The lady who brought boutique hotels to India - Ms. Paul

I heard about the Park hotels in 1997, when I was in the final year of my Hotel Management course at IHM Mumbai. I didn’t appear for the off campus selection as it was being held in Calcutta. Moreover, I had already decided that I’d join the Taj group; it didn’t make sense to travel that far. Fast forward to 2007, The Park Navi Mumbai opened in February and The Park Hotel School, Apeejay Institute of Hospitality was all set to mark its beginning under Mr. Bhuvan GM as its principal. I liked the concept so much that I applied to join as a faculty. I was asked to go for an interview to Chennai as the entire management team was going to be there. That very week I was booked on an early morning flight to Chennai. There was another person accompanying me, who was also shortlisted for the position of HOD, Food Production. The flight was on time, the hotel car picked us and we were led to The Park Chennai.  As we approached the hotel we saw steel doors instead of the regular glass ones that give a grand view of the hotel’s plush lobby. The moment the door opened it gave a glimpse of some cameras and lights; the reception counter was designed like a boat and the floor looked like the sea. I was amazed at the design of the hotel and also the staff uniforms. I didn’t know much about boutique hotels then, did have an idea though, having read in books; but not anymore, infact I have done a blog on boutique hotels.

We went to our respective rooms to freshen up and got ready for the interview. We were then asked to go to the business centre close to the hotel where the Financial Review Meet was in progress. All the General Managers of the hotels, Finance heads, MD, and Chairperson Ms. Priya Paul were there. Until this time I wasn’t really sure if I wanted to join the new organization that was so very different. Just to remind, I came from a very conventional hospitality college that had rules fit for an Army; equally strict with the norms as well asthe dos and don’ts was the Taj Mahal Hotel, Mumbai where I had worked. We waited for the Managing Director Mr. Vijay Dewan and Mr. Lemuel Herbert, who was then the General Manager of The Park Bangalore with an additional responsibility of setting up the hotel school.  They interviewed us during their tea break.

That was the first time I saw Ms. Paul who was surrounded by the unit heads and she stood in the centre with immense grace, power and a magnetic sense of authority, she was charismatic and had a magical aura about her. I wanted to work with her and be a part of the organization; wanted to make sure that I did well in the interview. The interview was quick and I was selected as an Associate Professor and Head of Department for the Hotel school. I became a part of this esteemed organization on 5th April 2007, the day Apeejay Institute of Hospitality was inaugurated. I had the privilege of being the master of ceremonies for the event and also host the first program offered from the portals of AIH, the Supervisory Development Program.

I remember once while Ms. Paul was addressing The Park Management Trainees, one of them asked her why The Park Hotels didn't have common SOPs and hierarchy across the chain, she replied saying that The Park wasn't a chain it was a collection. Every hotel had it’s own identity and she wanted a 25 year old, like him to manage her hotels. She didn't believe in that kind of standardisation and hierarchy. Her hotels are a reflection of her personality creatively inspiring, spontaneously joyous, daringly different and making things fun. The mantra that her teams follow are, 'Work hard and party harder'.

She has a picture-perfect memory; she remembers every change one makes, be it a deviation in the recipe or an art work shifted from its original place. She also remembers her staff well and takes keen interest in their development and ensures empowerment at every level. Her hotel’s HR policies put its people first.

Mr. Lemuel Herbert was the General Manager of The Park Bangalore, that opened as the first boutique hotel of the collection; it could very well be called the first luxury boutique hotel in India. When I asked him what it was like; being a pioneer, he said, "With The Oberoi, The Leela and ITC Welcomgroup in the wake of my career, I was on Ms.Paul's team as general manager of The Park Bangalore in July of 1999. The hotel was in the throes of a metamorphosis to emerge in it's new avatar as a Boutique hotel that would blaze a trail in India. I had gone out personally to procure and display for Ms.Paul, crockery and cutlery samples for the new hotel”. She smiled patiently and said "Lemuel why don't you go out again, and this time have fun choosing stuff". I smiled awkwardly but her message hit home, break free of your earlier paradigms! The next display brought a smile on her face that said “Now we're talking" Ever since I've told my colleagues, especially during induction, make your work fun, you'll love it”.

