Hospitality & IT-Project Report

P
r
o
j
e
c
t

R
e
p
o
r
t
,

U
n
d
e
r

t
h
e

M
e
n
t
o
r
s
h
i
p

o
f

D
r
.

M
.
L
.
S
i
n
g
l
a

2
0
1
4

H
o
s
p
i
t
a
l
i
t
y

&

I
T

Class of 2015
Group 9
EMBA

Contents
Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 3
Industry History/Status ................................................................................................................................. 4
Global Concepts in Different Cultures .......................................................................................................... 4
Pakhtuns ................................................................................................................................................... 4
Classical ethic world .................................................................................................................................. 4
Celtic cultures............................................................................................................................................ 4
India .......................................................................................................................................................... 4
Latest Trends in Indian Hospitality Sector .................................................................................................... 5
Market Size ............................................................................................................................................... 5
Major developments and Investments ..................................................................................................... 5
Government Initiatives ............................................................................................................................. 5
Road Ahead ............................................................................................................................................... 6
Typical KPA/KPIs of the Industry specific ...................................................................................................... 7
Staff KPI ..................................................................................................................................................... 9
Kitchen Management KPI .......................................................................................................................... 9
Front House Management KPI ................................................................................................................ 10
Banquet Sales Management KPI ............................................................................................................. 11
Finance & Admin Management KPI ........................................................................................................ 11
"Best-in-class" organization and IT ............................................................................................................. 12
CRM Used in Taj Group of Hotels ........................................................................................................... 14
Guest Preference Sheet .......................................................................................................................... 14
Handling Complaints/ Grievances ........................................................................................................... 14
Fidelio ...................................................................................................................................................... 14
WoW Card ............................................................................................................................................... 15
GRE Courtesy Call .................................................................................................................................... 15
Guest Satisfaction Tracking System ........................................................................................................ 15
Customer Loyalty Programs .................................................................................................................... 16
Program for Employees .......................................................................................................................... 16
Information System in Taj Hotels ............................................................................................................ 16
Seranta Intraware ............................................................................................................................... 16
An Organization in the Industry .................................................................................................................. 17
Taj ........................................................................................................................................................ 17
Taj Exotica ........................................................................................................................................... 17
Taj Safaris ............................................................................................................................................ 17
Vivanta by Taj Hotels & Resorts .......................................................................................................... 17
The Gateway Hotel.............................................................................................................................. 18
Ginger .................................................................................................................................................. 18
IT for Competitive Advantage ..................................................................................................................... 20
Leveraging Social Media in Organization .................................................................................................... 22
Strategic Use of IT & Conclusion ................................................................................................................. 23


Introduction

The hospitality industry is a broad category of fields within the service industry that includes lodging,
restaurants, event planning, theme parks, transportation, cruise line, and additional fields within the
tourism industry. The hospitality industry is a several billion dollar industry that mostly depends on the
availability of leisure time and disposable income. A hospitality unit such as a restaurant, hotel, or even
an amusement park consists of multiple groups such as facility maintenance, direct operations (servers,
housekeepers, porters, kitchen workers, bartenders, etc.), management, marketing, and human
resources.

• Hospitality is the relationship between the guest and the host, or the act or practice of being
hospitable. This includes the reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers.
• Latin Word hospes – “host”, "guest", or "stranger“
• In West today hospitality is rarely a matter of protection and survival, and is more associated
with etiquette and entertainment
• The Indian tourism and hospitality industry has emerged as one of the key industries driving
growth of the services sector in India. Tourism in India has registered significant growth in the
recent years and the country has tremendous potential to become a major global tourist
destination.
• Indian tourism industry is thriving due to an increase in foreign tourist arrivals and greater
number of Indians travelling to domestic destinations than before. In the past few years the real
growth has come from within the domestic sector as around 30 million Indians travel within the
country in a year. Strong growth in per capita income, rising young population coupled with
changing lifestyles are leading to greater expenditure on leisure services.
• Hotels are an important component of the tourism product. They contribute in the overall
tourism experience through the standards of facilities and services offered by them. The
fortunes of the hospitality industry have always been linked to the prospects of the tourism
industry and tourism is the foremost demand driver of the industry.
• Travel & tourism’s contribution to capital investment is projected to grow at 6.5 per cent per
annum during 2013-2023, above the global average of five per cent. The tourism policy of
Government of India aims at speedy implementation of tourism projects, development of
integrated tourism circuits, special capacity building in the hospitality sector and new marketing
strategies.

