The Clarks Hotels and Resorts to expand internationally
The Clarks Hotels and Resorts is at the pinnacle of Indian Hospitality, with an expansive base in India. The brand is now spreading its wings into international markets such as the Maldives and Sri Lanka. In an insightful conversation with TTJ, Rahul Deb Banerjee, Vice President, The Clarks Hotels and Resorts, shares about the brands’ growth strategies, USPs, expansion plans and more.
The Clarks Hotels and Resorts operate hotels in every segment, including luxury, mid-scale and economy. With a presence in almost all the states in diverse locations, they have different offerings, with each of their brands having its own distinction.
As a growing hotel group, The Clarks Hotels and Resorts has an ambitious expansion plan. To expedite the expansion, the group is focusing on operator contracts and franchise models. They have an in-house technical and interior team, and various other capabilities such as design consultancy, sales, and marketing, Human Resource Development and Training, revenue management, etc., to assist partnering hotels. They facilitate in building and managing of the hotel from the first brick to the first guest. Over 15 years, they have grown at a rapid pace, and its goals are of having 150 plus hotels by 2023, with an average key size of 50 rooms and above. They will be targeting the lease, third-party management, revenue share, and brand acquisition models as well.
Like every brand has its ethos, the hotel group is focused on hospitality with an Indian soul. “The Clarks Hotels and Resorts is more than just a name; we have a legacy to live up to. We ensure that all our properties follow the same ethos. We have efficient processes in place. This helps all the properties offer a similar touch of hospitality to our guests. We have strict compliances in place when choosing our partners or signing up properties, as we go for the hotels where we can add value. Another unique aspect of our group is that we are present in all tier cities, providing quality hospitality in the remotest of destinations from North to South,” said Rahul.
‘The Clarks’ is their newly launched ultra-luxury brand, which will be operational in 2023. ‘Clarks Exotica’ are resorts, and they recently launched Exotica in the Maldives. ‘Clarks Safari’ focuses on nature and wildlife and ‘Clarks Inn Suites’ is their lifestyle brand. Clarks Inn is one of the most popular multipurpose hotels in India. They have a total of eight sub-brands. From the services, amenities, and amenities to the size of the rooms and the F&B options, they have tailored the guest experience in each of their brands.
On asked about how they are catching on the domestic travel market, which is growing after the pandemic, Rahul says, “Safety and hygiene are our two key priorities along with technology. As a brand, we believe in delighting our guests, more focus is extended to designing experiential itineraries. We are aggressively building our capacity, and none of our properties is facing a staff crunch. We understand the importance of highly trained staff in elevating the guest’s experience. Secondly, we are building a strong digital infrastructure and investing substantially in digital innovation. Aside from streamlining processes and personalising the guest experience, we have invested in digital analytics; this has helped us in locating opportunities for differentiating our services.”
The hospitality sector is changing at a fast pace. Guests have started looking beyond the rooms. They prefer to select properties based on the amenities and experience. The Clarks Hotels and Resorts have always been synonymous with great food, and now they are specifically developing their F&B brands by adding new offerings and cuisines based on the destinations. They are hiring specialised Chefs, like at Raaj Bhaavan Clarks in Chennai; they have Chefs hired from across the state and especially from the Chettinad region, as the property serves Tamil and Chettinad cuisine.
“We are witnessing a steady growth in experiential tourism. As a group policy for each of our destinations, we are getting destinations specific itineraries designed for the travellers. In Kurukshetra, we have started the Mahabharata trail, where all the important places associated with Mahabharata are showcased to travellers. We have received a phenomenal response to these experiences. Experiential travel will be the mantra for the hospitality sector,” says Rahul.
Presently, The Clarks Hotels and Resorts has 110 hotels in their portfolio, 70 are fully operational and 40 are under development, additionally, they are adding a minimum of four assets per month, July being the highest signings at seven hotels. “We are focusing in a balanced fashion between midscale and upscale hotels now with a larger inventory, for example recently, we have signed 500 room projects in Gujarat, and are firmly establishing our dominance in five stars and four-star segments. Our focus is on metros and international expansion. We have set up one office in Sri Lanka from where we will take care of the Asian market and another office in the Netherlands for entering Western and Eastern Europe,” concludes Rahul.