Chandan Pandey: Flourishing As A Quintessential Hotelier By Implementing Modern Day Hotel Management Models
Chandan Pandey
Co-Founder & COO
Chandan Pandey, who has more than two decades of experience in the hospitality industry, is dedicated to providing exceptional networking knowledge in hotel operations, technical support, owner relations, administration, and asset management. CEO Insights interviewed Chandan Pandey (Co-Founder & COO) of WB Hotels and Resorts, wherein he enlightened us about his leadership journey and the challenges faced while creating his own brand in the industry.
Give us a brief detail about your educational background and professional background and how has it helped you in your journey so far?
Co-founded the hospitality section, which is in charge of strategic alliances, business growth initiatives, new hotel openings, and international hotel operations. From north to south, I have worked the length and breadth of the country. More than two decades of hospitality experience in hotel operations, technical service, owner relations, administration, and asset management, as well as a fantastic passion for results. I worked as the General Manager of The Orchid Pune, a 410-key hotel with 1 lakh square feet of banqueting space. Other notable employers include MERCURE Dwarka as Vice President of Asset Management, Wyndham Hotels, Sahara Star, Mumbai, and Sarovar Hotels.
What different roles have you been undertaking at WB Hotels and Resorts?
My current focus is on building WB
Hotels into one of India's largest hotel brands, and by March 2022, we plan to have 20,000 rooms under our brand, with a workforce of over 100 employees working directly for the company. We are launching three hotel franchise brands: WB INN, WB ECONOMY, and WB COMFORT. The WB Inn brand will be positioned as a fully tech-based hotel, with four employees on the premises at all times. As a result, one of the most profitable hotel models to date has emerged.
How does your vast experience help you out to chalk out business operations for the company?
Experience is important in the hospitality industry since we must interact with people, and properly managing human resources is a constant challenge for hoteliers. According to the hotel business model, human resource is the most expensive cost head, and we are employing cutting-edge technology to reduce our reliance on human resources. I have always believed in riding the horse and delivering commands to attain the desired goal in the shortest time possible.
What were the initial challenges that taught you the basic lessons of managing diversified functions of organizations? Also, how did you manage to overcome those challenges?
When someone starts a new business, they are faced with numerous hurdles and problems. Since I have been in the hospitality industry for over 22 years and have over 17 years of leadership experience, I have learnt how to deal with every situation. My approach is straight forward: every problem has a solution; all we need to do is discover the correct one.
The lessons I learnt through various challenges faced are to be patient and have faith in yourself and your product. Be prepared for rejection and continue to improve your product offers, successful businesses always fill in the gaps and solve challenges. We are the only company in the world that solves problems for small
How does your vast experience help you out to chalk out business operations for the company?
Experience is important in the hospitality industry since we must interact with people, and properly managing human resources is a constant challenge for hoteliers. According to the hotel business model, human resource is the most expensive cost head, and we are employing cutting-edge technology to reduce our reliance on human resources. I have always believed in riding the horse and delivering commands to attain the desired goal in the shortest time possible.
In the year 2004, I was offered the opportunity to oversee a solo pre-opening hotel as the General Manager and it was the most difficult job for me to develop the hotel in the market
What were the initial challenges that taught you the basic lessons of managing diversified functions of organizations? Also, how did you manage to overcome those challenges?
When someone starts a new business, they are faced with numerous hurdles and problems. Since I have been in the hospitality industry for over 22 years and have over 17 years of leadership experience, I have learnt how to deal with every situation. My approach is straight forward: every problem has a solution; all we need to do is discover the correct one.
The lessons I learnt through various challenges faced are to be patient and have faith in yourself and your product. Be prepared for rejection and continue to improve your product offers, successful businesses always fill in the gaps and solve challenges. We are the only company in the world that solves problems for small
independent hotels and the term Patience, which has allowed me to build the most prosperous and trustworthy team by believing in myself and the product.
Having Expertise in hotel operations business development what was the most crucial project that you designed and executed till now? Tell me about a successful hotel operation you've led and your management style.
I was one of the hospitality industry's youngest general managers. In the year 2004, I was offered the opportunity to oversee a solo pre-opening hotel as the General Manager and it was the most difficult job for me to develop the hotel in the market. Within six months of opening, I was able to stabilize the hotel and turn a profit at the GOP level. Within a year, the hotel had reached an occupancy rate of 88 percent, with a gross profit margin of 60 percent. Today, the hotel group operates three properties in Mumbai, and the foundation created by me has helped them become one of the most successful hotel companies in the city.
What kind of team talent is needed as you build and evolve the hotel operations team? What are strategies that you implicate to evolve the business?
The leaders are always the ones who put together a team. Since this college was part of the Indian Navy, I was taught during my college years at the Naval Institute of Technology in Mumbai. Armed forces are the best at developing leaders, we are seeking persons with the correct attitude. Ability can be developed, we have etched out our road map for the next five years in advance with three layers of tactics (Most favourable / Average / Worst ) and we always aim to manage the worst. Those tactics allowed us to stay afloat and sustainable during one of the most difficult periods in the hospitality industry's history.
Chandan Pandey, Co-Founder & COO
Chandan has completed M.Sc in Hotel Management from Annamalai University and is an Alumnus of NIT, Mumbai. He is been entitled as ‘One of the Youngest General Manager in Hospitality Industry’. Having worked length and breadth of the country from north to down south, Chandan has more than two decades of hospitality experience with phenomenal drive for result excellent networking expertise in hotel operations, technical service, owner relations, administration and Asset management.
Location:Mumbai
Having Expertise in hotel operations business development what was the most crucial project that you designed and executed till now? Tell me about a successful hotel operation you've led and your management style.
I was one of the hospitality industry's youngest general managers. In the year 2004, I was offered the opportunity to oversee a solo pre-opening hotel as the General Manager and it was the most difficult job for me to develop the hotel in the market. Within six months of opening, I was able to stabilize the hotel and turn a profit at the GOP level. Within a year, the hotel had reached an occupancy rate of 88 percent, with a gross profit margin of 60 percent. Today, the hotel group operates three properties in Mumbai, and the foundation created by me has helped them become one of the most successful hotel companies in the city.
What kind of team talent is needed as you build and evolve the hotel operations team? What are strategies that you implicate to evolve the business?
The leaders are always the ones who put together a team. Since this college was part of the Indian Navy, I was taught during my college years at the Naval Institute of Technology in Mumbai. Armed forces are the best at developing leaders, we are seeking persons with the correct attitude. Ability can be developed, we have etched out our road map for the next five years in advance with three layers of tactics (Most favourable / Average / Worst ) and we always aim to manage the worst. Those tactics allowed us to stay afloat and sustainable during one of the most difficult periods in the hospitality industry's history.
Chandan Pandey, Co-Founder & COO
Chandan has completed M.Sc in Hotel Management from Annamalai University and is an Alumnus of NIT, Mumbai. He is been entitled as ‘One of the Youngest General Manager in Hospitality Industry’. Having worked length and breadth of the country from north to down south, Chandan has more than two decades of hospitality experience with phenomenal drive for result excellent networking expertise in hotel operations, technical service, owner relations, administration and Asset management.
Location:Mumbai