Infusing Hospitality With Imagination
As the oldest of four children, Priya Paul, Chairperson of Apeejay Surrendra Park Hotels, was certain, from a young age, about wanting to work in the family business. Stirred by talk around the dining table and at various family to-dos, she had started gleaning the mechanics of markets and enterprises. “By the age of 10, I must have decided,” she says. As a student at Loreto House in Kolkata – then Calcutta – she was also encouraged by her parents to pursue her own interests and passions.
Besides attending dance and music lessons, she was active in student government, often assuming leadership roles. And participated with equal verve in theatre and sports. She recalls being decent at academics till about the 7th Grade, when a brush with a particular teacher shifted her orientation towards learning. “She channelized my interests and pushed me to better myself,” Paul recalls.
From thereon, she started topping the class, garnering the kind of high-school grades that paved her admission into places like Brown and Wellesley. She chose the latter, because it embedded a broad, liberal curriculum inside a structured approach. Moreover, since her father had graduated from MIT, there was a sentimental tug towards the affiliated liberal arts school.
Relishing Liberal Arts At Wellesley
With an early intention to major in Economics, Priya soon found herself drawn to a host of other subjects. Like French, a language that she started relishing so much, she opted to spend a semester in Paris during her Junior Year. She recalls attending classes at Sciences Po and imbibing the architecture and aesthetics of the “City of Art.”
In the meanwhile at Wellesley, her intellect was aroused by fields she hadn’t considered earlier. Like Development Studies and South Asian Politics. Or Religion. Or Art and Architecture. “For me, the liberal arts education and approach was really, really fantastic,” she says. Many of the courses she did at Wellesley continue to ripple into her current life. For instance, her college forays in Archaeology deepen her perspective as a Board Member of the World Monument Fund in India.
Besides, she extended her childhood fascination with Fine Arts. At Wellesley, she did courses on Ceramics, and Paper Making, leading her to still dabble in the arts.
An Early Thrust Into Leadership
She graduated from Wellesley in 1988. At a time when the markets were still dampened by the October 1987 Wall Street crash. Since jobs in the U.S. were scanty then, she opted to return to India, accumulate work experience and then move back to the U.S. during rosier times.
Her father, however, had different plans. He felt that Priya should start learning the ropes at their hotel business. Designated as a “Marketing Manager”, she started out at a newly-opened hotel in New Delhi on July 1st 1988. Deliberately rotating through various departments, over time she assumed an operational role. In the meanwhile, her family was struck by two unforeseen tragedies. In 1989, her brother died in a car accident. Nine months later, her father, Surrendra Paul, was killed in a terrorist attack in Assam.
While she had certainly grasped the nuances of managing the Delhi entity, she was suddenly thrust with helming the larger business. Besides overseeing the Delhi property, she also needed to manage their other properties in Kolkata and Vishakapatnam. While her mother became the Chairperson of the company, Priya directed the hotel operations at a time when – even in business families – women were rarely accorded power.
To begin with, she had to resolve staff and union issues. And quickly ensure cashflow infusions to upgrade older properties. Fortunately for her, the nation flagged off liberalization in 1991. The buzzing markets that India offered to local and foreign entities attracted a flood of business visitors, boosting the hospitality industry.
Priya, only recently graduated from college, was just about 23 or 24 years old then. While grappling with the grief and shock of having lost a sibling and parent in quick succession, she was required to project serenity and confidence to employees and investors. “There’s a lot of authority and responsibility that comes with being an owner,” she says.
Though she was jittery, at first, about being thrust into the decision-making spotlight, over time she realized that sheer competence could win people over. While Wellesley had accorded her the tools to carve her own trail as a woman, she needed to tide over ageist biases. Many people did not expect such a young person to successfully manage a complex enterprise.
