Insider Stories

In a continued effort to achieve industry benchmark standards for quality tourism in Goa, Mr. Vincent Ramos, Senior Vice President – Goa of the Indian Hotels Company (IHCL) is empanelled as member of the Empowered Committees for the Goa Tourism Board, an apex body for planning, policy making, strategizing and overseeing the implementation of various tourism programs and initiatives in the state. In his new role, Mr. Ramos will contribute towards the various Land and Infrastructure development programs and initiatives in Goa.Spearheading the largest hospitality operator in the state, Mr. Ramos brings with him exceptional leadership skills and a multitude of management experience from within the tourism industry. Hailing from the beautiful island of Chorão in Goa and being son of the soil, he has been actively involved with the local state authorities to enhance tourism in Goa as Mentor for the Goa Chamber of Commerce & Industry (GCCI) Committee – Tourism vertical and asan Executive Member of the Managing Committee of Travel & Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG) as well as the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Goa.Speaking on the appointment, Mr. Ramos said, “Goa has immense potential to position itself as the world’s best travel destination. With a combined and unified effort of all the partners and stakeholders in the industry, I am certain that Goa can achieve exemplary standards in tourism. It is an honour to be in service of the state and we look forward to empowering the State Government with all the required support and achieving our common goal of repositioning Goa as a world-class leader in tourism.”Since inception, IHCL has always been synonymous with Goa, having inclusion and business responsibility embedded in its DNA. Thus, constantly striving for the local communities to share in the benefits of its presence with maximizedlocal employment and generating new avenues for business opportunities with a collaborative approach towards helping improve the quality of life and giving back to the community. IHCL comprises of a group of brands and businesses that offer a fusion of warm Indian hospitality and remarkable service including Taj, SeleQtions, Vivanta, Ginger, amã Stays & Trails, Qmin and TajSATS.With a footprint of 21 unique destinations in the state and over 1500 rooms across the length and breadth of the state, IHCL continues to define the changing landscape of tourism in Goa as the largest hospitality operator andleader in the tourism sector.About The Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL)The Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL) and its subsidiaries bring together a group of brands and businesses that offer a fusion of warm Indian hospitality and world-class service. These include Taj – the iconic brand for the mostdiscerning travellers and the World’s Strongest Hotel Brand and India’s Strongest Hospitality Brand as per Brand Finance 2021, SeleQtions, a named collection of hotels, Vivanta, sophisticated upscale hotels, and Ginger, which isrevolutionising the lean luxe segment.Incorporated by the founder of the Tata Group, Jamsetji Tata, the Company opened its first hotel - The Taj Mahal Palace, in Bombay in 1903. IHCL has a portfolio of 236 hotels including 60 under development globally across 4continents, 11 countries and in over 100 locations. The Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL) is India’s largest hospitality company by market capitalization. It is primarily listed on the BSE and NSE.

With a strong belief and passion in talent development, The Lux Collective’s well-loved resort LUX* South Ari Atoll announces its recent internal promotions and names the key players in Culinary and Food & Beverage teams.

Shantla is an experienced professional with 10+ years in the field of hospitality and marketing. Over the years she has gained valuable expertise during her journey across a number of reputed international hotel chains like Hyatt, Accor, Hilton and IHCL which has added to her existing professional accolades. Prior to joining Conrad, she was spearheading Marketing Communications and PR as a Cluster Director for IHCL (Taj) Hotels in Hyderabad. She focused on aligning marketing strategies for their Hyderabad hotels and improved the brand presence with various activations and alliances. Having pursued her MBA in Marketing and HR, Shantla comes with an in-depth knowledge encompassing marketing communications strategies, digital and social media marketing, and PR and media management. In her new role at Conrad Bengaluru, Shantla will oversee the development and implementation of comprehensive marketing campaigns, establishing brand associations, and managing media and PR activations. On her appointment, Shantla said, “I am elated to join the dynamic team at Conrad Bengaluru and be a part of this iconic property. In my new role I seek to create engaging conversations with our guests and build a strong presence in the luxury space while maintaining the brand integrity and strategically positioning the hotel as preferred destination for exceptional and inspiring experiences.”

