A Turnaround Tale

My Two Years with Holiday Inn Bengaluru Racecourse

Almost two years have passed since I began leading Holiday Inn Bengaluru Racecourse. Despite the span of time, the exhilaration feels like yesterday.

This journey, during more than two decades of my career working with  renowned Indian and international hotel companies, has been a standout experience.

When I assumed my role in August 2021, the Hospitality industry was grappling with uncertainty due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was a challenging period like no other, with shrinking revenues and financial stress among all stakeholders, including owners, brands, and employees.

My immediate challenge was to restore stakeholder confidence by revitalizing the hotel. It was crucial to revise our outlook, redefine strategies, and unlock every potential revenue stream to boost margins. Repositioning the hotel hinged on enhancing the product and service delivery through an efficient team. Our initial focus was to assemble a proficient team and refine our services to match top-tier standards.

As our product-service mix started aligning, it boosted our confidence to venture into new business avenues. Our strides in recovery were aligned with the industry's revival. We witnessed all-around growth in financial performance, customer satisfaction, and employee morale. Gradually, record-breaking performances became a monthly norm, and our post-pandemic growth far outpaced the industry average.

In 2022, compared to 2019, our hotel saw a 51% revenue growth, 142% GOP growth, and 121% F&B revenue growth. Our achievement in meeting all IHG performance parameters for 2022, coupled with substantial growth in online reputation platforms, added to our success story. TripAdvisor, a key platform for global travelers, ranked our hotel among Bengaluru's top 15 from a previous 100+ position within a year.

The sense of pride and satisfaction is immense, knowing that our team could turn around the hotel and create value for all key stakeholders – hotel owners, IHG, and hotel employees. Throughout this incredible journey, the support from my team, hotel owners, and IHG has been invaluable in making strategic decisions & attaining this remarkable performance. We will continue striving for improvement and growth in the future!

 

– Jaidev Dutta,
General Manager, InterContinental Hotels Group (IHS)
shares his inspirational journey of steering Holiday Inn Bengaluru Racecourse through one of the industry's toughest times.

 

View from Holiday Inn Bengaluru, Racecourse Road (Actual shot)

 

Lobby (Actual shot)