Different Plan
Soaltee Crowne Plaza is
in upgradation mode. The
management has recently
decided to go ahead with its renovation from July onwards. As Greesh Bindra, General Manager of Soaltee informs, the renovation plans were put on hold due to the political stalemate that persisted in the country for years.
"We held back our investment plans due to political concerns. The hotel wasn't given a facelift for the last 7-8 years. We had a good last year in terms of business and turnover and I thought it was high time we reinvested some of the profit in implementing the renovation plan," shares Bindra.
An overseas interior designer has been summoned to supervise the entire renovation assignment. A senior professional from Soaltee Hotel Limited (SHL), the holding company of Soaltee Crowne Plaza, has been hired as the project director 'to make sure that the end result turns out to be the best,' as Bindra adds.
Apart from revisiting rooms, floors, corridors, toilets, bar, lobby, front office area and the coffee house, Bindra plans to put an equal emphasis on the back of the house - the engineering department, staff cafeteria and staff locker rooms. "The most important thing in the hotel for me is my staffs. Unless I have good people and their well being is looked after, I can't hope that guest are signing out satisfied," he explains.
After the renovation efforts are over by 2010 as is planned, Soaltee, as Bindra further shares, will have an unconventional look and feel to it. "I want to build a resort-like ambience in and around the hotel. It can be noted, after all, that 70 percent of the guest traffic that comes into Nepal is leisure-specific," he says.
Well, does that mean the hotel is downsizing the prospects of business seminars and conferences? "Not at all," Bindra pitches in, "but, from all accounts, Nepal is primarily a leisure destination. Formal and official side of the visits are always there but most guests look forward to their post-business times here. We have to cater to them as well."
With the capacity to accommodate up to 1500 paxs, Soaltee is uncompromising about its service, which is the mainstay of its reputation among its guests, both local and international. It is the leader in Kathmandu among other five-stars when it comes to revenue available per room (RevPar). In the past couple of years, the hotel has also recorded a steep 60 percent rise in its average room rate. While the total occupancy rate has gone down due to the political turmoil putting dent on tourist arrivals, Soaltee has made modest returns from the room sale, which has contributed about 35-40 percent in total revenues.
Out of its total occupancy, 65 percent can be attributed to foreigners and their number varies from season to season. For example, from June onwards, it's time for the Spanish, Germans and Austrians to arrive here to skip the unforgiving winters at their respective countries. And from August onwards, it's time for the Americans and the English. While the next 12-14 percent is occupied by local corporates, the rest 10 percent is generally reserved by MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions) travelers. About 80 percent Indians make up for MICE, and the rest 20 percent constitutes professionals from diplomatic organizations.
HAPPENING PLACE
There is no single day that goes without anything happening at Soaltee. From grand cocktails to corporate jam-ups to product launches, it glows each evening with continued vivacity despite all odds. They have recently launched Dhaba, an Indian food joint, which has already received rave reviews. Bindra wants to turn Al Fresco, their old time Italian food corner, into more casual and happening place. "I want to change its layout and style. I want to make it more informal and happening place. Now waiters too will appear in casual wears," he shares.
Launched last year, Bindra focused on the new Indian restaurant Kakori in place of Bukhara throughout the months with almost all the official advertisements featuring and promoting it. It used to be open for lunch. Now it serves only dinner. "It is doing quite well. Its daily turnover is Rs 25000, which is higher than that of Bukhara," he informs.
Bindra is also concerned about addressing the issue of parking space. "We are definitely thinking about that," he says. "We already have the capacity for about 350-370 cars, which is already higher than what most Indian five-star hotels have. We are not easy with the idea of basement parking due to safety reasons. I, however, plan to make ample parking space to accommodate about 425 cars."
Bindra praises the human resource capital of Soaltee for giving him strength from the very first day he joined it. "I think human resource management is crucial in a country like Nepal where there are issues between the juniors and the executives. I know 80 percent of my staff have shower in the hotel because the situation outside is frail - no water, no electricity. I make sure that they receive utmost support from me and the hotel," he says.
Soaltee is a big hotel with 600 staffs and the company has ensured related trainings to all of them, which, Bindra thinks, is the most important in the hotel business. "It helps them to grow and perform their jobs better. Some staffs even insisted me to provide them the Internet facilities and now we have two computers and a trainer for them," he shares. Intercontinental Hotel Group that manages Soaltee has something called ESPS (Employment Satisfaction Pulse Survey) conducted by TNS Singapore to assess the motivation level of the employees working for the group. Bindra claims that in the last survey done in April this year, Soaltee scored 94.8 percent. This is an individual survey where an employee sits to fill a form stating his/her satisfaction level and working environment at the hotel. "I am proud that we scored such a decent total," he shares with a smile.
As part of their research and development efforts, Bindra has made it compulsory for one person from the sales team to arrive at the hotel at 8 in the morning, making rounds of the hotel, going to the coffee shop, meeting guests, and collecting their feedbacks. These feedbacks are not just verbal. They are recorded each day and submitted to Bindra at 9 each morning at an official meeting. "I like to keep fresh updates. It is very important for us. I keep telling people that we need to keep our ears to the ground. The feeling that you have done something with your own hands is very important," he adds.
Having started his career as an assistant steward, Bindra believes an effective sales team is the heart of a hotel business. "Even a telephone operator, who doesn't come in front of the guests, should send out an amicable feeling while greeting a guest over the phone because she too is selling the hotel. Similarly, when a guest walks in through the door and the doorman welcomes him into the hotel with a smile on his face, he is selling the hotel as well. So it is not only the sales people who sell the hotel," Bindra adds.
As 2010 is only months away from now, anticipation is high across the Kathmandu hotel fraternity to see Soaltee in its new avatar. Listening to Bindra as he talks, the sort of change that he has been planning to endorse, Soaltee is not going to get just a cosmetic change - it is going to be an overhaul of sorts!