The Lady with the Midas Touch

Ms.Priya Paul is the epitome of the empowered woman. The chairperson of the ApeejaySurrendra Park Hotels Ltd., Ms. Paul is a multifaceted lady, who wears numerous hats with élan. She is a successful entrepreneur, a devoted daughter, wife and a mother. Champion of women empowerment, she is also an active industry supporter. She has often been dubbed as the leading lady of the Indian Hospitality Industry, the lady who brought the concept of boutique hotels to India. Having a keen eye for design and detailing, she is extremely creative and social. These qualities not only make her popular in the industry but also loved by her staff. She is a great mentor anda leader par excellence. She turned her hotel into spaces where guests did not just stay confined to their rooms but indulged in an experience of luxury and comfort throughout the hotel. She is a lady well travelled and well read, drawing from her ownexperiences; she managed to create a collection of luxury boutique hotels with sophisticated interiors, decorative themes and immaculate service. An art collector, design aficionado and a creative powerhouse, no doubt she is the pioneer ofboutique hotels in India, that are architecturally unique.

Early Life

Ms.Priya Paul was born into a privileged business family in Kolkata on 30th April 1966. It was the year her father launched their first hotel, The Park Kolkata.She studied at the Loreto House Calcutta and graduated in Economics from Wellesley College, USA.She then joined the hospitality division of her family business, after completing her studies, at the age of 22. She started her career as the Marketing Manager of The Park New Delhi in 1988;initially worked under her father Mr. Surrendra Paul and just two years later, she became the Acting General Manager of The Park New Delhi.  She went on to become the Chairperson of the ApeejaySurrendra Park hotels in 1990, after her father’s untimely demise. The family went through some challenging times but as it is rightly said tough times don’t stay but tough people do; they kept together, consolidated what their father had built, garnered the strength to not only be each other’s support system but also to steer the ApeejaySurrendra group to great heights.That was the consequence of setting new standards, streamlining operating procedures and hiring the right professionals. As a family they took charge of the situation and emerged winners; and there has been no looking back!

Ms. Paul has redefined hospitality in India.She knew that her hotels had to stand out and be noticed; that lead to the boutique hotel concept shaping up in her mind with the vision of ‘Leadership Through Differentiation’. She’s self driven and constantly challenges herself to offer something innovative. With her eclectic sensibilities, keen eye for design and extremely fine aesthetic sense;she has been able to create great hotels, each very different from the other. When Ms. Paul took over the reins of the hospitality division of the ApeejaySurrendra Group in the 1990s, hotels in India were formal places. Her belief was to be AnythingBut Ordinary! She made her hotels hip with lounge bars, discos, innovative restaurants, sponsoring fashion and art shows; not something that many hotels did, back then!

Today, The Park Hotels is a name to reckon with in the hospitality industry with a nationwide presence. They have emerged as stylish, edgy, fun and warm; which is a true reflection of contemporary India;winning national and international recognition.Headquartered in Kolkata, West Bengal, India, The Park hotels are located in Kolkata, Visakhapatnam, New Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai, Navi Mumbai, and Hyderabad. They also have managed properties under the Park Collection and Zone by The Park.

Zone by The Park, envisioned as a Social-Catalyst brand, is much more than a hotel, designed to cater to the needs of ‘design conscious, price conscious’ customers. With relaxed, un-boxy spaces, a happening bar, restaurant and buzzing nightlife, it is a place where people can make new connections, refresh and recharge themselves. Drawing from The Park’s design spirit, the concept envisions an interactive series of lively spaces using the best of contemporary design, with creative and playful interiors, multi-functional spaces, great restaurants, bars and vibrant nightlife.Zone has its presence in Coimbatore, Jaipur, Chennai ORR, Raipur, Bengaluru, and Jodhpur with upcoming hotels in Igatpuri, Pondicherry and Goa.

Ms. Paul says, "When we started the concept of boutique hotels, nobody in India knew what was happening in the rest of the world, so we had to establish the concept. Today, you don't have to look to the world at all; The Park Hotels are adequate in indicating the global buzz”.

Awards and Recognition

Ms. Priya Paul’s contributions to the industry and commerce, particularly in the field of Hospitality and Tourism have been repeatedly recognized and she has received several awards and citations.

She has been awarded India's fourth highest civilian honour, the Padma Shri in 2012. She was conferred the prestigious Insignia of Chevalier de l’Ordre National du Mérite (National Order of Merit) an Order of State, granted by the President of the French Republic in 2014 and has been inducted into the FHRAI Hall of Fame in 2010. To commemorate her contribution to the hotel industry for 25 years, ‘Hall of Fame 2011’ was bestowed to her by Hotelier India. She has also been honoured for her outstanding contribution to hospitality industry by AHEAD Asia 2018 hosted by Sleeper magazine.

