You’ve worked in hospitality for almost 30 years and joined Taj Exotica Maldives as GM in October last year. What do you enjoy most about hospitality and this new role?
I have thoroughly enjoyed every stint of my career in hospitality that has spanned nearly three decades and has traversed various geographies and hotels around the world. I feel most comfortable in my skin in the role of a General Manager, and I feel particularly proud of leading one of Taj’s most iconic and picturesque resorts worldwide. Hospitality is a way of life involving creativity, innovation, communication and sincere care. Above all, it’s a business of making people and hence it’s imperative to be driven with passion. I relish this passion and admire seeing the teams reflect the same. The little pleasures of creating memories that build relationships forever, is a magical inspiration to look forwards to every new day as a new opportunity.
Having spent so long in this game, do you have a philosophy that you’ve subscribed to throughout your career?
I’ve always believed that staying true to your purpose and honest to your conscience is the stepping-stone to success. I am a firm believe that performance never goes unnoticed and one must follow the law of Karma: “We must do our best and strive for excellence in whatever we do – results will follow on their own.”
Something we can all learn from. And what about in relation to business ?
I am fascinated by the quote from Taj’s founder Jamsetji Tata: “In a free enterprise, the community is not just another stakeholder in business, but is in fact the very purpose of its existence.”
You’re well-known, I hear, for your affable personality, people skills and strong bonds you build with your guests. Is that ‘human’ element vital to you?
Yes, of course. Hospitality is the business of giving back to people, whether is curating experiences and creating memories for our guests or engaging and leading multi-cultural teams. As a GM, I feel responsible for keeping my team motivated to deliver the best services to our guests and it is my responsibility to set the right direction for my team. When we build a team of self-driven, motivated and happy professionals, it is inevitable that we will exceed expectations for our guests. And it once again I’m reminded of the words of Jamsetji Tata, who said “What comes from the people must go back to the people, many times over.”
So, let’s talk about your team – how do you inspire them to follow your own mantras?
Dazzling and delighting guests through our core values – trust, awareness and joy is embedded in our service culture and philosophy, and we have very robust staff recognition programmes to instill a sense of achievement and competitiveness in the team. At Taj, we believe in empowering our associates and training them well to make the right decisions.
Now, the Maldives is diluted with beautiful five-star properties. What would you say makes Taj Exotica truly stand out amongst its peers?
We stay true to our name ‘Exotica’ and showcase our Maldives resort as a pristine, unadulterated, naturally-blissful destination with one of the largest lagoons, beautiful flora, awe-inspiring ocean life, Instagrammable views and endless opportunities to indulge, be it water sports, diving, at the signature Jiva Spa or through our gourmet dining experiences. We also stand out with our service philosophy – ‘Tajness’ – which is warm, sincere, caring and very distinctively personal.
The Indian Ocean has big pulling power for Middle Eastern clients, but what should tempt them to the Maldives over other winter sun destinations?
Proximity and air connectivity are the largest advantages for Maldives to attract Middle Eastern guests. The ‘one island one resort’ concept with individual villas, also appeals to the guests’ need for privacy, comfort, peace and quiet. We have a specialty Mediterranean restaurant. Deep End, which serves a wide range of flavours in Shisha, and we havewell-trained butlers, including a lady butler and Arabic speaking guest relations staff to make our Middle Eastern guests feel welcomed and comfortable.
Let’s talk a little about the impact of Covid-19. What silver linings and positive take-aways have you found business-wise from such a difficult time?
Firstly, this world crisis has put us all in the same unprecedented and difficult situation. However, it has also taught us some things… It has brought about human resilience and we have been able to garner support from various stakeholders in order to survive this period. It has been an extraordinary time through which we’ve been prompted to adopt innovative means of resource management and cost control. It has also given us time for some for some product improvement and upgradation. Unlike ever before, we have looked beyond the standard formats of business and taken inspiration from the 3 R’s that drive our company’s 2022 aspiration – Re-structure, Re-engineer, Re-imagine.
With your new innovations and resource managements in mind, how do you think Taj Exotica will adapt moving forwards to what is an extremely fluid travel industry?
Well, we understand that travel patterns and expectations of our guests are different in this changing world. I feel it is a lot about creating the perception of safety. We have a robust Health and Safety plan, which ensures hospital-level hygiene in the surrounds of a luxurious and fun leisure resort. We are also always proactive and adaptive to the changing needs of our guests. Our product and services are customisable for various need patterns. If there is a change in demographics, we are able to swiftly readjust gears and tailor-make experiences as per the guest type and nationality. Flexibility and agility are the key strengths of our legendary Taj service and also our competitive advantage.
The tides have turned a little this year within travel, so what do you predict will be the formative luxury travel and hospitality trends over the next few years?
Travels will obviously be dependent on the ease of travel restrictions and how soon we can have some control over the pandemic. However, I am confident that many people are longing to travel as soon as there is an opportunity. The ‘new normal’ will be about the sense of safety, therefore luxury will have a different meaning to some extent, with contactless or minimal contact service, hygienic touch points, safety preparedness and digitalisation key differentiators.
What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learnt throughout your career?
Firstly, hospitality is a unique profession with people at the core and every human is different with a different set of needs. To be able to meet every demand and to delight everyone equally is a specialized balancing act that has to be carried out 24/7. Secondly, for a business manager, the unique element of this profession is revenue optimisation, which is key to financial gains. The aim is to maximise the sales of perishable product at the right price at the right time, besides maintaining the cost and upholding quality. All of that is a perfect balance and my two takeaways from the profession.
You’ve worked towards upholding and improving the experiential standards of personalised service at Taj Exotica – tell us a bit more about this…
Our USP is to custom-make experiences and create memories for a lifetime, catering to various nationalities from across the world, which is accentuated by offering butler service to all our guests, which never fails to elevate the guest experience by several notches.
If money was no object for a guest, what is the most ‘out of this world’ thing they can do at Taj Exotica?
To be marooned on an island that measures just 700 metres, in the middle of nowhere in the Indian Ocean is in itself an out-of-this-world experience. However, some even more exciting things to do include: a renewal of vows underwater, swimming with dolphins, a private picnic on a desolate sandbank, a stargazing dinner in the tree house or a gourmet dinner at our Ocean Pavilion restaurant in the ocean.
What can guests look forward to at Taj Exotica over the next few months?
We are scheduled to roll out some new experiences, like Floating Brunches, wellness cuisine dinners at the Spa, a special Dine in a Suite offer, a celebration beach barbeque… We also have plans to roll out Staycation and Bizcation packages for our domestic market in Greater Malé, alongside Hospitality@home and Day visits to the island offers.
Lastly, what one piece of advice would you pass on to an aspiring GM?
That there are no short-cuts to success and there is no alternative to innovation. As a GM, remember that you are a head of the family. Practice active listening, nurture multi-cultural teams and bring out their strengths, continue your own learning and development, active collaborations, do smart networking, stay relevant, think sustainably and participate in community initiatives. Take time to understand the geography in which you are operating and treat everyone with respect. Finally, even if your clockwork with passion, don’t forget to cherish the moments with family and friends, workout and chill out, too.