Page 126 - HH Oct-Nov 2023

HOTELS

Woman power

AS ONE OF THE FEW WOMEN
GENERAL MANAGERS IN THE
COUNTRY, NEHA CHHABRA IS
FIRMLY CONSOLIDATING HER
POSITION AND PULLING OUT ALL
STOPS TO POSITION THE NEWLY
OPENED JW MARRIOTT GOA AS THE
GO TO LUXURY HOTEL IN THE CITY

INTERVIEW BY SHAFQUAT ALI

Many congratulations on your new role. As
someone who embodies the power of women
leaders, how does it feel to be one of the very few
women General Managers in the country?
It is indeed a great feeling to be a leader and a
woman leader at that. But I always feel that at the
top it doesn’t matter, it is about the capabilities and
the aptitude of the person.
Having said that, you are right, we are currently
very few and we need to make sure that we have
each other’s back and make sure that we have more
of our lot represented. For every bit of hard work
put in by a lady, a man needs to put in the equal
amount of hard work.
It does feel good and it feels even better to be a
part of the JW Marriott team as it is one of the
most luxurious brands that Marriott International
has, especially as JW Marriott Goa is the 150th
hotel in India, opened by Mr. Anthony Capuano,
President and CEO of Marriott International. This
has created a lot of tremors in the country. It is a
very special property and we are looking forward
to positioning this hotel in Goa as a flagship brand.

As you are settling into your new job, are there
any challenges that you are facing?
I think is always a rollercoaster ride in the first
year, especially as it is a new hotel with a new team
where synergies take some time to set. It is about
alignment and will take its own course of time to
settle completely. Like each baby takes their own

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