How does it feel to be a part of a hotel that’s completed a major milestone?
I am elated and excited to be a part of Hyatt Regency Kolkata’s 20th anniversary. It’s an occasion to express our heartfelt gratitude to our patrons and guests for their continued love and loyalty and for our teams to offer the best of services.
As one of the first five-star hotels of the city, it’s a matter of great pride to see the hotel continue its lineage to be the cornerstone of hospitality with refurbished rooms, renovations, technology innovations, philanthropic efforts and many new culinary experiences.
The Hyatt of yesterday and the Hyatt of today, what’s one thing that’s improved?
Hyatt Regency Kolkata has become more inclusive and sustainable in alignment to its purpose. World of Care is our global approach to advancing care for the planet, people and responsible business. By providing opportunities to youth as part of our RiseHY programme, we have given opportunities to six young people between 18 and 24 years of age. We care by truly seeing people and getting to know them as unique individuals.
What have been some of the new inclusions and upgrades to the property?
Being the oasis of nature amidst the hustle bustle of the city, we have always been a choice for celebrations and corporate travellers offering them world-class amenities and experience. We have refurbished 60 per cent of the room inventory and Executive Lounge. Club Prana is the ultimate destination for rejuvenation and relaxation with its renovated spa huts and experienced therapists. This state-of-the-art fitness centre with tennis and squash court and salon not only attracts the in-house guests but a lot of wellness enthusiasts from the city.
As a part of our Find experience we curated “Well-being at Hyatt”, a one-hour session that includes a journey of spiritual, emotional and mental well-being. The hotel offers yoga, meditation, pranic healing, CrossFit training, swimming, along with specially crafted nutritional experience.
The entire Waterside Café has been reimagined with a new vigour. With a bustling kitchen, serene landscaping, high ceiling and engaging team members, this new avatar of Waterside Cafe has been the dining destination of the city.
The renovated Bakery offers relaxed seating for quick business meetings or casual ones. The bakery products have been made keeping in mind gluten-free and healthy options. In addition to delectable pastries and cakes, The Bakery also offers retail products and artisanal ice creams from the ice cream cart.
Our bar has been given the facelift with innovative cocktails and some very unique single malts. The idea is to make the place a cigar and malt destination.
A snapshot of the table set-up at Dine Art 2021 at Hyatt Regency Kolkata.
How did you as a team cope with the pandemic? And according to you how has that changed the hospitality industry?
Hyatt Regency Kolkata accelerated the challenging times of the pandemic by improving its efficiency and finding creative solutions. We introduced the innovative concept of unique dining experience to the discerning guests at the comfort of their homes — Hyatt at Home. We introduced our delivery van, which delivered the finest bakery and market products from pastries, breads, cheese and meat products and chef curated DIY kits.
If we were to go back in time, what would be a few milestone events/achievements of the hotel?
One property we are very proud of is Dine Art. It is to bring in right-minded people who appreciate food, art and music. The first event had people from different walks of life where chefs had put art in their food. (Musicians) Sourendro (Mullick) and Soumyojit (Das) made sure that everyone was mesmerised by the dishes. Since 2019, we have done two events and the next one is planned for November.
We hosted the Dalai Lama, the Argentinian soccer team, we were also FIFA Under-19 Men’s World Cup headquartered hotel in 2017.
With a new chef in place, how can we see Hyatt Regency’s F&B game change?
With great pleasure we welcome Chef Ishika Konar in her role as executive chef. With over 16 years of culinary experience, she brings a dynamic and innovative energy to Hyatt Regency Kolkata’s diverse culinary scene.
Joining Hyatt Regency Kolkata, a hotel with a culinary legacy, will bring forth her creativity as Hyatt strongly believes in food as a fuel in the road to well-being and creating food that is thoughtfully sourced and carefully served.
A Bengali prawn main course dish from the Bengali and North West Studio at Waterside Cafe.
What’s your most favourite part of the hotel and why?
It’s very unfair to say that I have a favourite part of the hotel. I live in every bit of the hotel. But I like to meet people at The Bakery over a coffee. The place has so much positive energy and of course one of the best coffees. I enjoy sitting there and interacting with guests and colleagues. The second one is the gym, Club Prana. I spend one hour in the morning before I start my day. This place takes care of my physical and mental well-being and gives me an opportunity to think differently.
Elaborate weddings have become a major part of the hospitality industry. How do you intend to capture that for the property considering it is a prime locale for a lot of weddings during season?
When we talk about event spaces, Calcutta has considered us to be the most loved venue for their celebrations, from engagement ceremonies to weddings, baby showers and anniversaries. The expanse of the outdoor spaces enables us to host two weddings at the same time. We have refurbished our ballrooms and reimagined offerings along with mouth-watering delicacies.
What are the future plans for the hotel?
This winter we are activating our outdoor venue to provide maximum offerings to our guests. This includes the new destination Incog. The name itself suggests that this venue is very unique, overlooking the facade of the hotel with a very interesting walkway towards the venue. This place will be promoted for sundowners and few pop-ups. A place for great cocktails and conversations with friends, family and business partners. The Poolbar will be activated with beverage offerings and a weekend destination.
General manager Kumar Shobhan with new trainees from the LGBTQ+ community
As a GM what do you feel is your key role in making sure this 20th year sets the tone for the time ahead for the property?
We hired three potential candidates of the LGBTQ+ community as job trainees in the housekeeping department. As a business uniquely positioned to provide meaningful career paths for people with diverse backgrounds and skill sets, we will continue to prioritise creating career pathways for the LGBTQ+ community, to support young adults to help them identify and reach their full potential.
With the Change Starts Here Goal and to support women at Hyatt, we have increased the women force in all areas of the hotel from 16 per cent to 20 per cent with women heading departments like HR, marketing, events, housekeeping and culinary. These are the steps towards Hyatt’s 2025 Diversity, Equity and Inclusion goals.
Pictures: Hyatt Regency Kolkata