Hyatt Regency Kolkata’s legacy lives on: Kumar Shobhan

For Kumar Shobhan, general manager of Hyatt Regency Kolkata, the city of joy has been home for four years and two months now. Having been a witness to the severe COVID-19 pandemic, Shobhan said the hospitality industry in Kolkata is gleefully coming back to life. The Hyatt Regency Kolkata has become one of the most sought-after hotels for weddings in the city. With 234 elegant guestrooms and suites, Hyatt is one of the finest and most popular five-star hotels in Kolkata for business and leisure travellers.

“Kolkata has a vast culture and comes with a mix of corporate as well as leisure markets. Kolkata is the gateway to the eastern and northeastern parts of India. So, a lot of industries have opened up in this part of India and hence, corporate business is booming. Also, Kolkata has become a big wedding market. We have hosted some of the biggest weddings post-pandemic. Kolkata might not be that fast-paced, but I think within a few years, we will be comparing ourselves with the corporate market in Bangalore,” he said.

Though the COVID-19 pandemic placed the hospitality industry under immense strain, Shobhan said how Hyatt Regency Kolkata reconciled their business and looked after their employees during those tough days. Also, the hotel underwent major renovations during the pandemic.

“I don’t want to recall those days when we used to play football and cricket in the lobby. We have seen the worst and hopefully, we will not see anything of that sort again. But this allowed us to do a lot of things. We reconciled our business and looked at how we performed. Employees became our priority. We also utilised the time for the renovation, team building and refurbishment of the rooms. We renovated the lobby, 120 rooms, the gym and spa section, the ballroom area and the Waterside Café,” said Shobhan, who has been with the hotel group for 21 years now.

Hyatt’s Waterside Café is one of the most well-known dining destinations in the city. Featuring an expansive international food spread, a special team of culinary experts curates each cuisine. Post-renovation, the all-day dining area has been divided into four zones: Northwest Frontier and Bengali, Oriental, Middle Eastern and European; G-Local Street Studio and the dessert salon. Waterside Café has also found a loyal fan base that has ensured that the restaurant stays open for a long time.

“We lived on the legacy. It’s a 21-year-old hotel with people having a lot of memories. Those who proposed at the Waterside Café are now returning to the hotel to get their kids engaged. We lived up to the expectations of the customers. It is one of the most beautiful-looking restaurants in the city. Our motto has been ‘food thoughtfully sourced and carefully served’,” he said.

Shobhan said the property invests in its people. “For us, people are not only employees but everyone who we touch every day. Our employees are our assets. For the success of any company, the most important ingredient is human resources. If we don’t invest in human resources, we will not be successful,” he smiled.

Last year, Hyatt Regency Kolkata closed at 82 percent occupancy. This year, the hotel is sitting at 75 percent occupancy. “A lot of weddings happened last year because people were waiting for the grand celebration. This year, March didn’t perform well. April performed extremely well and May is going okay. The pace at which we used to get business much in advance has reduced. So, earlier, we used to get bookings one month in advance. Now, we get two days in advance,” he said.

Hyatt has also been focused on sustainable goals. In 2020, the hotel installed an organic waste composter, which converts wet waste into manure. Manure is used for landscaping. “We removed single-use plastics in the hotel from 2018 onwards. By the middle of next month, we are installing our water bottle plant also,” said Shobhan.

To minimise the consumption of electricity, the property has converted the hot water boiler into heat pumps. The hotel also uses recycled water, which is generated through the sewage treatment plant.

Hyatt believes in uniqueness and legacy and doesn’t do anything commonplace. That’s how the concept of ‘Dine Art’ by Hyatt developed in 2019. “Art is an integral part of our life. So, we decided to bring art in the form of food and décor. We have organised five ‘Dine Art’ events and all have been successful,” said the general manager. Come July and the hotel is gearing up to organise the sixth ‘Dine Art’ event.

Takeaways

- Open spaces

- Popular destination for wedding

- Local and international cuisine

- Suits with open terraces

- Tennis, squash courts

- Regency Club lounge

- Spa and fitness centre

- Team with a genuine smile