The next most coveted hospitality destination in India for MICE and business
Located in the heart of India’s Silicon Valley, Hilton Hotels & Resorts and Hilton Garden Inn at the Embassy Manyata Business Park are two iconic hotel brands where innovative design meets unparalleled service. With a perfect backdrop for meetings and events, the 619-key dual-branded Hilton properties along with the 60,000 sq. ft Hilton Convention Centre offer an integrated solution for many corporates as they return to business. While the 353-key Hilton Garden Inn Hotel opened for business in May 1, 2022. The 266-key flagship-brand Hilton and the Convention Centre opened on 1st May 2022. Manish Garg, General Manager- Hilton and Hilton Garden Inn Bengaluru Embassy Manyata Business Park, in this interaction with TTJ, sheds further insight on India’s newest hospitality and MICE address.
With a vast experience in hospitality and currently holding the reins of Hilton and Hilton Garden Inn Bengaluru Embassy Manyata Business Park, what value have you added to the brand? With over two decades in the hospitality industry, I have gained well-rounded experience in the hotel business with demonstrated success and expertise in planning, developing, and directing effective business strategies for pre-opening hotels and revenue streams. I believe with conviction that the Hilton values I live- Integrity, Teamwork, Leadership, and Ownership have helped me contribute to Hilton’s mission of creating heartfelt experiences for guests, meaningful opportunities for team members, high value for owners, and a positive impact in our communities. Having spent close to seven years in Bengaluru, I have cultivated a reliable network of professional and social contacts that help me bring sharp business acumen, reliable market insights, and robust hospitality competencies to my role as General Manager of Hilton and Hilton Garden Inn Bengaluru Embassy Manyata Business Park.
You have been associated with the Hilton Group for a long time. How exciting is it to work with new properties?
I look forward to getting to work every day as it brings new opportunities and challenges too! This is what makes hotel pre-opening especially rewarding. Engaging with multiple stakeholders who bring a variety of viewpoints, bring about consensus, and make decisions collectively that are efficient and sustainable for the business gives me a great sense of achievement and satisfaction. I am fortunate to have a driven and motivated team of subject matter specialists in their respective domains. Working together has helped us achieve the various milestones successfully thus far, as we are inching close to opening one of South India’s largest integrated hotel complexes in the heart of Namma Bengaluru. Hilton Garden Inn Bengaluru has already started on a very successful commercial note, and feedback from guests has been equally rewarding. We now look forward to successfully opening the Hilton Bengaluru Embassy Manyata Business Park and the Hilton Convention Centre, the largest in North Bengaluru.
How do you identify factors that shape your brand’s appeal to the ever-evolving and changing customer needs?
We closely follow our customer voice across channels, including social media. We engage with customers, especially before and during arrival, to ensure we can personalise the stay experience. We also learn from our colleagues around various locations globally to adopt best practices from our hotels across Hilton worldwide. Last but not least, we work with local stakeholders like our corporate partners, MICE organisers, and influencers to
understand evolving market needs and trends, which we then plow back into our experiences. So, it is an ‘always on’ effort. For example, at the Hilton Hotels Embassy Manyata Business Park Bengaluru, we offer integrated Bleisure experiences for customers to experience local and select leisure offerings while on business travel. Across our dual-branded hotels and the vast convention centre that can cater from 2 to 2000 pax seamlessly, we have integrated technology that allows for our guests to carry their plug-and-play lifestyle while traveling too.
How is the Hilton Garden Inn shaping up in terms of bookings and overall business since the opening?
We have had a phenomenal commercial response from guests and bookers alike to the Hilton Garden Inn Bengaluru, which opened in March 2022. We mainly attribute this to our optimal value pricing and friendly, focused service offering. We are proud to share that we have active global event queries for the Hilton Convention Centre too in the pipeline up to 2024. The Hilton Hotels Embassy Manyata Bengaluru offers something for everyone as we can offer an excellent mixed-use product for different price points. So, guests can enjoy the benefit of a full-service complex in the process which is probably the first of its kind in South India.
What are the USPs of the hotels that you manage?
We are one of India’s largest hotel complexes with 619 keys across two Hotel brands: The Hilton and Hilton Garden Inn Bengaluru, five food and beverage outlets and a convention centre spread across nearly 60, 000 square feet housing eighteen versatile venues.
We have the largest twin bedroom inventory in the city with 262 well-appointed twin rooms making it the venue of choice for corporate and leisure events.
