There are those who do their jobs by the clock, by the book, and then there are those who do their ‘jobs’ with passion and infuse ‘life’ in everything they are associated with. It is only when you meet up with the latter you realise why the hotel industry is better referred to as the ‘hospitality’ industry – yes – it is the personal touch that indeed makes all the difference. It was heart-warming to meet the Vice President of the Pride Hotels – Pankaj Mathur, who takes immense ‘pride’ in running (profitably) the only ‘Indian Hotel’ in the brand loaded Aerocity New Delhi. Here is what he had to say –
Priyanka Saxena Ray
It’s not some expensive perfume that envelopes you when you enter The Pride Plaza Aerocity but instead it is the fragrant ‘Rajnigandha’ that wraps you in its warmth. The beautifully captivating Indian flower décor (which changes every day) and the Indian Flag proudly flying at the porch together remind you in no subtle way – you are in one of India’s finest ‘Indian Hotels’ and that is a distinction they are proudly showcasing.
A complete hospitality professional, with all the necessary ‘hotel degrees’ ticked off from reputed institutes, Pankaj Mathur, who has recently been promoted from General Manager at The Pride Plaza Aerocity to Vice President of The Pride Plaza Hotels across India, is nothing short of knowledge wrapped in humility. With experience spanning decades and numerous hotel chains – both local and international, Mr. Mathur smiles at being referred to as the ‘start-up’ specialist as he, in his career span so far, has ‘opened’ close to 7 Hotels in India! (and many of you would agree that the pressures of the ‘pre-opening’ stage is not something that everyone can deal with).
From Taj to Oberoi, Welcome Group, Hyatt, ITC, Marriott, he has been associated with them all in one capacity or the other, and every role of his, added to his knowledge, making him a firm believer of the importance of ‘training’ in one’s life. “I opened Four Points Sheraton Pune under the aegis of JHM Interstate Hotels and Resorts and learned a lot in terms of pre-opening challenges. After that I was running Corinthian Hotel and Resort in Pune for a year, which also added quite a lot to my learning curve. I moved to Delhi then and joined and worked at The Suryaa for three years. At Suryaa, I rebranded, re-built and re-designed many integral aspects of the property to bring it at par with its competitors,” he reminisces while sharing details of his professional journey with me.
Coming back to his current profile as the VP at The Pride Plaza Aerocity, Mr. Mathur admits that while it is challenging to survive in a pond full of international brands, being Indian has its own advantages. “I was confident I will be able to make it do well. During the initial phase, a lot of negotiations went back and forth with the owners ranging from logo selection to what cars to buy for airport pick-ups, but, all my suggestions were positively welcomed by the accommodating owners. Today, we are doing more profit than our competitors. Our GOPs are much higher – we would be closing this financial year at 45% GOP, which is great,” he shares.
Not the one to shy away from challenges or failures, Mr. Mathur openly admits that the attrition rate at the hotel is 10% higher as compared to those in the vicinity but magnanimously doesn’t hold his staff responsible for it. “Such is the lure of a brand! But I tell them all, work nicely so that they can say – you have come well trained from Pride Plaza!” For a man who has donned many hats in his professional career, the veteran understands the importance of training in the hospitality sector and takes pride in saying that his team at the hotel, when appointed, is given a complete briefing, made to work in all departments and each employee at the hotel gets four and half hours of training every month, to keep them motivated and abreast with times.
Amidst a lot of discussion that took place between us over a hot cup of tea (served in Indian kulhads and not fancy cups), Mr. Mathur proudly talks about the hotel, its tagline (Truly Indian. Traditionally Luxurious. Purely Pride), the Five Senses Program (wherein they celebrate Indian culture through the five senses), Pride Service (one button for all guest services) and many more ‘specials’ that make them stand apart (or above) from their competitors. A thorough optimist, he sees great future for the hotel, not just because of the property and services but also because of the location. “Aerocity today is the safest place in the country where even the roads have cameras. The large quantity of rooms, the ample dining options will only act as magnet for tourists and corporates. Once a Convention Centre is also in place, which is under construction currently, Aerocity New Delhi will become a destination in itself,” he strongly feels.
As I conclude this interview, it needs a special mention of Raja Singh, Marketing & Communication Manager, who like his VP, has been associated with the property since inception and is equally, if not more, passionate about the hotel. It is always believed, the reflection of a good leader can be seen in his team and meeting them both, just did that for me.
