Ritu Chawla, GM, Courtyard by Marriott, Pune Chakan, shares with Tania Roy the success formula of making it big in the hospitality industry and what it takes to build good working relationships

When Ritu Chawla took over as General Manager (GM), Courtyard by Marriott, Pune Chakan, it was more of a homecoming. “When I was pursuing Hotel Management studies in Aurangabad, I often came to Pune to chill out. We visited eateries like Nandu’s and Zamu’s and partied here. I have always loved Pune, which is a small place with a big city feel,” says Chawla. In fact, she enjoys Maharashtrian food as well. “Although I am a North Indian, I love Maharashtrian food which my cook makes for me at home,” she adds.

Leisure hours are a luxury for this busy GM, but when she gets time off, she tries to watch movies. “I try to catch first-day-first-shows, whenever possible. But working in a senior post requires me to put in almost 10 to 12 hours a day at work, and I have to be accessible 24×7. Besides, I have to spend my evenings catching up with clients and do a bit of socialising as well. But I thoroughly enjoy my work, which takes away half of my stress. The rest I manage with yoga and meditation,” shares Chawla, who was one of the youngest lady GMs with the Taj Group, where she worked prior to joining Marriott.

Very few women make it to senior posts in the hospitality industry, so Chawla certainly deserves kudos. . “There are four lady GMs in the 22 Marriott hotels across India, however, this global hotel chain makes sure that 30 per cent of the senior leadership comprises women. And this is one of the industries where female employees are well-respected,” informs Chawla, who is in-charge of Courtyard by Marriott’s day-to-day operations. She also has to see to it that customers, employees and owners are satisfied. Profit and revenue, sales and marketing, HR operations are all part of her job profile. “Along with the entire gamut of hotel and business operations, I am responsible for the decision-making and problem-solving processes as well,” says she.

There are plenty of jobs

Having spent more than 16 years in the hospitality industry, Chawla has seen its growth and newer job opportunities. “The travel and tourism and hospitality industry may have suffered a setback because of the global economic slowdown, but the overall business approach is good. In fact, India and South-East Asia regions are performing well. Also, the hotel industry in India, which was earlier foreigner driven, now has a lot of business from domestic travel. The hospitality industry in India is planning to add 100,000 rooms in the five-year plan period starting from 2012,” she says.

As far as job opportunities go, Chawla says, “In the past, a hotel management graduate, on an average, would take at least 8 years to make it to a senior post. Today, it takes about 5 to 6 years. The younger generation is much more smarter, willing to take risks and has the ability to demand better salaries, which was not the case some years ago. Also, in the past, campus recruitments only offered hotel jobs but now standalone restaurants, the airline industry, BPOs also hire hotel management graduates. In fact, there is a lot of demand for professionals who have good communication skills which is one of the basic requirements for those working in the hospitality industry.”

Growing with the community

For Chawla, the transition from the Taj Group of Hotels to Marrriott has been smooth because both the organisations value people and relationships. Talking about the challenges of her present job, she says that the rural location of Courtyard by Marriott at Chakan makes things a little tough. “Also, getting the right kind of people to work for you is difficult, but we are helping the rural community grow with us. We don’t want to be seen as outsiders. At our hotel, almost 50 per cent of the staff is from the Maharashtra belt including Narayangaon, Nashik, Aurangabad, etc and 12 per cent of the kids (staff) working with us are from the farming community,” she explains.

Chawla cherishes the relationships and bonds that she has built over the years with her staff and co-workers. “As a boss I have to keep a tough exterior, but like all women, I have a high emotional quotient (EQ). My staff still appreciate the values and lessons they have learnt over the years. Some of them still seek my advice,” says she.

Sharing some of her success formula, Chawla says, “You have to be self-initiated and self-motivated, and you must connect with people on a human level. Besides, you must have the right attitude to work. Running a hotel is akin to running a big house, so if the bell boy is missing, you may have to chip in and pull the luggage, or if the service staff is not available, you may have to offer a glass of water to the hotel guest. But nobody minds because there is a lot of dignity of labour in the hotel industry.”

Job perks

Talking about the perks of her job, she says that every single day is different. Besides there’s a lot of glam quotient. “You have to be well-groomed always and put on make-up. It’s a lot of fun. Some days when you are running late, you wish you could leave for work without make-up, but that’s just once in a while,” she says.

Meeting people is also an enriching experience. Chawla has met a lot of rock bands and musicians like Bryan Adams, Deep Purple, Guns N’ Roses and has even collected memorabilia.