EXPERIUM – A new initiative by HOTREMAI

The Hotel & Restaurant Equipment Manufacturers Association of India held its maiden session of the Experium - Intimate Networking Meeting between Hoteliers and Hospitality Suppliers

Recently HOTREMAI (The Hotel & Restaurant Equipment Manufacturers Association of India), a leading body of the manufacturers and suppliers to the hotel industry had an interaction with General Managers of leading hotels, to understand the defining trends in the hospitality industry. The interaction was part of the series – EXPERIUM - intimate knowledge-sharing sessions between decision makers in Hospitality, F&B industry and HOTREMAI members.

The session was moderated by Anil Malhotra, President HOTREMAI in the presence of members and over 30 GMs from hotels across Delhi NCR. The event witnessed Q&A session between experts & members followed by networking dinner. The event was hosted at Hotel The Imperial, New Delhi. The event saw over 120 participants from hospitality, media and manufacturers and suppliers.

Highlighting the importance of staying updated, Anil Malhotra said, “Considering it is the hoteliers who directly interact with the hotel guests, it is important for us to know what a new-age, tech-savvy guest demands for and who can be a better source of this information than the hoteliers themselves?”

Supporting the event was Mr. Rakesh Kumar, Chairman India Exposition Mart Limited, the organisers for India International Hospitality Expo. In the words of Mr Kumar, “HOTREMAI has been our partner since the inception of IHE and has been instrumental in building IHE to become one of the most sought-after hospitality shows across the globe. We support this endeavour to bring together both sides of hospitality for HOTREMAI Experium.”

The visiting members of the hospitality included Benita Sharma, Area Manager North – Luxury Hotels & General Manager, ITC Maurya, Delhi, Vijay Wanchoo, Sr. Executive President & General Manager, The Imperial, New Delhi, Vishal Singh, General Manager, Hyatt Regency, Gurugram, Chandra Kant Dubey, General Manager, Vibe Hotels, Faridabad, Dhiren Johar, General Manager, Ramada Gandhidham Shinay, Vikas Parimoo, General Manager, Ambassador Delhi, Ankit Bhasin, Executive Director, Radisson Gurugram, Udyog Vihar, Vijay Bajpai, VP-Operations, Best Western Hotels & Resorts, Kulbhushan Dhawan, General Manager, Fraser Suites, Delhi, Ashish Shome, General Manager, Hyatt Place, Gurugram, Vikas Abrol, General Manager, The Ashtan Sarovar Portico, New Delhi, Amit Kumar Singh, Sr. General Manager, The Muse Sarovar Portico, Vijay Kumar, Chief Engineer, Tauras Sarovar Portico, New Delhi.

More millennials are travelling nowadays, and they are extremely tech-savvy. Everyone on panel of General Managers expressed their view on how technology makes guest life easier, and hotel must respond. They talked about how mobile check-in and mobile keys are close to being perfected. Smart in-room technology help guests to be able to control everything via their smartphone including lights, temperature, TV, music, blinds, bed etc.

They also talked about how guests are becoming more health-conscious, and wellness travel has seen an increase in recent years. Hotels are offering guests wellness to stay fit of body and mind while travelling. This includes changing hotel menu, upgrading amenities, renovating rooms to give guests the freedom of choice.

Hotels are gearing up to offer facilities curated for single-women travellers by providing women-only floors, increased security, personalised attention and all-women team of housekeepers and butlers. Speaking on the same Benita Sharma, Area Manager North – Luxury Hotels & General Manager, ITC Maurya, Delhi asked for suggestions from the HOTREMAI members which would be best suited for such verticals.

Vijay Wanchoo, Sr. Executive President & General Manager, The Imperial, New Delhi, elaborated on the importance of the event and said, “I truly believe overseas or domestic, the supplier is the backbone of any hotel and with this event we shall have a dedicated administrative body to provide a common platform to clients and vendors, enhancing the relationship between the two.”

HOTREMAI has planned more Experiums over the next 4 months which would be focusing on other hospitality verticals such as F&B (Chefs), Housekeeping and Engineering.