Eight years ago Louis Sailer, above, was running another hotel in Delhi. One year ago he returned to India as big-boss of THE IMPERIAL NEW DELHI. One fortnight ago, at the global meeting of Preferred Travel Group at HALF MOON BAY in Jamaica, The Imperial was – deemed by fellow hoteliers as well as consumers – awarded best hotel for the entire region of Africa and Middle East plus India. Wow, how had Sailer achieved this?
He hit the ground running. On his first day he went to the airport and redid the entire arrivals experience. Customer satisfaction begins the moment one steps off a plane. Since then he has been watching and looking through 360 degrees, minutely assessing the lobby, its flowers, its lighting. He has done the same in each of the 232 bedrooms and suites, and every inch of the eight acres of grounds. Honestly, the 1931-vintage building has never seen anything like it.
He has been helped by the calibre of the building, and by its private ownership, who are supportive to the degree that not one of the 700 staff was let go during the pandemic. Staff tenure is such that many returning guests are automatically welcomed back as part of the family.
But the overall secret from management side is SOUL. Either you and your hotel have it, or you don’t. Watch the soul that is The Imperial New Delhi soar even higher.
