You plan to have 100 new hotels this year... that’s quite a target!

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Yes. We currently have 47 operating hotels and 16 more are scheduled to open this year. We also have many hotels in the pipeline. So within 2016, we should have over a hundred hotels in India and the South Asia region, including Bangladesh, the Maldives, Bhutan and Sri Lanka.  At Starwood, in the last few years, we have been very fortunate not just in terms of the compelling brands that we bring, but also in terms of the great partnerships and locations [we have selected]. We’ve always been able to find the right partner on the right occasion and also get the right brand for it – which has enabled us to grow our portfolio brands all over India. Not just in key cities and metros, but also in gateway cities and upcoming cities. 

What is it you look for when finalising a partner?

First is the credibility of the brand. The brand promise that Starwood brings is our core strength. We have to understand the compelling power of the brand and be in a position to bring that brand promise alive. Then we look at the market -- what is likely to come in the next four or five years, what’s going to be the return on investment, what are going to be the occupancy and revenue trends for the next few years and such. We take all these projections into mind before signing a contract.

How much relevance does a brand like Starwood have in a market like India? While international travellers do have loyalties, does it matter to domestic customers?

Earlier, it used to be only for international travellers. But of late, our India market is travelling so much internationally, that the power of these brands has come home to them, literally. For example, SPG, our loyalty programme, already has more than three lakh members in India, and they travel extensively in Asia Pacific, Europe and the US. Moreover, the SPG is the common cord that ties all our brands together. You could be staying at a St. Regis, experiencing a Westin as a wellness brand, travelling to a Meridien resort for your next vacation or visiting a Sheraton, but you will find the SPG at all these brands. 

You are looking at the Western region in a big way. How important is the Mumbai market for you? 

Extremely important, because Mumbai is not just the financial capital, we have a flagship property here, the Westin (that I’m currently based out of) which acts as a nodal point for many hotels around us. Like the Westin Pune or the Meridien Mahabaleshwar, which had a soft launch a few weeks ago. Mumbai acts like a gateway city. Also today, the corporate and the leisure traveller are travelling a lot through all our cities. So even for a place like Bengaluru, Mumbai acts like a nodal city, and vice versa. It makes our collaboration easier, from a sales system and automation standpoint. 

What is important to the traveller today, locational advantage or the Starwood brand? 

I think the value you bring to a guest is important. We talk in terms of not just foundational elements like the brand and the SPG, but also the experience we bring. For example, Westin is a wellness brand, so we offer wellness programmes. We have a 'Run Westin’ programme as part of our 'Run Concierge’ programme. We have recently tied up with Lara Dutta to assist us in the launch of our yoga and meditation programmes. We also offer ‘superfoods’ that contain antioxidants and anti-aging properties. We have a Westin Workout Studio, for workouts designed around individual needs; we also have the heavenly bed and the heavenly shower. All these experiences have really been very well received. So other than just the power of loyalty programmes, we bring the brand promise to life through our activations.

But in India, people do get influenced by loyalty programmes. How much of a focus is there on that? 

We are not the only ones to have a loyalty programme, so it’s important that ours is perceived as adding greater value than that of others’. The SPG has been winning international awards, and was recently recognised as the best loyalty programme in India and Asia. There are few key factors in the programme: No blackout dates; an ambassador programme for high-end, platinum customers; cash-and-carry and redemption offers which make sure the loyalty programme is meaningful for customers. As the CEO of an organisation, you might be here for work, but six months later, you might go for a vacation to Bali, Singapore or Thailand, at one of our resorts. The points you have earned during your work trips can be redeemed for a leisure trip as well. SPG ambassadors will reach out to you, to ensure that even your personal time is well taken care of. 

Apart from managing customers, one also has to manage the owners of your property. In terms of stakeholders, how much of a challenge is it and how do you ensure delight on their side too?

I think we have to be conscious of the fact that the ownership has invested in the property and in the brand. After having managed many hotels, and worked with different ownership groups, I feel owners are equally conscious of what the brand brings to them and to the market, and requisite marketing around that. As operators of high-end lifestyle brands, we have to be conscious about bringing value to our ownership as well.

If you were compare Starwood’s promise vis-a-vis others who exist in India in a business pitch, what would it be? 

It’s a multitude of things. First, that once you sign up with Starwood for a new management contract, it is going to be a 20-25 year management agreement we would have with you. One of the missions we talk about is always doing the right thing. So as an organisation, it is a part of our DNA and our brand promise. I’ve noticed that our owners also find it reassuring to deal with an organisation that has high standards of ethics, and zero tolerance for anything that subverts compliance issues. 

How much has the investment in digital marketing grown?

In India, we have a regional director of digital marketing based out of Gurgaon. We have, in every unit, a senior marketing resource looking after this function. We have recently hired an area digital marketing manager who’s going to be based in Mumbai, and looking after all properties in western India. We’re now also looking at digital advertising and encourage our guests to book directly on the web via our Direct to Web programme. We’re engaging a lot more with online travel agents. Digital marketing and social media are a critical part of any business today, and about 20-25% of our total marketing spend is on digital.

That’s considerable. Of course you don’t have too much spend on television… 

Yes, we are moving away slightly from traditional outreaches in terms of billboards and print, and looking out for alternate channels like Facebook, Zomato and online reservation terminals. Today’s customer is wired. Every decision is made through the mobile. If we need them to come and experience our hotel, we need to get inside their mobile phones. That’s why we have an SPG app, which any SPG guest can download and it gives you real-time information about the hotel that you want to choose, the weather and temperature in that city, the sources of entertainment available. Your mobile device also works as the ‘key’ to get into your room.