Opinion Articles

February 8, 2021

HVS Monday Musings: India Union Budget 2021: Seeing the Glass Half-full?

After making several representations to the government, the Indian hospitality sector, one of the worst-hit by the pandemic, was expecting some game-changing announcements during the Budget 2021 speech which would help accelerate the sector's recovery.However, the first ever 'digital' budget of the country failed to provide any direct and immediate support to the sector.

February 1, 2021

HVS Monday Musings: Branded Residences – An Evolving Trend in India

Branded residence, a concept that first started in the US in the 1920s, has become a global phenomenon in the past two decades. Traditionally, branded residences have been luxury residential projects co-located or affiliated with well-known hotel brands that provide its residents hospitality services typically offered at a premium hotel. However, with the growth in the sector, standalone branded residences have also been developed across major cities and holiday destinations in the world.

Opinion Article Markets & Performance

January 25, 2021

HVS Monday Musings: Indian Hotels Sector – Performance in 2020

Hit hard by the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Indian hotels sector witnessed one of its lowest performances ever in 2020, in line with the estimates in our 'India Hotels Outlook' report published in August 2020.

Opinion Article Wellness & Wellbeing

January 20, 2021

HVS Monday Musings: Wellness Tourism will Flourish in the Post-COVID Era

Wellness tourism, one of the fastest growing tourism segments globally in the pre-COVID era, is expected to reach greater heights post-COVID as the pandemic has been a wake-up call for people - never before has health & wellness been more important than it is today.

January 4, 2021

HVS Monday Musings: Crystal Gazing into 2021 – Top Trends

The year 2021 will be a crucial year for the hospitality sector as it emerges from the disruptions and embarks on the path to recovery. We expect demand to improve considerably in 2021, as people make-up for the lost time and give-in to their pent-up desire to travel. However, hygiene, cleanliness and safety will continue to be their top priorities, as it has become a way of life in the post-COVID world.

December 28, 2020

HVS Monday Musings: Indian Hotels Sector – 2020 in Review

2020 will go down in history as the year that changed the world as we knew it, in more ways than one. The Indian hotels sector sailed smoothly into January 2020, after a record year in 2019, with 2020 set to be 'even bigger', however, the onslaught of COVID-19 pushed the sector into a tailspin. The pandemic literally brought the world to a standstill, due to the world-wide travel bans and lockdowns.The COVID-19 shock pushed the sector into a tailspin

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December 21, 2020

HVS Monday Musings: Granting Industry and Infrastructure Status to the Indian Hospitality Sector is the Need of the Hour

In the past few months, several state governments have been proactively lending a helping hand to the tourism & hospitality sector in their respective states, providing various relief measures to help the sector stay afloat during these trying times. Last month, in a move to reboot the sector, the Maharashtra government conferred 'industry' status to the state's hospitality sector.

Opinion Article Sales & Marketing

Maharashtra, India

December 14, 2020

HVS Monday Musings: Price Wars In The Indian Hotels Sector During The COVID Era

The gradual revival of demand in the past few weeks is ushering in a new era of price war tactics in the Indian hotels sector. Hotels are resorting to drastic rate cuts in their quest to attract guests and stay afloat during these trying times. Price wars are not a new phenomenon in the sector and our experience says that this is not the best strategy as it often results in more pain than gain.

December 7, 2020

HVS Monday Musings: COVID Cost Factor (CCF) - Are we willing to change the status quo in India?

All hotels strive to improve and reduce costs on an ongoing basis. During the normal course of operations, hotels try to achieve this by implementing various techniques, such as using alternate products, implementing process improvements, enhancing inventory management, and evaluating more efficient equipment, which allow them to save certain costs during the year. But the question here is whether these efficiencies are significant enough.

By Ajay Mehtani, Senior Vice President Asset Management South Asia at HVS Anarock, HVS

November 30, 2020

HVS Monday Musings: Reimposing Lockdowns is a Blow to the Indian Hotels Sector

In the last few weeks, the Indian hotels sector has started to witness green shoots of recovery driven by the growth of leisure tourism and the onset of the festival and wedding season in the country. The impaired sector, however, has barely resurfaced from the perils of the daunting COVID crisis, with occupancy in most major markets showing fledgling signs of improvement.

