I have been his friend on the social media for good sometime now and for a man who posts some 3-4 updates in a day, well, one would assume they know all there is to know about him, right? But Himmat Anand was a complete surprise package to me! Firstly, he is definitely better looking than a majority of men his age, or even half; secondly, his battles – right from fighting a paralysis attack at the age of 22 to having empty cottages yearn for occupancy in the initial days of his resort opening, life has handed him his fair share of challenges and he has bravely fought them all. It was truly an afternoon well-spent hearing Mr. Himmat Anand, Founder at Tree of Life Resorts and Hotels narrate his life story for BOTT Spotlight. You might too be his friend on social media, but we hope you will learn an aspect of his life, which you did not know existed.
Priyanka Saxena Ray
I have been chasing him for an interview for quite some time but since he has been following a rather busy travelling schedule, catching hold of him was tough. Thus when I finally sat down to hear him talk about his life journey, I was most excited to know what was in store for me and I was surely not disappointed. Rarely do you come across such pleasant and jovial personality who not only has a legacy of work behind him but also had faith in his dreams along with perseverance to turn them into reality.
Born in Amritsar to a father in Armed forces, travelling was made an essential aspect of Himmat’s life from a rather young age. Changing schools frequently never allowed him to make long-term friends, something he made his peace with. An accidental entry into the PUSA Institute of Hotel Management instilled the passion for hoteliering in Himmat at a fairly young age and he was soon employed as part of the pre-opening team at Taj Mansingh Delhi. “I loved the glamour but hated the industry because I did not have any free time. It took my sister’s call on New Year’s Eve (where she was calling me to say how much the entire cousins’ gang was missing me) for me to realise that I deserved better. I left my job and sat at home preparing for the IAS exams. It was during this time when suddenly one morning I lost sensation in my hands and legs and was narrowly escaped from being paralysed for the rest of my life. Close to 6 months of bed rest got me back on my feet and I joined a small firm in New Delhi and sold their products for a year in Modi Nagar,” he reminisces.
Moving on, Himmat applied in SITA for the post of management trainee and got the job, wherein he worked for a year and a half, until he was asked to work out of the newly opened Kanpur office. He did that also for a while but put in his papers after 8 months, which were rejected and Himmat was sent to SITA’s Frankfurt office – a profile that taught him a lot and one which he loved!
His profile was to manage Central Europe, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Holland. To push inbound into India from those markets. Himmat loved working with the Germans and truly admired them for their discipline. Over a period of time, he told his boss that he would like to work in the USA and after 3 years in Frankfurt, his wish was indeed granted! So was this like a dream come true for him? Apparently not!
“As I stood alongside the conveyor belt at the New York Airport, I suddenly had a weird feeling in the pit of my stomach that USA is not for me. After 5 days I made up my mind that I want to go back. My seniors tried to convince me but I was adamant that I wanted to be back in the Frankfurt office. After that I joined the Jet Tours office in Paris. However, at the back of my mind I was always clear that I never wanted to settle abroad. This was the time my son was 5 and we had to take a call regarding his school admission. So I resigned and came back to India,” Himmat shares.
This was the time when Trade Wings was in a bad shape and they wanted Himmat to join as VP and get things in order. It was one of the most challenging profiles he has ever handled – one which taught him many tricks of the trade! In 1997, Himmat came back to SITA. In 2000 SITA was bought by Kuoni and he was made the head of Kuoni Indian Trails in India and in two years was promoted as the COO of Kuoni Destination Management. “Handling the reins initially was a struggle. One fine day, 14 out of the existing 13 General Managers left together – it was my test of fire. The next 6-7 months were critical but we managed and even grew two and half times! I realised during this time that I could handle any challenge. I had a good time at Kuoni under Mr. Ranjeet Malkani who was the CEO of Kuoni India. He pushed us a lot but also made us feel like King. I left Kuoni in 2007 to pursue my dream of opening my own resort,” says Himmat.
The name “Tree of Life” was fixed in his mind since long and now it was time to decide upon a location. When the hills didn’t work out for him, Himmat decided to settle for Jaipur. The concept and shape of the resort was clear in his mind but what he needed at that time was a partner, an investor, since the banks really weren’t forthcoming. “My cousin called me to Mumbai and they decided to pitch in the project and became my partners. 14 villas spread across 7 acres of land and the first Tree of Life Resort was ready. My tour operator friends said it would do well while my hotelier friends told me it won’t. Amidst apprehensions, anxiety and speculation I opened my resort to barely 15% occupancy. Those were the nights I used to cry at night wondering what I have done,” shares the entrepreneur, who had faith in dreams and hard work.
He decided to step out and market the product himself. In six months, the occupancy levels at the resort picked up. Soon enough, his son Akhil, who was studying music in Mumbai decided to join him, but not as the son of the CEO but as a butler. Akhil worked his way up the ranks and has today earned himself a reputation of perhaps being a fiercer businessman than his father ever was. “I never expected such a response. Akhil looks after present while I look after the future prospects of business. We both have a very clear demarcation of our work and don’t interfere in other’s area of work. Tree of Life Resorts are currently present in Jaipur, Binsar, Marari Beach- Kerala, Udaipur, Benares and Ranthambore. We now also have a land in Agra where the construction should start at some stage for the resort. I am a contended man and enjoying this phase of my life with Jugnu (his dog whom he adores and who has been with him for 8 years). There are newer and more challenging jobs coming my way, which I may get involved in. Let’s see, I am in no hurry,” he concludes with a smile.
Well, a man who has lived his life on his own terms, never compromised, either with his job, or his business or his values, Himmat Anand is truly an icon that people in the travel trade and hospitality industry look up to. And we at BOTT certainly couldn’t be more enamoured.