She is a Trustee of the Indira Gandhi National Center for the Arts (IGNCA) and Board Member, National Council of Science Museums. She is an Executive Committee Member and Ex- President of Hotel Association of India (HAI), is a founder member as well as the Ex- Chairperson of World Travel &Tourism Council (WTTC) -India Initiative, Chairperson South Asia Women’s Fund, and a member of Harvard Business School’s India Advisory Board.

Ms. Paul has received the FHRAI (Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Association of India) Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 2000, was recognized by Forbes online as one of India’s 100 most powerful business women in 2006, and was conferred the Zee Astitva Award in the Business category in 2008. She has also been awarded the ‘Spa Personality of the Year’ for the year 2009-10 by Asia Spa India. India Today Woman in Business Award and PHD Chamber-Distinguished Women Entrepreneur Award for 2009-2010.

Known for her design acumen Ms. Paul was awarded ‘Excellence in Design Innovation 2011’ by Condé Nast Traveller India, She was awarded the AatithyaRatna Award by the Hotel Investment Forum India, 2011. Since 2011, Fortune India has consistently listed Ms. Paul in the 50 powerful business women in India.

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50 years of The Park Hotels - a memoir!

The early association

The first time, I heard about the Park hotels was in 1997, final year of my Hotel Management course at IHM Mumbai. I didn’t appear for the off campus selection as it was being held in Calcutta (in 1997 the city wasn’t named Kolkata officially). I didn’t want to travel that far, in fact a few classmates did go for the interview at The Park Calcutta. Since, I had already decided that I’d join the Taj group, it didn’t make sense to travel that far.

Inauguration of AIH, 5 April 2007

Unveiling of the plaque by Mrs. Paul

Fast forward to 2007, The Park Navi Mumbai opened in February and The Park Hotel School was all set to mark it’s beginning. I heard about the hotel school and did like the concept. Moreover, for a young mother workplace being close to home was a blessing. The mother in me was more excited than the professional side of mine; but natural that my son was only 8 months old then.  I met the Principal Mr. Bhuvan, Mr. Shirish Bokde who had by then joined as an HOD, was also there for the meeting. I was asked to go for an interview to Chennai as the entire management team was going to be there.  That very week I was booked on an early morning flight to Chennai. There was another person accompanying me, who was also shortlisted for the position of HOD, Food Production. The flight was on time, the hotel car picked us and we were led to The Park Chennai.  As we approached the hotel saw steel doors instead of the regular glass ones that give a grand view of the hotel’s plush lobby. The moment the door opened it gave a glimpse of some cameras and lights; the reception counter was designed like a boat whereas the floor looked like the sea. I was amazed at the design of the hotel and also the uniforms of the staff.  I didn’t know much about boutique hotels though I did an idea, having read somewhere.  I also didn’t know that The Park group was the pioneer in bringing the concept of Boutique hotels in India.

We went to our respective rooms for wash and change and got ready for the interview. We were then asked to go to the business centre close to the hotel where the Financial Review Meet was in progress. All the General Managers of the hotels, Finance heads, MD, and Chairperson Ms. Priya Paul were there. Until this time I wasn’t really sure if I wanted to join the new organization that was so very different. Remember I came from a very conventional hospitality college that had army kind of rules. Equally strict with the norms and dos and don’ts was the Taj Mahal Hotel, Mumbai where I had worked. We waited for Managing Director Mr. Vijay Dewan and Mr. Lemuel Herbert, who was then the general manager of The Park Bangalore with an additional responsibility of setting up the hotel school.  They interviewed us during their tea break. That was the first time I saw Ms. Paul who was surrounded by the unit heads and she stood in the centre with so much grace, power and a magnetic sense of authority, she was charismatic and had a magical aura about her. I wanted to work with her and be a part of the organization; wanted to make sure that I did well in the interview. The interview was quick and I was selected as an Associate Professor and Head of Department for the Hotel school. I am not calling the institute by it's name as it didn’t have one then. I was asked to join as soon as it was possible. Since I had a few commitments at the place of work, I joined from 15th April 2007.  But the first day of work in reality was 5th April 2007, the day Apeejay Institute of Hospitality was inaugurated. I had the privilege of being the master of ceremonies for the event and also host the first program offered from the portals of AIH the Supervisory Development Program. Have fond memories of the ground work that we did for the institute right from finalizing the name, logo, vision and mission statements to formulating rules and regulations. We have brought up the institute to the level of being one of the finest in the country with 8 batches already graduating from it’s portals and successfully completing one decade of quality education and training.

