The right flavour, finally

Better late than never—that seems to be the mantra of the Canadian hotel chain, Four Seasons, which is readying for the soft opening of its first property in India in central Mumbai. And it’s an effort that had better be worth the time spent—10 years from planning an entry into the Indian market to eventually opening a hotel.

However, Jim FitzGibbon, President, Worldwide Hotel Operations, Four Seasons, doesn’t feel the chain might have missed the bus by its late entry. “It’s unfortunate that a project in Goa failed to take off but I still feel we have entered India at a sweet spot when awareness of luxury brands is gaining momentum,” he observes. Typically, he adds, a Four Seasons hotel takes one year to design and another two to construct.

With an investment of nearly Rs 500 crore, the 202-room, 33-storey hotel—the first of five planned for the next six years in India—is keeping its pricing options open. While FitzGibbon is clear that he would prefer the ARR (average room rate) to be in the region of $400-500, he does concede that it would also depend on the market response. “We are hoping that the hotel can achieve an average occupancy of 70 per cent,” he says. Surprisingly, though, the hotel will only be offering two restaurants—a 200-cover Asian eatery and a 90-cover Italian joint. “We have to be relevant to the market and this is a modern, contemporary hotel where service and product design will be the trump cards,” justifies FitzGibbon.

While Mumbai will be the 76th hotel under the chain’s supervision, FitzGibbon is actively looking at the resorts market, which, he says, is extremely fertile. “Apart from a resort in Kerala we are considering a location in Jaipur,” he informs. For now, however, all energies will be focussed on a property in Gurgaon, which should—hopefully—be up and running in another three years. Bon Chance.

— Tejeesh N. S. Behl