Part of the pre-opening team of 13 hotels, general manager Vikram Singh Chauhan added one more to the kitty with The Westin Kolkata Rajarhat in October 2017. The 32-storey tower rose tall in Rajarhat (next to Mother’s Wax Museum) and opened with 65 per cent occupancy. It’s time now for Vikram to say goodbye but not before he shared with t2 the highs and lows of his two years in Calcutta…

What were your long- and short-term targets for The Westin Kolkata Rajarhat?

To open the hotel “on-brand”, that is to open it with Westin brand standards in place, from the Heavenly Bed and Heavenly Shower to the restaurant, Seasonal Tastes. To open it “hot”, which means that your teams are in place and trainings are completed. And finally, to open the hotel with gender diversity, that is to have more women in leadership roles, which did happen, though it was a difficult task! When we opened, the women:men ratio was 70:30.

A high point and a low point during your term…

The high point was opening the hotel and doing a 65 per cent occupancy in the first month of operation because of FIFA. The low was that the opening date of the hotel kept changing, for reasons beyond our control. 

Where does The Westin figure in the pecking order in Calcutta in terms of occupancy?

We are only three-four months old in the system, so we cannot be compared to a 13-year-old hotel. Having said that, in the first three months, I would say we are in the top four in our segment, as far as average daily rate (ADR) goes. We closed the year with an ADR 

of Rs 8,200, which is what The Oberoi Grand or, sometimes, Taj Bengal does. It’s a good start for the hotel! We are currently between 50 and 52 per cent occupancy, and we have budgeted 72 per cent occupancy for the year.

A trend you have observed in the hospitality space in Calcutta…

More room inventory in the city in all segments, especially the economy brand. There are new hotels coming up like Ibis, Lemon Tree, Fairfield by Marriott and Formule 1. More inventory is good for the city in the long run. Earlier there were hardly any rooms in the economy segment; there was no choice for the guest.

Right now, 180 keys out of 315 are operational, so is the 120-cover restaurant Seasonal Tastes and the Lounge. What opens in The Westin Kolkata Rajarhat next?

The Heavenly Spa will open soon on Floor 3. So will the rest of the 134 rooms, pure vegetarian restaurant Vedic and a speciality restaurant serving Japanese-Vietnamese cuisine. The helipad (on top of the hotel) is waiting for licence approvals.

Some of your favourite pastimes in the city…

Meeting new people, trying the food in restaurants like Bar-B-Q, Mocambo, 6 Ballygunge Place, Serafina, and browsing through art. I have also made two trips to Kumartuli.

What happens next, professionally?

I’m going to start something of my own and no better time than now. I will be based in Gurgaon.

Finally, your bye-bye message to Calcutta...

Calcutta has been an amazing city to me. It taught me patience and perseverance. The warmth is infectious and the food is amazing! The city has much more to offer than what meets the eye.

YOUR GUILTY EATS AT THE WESTIN