Inaugural program and first PDP

AIH Team with Participants of the first PDP

AIH now

Today AIH offers 3 years Bachelor’s Degree programme in Hospitality Studies (BSc-HS) affiliated to the University of Mumbai, the group’s Management Training programme, Professional Development Programmes, Executive Training Programmes and consultancy projects for the hospitality industry are some of its additional core activities.

Management Training Programme

The MT Programme of The Park Hotels has been conducted since 1992 at different locations such as The Park New Delhi and The Park Kolkata. AIH became the centre for the programme since 2007 and it has been evolving over the years. Today AIH has its role right from recruiting the management trainees from selected campuses across India, the on-boarding as well as off the job training at its campus to monitoring the program over the two years. The responsibility concludes with the graduation of the management trainees both for The Park and Zone by The Park Hotels. It is one of the most sought after MT programs in the country.

The modules covered include The Park culture code and ABO moments, Communication, Corporate and management skills, Core hospitality content, grooming, wellness and lifestyle, customer sensitization and industrial visits. Some of these have been differentiators and are considered benchmark practices.  It does follow and inculcate the group’s philosophy, ‘Work hard and party harder!’ 

BSc HS Students Graduation Day

The Park Management Training batch 2017-19

BSc Hospitality Studies

The institute offers a 3 years Bachelor’s Degree programme in hospitality and IATA Foundation Diploma in Travel and Tourism from IATA, Canada.  At AIH, we believe the most effective way of imparting knowledge is to induce a coherent partnership between its two chief facets - learning and application. This is achieved by virtue of the institute sharing its premises with The Park Navi Mumbai. This becomes the biggest advantage, as it gives students the opportunity to get hands-on experience during their course of study, in terms of training facilities of the hotel for front office, housekeeping, Food and Beverage service and production, and back of house support functions.

We are committed to the all-round development and training of every student who walks through the portals of this institution. Our aim of providing the industry the best ensures that we give our students the best as well. This is evident in our much respected faculty, our cutting-edge resources, and our drive to stay up-to-date with the latest in the world of hospitality. We are focused on developing talent in a dynamic learning environment, based on our expertise in hospitality, to enable students to lead the industry into the future.

10 years of AIH, 5 April 2017

The team

The faculty members are multi faceted. They are empowered to take up various roles right from being counselors, to professors handling the BSc program; they double up as trainers for The Park Hotels as well as manage the MT program. The Park Navi Mumbai doesn’t have a training manager as this role is fulfilled by a faculty member supplemented by the entire team. This makes AIH the learning centre in the true sense. Every faculty has a blog that has its own fan following.  Some are extremely popular; they write on different domains. They are approached as consultants by renowned organizations and also get invited as resource persons for various events and programs of repute. This is taken as an opportunity to learn and explore. This learning helps adding value to the training programs offered by the institute. Our professors have created benchmarks that are replicated by many. They also contribute greatly towards important matters of the University of Mumbai. The admin staffs also handle various roles in their capacity in managing institute’s operations effortlessly, lending great support to the faculty team.

 Best practices

AIH has over the years experimented on many new practices that have come to a level of near perfection now. Some of them are 

• Professional Development Programmes that bridge the gap between university curriculum and industry. 
• Experiential workshops that inform and engage students who wish to join the industry in taking one of the most important decisions of their lives.
• Remedial coaching for students who didn’t fulfill the required attendance norms to not only achieve the same but utilize the time to update their knowledge or skills.
• Staff engagement through wellness has been one of the success stories towards health and wellness. Yoga class is conducted every Friday for team members. Some of them have gone ahead to enroll in certificate programs and have become certified instructors themselves.
• Many success stories of students who graduated from AIH. Students who lacked either recourses or focus.  AIH has coached and counseled the students as well as necessary resources made available to them so that they were able to not only do well in the course but also make great careers for themselves.
• The graduation day, one of the events where we invite not only parents and industry stalwarts but also the media has been appreciated by all who attend. It’s been a showcase event for AIH that we have been able to perfect and benchmark.
• The whole campus is Wifi enabled with 20 Mbps optical backbone. All staff as well as students get AIH email ids that use the Google backend for seamless communication and access to learning resources. Thus we promote paperless communication, our eco initiative. We also promote the use of smart phones on campus for conducting online tests and exams. These not only save resources such as use of paper but are also are highly efficient.

