One of the loudest headlines coming out of Indian hospitality this year was the announcement of a joint venture between Amruda Nair, granddaughter of the Leela Hotels founder Captain Krishnan Nair, and Faisal bin Qassim Al Thani, chairman of Al Sawari Holding.
The deal will launch Aiana Hotels & Resorts, Nair’s own hospitality brand in Qatar and according to claims in various reports, the first Asian-inspired hotel in Qatar — a country on the cusp of big things... there’s that Fifa World Cup in 2020 and as we speak, it’s spending billions turning itself into a world economic hotspot.
And diving into that ferocious process of change is Nair — all of 32, but with every bit of those three decades spent in hoteliering. She did learn the basics early enough and knew immediately that that “hospitality business is not all glamour”.
“Growing up in a hotel environment opened my eyes to how much effort goes into creating the perfect setting for a guest. But I was fortunate to be surrounded by people who inspired me. I joined the family business at a growth phase with the number of rooms under management increasing to 2,211 and the past five years have been a learning experience for me. Asset management gives you great insight into the intricate workings of a hotel.”
It’s great experience indeed because consider this... every single white sheet you sleep on requires a dozen employees and managing a luxury hotel is widely considered a non-stop, 24x7 commitment.
After the launch of the Aiana chain, Nair’s not expecting a break anytime soon. Nair explains: “The global headquarters for Aiana is in Doha and so when the weekend begins in India, the week is just starting for me in Qatar. We have a project under development in Doha and are also looking at sites in India and South-East Asia which involves quite a bit of travel. My father — Vivek Nair, vice-chairman and MD of Leela — is my benchmark when it comes to stress management. He is always calm and you can always count on him to find the positive in every situation. Amruda is joined by younger sister Aishwarya, who looks after Leela’s F&B section. She also has a brother, Aushim.
“I also believe that sports has made me a better entrepreneur. I recently gave a TED Talk on the theme of sports and the lessons I have leant over the years. My travel schedule does not allow me to commit to a fixed exercise regime so I use the flexibility to my advantage and am constantly trying something new. I tend to do more water sports during the summer especially if I am in West Asia and run outdoors if the weather permits, everywhere else. I have also discovered T-25 (a fast workout regime) and TRX (suspension training) which are both easy to do even in a hotel room and take less than 30 minutes.”
Meanwhile, back on the topic of hotels, Nair is pouring everything into Aiana, because in the next five years, the company aims to have “seven properties either operating or under development over that time frame.
“In India, the focus is on the South because of the diversity of experiences one can provide — from beaches and backwaters to hill stations and plantations.”
Nair has avoided speaking about the Leela Group’s troubles with debt. The company has long-term borrowings of Rs 2,580 crore as of March last year and experts feel interest being paid is putting pressure on overall profits. But she says Aiana meanwhile, has been set up to service needs of tomorrow’s traveller. She calls it ‘Hospitality 2.0’.
And as she begins another week split between Doha and India, she prepares herself with a motto well learnt... “The first and most important lesson I learnt is that the team is your greatest asset. I surround myself with people I can learn from. That keeps me going every day.”