Industry History/Status
• Ancient Greece: guest rights were an established set of conventions that were accepted
amongst the different cultures in the Greek world
• Ancient Rome: Roman businessmen travelled; Romans were some of the first known to travel
for pleasureϖ Middle Ages: Others provided safety, shelter and food to travelers. As the use of
coaches for travelling took hold, travelling became more popular
• Inns were typically in private homes and nobles stayed in monastaries
• The New World: As people settled the New World, they brought their own terms for eating and
resting places (Inns, Taverns)
• The “French Revolution”
Escoffier and the brigade system
Boulanger: The Father of Modern Restaurant
Sold a soup called ‘restorantes,’ or ‘restore the body’
• Savoy Hotel opened with Cesar Ritz as the General Manager
• Delmonico’s Steak House opens in NYC
• Travel boomed after WWII
• Cross –continental travel / Trans-Atlantic flights
• Eisenhower Interstate System
• 1960’s and Beyond: Mass tourism, package travel, growth in chain restaurants and hotels
Global Concepts in Different Cultures
Pakhtuns
• The Pakhtun people of South-Central Asia, predominant in the all provinces of
Afghanistan have a strong code of hospitality. The general area of Pakhtunistan is also
nicknamed The Land of Hospitality.
Classical ethic world
• To the ancient Greeks, hospitality was a divine right. The host was expected to make
sure the needs of his guests were seen to. In Greek society a person's ability to abide
the laws to hospitality determined nobility and social standing.
Celtic cultures
• Celtic societies valued the concept of hospitality, especially in terms of protection.
India
• In India hospitality is based on the principle अतथ दे वो भव , meaning "the guest is
God".