With proximity to the airport & easy access to train and metro stations, North Bengaluru now has a great mixed-use hotel complex and convention centre.
A technology-integrated lifestyle is offered in the premise which means customers can carry and use their technology while at the hotel in a plug and play model seamlessly.
An extensive roster of talented and seasoned chefs who have traditional authentic cuisine expertise for leisure events, especially luxe weddings. So, celebrations can be customised to scale.
Have you noticed a demand or pick-up in MICE inquiries and queries in the past few months? If yes, how prepared is your hotel to capture the upcoming demand?
We have a positive outlook. We are seeing a steady trickle in inquiries for both business travel and MICE inquiries, post-February as the OMICRON wave started to recede. Pentup demand for social events is visible as people want to get back to the full-fledged big fat Indian wedding celebrations.
Our proactive commercial team is well entrenched in the market to facilitate inquiries -be it business or leisure events. We also have a strong partner network where service providers like venue stylists, fleet managers, and event planners work with us and execute large-scale events of 1000 guests and above. So, we are genuinely invested in a culture of cooperation and will work closely with local stakeholders to cement North Bengaluru’s position as India’s newest MICE destination.
Tell us about your hotel’s forte in the MICE business regarding infrastructure and facilities?
We are one of South India’s largest integrated hotel complex with close to 60, 000 square feet of convention space. The complex is located within proximity to retail and leisure facilities in North and Central Bengaluru and important commercial business districts. The hotel is conveniently located within a 40-minute drive from the Kempegowda International Airport.
With our dual hotel brands offering direct access to a versatile convention space, guests can enjoy integrated cutting-edge MICE experiences in the heart of North Bengaluru. The hotel complex also offers dynamic pricing options where guests can choose a variety of accommodation options as per the desired pricing and consume all other common offerings available within the premises. The complex is one of its kind, offering seamless scalability for physical and hybrid events powered by best-in-class event technology solutions. This includes an approximate 13,000 square feet pillarless grand ballroom that can accommodate up to 2,000 people and 18 meeting and event spaces. Our culinary brigade only strengthens our offerings further as a MICE destination as we have the talent and seasoned experience of a team of chefs with distinct specialties. We also have the largest twin bed inventory of 262 well-appointed guest rooms in the city, making The Hilton Embassy Manyata Business Park an ideal venue for business and leisure events.
Please throw light on the dynamics of Bengaluru city when it comes to MICE business?
Bengaluru has traditionally been home to a wide range of heavy and light industries and technology and service industries, including information technology (IT) and electronics, telecommunications, aerospace, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, banking and finance, and textiles. Marque events such as the Aero India International airshow have made Bengaluru home over the years. However, Bengaluru has tremendous potential to become a MICE destination in its own right as it has the right mix of connectivity, industry and start-up presence, and key industry bodies like NASSCOM based in the city. It is a great boost to see the Government of Karnataka’s commitment toward the goal by making key provisions in the 2022-23 budget.
Presently, with the international connect, are your hotels focused on the domestic MICE market or the international MICE market for the business?
We are focused on making the Hilton Embassy Manyata Business Park Complex the city’s best MICE address. We can seamlessly engage with our source markets and facilitate queries directly with event organisers for future queries in 2023 and beyond through our above property commercial teams. The domestic MICE market continues to pick the pace and pent-up demand flow, helping us achieve topline as international travel is yet to reach pre-COVID levels. Meanwhile, domestic MICE sentiments reflect a positive outlook and remain a key focus for 2022.
What are your MICE business expectations from India and the international market by the end of 2022?
We expect the uptick to continue for business from India. Also, we are in a position to offer a reliable alternative to destinations like Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Shanghai, as India is open and functioning to near pre-COVID levels for the international source markets. We look forward to facilitating requirements from these markets.
What are the upcoming trends and future outlook for the MICE business that you anticipate in the hospitality industry?
We anticipate that there will be a continued focus on technology and safety to address evolving customer needs such as contactless arrival and real-time communications with guests as they plan their travel. Vaccine travel lanes will become a reality for all travellers and stakeholders in the MICE business hotels will become reliable partners in ensuring vaccine travel lanes are maintained effectively. Especially as global business travel picks pace. Last but a critical trend is the scalability of hybrid events, which provides for flexible event participation and evolving travel advisories in the future. This will also cement the Hub and Spoke event model that has emerged post-pandemic as a preferred MICE model that safeguards against force majeure.