Excited to return to the City of Dreams and helm Sofitel Mumbai BKC, Manish Dayya talks about his plans to take the luxury hotel to the next level
INTERVIEW BY SHUJATH ALI
Welcome back to Mumbai. As you return to the city for your second stint, are there still any challenges that you are facing?
Moving to Sofitel Mumbai BKC is like a dream come true in the City of Dreams. As I complete 10 years with Accor, this new assignment feels like a new reward.
However, being at Sofitel Mumbai BKC also comes with great responsibility, given that the hotel is the home luxury brand of Accor and the only one in India at present.
While I don’t see challenges as such, given that the hotel has luckily bounced back post-pandemic and is exhibiting positive trends, my prime focus will be to capitalise on the surplus demand, excel in our reputation performance scores and ensure our ambassadors at Sofitel Mumbai are highly engaged to remain competitive while they continue to offer the French art of living – the Sofitel way.
With so many competing hotel brands in the vicinity, what do you do to keep customers coming back?
Today cleanliness, hygiene and safety are the most important aspects for any customer to choose hotels and brands. At the same time, to keep guests coming back you also need a dynamic loyalty program – Accor Live Limitless is one of the most sought-after programmes globally that help us keep our guests engaged with its offerings, and also aids in accelerating the growth of our network hotels and brands.
I truly believe that competition is always healthy and helps bring out the best both in favour of the guests as well as for the hotels. The ambassadors of Sofitel Mumbai BKC keep exploring new ways to delight our guests through all touch points of the guest stays be it food festivals, beverage offerings, menu enhancements, spa and most importantly our food and beverage dining loyalty programme Accor Plus which comes with some great benefits and discounts that keep our outlets buzzing.
What, according to you, are the hotel’s USPs?
Sofitel is the luxury brand for Accor, so automatically our offerings are more premium. Sofitel Mumbai BKC enjoys the advantage of its location – the hotel is in the heart of Bandra Kurla Complex, home to the diamond bourse and multiple financial and corporate offices, as well as a stone’s throw from the Jio Convention Centre.
What we at Sofitel excel at is offering our signature French art of living perfectly paired with the best experiences. These include award-winning dining options (Jyran, Artisan, Pondichery Café and Tuskers), our own wellness centre via the Sofitel Spa which has six treatment rooms and state-of-the-art Sofitel Fitness, business facilities and a unique blend of being both a business and luxury leisure hotel, which many properties aren’t able to offer at the same time.
What is your favourite thing about this hotel?
My favourite part of the hotel is Artisan Café where you can indulge in great coffee paired with really delicious bakeries. It’s a very versatile space that is great for meetings during the day and then converts into a charming setting in the evening where you can unwind with a cocktail and amped-up music.
What aspect of the hotel do you think needs to be focussed on?
Sofitel Mumbai BKC completes 11 years of operational excellence in the financial capital of the country this year and I believe we have really made a mark in the luxury segment. There is always a need for some upliftment and I see scope to bring in some changes that will help us to seamlessly balance incoming demand while continuing to build our pipeline and keep us at maximum occupancy.
You have some amazing restaurants in the hotel. How important has F&B been in positioning the hotel as a market leader?
We are truly lucky to have such a variety of food and beverage offerings in the hotel. Our all-day dining restaurant, Pondichery Café, gives guests virtually limitless choices when it comes to cuisines and preparations. Tuskers, vegetarian dining and bar is our pure-vegetarian restaurant that brings truly authentic flavours to the forefront and celebrates regional cuisines.
Jyran, tandoor dining and lounge, is our award-winning Indian restaurant serving food inspired by the Northwest Frontier Province and Artisan Café offers French-style bakeries, a newly opened Patisserie, and a vibrant evening vibe, complete with music. Our sophisticated Le Bar Diamantaire is a wonderful spot to relax with a drink of your choice.
Any new changes that you plan to introduce with regard to your F&B offerings?
Change is always a good thing as I feel it keeps offerings innovative and fresh. I see some good potential and we have already made some changes, like keeping Jyran open for lunch, given the demand.
We are currently focused on Tuskers to create more buzz for the restaurant around the lunch hour and have new chefs on board to enhance the dining experiences for both our speciality restaurants. We are committed to keeping all our offerings exciting in order to engage guests – both existing and new – at all times.
Sofitel Mumbai BKC was essentially a hotel for corporates. Has your customer base changed post-pandemic?
BKC has been an area that is surrounded by corporates and that will always remain. With the Jio Convention Centre, Jio World Drive and Jio World Gardens ramping up there will be a shift in segments bringing in opportunities with lifestyle and MICE events.
What are the key steps you are taking to woo new-age travellers?
New-age travellers are already well travelled, know what they want, are aware of the micro-market trends, choose their hotels after much research, and are committed to hotel loyalty programs that allow them status points, upgrades and other perks including high-speed internet that allows them to be smartly connected.
They are also very sensitive to hygiene and require the highest safety standards. What’s more, they greatly appreciate nice rooms and diverse dining offerings, as well as a good fitness centre, a pool and a spa to take the edge off after a busy day.
I very strongly believe that we have it all at Sofitel Mumbai BKC, and are only working to further augment these already existing offerings.
Are there any surprises in store for guests in the coming seasons?
We are very glad to see that demand is shooting up in the city, and also across the country. The market looks very buoyant as we move into the second quarter of 2023 and all of us should gain from this together.
At the same time, performances at Cultural Centre by Jio will bring in talent from across the globe thereby fresh business opportunities for all.
Given that sustainability is becoming an important factor for guests these days, what are some green practices that are being adopted by the hotel?
We constantly ensure that sustainability is part of our brand ethos as much as technology is, which is another very important element of the modern luxury hotel today.
At Sofitel Mumbai BKC we have eradicated single-use plastic in our rooms and bathrooms, eliminating the use of plastic water bottles, straws and stirrer sticks across the hotel and dining outlets. We have also introduced a fleet of EV cars for guest use and we also have EV charging stations that will encourage guests who own these cars to use them when they visit our hotel.
We take sustainability very seriously and are constantly finding new ways in which to make our practices greener.
How are you incorporating new tech into the hotel?
We are big fans of technology as this makes us more flexible, helps visibility, ensures data protection, supports the operations team, and ensures ease of communication through apps for instant bookings. We also rely heavily on technology for our social media, which helps with our promotions and buzz-building.
The advent of technology has always been the backbone of any industry including the hospitality business, and we make it a true priority for our hotel, to ensure we remain on the cutting edge at all times.
Why did you choose to become a hotelier?
The decision was a very easy one actually; I have a close family member who was also in the field of hospitality. Witnessing her journey gave me first-hand experience in understanding hospitality life and beyond. She guided me and gave me a lot of great advice, and helped me nurture my passion for hospitality which drives me even today.
How do you maintain a work-life balance?
It’s all about perspective. Initially, I wanted to be there at every meal period to interact with guests and meet and greet them at every check-in and departure time. However, one realises that work-life balance is equally important. I make a conscious effort to switch off from work and spend quality time with my loved ones.
What do you do to unwind?
My unwinding comes in the form of spending time with my wife, children and cat. It helps me to relax and rejuvenate, ready for the next big day at the hotel!