Latest Trends in Indian Hospitality Sector
Market Size
• The total market size of Indian tourism and hospitality sector stood at US$ 117.7 billion and is
expected to touch US$ 418.9 billion by 2022.
• The foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows in hotel and tourism sector during April 2000 to July
2013 stood at US$ 6,754.49 million, as per the data released by Department of Industrial Policy
and Promotion (DIPP).
• Foreign tourist arrivals (FTA) during the Month of August 2013 stood at 4.74 lakh as compared
to FTAs of 4.46 lakh during August 2012, registering a growth of 6.4 per cent.
• Foreign exchange earnings (FEE) during the month of August 2013 were US$1.294 billion as
compared to FEEs of US$1.306 billion during August 2012 and US$ 1.264 billion in August 2011.
• The number of tourists availing of the tourist Visa on Arrival (VOA) Scheme during January to
August, 2013 have recorded a growth of 29.4 percent. During the period, a total number of
12,176 VOAs have been issued as compared to 9,412 VOAs during the corresponding period of
2012.
Major developments and Investments
• India is expected to receive nearly half a million medical tourists by 2015, implying an annual
growth of 30 per cent. The country has received 43.06 lakh foreign tourists during the period
January-August 2013. India is perceived as one of the fastest growing medical tourism
destination. The number of medical tourists coming to India has registered a growth of 40 per
cent in the past six months. The inflow of medical tourists is expected to cross 45 lakh by 2015
from the current level of 25 lakh.
• The Taj Group has launched The Gateway Hotel IT Expressway Chennai, its first hotel in the city
under the Gateway Hotels & Resorts brand.
• Marriott International has launched its business hotel brand Courtyard by Marriott at the
industrial and auto hub of Chakan near Pune in Maharashtra.
• ITC Hotels has tied up with Bahrain-based India-born billionaire Mr Ravi Pillai to manage five of
its hotels under the Welcom Hotel and Fortune brands in India and Dubai.
• Ecole hoteliere de Lausanne has opened a 67,000 square feet campus in India to tap into the
growing demand for skilled hospitality professionals in the country. Located in the newly
developed Lavasa Township near Pune, Ecole Hoteliere Lavasa will offer a four-year programme.
Government Initiatives
• The Government has allowed 100 per cent FDI under the automatic route in the hotel and
tourism related industry, according to the Consolidated FDI Policy, released by DIPP, Ministry of
Commerce and Industry, Government of India.
• The Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, has signed bilateral agreements/ memoranda of
understanding (MoU) with 47 countries, a tripartite agreement between India, Brazil and South
Africa and a multilateral agreement between India and Member States of Association of South
East Asian Nations (ASEAN) for cooperation in the tourism sector.
• The Ministry of Tourism as part of its promotional activities releases campaigns in the
international and domestic markets under the Incredible India brand-line, to promote various
tourism destinations and products of India. The budget allocated for the Domestic Promotion &
Publicity and Overseas Promotion & Publicity including Marketing Development stood at Rs 110
crore (US$ 17.73 million) and Rs 350 crore (US$ 56.41 million) for the FY 2013-14.
• The ministry has set up a Hospitality Development and Promotion Board, which will monitor and
facilitate hotel project approvals. The allocation for Ministry of Tourism in the Union Budget
2013-14 has been increased by Rs 87.66 crore (US$ 14.13 million) to Rs 1,297.66 crore (US$
209.30 million).
• In a major boast to the North-East tourism sector, Mr K Chiranjeevi, Union Minister for Tourism,
Government of India, has approved Central Finance Assistance (CFA) to various tourism
development projects in the states of Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim and Nagaland. The Ministry has
approved CFA of Rs 25.04 crore (US$ 4.03 million) for the ongoing tourism mega circuit projects
at Tirupati and Kadapa district in Andhra Pradesh.
• The Government has proposed to set up the Central Institute of Hotel Management (IHM),
Catering Technology and Applied Nutrition in the country. The IHM will be set up at Jagdishpur,
Uttar Pradesh.
• The Ministry of Tourism has undertaken joint development of tourist amenities at Amritsar and
Rai Bareilli, Trivandrum, Gaya and Agra Cantt Railway Stations in association with Ministry of
Railways. CFA of Rs 10.28 crores (US$ 1.65 million), Rs 5.98 crore (US$ 964,453.42), Rs 5.18
crore (US$ 835,413.19) and Rs 5.05 crore (US$ 814,141.59) has been provided by the Ministry
for the same.
Road Ahead
• The tourism, travel and hospitality industry in India is poised for unprecedented growth in the
coming years. With world tourist arrivals expected to increase by 43 million every year on an
average from 2010 to 2030 and FTAs in emerging countries is expected to grow faster than in
advanced economies, a goldmine of opportunity in tourism is waiting for India. The industry is
likely to become more competitive due to the entry of additional international flight operators,
which would offer improved services to tourists.
• Cruise shipping is one of the most dynamic and fastest growing components of the global leisure
industry. India with a vast and beautiful coastline, virgin forests, and undisturbed idyllic islands
can be a fabulous tourist destination for cruise tourists.
• The Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, has consistently been working on improving India
as a prime destination for tourists. It further aims at promoting various Indian tourism products
vis-à-vis competition faced from various destinations and to increase India's share of the global
tourism market.

Typical KPA/KPIs of the Industry specific

• Type of performance measurement
• Provide timely management information
• Used to evaluate success
• Ratios based on key drivers
• Primary KPIs
– Avg Room Rate
– Gross Profit Ratio
– Labour Cost Ratio
– Net Profit Ratio

Receptio
n
House-
Keeping
Mainten
ance
Kitchen
Restaura
nt
Sales



Staff KPI
Kitchen Management KPI
Front House Management
KPI
Bar & Restaurant
Management KPI
Banquet Sales
Management KPI
Finance & Admin
Management KPI
Staff KPI

