Cinnamon Grand not resting on its laurels

The Cinnamon Grand, Colombo, recognized last week as the best 5-star hotel property in the city, says its vision for 2009 is to be an icon and everybody’s favourite hotel.

The next few steps towards this goal, according to Rohan Karr, its General Manager, is raising investment on training, providing a competitive financial package that would deter experienced staff from seeking overseas employment, and raising the bar in personalised service. The hotel also won the Best Restaurant (Lagoon) award at the inaugural Presidential Awards for Travel and Tourism, presented on Tuesday.

“We want every single customer to have a favourite person amongst the hotel staff,” he said in an interview, adding that 2008 will be ‘the year of walking the talk’.

Karr said the hotel has achieved what it set out to do in 2003, promising to be the best five star property in Colombo. “Now people we will be watching us. By delivering on that promise (and confirmed by others) we have raised the benchmark. My team has to deliver to the next level,” he said,

New plans for this year include opening an authentic South Indian restaurant in April. Among the innovative ideas that the hotel launched some years back is the aroma of spices and cold towels in the bathroom, an initiative that has drawn favourable comments from patrons. “Spice in the toilet? Yes it makes the place fresh. Every time someone goes into the bathroom, you should feel that you are the first person to use it. It has to smell fresh. It has to be dry, it has to be clean. When we gave out cold towels in the bathroom, people were surprised as cold towels are only given at the reception,” Karr observed, stressing that continuous improvements to this kind of service is regularly done.

“If someone comes to the restaurant and he or she is wowed by the extra care and attention that means we have exceeded expectations. The second time that customer comes, he comes with that expectation. So we tell our staff the next time that person comes, you must give him something different –something better -- in terms of service.”

When Karr took over the then-Colombo Plaza, just after it was bought over by John Keells Holdings, the property was in a poor shape, investment was low and staff morale down

“There were no tools, no equipment, no staff. Patrons were reluctant to come to the Colombo Plaza, except if they had to attend a wedding. Investment was a must and the new owners invested nearly $25 million in upgrading the property. This is not small change but a pure property upgrade.

In addition we brought in the personal touch, service with a smile and being innovative and creative in everything that we did.”
Karr says the hotel is also the best in terms of service charge payments to staff, with this month’s service charge being Rs 25,000 compared to just Rs 7,000 in 2003. It also has a game plan to tackle the flow of staff to the Middle East.

Next year, the hotel expects the service charge to be in the region of more than Rs 30,000 and a year later Rs 35,000, and add a basic of Rs 8,000, average salaries would be in the region of Rs 45,000 –Rs 46,000 with tips on top of that.

Karr says their vision is to equal the salary and benefits package that one would get in the Middle East. “Our workers go to the Middle East for Rs 45,000 but look at the hardships they go through leaving behind family, loved ones and working in another country.”
Training is a crucial investment with the hotel now spending Rs 9 million annually against Rs 300,000, five years ago. Karr said 2007 was a good year with the international HIV/AIDS conference, the Commonwealth Games meeting where the next venue of the gmes was announced, and the international Bohrah community gathering.

He said the new minimum hotel rates for city hotels was on track with customers accepting these rates, without a dip in occupancy or revenue.

“Things are going to look better,” he said, adding that a Commonwealth Youth Ministers’ conference (150 rooms at the hotel) and the PATA regional conference (200-300 rooms), both in April would not only boost occupancy but also add prestige to the hotel.