heads of departments can't do it either.

Matthew Cooper, GM, Courtyard By Marriott, Gurgaon:

Expat GMs who do not embrace India will not succeed. This is a diverse environment. Just because you have worked in another city in India does not mean you understand the culture of the city you are coming into. You need to embrace the paradigm shift and expect the unexpected. Right from food and festivals to climate and clothes, each city and State is a new adventure. I say to expat friends, “If you think home is better, then there is no reason to stay.”

Remember, timelines are fluid. Do not bank on reliability. Assuming that because you have asked for something to be done it will be done is naive. The term “ho jayega” has given me new insights on how to manage my time.

Not engaging with the stakeholders from the start — this is the most critical factor. All levels of stakeholders must be engaged. From associates, to contractors, to owners, to customers. No part is more important than the other, and this fact deserves the biggest chunk of your pre-opening time. GMs who fail to do this will come up short in the long run.”

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