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| Scott Thomson |
Hilton New Delhi-Noida-Mayur Vihar & DoubleTree by Hilton New Delhi-Noida-Mayur Vihar are situated in New Delhi’s business district and is close to Noida in NCR. Located just 15 minutes away from New Delhi’s Pragati Maidan Convention and Exhibition Centre, government offices and Embassies the hotels are also in close proximity to the Formula One race track, which makes them an ideal choice for the business traveller, while the extensive dining, shopping and recreational options make it a delight for leisure travellers as well. Talking about his understanding of the market, Scott Thomson, GM of the hotel says, “We feel that Mayur Vihar and the area around it has a lot of potential that remains untapped and has not been explored by other hotel brands. The domestic markets show keen interest due to its strategic location. Moreover, the area has a large business potential from South Delhi and Noida which embrace as the main source markets for the hotel.” Both the hotels are strategically located. The opening of the new Yamuna Expressway has opened wider doors for guests to visit Agra and we expect large amount of takers for the same,” he adds.
The Hilton New Delhi – Noida Mayur Vihar has a total of 169 rooms including four suites that are among the largest in the city. The rooms offer a classy contemporary decor with state-of-the-art amenities like a king-size bed, a workstation, wireless high-speed internet and an exquisite marble bathroom with separate tub and shower. For leisure the hotel offers a host of facilities like a modern health club, an outdoor pool and a full service Eros Spa, a business centre and executive lounge for the guests’ business needs. DoubleTree by Hilton, right opposite the former has 196 rooms and four suites. Resonating with the brand DoubleTree’s unique care culture, each guest is served signature chocolate chipped cookies at the time of check-in. The hotel also features a 24-hour business centre and a 24-hour fitness centre and swimming pool for the recreation of its guests.
Both Hilton and DoubleTree by Hilton offer an array of restaurants for their guests to indulge. While Hilton has an all day dining restaurant featuring international delicacies, and a lobby level bar that serves portions of sandwiches, pastries and other snacks along with alcoholic concoctions, DoubleTree boasts of Roadhouse Bar and Grill, a New York style restaurant that offers range of American cuisine, from steaks, burgers and sandwiches to the famous buffalo wings to crispy onion ring, and Café on 3, an all-day dining restaurant with deli and pastry shop, serves buffet comprising of exotic Asian and Mediterranean cuisines. Speaking on the response of the restaurants, he says, “The response of all the four outlets has been over whelming. We are positive about the response in future as well.” Thomson feels that there is immense space and potential for everyone in this industry. “While we boast of our product for quality, guest satisfaction and elegance we are complacent about our position,” he emphasises.
Revenue strategy
Apart from the local walk-ins, the hotel receives guests from across all parts of the world especially from North America and European markets. The services and facilities provided by the hotel encourage people to come back. “The domestic markets show keen interest due to its strategic location. Moreover, the area has a large business potential from South Delhi and Noida which embrace as the main source markets for the hotel. The ratio of business traveller and leisure travellers would be 75:25,” he mentions.
Speaking on the developments within the property, he informs, “We foresee a boost in the hospitality industry this year with the burgeoning travellers in the Indian market. We believe in keeping with time and that’s why Hilton and DoubleTree Mayur Vihar provides you the best amenities and services for an excellent experience. Hilton New Delhi-Noida-Mayur Vihar will soon be with an authentic North Indian dining restaurant called S.P.I.C.E.D by the end of the quarter this year.”
According to him, “India as a destination is not really affected by exchange rate changes, high taxes and increasing airfare, as motivations for travelling are quite specific. For business purposes, the trip is commercially justified, for leisure people are interested to come and explore this interesting and unique country. In coping with the exchange rate changes, we review our pricing throughout the year as is done in many countries around the world to make sure that we are optimizing our returns and are in step with the market.”
The MICE market is indeed an important segment and can by no means be ignored as it contributes to the revenue generation by all areas of the hotel from rooms, food and beverages to conference areas. According to ICCA (International Congress and Convention Association), the inbound MICE segment in India is growing at 15 to 20 per cent annually which is one of the main reasons for the growth in the demand for luxury hotel destinations.
“India has developed a reputation as a unique conference destination, with its historical, cultural, architectural, wildlife, culinary, spiritual and therapeutic attractions. Better infrastructure, new airports, hotel MICE facilities, improved air, road and rail transport now make India an excellent conference destination. Therefore, many Indian state governments are keen on establishing convention centres near large metro cities,” he adds.