Kitchen Management KPI


• Wage costs as a percentage of sales Wage Cost %
• Wage Cost + Insurance, retirement and
superannuation charges and other taxes
Total Labor Cost %
• How many hours worked in each section Total Labor Hours
• Hotels usually charge-out service staff at a markup
on the cost of the wages paid. Are you achieving a
consistent mark-up?
Event Labor charge-out
• Number of new staff in any one week or month Labor Turnover
• Another way to look at your success in keeping
staff
Average length of Employment
• Divide the total payroll by the number of hours
worked by all staff
Average Hourly Pay
•Measured by adding up food purchases for the week
and measuring them against your food sales
Food Cost %
•How much was total food bill? Total Food Costs
•See every week how much it costs to feed an average
customer
Food Costs per head
•Measure kitchen productivity by comparing kitchen
labour against food sales
Kitchen Labour %
•How many hours worked in this section? Compare
against sales to measure productivity
Kitchen Labour hours
•Food stock holding-It should be less than a week’s use,
but can slip out if you are storing frozen food
Stock value
•Weekly sales from POS or dockets & know the best
sellers and map these on the Menu Profitability
Main selling items
•Cost of uniforms, aprons & tea-towels can be a shock!
How many tea-towels are being used each day?
Kitchen linen costs
Front House Management KPI

Bar & Restaurant Management KPI


•Total sales divided by number of customers. This may vary
between different times of the day
Total Sales Per Head
•A good measure of popularity Number of Customers
•How much your menu appeals to your customers & how well
your staff are selling.
Food, Dessert, Beverage Sales per
head
•How well are tables being turned over while still offering high
quality customer service
Seating Efficiency
•How many items do lunch customers buy? What else do
morning coffee drinkers order? Grab a pile of dockets and look
for ordering patterns
Basket Analysis
•Uniforms, aprons etc. Linen costs
•Feedback forms, complaints and other methods that are hard
to quantify sometimes but worth making an attempt.
Customer Satisfaction
•If 500 people came to hotel last night & only 100 ate at the
bistro, your ’strike rate’ would be 1 in 5, or 20%
Strike Rate
•Take the total number of ’seat hours’ and divide total revenue
for a period by this number
RevPASH Revenue per Available
Seat Hour
•How much your beverage and wine appeals to your customers and
how well your staff are selling
Sales per head
•Difference between what you sold and what it cost you. The sales mix
can influence this heavily
Gross Profit on sales
•Useful to see if your sales are holding steady, although ultimately the
actual Gross Profit (real money) will matter the most
Average Profit % on sales
•It’s worth checking with your suppliers and seeing how much you can
order ‘just in time’
Stock value
•How fast is your cellar stock selling? Stock turnover
•What is the cost of financing the stock? Carrying cost of stock
•Alcohol is security problem, & keeping an eye on ’shrinkage’, staff
drinks and stealing a constant problem
Sales / stock-take discrepancies
Banquet Sales Management KPI

Finance & Admin Management KPI


•A good measure of popularity. Number of Customers
•They provide a huge proportion of your sales! Track
their frequency and spending – these people are gold!
Visits by your top 100 or 200 customers
•Across all areas Sales per Head
•Total value of spend, always trying to measure it against
response
Marketing and Advertising Costs
•How many people responded to different campaigns
and what effect did this have on profit?
Response Rates
•Keeping your eyes open for favourable mentions Press Mentions
•In the current week and month and coming up. Also in
peak times, eg Christmas.
Bookings
•No. of inquiries that turn into actual sales Sales Inquiry Conversion Rate
•How much do you have available after reconciling your
cheque book?
Cash position at Bank
•Measure of efficiency of each department, but also of
administrative systems in place
Stock-take Discrepancies
•How much do you owe? Total Accounts Due
•Needs careful management if you have accounts, eg
large restaurants
Total Accounts Payable
•Profit business makes can be measured as a percentage
return on the amount invested in it
Return on Investment
•To know how much is owed at any one time so it is not
’spent’
Taxes Owed
•Actual figures compared to what budgeted for a period Sales & Costs
•Strong and skilful administrative support will be
essential to manage the KPIs listed above!
Administration Labor Costs
•How much down-time for IT systems? How accurate is
the POS system?
IT Efficiency
"Best-in-class" organization and IT

Taj Group of Hotels is no doubt best in class. With a Market Cap of 4614 Crore INR and Net Sales
of INR 1808 Crores & Net Profit of INR 145 Crore, it stands apart from its competitors as shown below.
The main competitors are EIH or East India Hotels with their flagship brand as Oberoi, ITC Group
of Hotels, The Leela and Le Meridian.