Marking the Park Hotels with a Distinct Identity
She learned soon enough that getting the right team was critical. “I was not a hotel expert. So I made sure we got people who understand hospitality.” After bolting the basics into place, she was keen on imbuing the group with a distinct identity. Of ensuring The Park Hotels stand out in a competitive landscape. “By the early ’90s, I was already looking at how I could make the hotels different. And to start challenging how hospitality was done.”
While their hotels were primarily business destinations, Paul also sensed that business travellers were seeking other elements during their stay. Priya had always been inspired by Ian Shrager, the founder of the iconic Studio 54 in New York. Shrager had always been conscious of the manner in which art, architecture and the environment can impact customer experiences.
Drawing too from her own keen interest in art and architecture, Paul sought to fill the hotels with art and design. With music and signature cuisines. All this while, while ensuring some aspects echoed the sensibility of an overarching brand.
Like at The Park Chennai, which was built on the site of the erstwhile Gemini Studio, and illuminates the lobby with film projections. Or the Hyderabad property, which glitters with the prismatic shine of the Nizam’s famed jewels, refracting rays like the rubies, emeralds and diamonds that once comprised the ruler’s personal collection. When building out this property, Priya tried to put herself in the shoes of the one-time ruler: “If you are a modern day Nizam, how would you make this hotel?”
As a result, Paul observes: “We have customers who are great fan followers who look out for the new innovative things we do.”
They also started expanding well beyond the original three properties. After successfully launching The Park Hotels in Bangalore and then in Chennai, the team spread to other metros and tier-2 cities. By 2000-2001, they had built out a national footprint. They currently run about 22 hotels across two brands – The Park, in the five-star space, and Zone By The Park, in the four-star segment.
Extending Their Character Into the Four-Star Category
While evolving their four-star category, that is being established across Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities, Priya is emphatic that The Park’s singular character is carried into these spaces. Drawing on expertise gleaned from other properties, they transmit a similar oomph to those spaces. “Even in smaller places, people want a standout restaurant, bar and banquet hall.” The challenge is to deliver superlative experiences at competitive prices: “This has been an interesting business model for us.”
The group has already established 12 four-star properties and plans to add four more this year. These smaller hotels dot cities ranging from Jaipur, Bangalore and Coimbatore to Jodhpur and Kolkata.
Garnering Industry Recognition
For her efforts in successfully growing a hotel chain in a tough business landscape, Paul has been recognized by Government and Industry bodies. In 2012, she was awarded the Padma Shri. For ten consecutive years till 2020, Fortune India magazine featured her among the ‘50 Most Powerful Business Women in India’. In 2013, Forbes Asia featured her on a similar high-profile list. More recently, she was designated “Entrepreneur of the Year” by the Federation of Hotel and Restaurants Association of India.
She was also honoured as one of the forbearers of the contemporary travel industry along with icons like Ian Schrager, Nick Jones and others at the LE Miama 2015, and was conferred the Chevalier de l’Ordre National du Merite (National Order of Merit) in 2014 for strengthening links between India and France.
To commend her standout design orientation, she was awarded the “Excellence in Design Innovation 2011” by Condé Nast Traveller India. This honor recognized the manner in which her boutique hotels have been infused with her love of contemporary art and high-function design.
Advice To New Entrepreneurs
For new entrepreneurs planning to enter the hospitality or tourism sector in India, Paul is gung-ho about prospects inside the nation. The pandemic has only proved that travel – for leisure and business purposes – has been stitched into the DNA of modern humans. More so, exciting restaurants vitalize city centers. “If you want to enter an industry that is creative and challenging and rewarding, this is a good place to be in.”
Shuffling Multiple Roles
As busy as she currently is – as the Chairperson of Apeejay Surrendra Park Hotels – and as a member of many boards, including the Hotel Association of India and Indian Advisory Board of Harvard Business School, Priya also ensures she attends to her other roles. Of being a wife, mother, daughter and friend. All this while allotting time for hobbies like art. “You can’t do everything at one go,” she says. “You prioritize. You just learn how to do it.” Whether it’s meeting with friends and family, or working, or traveling, she approaches each day with renewed brio.
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