With Covid-19 wreaking havoc, hospitality and F&B sectors innovated to stay afloat. From tying up with aggregators and starting delivery services to introducing concepts like bartenders at home, they replicated a luxurious dining experience for customers
In March 2020, Marriott International Inc rolled out the Marriott Bonvoy on Wheels, a chauffeur-driven delivery service that makes luxurious dining possible at home. It eventually became the hotel’s most successful non-room revenue options
A chauffeur-driven high-end car delivers exotic dishes and cocktails at your doorstep. Sunday brunch arrives in a fancy box at home. Chefs and bartenders are ready to whip up dishes and make drinks of your choice in the living room as you party with a small group.
As the coronavirus pandemic, especially the second wave earlier this year, financially hurt the food and beverages (F&B) and hospitality sectors, luxury hotels went the extra mile to offer an unforgettable and royal experience to customers. Innovation became a buzzword as they tried to replicate the ambience of a five-star property and the services it offers. To ensure a broader reach, some even tied up with food aggregators such as Swiggy and Zomato, something they had not even considered before March 2020 when the virus brought with it long-lasting lockdowns and restrictions.
With room bookings—one of the most important streams of revenue for hotels—out of the equation during lockdowns, it was time to create newer and other steady avenues of income. “At the start of the pandemic, uncertainty loomed large. We had to change our priorities, plans and campaigns for the year. A lot changed. We explored and adopted several initiatives to drive non-room revenues,” says Hemant Tenneti, senior director of operations, South Asia, Marriott International Inc.
Marriott International, for instance, rolled out the Marriott Bonvoy on Wheels in March 2020, a chauffeur-driven delivery service that made luxurious dining possible at home. Initially started in Mumbai and Delhi, it is now available in 80-plus hotels across India, including Tier II and III cities.
Hotel also re-evaluated its menu and included more local and seasonal produce to solve supply challenges during the lockdown
(This story appears in the 08 October, 2021 issue of Forbes India. To visit our Archives, click here.)