CRM Used in Taj Group of Hotels
Guest Preference Sheet
• At the time of the reservation a preference sheet is sent across to the guest along with the
reservation conformation mail
• This is primarily to capture the various preferences of the customer such as food habits
(Diabetic/ Low fat etc.), special needs etc. It also asks if the customer is coming on a special
occasion or not and arrangements are made accordingly made on the visit
• e.g. If the guest is coming on a honeymoon or anniversary the room is decorated accordingly,
cake is placed in the room etc.
Handling Complaints/ Grievances
• This is another important tool in improving the service of the hotel and to capture guest
complaints. If a complaint is registered by a customer it is updated on the software.
• Gradually as the time lapses the status displayed turn from green to yellow and ultimately red.
This status can be seen by any of the managers as the software is connected to the central
server. A daily Action Taken Report is generated which is signed by the operational head.
Fidelio
• PMS - Fidelio
• Used for saving the profile, preferences and special information (Anniversary, Birthday, allergies
etc.) related to the guest on a central server.
• Information accessible to all the Taj properties; therefore, whenever there is a repeat customer
the hotel staff already has all the necessary information enabling them to delight the customer
by personalized service.

WoW Card
• Special instrument used by personal butlers for recording guest preferences & other important
information related to the guest.
• This is a small booklet which is carried by the staff at all times and whenever they get any
information which can be useful in the future to please the customer, they simple record it here.
• This information is further uploaded on the PMS making it accessible to all
GRE Courtesy Call
• Once the guest is in the hotel and stayed for some-time (a day or two) a courtesy call is made by
the guest relationship executive during the evening hours.
• This is just to know about the guest’s experience and how can it be improved in case there is
some difficulty being faced by him/her.
• In case there is a complaint it is uploaded on the CRM software and further processes are
followed as mentioned above.
Guest Satisfaction Tracking System
• Post departure an automated mail from the central server is sent to the guest requesting to fill
up a feedback form. There are various heads covering the various stations of experiences which
are scored on a Likert Scale.
• This information is quantified to highlight the areas of concern. This score is also used as a
measure of performance of a hotel unit.







Customer Loyalty Programs
• Taj Inner Circle
• Taj Epicure Plan
• Benefits That Customers Enjoy As A Silver & Gold Member
– Customers will be greeted with flowers & fruits in their room
– Check-in & departure formalities will be easier, faster & flexible
– Receive special discount on rooms at Taj leisure hotels
– Avail of double occupancy at no extra cost
– Entitled to a priority wait-list
• Points Redemption
• Taj Club
Program for Employees
• Employee loyalty program called STARS, the 'Special Thanks and Recognition System‘ - was an
initiative aimed at motivating employees through acknowledgements and rewards.
• The STAR system also led to global recognition when the group bagged the 'Hermes Award' for
'Best Innovation in Human Resources' in the global hospitality industry.
• Taj Group developed the 'Taj People Philosophy' (TPP) which helped the company boost the
morale of its employees and improve service standards
Information System in Taj Hotels
Seranta Intraware
• Connects all 75 hotel of Taj and have centralized software
• The scenario or the problem
– Problem of fragmented distributed information
– Problem of delicacy and missing of data
– Scalability Issues: incorporating new hotels in the chain involved consuming and time
processing process


