5-star hotels go the Zomato-Swiggy way! Launch home delivery, takeaway services

The global pandemic has led every sector to reinvent their business model and the hospitality industry is no different. Hotels are now exploring newer avenues for business continuity in home delivery and takeaway.

Hilton has partnered with food aggregators Zomato and Swiggy for home delivery of its dishes to customers, via contactless delivery. Hilton has curated a delivery-focussed menu across cities with its popular signature dishes from its restaurants. The prices are also different for the online delivery model.

"We have been doing home delivery on a case to case basis for a while now, but actively started pursuing this opportunity from the 26th of March as we found quickly that the lockdown is going to persist and we needed to find a way to efficiently reach our guests," says Prashant Kulkarni, Food & Beverage Director, Hilton India.

He adds that it is also one of the ways to stay connected with the consumer. "While the actual experience of dining at the hotel cannot be replicated, we can still provide an experience relating the customer to fond memories of dining at the properties".

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Currently, the Hilton properties that are operational for food delivery via Zomato and Swiggy include Conrad Bangalore, Conrad Pune, Hilton Mumbai, Hilton Chennai, Hilton Jaipur, DoubleTree by Hilton Gurgaon, DoubleTree by Hilton Ahmedabad, DoubleTree by Hilton Panaji, Hilton Garden Inn Trivandrum, Hilton Garden Inn Gurgaon, Hilton Garden Inn, Saket (Delhi). More Hilton hotels will begin this service in the near future.    

Indian Hotels Company (IHCL), that owns Taj Group of Hotels started Hospitality@Home services in the month of April. The hotel has curated a set of hampers such as gourmet hamper, bakery and confectionary hamper for take away. Guests can order from a set menu from a host of its restaurants in the city. All these offerings and services are on contact-less takeaway basis only, with guests placing their orders and then picking it up from the hotel.

Currently, six properties are offering this service: Taj Lands End, Mumbai; Taj Palace and Taj Mahal Hotel, Delhi; Taj West End, Bangalore; Taj Coromandel, Chennai; Taj Krishna, Hyderabad and Taj Bengal, Kolkata.

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IHCL spokesperson confirmed that these services will continue post lockdown.

InterContinental Hotels Group also launched home delivery of food options with the initiative 'Food on Wheels' in April this year in select properties.

"With the lockdown in place, most people aren't able to leave their homes. Our patrons at InterContinental Chennai Mahabalipuram include many ex-pat communities who have been finding it difficult to source ingredients, especially because their maids and chauffers have been requested to stay at home, so we felt that home deliveries were the need of the hour and hence InterContinental Chennai Mahabalipuram started, 'Food on Wheels'," said Anand Nair, General Manager, InterContinental Chennai Mahabalipuram.

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IHG hotels that offer 'Food on Wheels' are InterContinental Chennai Mahabalipuram Resort; Crowne Plaza Greater Noida; Holiday Inn Chennai OMR IT Expressway; Crowne Plaza Kochi; Holiday Inn Mayur Vihar; Holiday Inn Amritsar.

ITC Hotels always had takeaway of their F&B offerings, just now they have increased the safety measures around sanitisation, cleaning apart from offering online payment options.

Hilton is taking this further. It says, once lockdown restrictions are eased, Hilton will also offer delivery service for private parties and gatherings to bring the Hilton Experience to customers' homes. "Deliveries under this service will be done by our own staff using Hilton-owned vehicles. Between both these services, we will be able to serve our regular F&B guests who would like us to cater for small events, while also allowing many other guests to try signature Hilton dishes at home, at special delivery prices," says its Food & Beverage Director, Prashant Kulkarni.