Indian hotels boss Priya Paul steps into the comfort zone

The chairwoman of Park Hotels explains the launch of The Zone by Park Hotels – a four-star brand aimed at local Indian business travellers and international visitors exploring India’s lesser-known destinations.

Priya Paul, the chief executive of Park Hotels. Simon Dawson / Bloomberg

Priya Paul is the chairwoman of Park Hotels, a luxury boutique chain in India. She took the helm at the age of 24 after her father died unexpectedly. In June, she was shortlisted for Most Influential Person in Contemporary Travel at LE Miami Awards and she has been nominated Business Woman of India four times by The Economic Times of India. The company recently announced the launch of The Zone by Park Hotels – a four-star brand aimed at local Indian business travellers and international visitors exploring India’s lesser-known destinations. Here she explains more about the concept.

The pursuit of mid-market customers is something new for you. Why are you launching The Zone brand now?

The idea is something we’ve been talking about for 10 years. Where India is going, its growth story is the small cities. We wanted to be in that space. It’s really only in the past two or three years that we started putting a structure to the idea and looking at how we could get into the space. We wanted to do a hotel that’s in that budget, four-star, mid-scale space; to create something scaleable but also uniquely Indian and takes into account the needs and requirements of Indian customers from typically tier two and tier three cities. What we have created is a brand that I think is quite aspirational for a small city: it’s design-conscious, it’s price-conscious. We have a lot of focus on food and beverage and banqueting because we feel that in smaller towns there is a need for function space, catered space, corporate events space. There may be just a few big companies there and they need space to do entertainment. A more fun nightlife experience is something the Park is known for and in smaller cities there is this pent-up aspiration and demand to have a place for people to hang out. The first two properties will be opening in the first quarter of 2014.

Where will they open?

In cities that are typical candidates for our properties. One will be Coimbatore, the second -largest city in Tamil Nadu, and in Raipur, the capital of Chhattisgarh. These are fast-developing cities where there is that kind of desire to spend but also for rooms that are well priced and with a little more of a contemporary design twist to it.

And your intention is to appeal to Indian business travellers?

The typical person going to Raipur would go there on business. But in Coimbatore there might be a bit of both [domestic and international travellers] because there is a textile business happening in and around Coimbatore and there is Ayurveda [alternative medicine] round there. So it’s not exclusively for Indians but it’s certainly been built targeting the Indian customer as the crucial element.

Do you have much competition from domestic or international players in this segment of the market?

There are international operators coming in at all levels of the market but the [mid-market] is really where the big growth story is. I think that offers opportunities to everyone including Indian and international brands. So far in the smaller towns, there have typically been unbranded hotels. Some of them provide a high level of facilities – but maybe not the same level of service you would get in branded hotels.

You’ve been working in this industry for 25 years. What keeps you going?

The whole satisfaction of creating something new and exciting and seeing that it works. It’s the whole creative process that I enjoy – and it’s fun. Hospitality for me has become a creative process and it’s a very profitable business.

Where do you get your inspiration from?

From all over: certain experiences, travel, talking and meeting people. It’s always interesting to see what other people are doing whether it’s artists or designers or [people in] fashion. These worlds are so intertwined. There is a lot to see in your own city and your own country – but it’s important to travel and to be exposed. I guess some people feel they can get that on the internet but I am not like that. You have to experience and feel things and then you carry a bit of it from here and there and it all comes together. That’s the magic.

Do you feel you are role model for other businesswomen?

Sadly I feel the age where I might be [laughs]. I am not that old but, still, I guess in some ways I am more of a senior citizen because I’ve been working for 25 years. If people do see me as that it’s a real honour and responsibility. I am always happy to meet young women, who want to work and make something of their lives. So if people look to me as a role model I am actually very honoured.