An Organization in the Industry

The Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL) and its subsidiaries are collectively known as Taj
Hotels Resorts and Palaces and is recognised as one of Asia's largest and finest hotel company.
Incorporated by the founder of the Tata Group, Mr. Jamsetji N. Tata, the company opened its first
property, The Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, Bombay in 1903. The Taj, a symbol of Indian hospitality,
completed its centenary year in 2003.
Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces comprises 93 hotels in 55 locations across India with an additional 16
international hotels in the Maldives, Malaysia, Australia, UK, USA, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Africa and the
Middle East.
Spanning the length and breadth of the country, gracing important industrial towns and cities, beaches,
hill stations, historical and pilgrim centres and wildlife destinations, each Taj hotel offers the luxury of
service, the apogee of Indian hospitality, vantage locations, modern amenities and business facilities.
IHCL operate in the luxury, premium, mid-market and value segments of the market through the
following:
Taj (luxury full-service hotels, resorts and palaces) is the flagship brand for the world's most discerning
travelers seeking authentic experiences given that luxury is a way of life to which they are accustomed.
Spanning world-renowned landmarks, modern business hotels, idyllic beach resorts, authentic Rajput
palaces and rustic safari lodges, each Taj hotel reinterprets the tradition of hospitality in a refreshingly
modern way to create unique experiences and lifelong memories.
Taj also encompasses a unique set of iconic properties rooted in history and tradition that deliver truly
unforgettable experiences. A collection of outstanding properties with strong heritage as hotels or
palaces which offer something more than great physical product and exceptional service. This group is
defined by the emotional and unique equity of its iconic properties that are authentic, non- replicable
with great potential to create memories and stories.
Taj Exotica is the resort and spa brand found in the most exotic and relaxing locales of the world. The
properties are defined by the privacy and intimacy they provide. The hotels are clearly differentiated by
their product philosophy and service design. They are centered around high end accommodation,
intimacy and an environment that allows its guest unrivalled comfort and privacy. They are defined by a
sensibility of intimate design and by their varied and eclectic culinary experiences, impeccable service
and authentic Indian Spa sanctuaries.
Taj Safaris are wildlife lodges that allow travelers to experience the unparalleled beauty of the Indian
jungle amidst luxurious surroundings. They offer India's first and only wildlife luxury lodge circuit. Taj
Safaris provide guests with the ultimate, interpretive, wild life experience based on a proven sustainable
ecotourism model.
Vivanta by Taj Hotels & Resorts span options for the work-hard-play-hard traveller across metropolitan
cities, other commercially important centres as well as some of the best-loved vacation spots. Stylish &
sophisticated, Vivanta by Taj delivers premium hotel experiences with imagination, energy & efficiency.
It's the flavour of contemporary luxury, laced with cool informality and the charming Taj hospitality.
Created for the cosmopolitan global traveller and bon vivant, Vivanta by Taj Hotels & Resorts create
experiences that will amuse, invigorate & inspire you. Vivanta revels in a spirit that presents the normal
with an unexpected twist. Experiences which make you pause & appreciate the hidden beauty in life! It
challenges your expectations of a hotel and unfolds multiple layers of delight. Innovative cuisine
concepts, the smart use of technology & the challenge to constantly engage, energize and relax you all
add up to make Vivanta by Taj the new signature in hospitality.
The Gateway Hotel (upscale/mid-market full service hotels and resorts) is a pan-India network of hotels
and resorts that offers business and leisure travelers a hotel designed, keeping the modern nomad in
mind. At the Gateway Hotel, they believe in keeping things simple. That is why, the hotels are divided
into 7 simple zones- Stay, Hangout, Meet, Work, Workout, Unwind and Explore.
As travel often means more hassle than harmony, more stress than satisfaction, modern travelers are
looking for smarter choices. Driven by the passion for perfection, they welcome the customers to a
refreshingly enjoyable and hassle-free experience, anytime, everywhere. Offering the highest
consistency in quality, service and style they set new standards and take the unwanted surprises out of
traveling. The warm welcomes make the guests feel at home, away from home and the crisp and
courteous service empowers them to get more done with greater effectiveness and control. And
through the unrivalled network they provide service that is effortless, simple, never overwhelming,
always warm.
Ginger (economy hotels) is IHCL's revolutionary concept in hospitality for the value segment. Intelligently
designed facilities, consistency and affordability are hallmarks of this brand targeted at travelers who
value simplicity and self-service.
Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces is committed to replicate its domestic success onto international shores
with plans to build an international network of luxury hotels, which will provide an exemplary product-
service combination and in the process create a global brand. The current international portfolio
includes luxury resorts in the Indian Ocean, business and resort destinations in the Middle East and
Africa, serviced apartments in the UK, the first hotel in Australia and three a top-end luxury hotels in the
US.
Throughout the Company's expansion, its mandate has been twofold: to infuse a sense of Indian
heritage and culture within each diverse property, while also anticipating the needs and desires of the
sophisticated traveller. Over the years, the Taj has won international acclaim for its quality hotels and its
excellence in business facilities, services, cuisine and interiors.
The Taj strengthened its presence in the Indian Ocean rim with the Exotica Brand. The Taj Exotica was
evolved as part of Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces intent to position it as a brand that is clearly
differentiated by its product philosophy and service design. The Taj Exotica Resort and Spa, in Maldives
is centered on high-end accommodation, intimacy and an environment that allows its guest's unrivalled
comfort and privacy.
Taj Hotels further expanded its global footprint by securing management contracts at Palm Island,
Jumeirah in Dubai, Saraya Islands in Ras Al Khaimah, Aldar Group in Abu Dhabi, UAE Langkawi in
Malaysia and Thimpu in Bhutan. The most significant additions to the portfolio have been The Pierre,
the iconic landmark hotel on New York's Fifth Avenue, Taj Boston and Blue, Sydney.
The presence of Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces internationally has been developed through a network of
Taj regional sales and PR offices in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Dubai, Singapore,
Australia, Japan, Russia and the United States of America.
At the Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces luxurious living and fine dining find common ground. Whether it is
introducing exotic world cuisines to India or taking authentic Indian fare to the world, the Taj Hotels
Resorts and Palaces is renowned for the eclectic culinary experiences it brings to its guests. Through a
vast repertoire of award-winning restaurants, legendary recipes from royal kitchens and celebrated food
festivals, the Taj has pioneered innovation in fine dining across the world.
Taj Hotels also promise a whole new experience of tranquillity and total 'wellness', through Jiva Spas a
unique concept, which brings together the wisdom and heritage of the Asian and Indian Philosophy of
Wellness and Well-being. Rooted in ancient Indian healing knowledge, Jiva Spas derive inspiration and
spirit from the holistic concept of living. There is a rich basket of fresh and unique experiences under the
Jiva Spa umbrella of offering, Yoga and Meditation, mastered and disseminated by accomplished
practitioners, authentic Ayurveda, and unique Taj signature treatments. Royal traditions of wellness in
service experiences, holistic treatments involving body therapies, enlivening and meaningful rituals and
ceremonies and unique natural products blended by hand, come together to offer a truly calming
experience.
IHCL operates Taj Air, a luxury private jet operation with state-of-the-art Falcon 2000 aircrafts designed
by Dassault Aviation, France; and Taj Yachts, two 3-bedroom luxury yachts which can be used by guests
in Mumbai and Kochi, in Kerala.
IHCL also operates Taj SATS Air Catering Ltd., the largest airline catering service in South Asia, as a joint
venture with SATS (formerly known as Singapore Airport Terminal Services).
Additionally, it operates the Indian Institute of Hotel Management, Aurangabad since 1993. The
institute offers a Four-year diploma, designed with the help of international faculty and has affiliations
with several American and European programmes.

