Page 132 - HH Oct-Nov 2023

Life of a hotelier

Rattan Keswani is a global hotelier with an illustrious career spanning over four decades. In his bestselling
novel Check-In, Never Check Out, he recounts his fascinating journey in the hotel industry – from being
L ate 2011, while I was serving as President at Lemon Tree Hotels was a significant leap for me. It felt
the President of Trident to building Carnation Hotels for Lemon Tree. Here’s an extract from his book

Leaving Oberoi Hotels and Trident brands to join
Trident, l received a call from the Chairman
and Managing Director of Lemon Tree Hotels. I
like looking into an abyss, unsure of where the
had known him since 2004 when he first
parachute lay or if I would make it ashore. After several
embarked on the Lemon Tree journey, building
an extensive network of mid-scale and budget
January, we arrived at an agreement. Lemon Tree
Hotels would own majority stake and Carnation hotels
hotels under the Lemon Tree Hotels and Red Fox conversations between November, December and
hotels. would be the master franchisor for all four brands. We
During the weeks between Diwali and December of gave ourselves seven years to call it quits if it didn’t
that year, we chatted about partnering with them to work out.
lead their third-party management and master Following my resignation from Oberoi Hotels and the
franchising initiatives. He wanted Lemon Tree Hotels to handover of my brands and hotels, I officially joined
expand the scale of their operations beyond their Lemon Tree Systems and Carnation Hotels as a co-
owned portfolio by providing management services to promoter on 1st May, 2012. A few months later, I was
other hotel owners, like Taj and ITC (Indian companies) also bestowed the additional responsibility as Deputy
and Marriott, Starwood, Radisson etc. (international Managing Director for the parent company. While
brands) were. transitioning into this new role was exciting, it also
Additionally, the new entity would help owners design required me to learn new skills and a new business
or re-equip their hotels under the brand umbrella, model. It took me around five to six months to grasp
adhering to Lemon Tree’s high standard of quality and the nuances.
manage the hotels for them. The new way forward was I faced a steep learning curve. One of my key areas of
a departure from their previous strategy of solely focus was understanding competitive contracts: their
focusing on building their own brand. The Chairman implications, how to manage hotels owned by a diverse
and MD felt we could work together and grow the main set of people. The process of negotiations is mentally
company’s portfolio of hotels pan-India and exhausting and draining at most times. Our team of
internationally as well. three, GJ, CM and I was small, yet nimble, we kept
The call from the Chairman and MD of Lemon Tree learning and expanding. It involved extensive travel to
Hotels left me feeling perplexed. Although I had Tier 2 and 3 cities by bus or by train and on occasion in
overseen the operations of a few managed Oberoi cabs. We observed the melting pot of our country and
hotels, I had never been involved in discussions around the many diverse social norms.
management contracts. My theoretical knowledge of Our primary objective was to sign up green fields and
midscale and budget hotels, and the intricacies of brown fields projects and they could be designed to fit
creating a new brand while catering to different owners, brand standards easier, as well as conversions where
was limited. I questioned whether adding this new joint owners were de-flagging their existing brands. These
venture would be successful and productive and would be retrofits and therefore differently challenging.
whether I had the acumen to help navigate this Our task was to fit these hotels within the parameters of
endeavour. the three brands: Redfox, The Lemon Tree Hotels, and
Despite my reservations, the Chairman and MD Lemon Tree Premium. This involved designing and
believed that I was the right partner for Lemon Tree configuring the hotels in a manner that aligned with the
Hotels. Over several months, after many persuasive brand’s values and standards. In today’s world,
engagements, I agreed. Eventually, on Republic Day of branding is a critical evolution – needs creation of a
2012, I made the decision to take a risk and pursue this brand compass, brand architecture, and persona, along
endeavour. After much deliberation with friends and with infrastructure, design, and artwork parameters, to
family I decided to “take the plunge” so to speak and create a lasting impression and memorable experience
expand my horizons. and a sense of familiarity, in every location.

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