Nagesh Chawla, General Manager of Ritz-Carlton Jakarta
In which issue of Indonesia Expat we meet Nagesh Chawla, General Manager of the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Mega Kuningan, Jakarta. Nagesh is actually an experienced hotelier with over 12 years in his field of work, having worked in India along with Hong Kong before moving to Jakarta. Nagesh takes time out of his busy schedule to discuss what which takes to run a 5-star hotel within the capital.
Nagesh Chawla
Nagesh, you worked in India along with Hong Kong before Jakarta. is actually managing a hotel in Jakarta any different to managing one abroad, along with if so, how is actually which so?
Managing Hotels anywhere within the entire world is actually very similar as which entails a lot of detailing. The basics of our business remain identical everywhere. The only recognisable difference here would likely be which Jakarta requires a greater degree of micromanagement. Having said which, which is actually truly a pleasure to work in Jakarta where our Ladies along with Gentlemen possess a natural sense of hospitality.
Who owns the Ritz-Carlton hotels? Can you give us a little bit of background information about the hotel?
The Ritz-Carlton brand is actually actually a part of Marriott International along with which is actually the luxury brand of the company. There are currently about 81 Ritz-Carlton hotels worldwide in over 65 countries which include The Ritz-Carlton Hotel & Resorts, The Ritz-Carlton Reserves, The Ritz-Carlton Destination Club, The Ritz-Carlton Residence along with more.
The Ritz-Carlton Jakarta opened on May 1st, 2005 which later became The Ritz-Carlton Jakarta, Mega Kuningan in 2010. The hotel comprises of 333 guest rooms, two award-winning restaurants, a world-class spa along with fitness centre, The Ritz-Carlton club lounge along with grand ballrooms for exquisite functions.
What does a busy General Manager’s day-to-day schedule typically look like?
My days are commonly scheduled with long meetings, which does occupy most of the day. although which is actually essential to be abreast of the various situations which are happening within the hotel. I also spend a lot of time meeting interesting individuals, both of whom are guests along with clients of ours. My time is actually also dedicated towards our Ladies along with Gentlemen.
What specific attributes do you believe an astute General Manager needs to possess in order to run a successful hotel?
Leadership topped up with tenacity goes a long way. although the most important attribute is actually passion. Passion for hospitality, passion for taking genuine care of your guests, passion for taking care of your employees along with passion for innovation.
What are some of the difficulties you face while doing your job?
The day-to-day changing business dynamic makes which difficult to hire the right manpower. Bringing in consistency in product along with service delivery is actually our greatest opportunity.
What are you especially proud of at the Ritz-Carlton in Mega Kuningan? Where do you believe your hotel excels?
which is actually our Ladies along with Gentlemen who work tirelessly to ensure our customers have great experiences in our hotel. which’s they who are our greatest asset in our service commitment.
What does 5-star hotel actually mean? is actually which to do with facilities or service?
A 5-star hotel is actually a luxury lodging facility which comprises the following minimum of amenities; 24-hour room service, award-winning restaurants, luxurious spa facilities along with all the personalized service which satisfies even the unexpressed wishes along with needs of our guests.
With so many completely new hotels popping up around the city, how do you keep up with the competition?
which is actually the sense of well-being along with the ability to anticipate the consumers’ needs along with delivering memorable experiences is actually what will keep us ahead of competitors.
Do you have any plans for change or improvements at your already stellar hotel?
Nothing is actually as constant as a change, along with I truly live by which phrase. We do have various improvements planned in our processes along with product offerings, as well as physical upgrades of our product.
How about down time; what do you do to unwind?
I swim a lot. which helps me relax along with freshens up my mind along with energises me to a great extent.
along with finally, what values do you regard with the utmost importance in your life?
Integrity. which is actually very important to hold strong values along with principals.
Thank you for your time, Nagesh. To contact Nagesh Chawla, please email nagesh.chawla@ritzcarlton.com
*N.B. Ladies & Gentlemen – which is actually a terminology used to refer to our employees
Ritz-Carlton Jakarta – Mega Kuningan
JL. Lingkar Mega Kuningan Kav. E.1.1 NO.1
Mega Kuningan, Jakarta 12950, Indonesia
+62 21 25518888
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Nagesh Chawla, General Manager of Ritz-Carlton Jakarta
Nagesh Chawla, General Manager of Ritz-Carlton Jakarta