Sahara Hospitality Ltd announces the promotion of Ms. Ash Sharma as the Hotel Manager of Hotel Sahara Star from her most recent position as the Rooms Divisions Manager. This is an essential change keeping in mind the continuous developments at the hotel. With over 24 years of experience within the Sahara Group, Ms. Ash Sharma is a skilled hospitality professional. She joined Hotel Sahara Star, as an Assistant Front Office Manager in 2007 and progressed to become the Front Office Manager in 2009. Over the course of her tenure at Hotel Sahara Star, she continued to grow and develop in her career. She went on to be a part of the management team in 2019 as the Rooms Division Manager. “I am delighted to have been given the opportunity to become the Hotel Manager of this wonderful property. With this new responsibility, I am looking forward to the hotel’s innovative plans to further enhance our guests experiences by delivering exceptional luxury paired with courteous and intuitive service.” - speaks Ash Sharma on her appointment. “We are glad to announce this internal promotion as we seek to further strengthen the core team of Sahara star in lieu of the hospitality and tourism sector bouncing back post the difficult times. Going forward we will be fully focused on improving our brand standards with a key focus on increasing our room inventory and bringing together a host of many new amenities including our newly launched World Club membership, Jean-Claude Biguine Salon and a state-of-the-art 7500 Sq. ft gymnasium." - comments Mr. Manish Sodhi, CEO, Hotel Sahara Hospitality Ash would be responsible for overseeing all aspects of day to day activities and functioning of the hotel while striving to further enhance service quality and brand value in future , continuing to offer guests with memorable experiences.

Originally from Indonesia, Maya Damayanti lives and breathes her life as a health practitioner, valuing the importance of balancing body, mind, and soul, with a key focus on self-love and healing. She brings over 15 years of experience to Siyam World from her time working to develop spa brands and train staff at global luxury hotel and resort groups across Bali, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, India, and the Middle East. Damayanti was awarded ‘Best Spa Manager 2016’ by the Indonesian Spa Professional Association (IndSpa), the Indonesian Wellness Master Association (WMA) and Wellness & Healthcare Entrepreneur Association (WHEA). With her result-focused, innovative approach, and eye for detail, Maya will lead the Veyo Spa team, oversee all spa operations, and be responsible for the development of spa marketing initiatives, treatment offerings, and promotional activities to eventually expand spa revenues.

Originally from Mauritius, Sindy delved into the hospitality industry as a secretary, and her fascination with the abundance of cultures she was exposed to led to a long career in the industry. Sindy is responsible for managing daily aspects of the Spa and Wellness of LUX* South Ari Atoll, ensuring excellence in spa operations and guest service.“With over 15 years of experience in the luxury resorts in Mauritius and Maldives, I have enjoyed the journey at every level and still have loads of passion and determination for what I do. In LUX* South Ari Atoll, we know that wellness aspect of travel is as important as accommodation and food service and we have created a sanctuary for health and wellbeing here. Our LUX* Me concept is all about a personalised approach to everything: be it a customised spa tretament, a personal training session, yoga, meditation, nutrition or a unique combination of everything. We offer individual consultations and tailored programmes to help you jump-start a guest’s wellness routine.After pandemic times, we see a lot of interest in holistic wellness. Guests are eager not only to relax during a massage but also uplift their spirit with a variety of invigorating practices. Our exclusive all-round packages RELAX, REBOOT, REJUVENATE, and RE-ENERGISE each offer a wonderful mix of treatments and training sessions, curated to target specific concerns of every guest.Another amazing example of complex approach is our famous Collectable Experiences. From “Eat, Sleep. Repeat” to “Digital Detox”, they all offer an exciting wellbeing journey, making one’s stay at LUX* South Ari Atoll truly unique and memorable. Both wellness packages and Collectable Experiences can be pre-booked prior to the guest’s arrival on at the property. And we are happy to help with picking the one ideally matching individual travel goals.” Photo credits: Sindy Lagare

JOALI BEING is the first and only nature immersive wellbeing island retreat of its kind in the Maldives. With 68 villas, each with its own butler or “Jadugar”, the island aims to create wellbeing experiences tailored to individual lifestyles and goals and the man tasked to deliver this concept is the General Manager Ozgur Cengiz.  No stranger to the JOALI brand, he has been in post since February, however, he was the resort director of JOALI Maldives and resort manager before that since 2016. Prior to this, he was director of Spa in charge of wellness at One and Only Reethi Rah. Before landing in the Maldives, he took on wellness roles and led pre-opening processes at Jumeirah and Ritz Carlton abroad and in his native Turkey. Ozgur holds a diploma from Marmara University in Turkey with a Bachelor degree in Physical Education and Sports Academy, and his passion to wellbeing also made him chosen as a Global Wellness Day Ambassador for the Maldives. As JOALI BEING gets closer to its launch later this year, he looks forward to utilising his vast background at the world’s top immersive retreats.