Roop Partap Choudhary on service standards at Noormahal Palace
INTERVIEW BY SHUJATH ALI
As the second-generation hotelier of Jewels Group of Hotels, the parent organisation of Noormahal Palace Hotel, what was your contribution in conceptualising and building this property?
Noormahal Palace is the brainchild of my father and along with him has been nurtured to reality by my mother. Noormahal Palace has grown through the years; we have gone through various stages of expansion and I have been at the core of each of these.
We have added new beautiful venues both outdoor and indoor. This gives our guests a wider variety of choices for their functions and programmes of all sizes. Apart from our hugely popular royal chambers, we have created the Memoir Suite, a first of its kind accommodation chamber especially hand-painted by accomplished Indian artisans.
The suite itself is a beautiful piece of artwork as it is beautified with internationally popular and cherished characters from The Jungle Book, Ringmaster, Peter Pan and other such stories which remind us all of our cherished childhood.Noormahal brand has also made a successful mark on the global canvas with a contemporary Indian fine-dining restaurant Colonel Saab, which I have dedicated to my father’s decorated service in the army and my mother’s journey as his partner on every step of the way. A lot of work has been done to create good brand equity and awareness on social media and other digital media.
Why did you choose Karnal as the location?
What seems like an unconventional choice to others, Karnal was a natural choice for us not just because of our roots but also we realised that there was no other five-star property in the radius of 100 km. The space we needed to build Noormahal Palace and the serene setting we desired was possible in Karnal only. We did not want to get lost or merge into the crowded ambience of a big city.
What are the initial challenges you faced when you took over the mantle and how did you overcome them?
My transition into taking on the lead role came very naturally as I felt I was being trained for this for most part of my life. Not only was this a passion of my parents but it was also my passion and my preference.
The team we have was extremely supportive and working with them did not come up as a challenge at all. The real challenge for me was to uphold the excellence that my parents had already created with Noormahal Palace and working towards taking it to the next level. Noormahal Palace has flourished through the years and has climbed the ladder of travel enthusiasts’ preference and as the desired destination for wedding and MICE events.
Every new avenue that we have added to the brand has been welcomed and appreciated by guests and the business has grown many folds.
What changes you have brought in to make Noormahal Palace a one-of-its-kind luxury hotel?
Uniqueness was built into the very DNA of Noormahal Palace, embodying the true essence of a palace in architecture, décor, ambience, cuisine, comfort, amenities, royal accommodation chambers, etc. Noormahal Palace was always one-of-a-kind luxury hotel.
The royal luxury experience is not just limited to the tangibles but also the warm Indian hospitality that the hotel is known for. Noormahal Palace also stands out because it is the hotel which houses more antiques and art work than any other hotel in the country. We want to make every guest who comes to Noormahal Palace to feel like royalty and have a serene, immersive experience with us.
We believe in complete customisation because the satisfaction and happiness of our guests is our top priority.
What are the steps you have taken to enhance operational efficiency and the luxury quotient?
Noormahal Palace has earned a high level of repeat clientele and word of mouth recommendations from happy guests; this is an endorsement of our operational efficiency and hospitality. The hotel has evolved with time; we have upgraded our technology to be in line with the latest in the industry.
Our staff is highly qualified and trained; still we have designed our own training modules which make them fluent in the Noormahal way of hospitality and operations. The hotel accommodates all amenities and comforts that are required to make a guest’s stay pleasant and delightful.
But, we believe that luxury cannot be restricted to only putting the best of tangible comfort and amenities; luxury is truly experienced when a person experiences it in every nook and corner of the hotel and it flows effortlessly in the service as well. We strive to do exactly that every day for our guests.
What do you think makes Noormahal Palace stand out from the other palace hotels in the country?
Noormahal Palace is known and appreciated for its commitment towards promoting the true essence of warm Indian hospitality. Even when all the major players in the hospitality sector were moving towards modern architecture and contemporary hospitality practices, Noormahal Palace was built following the traditional palace architecture and to celebrate Indianness.
Noormahal Palace stands out for seamlessly merging traditional architecture with modern amenities and facilities. It is also appreciated for following all contemporary hospitality practices yet keeping the service and experience very warm and not indifferent which has creeped into many hospitality establishments.
Noormahal Palace has also carved out a special place in the preferred destination for travel enthusiasts. We are proud of being able to successfully host thousands of weddings and MICE events.
What, according to you, are the hotel’s USPs?
Apart from being one of the ultimate royal luxury hotels in the country, Noormahal Palace is also one of the most Instagramable hotels as well. Our guests appreciate that we offer a solace away from the hustle bustle of big cities. Noormahal is undoubtedly one of the best wedding destinations in the country and we offer 360-degree solution for weddings, functions and events of any size.
What is your mantra for running a successful hotel?
My mantra is simple and has proven to be faultless: Deliver excellence consistently and success will follow.
What aspect of the hotel do you think needs to be focussed on?
I don’t believe in fragmentation, I believe that every aspect of the organisation is equally important if one wants the organisation to work smoothly and keep the business on the upward trajectory. I revisit every aspect of the organisation and make changes whenever required. I encourage my function heads to do the same and keep me upraised about their assessment.
The Noormahal brand is on an expansion mode and right now my focus is on finding new avenues of growth for the business.
Do you plan on introducing any major changes to the hotel?
We regularly make changes to keep in sync with changing times and needs, but what we have been doing has worked well for us. I do not want to disrupt the main essence of Noormahal.
What are the eco-friendly initiatives that have been undertaken by Noormahal Palace to reduce its environmental footprint?
From the very beginning we were conscious as a socially responsible corporate citizen. The palatial architecture of the hotel provides for abundance of natural ventilation and light, this reduces the requirement of artificial lights and air conditioning making the building more eco-friendly and reducing carbon footprint. We also use recycle and use the waste water for irrigation and other such requirements around the hotel.
Are there any surprises in store for guests?
We keep upgrading and offering new things to our guests. We regularly introduce exciting culinary delights, occasional offers and events for our clientele. We have something for everyone. Our Instagram page keeps our audience updated about our new initiatives.
More recently, you have opened Colonel Saab in Covent Garden, London as an ode to your father, Col. Manbeer Choudhary, a much decorated army official from the Armoured Corps. What inspired you to open this much-talked-about restaurant?
I felt that after earning huge success in India it was time to make a global presence and reach out to the global food lover community. I wanted to showcase the brilliance of Indian food and break myths that still exist about our food.
Our Indian culinary heritage has a lot to offer to the global food lover community. Some people might feel that Indian cuisine is now well known to food lovers across the globe, but our culinary heritage is so rich and vast that it has so much more to amaze the global food lover community.
I have deep respect and love for my father and am proud of his legacy. I know how much he cherishes his decorated service in the Indian Army and his passion for hospitality.
Colonel Saab is the expression of my journey with my father and my mother. Our journey as the proud member of the Indian Army family. It is also an expression of my creative self and an art collector.
It had been my dream to combine all these aspects and that is exactly what Colonel Saab is – a contemporary Indian fine-dining restaurant right in the heart of London where we can serve the global food lover community.
How do you unwind?
I am an avid reader and I especially enjoy reading biographies of accomplished people from various walks of life. Another thing that really relaxes me is investing time towards my passion for art.
I have a deep interest in art and have in the recent years invested considerably into building my own art collection. Most of the artwork I have acquired is displayed at Noormahal Palace and Colonel Saab as I would like to share my collection with others as well. Some of the artwork from my collection is also displayed in my house.