Felicitation of team members completing 10 years

An ABO experience

My entire experience at AIH and The Park Hotels, has been Anything But Ordinary in the true sense. It started with my own on boarding. How many of us can take pride in being the founder team members of an educational institute that is affiliated to one of the oldest universities in the country? A university from where the father of the nation graduated. AIH has been like a baby to me and I take pride in it’s every little achievement. Can say that, we have come a long way and have miles to go!

We had the honour and privilege to have Mr. Jit Paul, inaugurating the institute along with the entire Paul family. I would be failing if I didn’t speak about the empowerment I have felt at every stage. Being able to do what we are good at and being encouraged to do so. Even when I thought of doing something else; to contribute towards my individual social responsibility.  The chairperson having heard all that, said that the organization wouldn’t want to lose me!  I feel that’s the highest level of appreciation one can get. Who’d want to leave an organization that values you not just as a team member but as an individual with unique skill sets, needs or aspirations?

The organization has always supported us in bringing about changes or innovations true to the vision of the company, Leadership through differentiation. I have had ABO moments in almost all hotels that I have visited, as a trainer or as a guest using the hospitality plan. In 10 years,  have been to all our hotels and it gives me immense pride to be associated with this esteemed organization, being solid since 107 years and the hospitality division completing golden jubilee this year. As a trainer I have been conducting induction programmes for the new joinees right from General Managers downwards and with every induction I learn something new. Gain another insight into the philosophy of the company.

The Park Hotels Legacy

When I joined the company in 2007, I did my homework and found out all that was available from the information point of view. Over the years I did a bit of research on boutique hotels and I have written a blog on the subject not well known. Every new joinee specially the ones for Sales and Marketing as well as front office are asked to go through the write up and get a better understanding of the brand that’s a pioneer in luxury boutique hotels in India. Ms. Paul is given the rightful credit for the same. She is one of the most respected as well as decorated hotelier. She was awarded the Padmashri by the Government of India in 2012 and The French Government conferred on her the rank of Knight of National Order of Merit of France in 2014. She has won numerous awards and accolades for her contribution to the hotel industry and the concept of design as well as out of the box ideas.

The Park Hotels is introduced to the world as a collection of contemporary luxury five-star boutique hotels in India belonging to the Apeejay Surrendra Group, headquartered in Kolkata, West Bengal. The hotel business was started by Mr. Surrendra Paul in 1967, with the opening of the Group's first hotel, The Park, a 150-room hotel on the fashionable Park Street in Kolkata, on 1 November; the hotel at Visakhapatnam was added in 1968, while The Park New Delhi commenced operations in 1987.

The company’s vision is Leadership through differentiation, with a brand promise of Anything but Ordinary experiences across our hotels. The hotels are located in Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Navi Mumbai, New Delhi, Visakhapatnam and Goa.

The Park Kolkata was awarded the National Tourism Award (2003–04) for outstanding performance as the Best Boutique Hotel in the country by the Department of Tourism, Government of India. This is in addition to the numerous national and international awards won by the hotels.

 Flurys was awarded the most stylish place by Lycra MTV in 2006 and it has been bestowed with the lifetime achievement award by Times Now in 2010. That year it also won the award for excellence, as the best cafe in the city and also CNN IBN - the most loved breakfast place.

More recently, The Park Hotels has been recognized with the Asia’s Best Employer Brand Award 2017 under the category of Best Companies to work for. The event was held at the Le Meridien Singapore on August 1, 2017, hosted by Employer Branding Institute and World HRD Congress.

I have a dream to dedicate a book one day, having lived the philosophy of the organization and experienced the culture. In fact I have every script, right from inauguration of the institute to all the functions that I hosted as a master of ceremonies. Be it the first year BSc programme, The Park Management Training Programme, the graduation day or the valedictory function. Everything is there on my computer! I also have the profiles of all dignitaries who visited AIH, that were used for their introductions, as well as some of the speeches that were kept ready as a reference for the dignitaries addressing our students. These are some priceless memoirs that I possess. I love the minuscule role of a decade contributing towards the larger history of The Park Hotel’s glorious five decades! Wishing the organization more power, to move from strength to strength; from Gold to Diamond to a Centenary and more!

#50YearsOfThePark #AnythingButOrdinary #GoldenJubilee #Anniversary#FabulousAt50 #TheParkHotels  #proudtobeatThePark #Fabat50