IT for Competitive Advantage

Taj Group of hotels has used IT for a competitive advantage and has their presence all over the
world wide web including integration with the GDS – Global Distribution System as well.
They have their systems well integrated with their own set of hotels as well and the below snapshots
shows how they have been able to leverage IT for their reservation systems.


Exhibit – Employee Tracking System

Exhibit- Online Reservation System


Exhibit – World Wide Web Presence
Leveraging Social Media in Organization
Taj Group of hotels has not left itself behind in the social media race as well and has marked its presence
on various social media sites including
1. Facebook
2. Twitter
3. Travel Blogs
4. Listing on top in Trip Advisor




Strategic Use of IT & Conclusion
Taj Group of Hotels has made the strategic use of IT and was one of the pioneers in implementing IT in
their organization and take a competitive advantage. It has been their constant endeavor to provide the
world class services to its customers worldwide. While Managing their backend operational system
through IT to keeping their front end system well ahead of their competitors, Taj Group of hotels have
utilized the Porter’s five forces beautifully. With a well thought leadership in place they have made sure
to keep the zeal alive to be the best.
We would like to highlight the contribution of the following members in preparing this report and
working on the various aspects of the project and collaborate.
1. S-77 Sanjeev Hans
2. S-78 Saurabh Jain
3. S-79 Shikhar Singh
4. S-80 Sunil Kumar Vaddi Raju
5. S-81 Dr. Suresh Chhabra
6. S-83 Syed Abbas
7. S-84 Tejinder Singh
8. S-85 Vikas Yadav
9. S-86 Vinay Singh
10. S-87 Vineet Nagia