By Mandeep Lamba, Dipti Mohan, and Akash Datta

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Opinion Article Design & Architecture

November 13, 2020

Ergonomic Design and Lean Management in the Hospitality Industry in India

With an increasing focus on wellness, hotel and restaurant interiors have become more than just an aesthetic appeal. The curation of a well-designed space enhances the purpose for which it was intended. As a result, ergonomics will play a key role in hospitality projects enclosing multi-purpose spaces ranging from guest rooms to conference halls to bars and restaurants. It is critical to get the correct layout to amplify the customer experience, using empathetic design to map out a guest's journey from room to room with seamless efficiency.

By Ritvika Sethi, Senior Manager – Consulting & Valuation, with HVS South Asia, HVS

Opinion Article Food & Beverage

November 9, 2020

HVS Monday Musings: Food for Thought - Reimagining F&B at Hotels in India

Food & Beverage (F&B) has always been a significant component of hotel operations and revenue. Several hotel chains have created their own iconic in-house restaurant brands over the last few decades. Dining at these hotel restaurants, known for their high-quality cuisine and celebrated chefs, had a novelty factor that was missing from the options available outside of hotels.

Opinion Article Technology

November 2, 2020

HVS Monday Musings: Faster Technology Adoption Will Bring A Paradigm Shift In Hotel Operations In India

Pre-COVID, the hospitality sector had successfully adopted technology at the first point of customer contact with increasing number of bookings being done online. However, technology adoption during the other phases of the customer journey was still lagging as hotel rooms followed the standard practices using nearly defunct tech in rooms. The situation, however, changed drastically during the COVID era when tech features, such as keyless check-in and digital menus, that were once considered as luxuries suddenly became necessities for hotels to remain relevant.

October 26, 2020

HVS Monday Musings: The Dichotomy between Management Fee and Franchising Fee in India

Asset-light operating models have become the main stay for growth of many of the major hotel companies in India, with Management Agreements being the preferred structure. The other major asset-light model - Franchising - though is yet to gain significant traction in the country. Approximately 14% of the total brand signings in 2019 were franchised properties as compared to 10% in 2018. On the other hand, Management Agreements accounted for 76% of the total brand signings in both 2019 and 2018. In contrast, hotel franchises are the most popular model in mature markets like the US, where almost 80% are franchised.

October 6, 2020

HVS Musings: DCF is the most appropriate method of hotel valuations, especially during the COVID era

In a market like India, where land most often than not is mis-appropriately valued resulting in exaggerated project costs and hotel transactions are limited in number, the only viable methodology that remains relevant especially in the current uncertain & volatile market scenario is that of Discounted Cash Flows (DCF). Moreover, the current pandemic has had an unprecedented impact on the hospitality sector, with hotels being temporarily closed and the sector witnessing all-time low performance metrics, by the virtue of which, assessing the value of a hotel on current income fails miserably.

Opinion Article Design & Architecture

September 28, 2020

HVS Monday Musings: Luxury Boutique Hotels – A Growing Concept In India

Luxury boutique hotels and resorts, a widely prevalent concept globally, is still at a nascent stage in India, with very few brands and properties. The increasing desire for experiential travel, by not only the millennials but across different cohorts often looking for unique and exclusive stays, has led to the growing popularity of this concept in the country. So, what are luxury boutique hotels and resorts?

September 21, 2020

Hospitality India – Braving the Winds

Clichéd as it may sound, the adage rings true for India's Hospitality Sector today - 'When the going gets tough, the tough get going!'

By Achin Khanna, Managing Partner, Hotelivate Private Limited

September 7, 2020

HVS Monday Musings: Mid-Market Hotels to Lead the Indian Hotels Sector Revival Story

The growth of domestic tourism, changing lifestyles, increasing affinity towards competitively priced branded hotels and expansion of business activity to Tier 2 & 3 cities have bolstered the popularity of Mid-market or Midscale hotels in India in the recent past. Both domestic and international hotel companies with established as well as new midscale brands have increased their presence in the country to leverage the growing demand from middle-income domestic travelers and international budget travelers, especially in Tier 2, 3 & 4 cities.