Varun Goel

Director of Marketing and Sales, Hyatt Centric Chandigarh

The Hospitality Industry is about celebrating occasions, people and connections. All people involved in the preparation of the hotels’ festive offerings during New Years’ Eve are into a business of holidays and celebrations, and it is always fun for hospitality professionals who have already embraced the season’s splendor to celebrate and enjoy alongside guests and their colleagues during the end-of-year festivities, maintaining the holiday cheer well into the festive season.

One such story that comes to mind is of our Sales Manager, who shares a tale of her New Year Celebrations at the hotel. She seems to remember it as the most lively New Year festivities of her life, complete with themed winter wonderland decorations across the hotel, a beautiful and aesthetically pleasing setup for live entertainment and a buffet spread worth all the calories. The best part of her evening was the moment when the entire sales team was called upon stage to play alongside the live band, choosing the instruments of their choice and banging out their favorite tunes. Even though the associates were working well into the night, this experience made up for all the exhaustion and long hours with the hospitable welcome by staff, guests and the artists alike, marking the coming year with the liveliest of music, dance and cheer.

Another story is that of our Guest Service Associate, who was unable to visit his family and hometown for their traditional new year celebration around a bonfire, and was distraught at the thought of being away from home during such a special time. With one of his favourite Punjabi artists of all time performing at the hotel for the New Year Bash, the feeling of missing out gnawed at his heart, but to his surprise, his manager provided the opportunity to enjoy the concert despite being on shift, where he fully enjoyed the live concert alongside his team, giving him a chance to bond with his work family, and usher in the new year with deeper connections and even happier memories. This was the day he discovered that even though he was far away from his hometown, his colleagues proved to be his family away from home!

Ashutosh Thakur

Director of Food and Beverage, Courtyard By Marriott Pune Chakan

To truly encapsulate what really pushes a hotelier to do what they do is greatly reflected in a famous quote by Maya Angelou who talks about how one might forget what you say or do, but they’d never forget the way you make them feel. Being able to give guests the opportunity to feel the warmth, kindness, and love through our hospitality has got to be the most humbling experience. And we’re often able to do so only during peak festive time, how could we miss out on such an experience!”

It is no secret that the hospitality industry is not for the faint hearted. It is challenging, gruesome, and can test your patience, yet there is something so rewarding about the journey that it draws you in when it is your passion. Hence, it is no wonder that you will see hoteliers working around the clock even on special occasions- be it any holiday, they will be there to welcome you with the brightest smiles because nothing quite brings them the satisfaction and gratification than those little unspoken gestures by guests which speak volumes for all the hard work put in.

While celebrating NYE with close ones is something everyone looks forward to, for hoteliers it is often quite difficult, however it has its own perks and one of them is being able to form special memories with your colleagues who become your family, and above all, seeing our guests have the most wonderful time.

Umamahesh Rao

Executive Housekeeper, The Orchid Mumbai

I being working in hotel industry for two decades has never ever celebrated new years eve with the family, as a hotelier and my job profession did not permit too. Every hotelier’s stories are designed to give unique and impactful anecdotes from behind the scenes of the hotel industry. Anyone who has ever worked at a hotel, stayed at a hotel or lived the life of a “ warrior” can appreciate his true tales of the good, the bad, and the unbelievable. The doors never close, and the guests keep coming. Addresses may change of the players in the game and the employees may change, but most people in the hotel industry would not think of having a career in any other profession.

The new year party is one of the most exciting events of the whole year. Everyone gets busy to welcome the new year and organizes different plans to spend the day with family and friends. This special day allows everyone to enjoy it to the fullest with new vigor to welcome the new year. Everyone is full of energy. Some people prefer to celebrate at home, and others prefer to go to clubs and hotels. Many partygoers gather in some of the lavish party destinations. Apart from Mumbai, the hotels in all other major cities are open to celebrate the grand party on the eve of New Year. We hoteliers too celebrate every new year eve post all guest celebrations are winded up with our teams as they are our extended families as we spend more time with team rather than families.

Well, this is totally contradictory to what we hoteliers think of ourselves: we are those people who can’t manage to keep our houses clean & depend on our house help to do that…what can I say, well we have long duty hours; we are those people who do not drink but can make a perfect drink that can surely give you a ‘kick’ & we are those people who never enter our own home kitchens but will definitely make you a ‘Michelin Star’ dish.

We are people who are always in a ‘bhasad’, always wearing a smile on our faces very much like our favorite Bollywood actors. We are always so polite, diplomatic & proper in whatever we say that even when we go back home, we behave like we are still on a stage playing our part ardently.

The guest who we meet at the hotel often wonders how is it that we are always smiling, never show any discontent, but let me tell you this, below that bravado is modest & softest of hearts.

A true hotelier’s emotions come from the smallest things in their daily lives – wearing a crisp uniform, put on our name badges with great pride & standing in those pristine areas of the hotel, representing what we firmly believe “Customer Experience” is another important motto of every hotelier. A hotelier truly believes in delivering selfless service to his guest .Festivals and new year is only a new day for a hotelier as we hardly get chance to celebrate with family……..