Author: travel_and_leisure_with_uru

Hello everyone it’s been a really long time since I wrote something but thankfully got an experience to write on.

We, hoteliers have to undergo trainings for 6 months as it’s more of a professional course rather than cramming and giving exams. I did my training in just one department of the hotel that is “Front Office”. Many confuse this and co relate it with reception but it’s more of that it includes the Accounts Department, The Reservation Department, The Call Handling, Check In- Check Out Control and The Sales department.

Front office is just like the nervous system of the Hotel without which a hotel can’t operate no matter what! To be very Frank I was really very hesitant to commence with the training as I felt that maybe it’s more of labour and I like things those challenge me mentally somehow, my family convinced me and I was ready to just work in front office department. I feel lucky now that I took this decision as it fully transformed me in every way in such a short span of time that I alone got the confidence to run the full hotel by myself and let me tell you this feeling is unexplainable.

I interacted with both national and international guests belonging to different professions and providing them hospitality is something very pure. Serving smiles is a pure deed. I learnt the operation of the hotel software, learnt to took reservations, printed the sales reports , handled the calls all over the city, introduced about the hotel amenities and special areas to the guests, performed check In- check out, took reservations from different travel agencies, bill settlement and learnt to give the handover to the evening shift.

Our hotel had 3 Banquet Halls for marriage parties including which one was the Glass house. There was 1 restaurant and a Greenhouse for the birthday celebrations. Four categories of rooms were available in the hotel Including Deluxe, Super Deluxe, Executive as well as the Presidential Suite. Everything used to be very symmetrically organised and beautifully decorated just loved the experience of everything I did.

This all is very little most importantly the confidence I gained, the knowledge I acquired, the communication I improved and all the good+ bad lessons I learnt from my IT changed my mindset forever. My ideology changed about this Industry and I felt that my parents were right and they are fully supportive in every decision of my life.

My dream was not for this Industry it was just a backup plan and initially I used to cry as I took this course for my foreign plan but unfortunately or fortunately my destiny was in India. But now, having worked in this industry I would proudly say that this decision was nearly perfect decision of my Life. My wait is to just emerge as a best person in whatever I do and along with that to serve the needy. Many closed ones demotivated me for this but my family was with me and my God too so how could this go wrong? My parents used to say the difference is they are talking and you are doing just keep going and they said the truth. I am atleast ahead of them who used to take it as a negative profession.

I believe if you are loyal to your profession nothing else matters! Never ever feel low about a job you are doing, house you are living or the business you are running keep your ears close and eyes open towards the goal and see the miracles happening.

I have already made a blog on the heterogeneous India but it dealt more with tourism and less with the authentic Indian Cuisines. So, in this blog I’ll shed light on the distinct Cuisines in our nation which we all have heard about but not known completely.

How are Cuisines made?

Every region of India has its own regional cuisine. There are plethora of reasons behind, the predominant one is the diversity in geographic conditions. All the regions in India donot have the same climatic conditions somewhere there is tropical climate whereas somewhere there is temperate climate. The second important reason is the level of rainfall, the cuisines are derived from the agricultural produce so all depends on the centimetres of rainfall as the crops grown in Cherrapunji differ from the crops grown in Ajmer. The third important reason is the traditional influence, In Bengal the maximum population is of Bengalis so the region is influenced by the Bengali food and lifestyle.

Punjabi Cuisine

This Cuisine is very close to my heart.Being a Punjabi girl, I’m totally under the influence of the mouth watery dishes. The most traditional dish of this region is “Makki ki roti and Sarso ka Saag”. Moreover, Punjabis love butter chicken, chole bature and naan. The Language “Punjabi” is also differently spoken in the different regions like Amritsari Punjabi is distinct from the Punjabi spoken in Patiala. The most widely consumed crop is wheat and pulses remain the part of Punjabi diet. There are so many sweet dishes made from the dairy products such as khoye de barfi, Jalebi, Gajar ka Halwa, poora, jaggery rice and so on. Butter milk is the most popular beverage consumed here.

Gujarati Cuisine

Being the great fan of “Jethalal” in “Taarak Mehta ka ooltah chashmah” my love for Gujarati food is also ever lasting. I love the language as well as the food consumed here. Gujaratis eat different type of ‘Shaak’ which they refer to as vegetables like Karela nu Shak, Kerry nu Shak, Methi nu Shaak, Bateta nu Shaak, Tameta Bateta nu Shaak and so on. They are really fond of farsaans ( snacks) like Khandvi, Khaman Dhokla, Jalebi Fafada, Poha, Upma, Bhajiya, laasun Papad and Dabeli. The best vegetable is ‘Undhiyo’ (mix veg) followed by Gujraati kaadhi . Talking about the sweet dishes, Jalebi, gulab jamun, Basundi, Moong Daal ka halwa, Doodhi no Halwa are widely loved.

Bengali Cuisine

Bengalis have always surprised me with their literacy, language, culture and food. I really appreciate the intellectual capacity as they have a wide interest in literature and drama. Every Bengali loves to have Rice and fish being near a coastal area that’s why they are called “Maach Bhaat Bangali”. There menu starts from ‘Shukto’(a bitter preparation) followed by Shaak(leafy vegetables) and curry (lamb curry, mutton curry, fish curry etc). They consume chutneys of mango, pineapple and coconut too. The star is always the dessert when it comes to Bengali food. The famous sweet dishes are Mishti Dohi, Bhapa Dohi, Roshugulla and Sandesh. The spices used by the Bengali people are called ‘Paanch Phoron’.

Maharashtrian Cuisine

They call ‘Poli’ to chapati and for vegetables the word used is ‘Bhaji,’. Koshimbir Salad which is typically a vegetable salad and is really nutritious. They consume Raaitas made from vegetables. The most popular dishes are Puranpoli and Misal Pav. Chivda, Poha and Upma are some of the spiced flattened rice dishes eaten by them. During Ganesh chaturthi various sweet delicacies such as Shrikhand, Modak and laadu are made as ‘Parshaad’.

Rajasthani Cuisine

When I went on a trip to ‘Chaunki Dhani’ I fell in love with this Cuisine it was really love at the first site. Everything was so traditional and for the First time I ate Bajre ka rotla with mango pickle over there. I learnt certain words like‘khamba Gani and Jai Raam ji ki’ everything was amazing. So let’s come to this Cuisine, RAJASTHAN recieves less rainfall and due to which bread dishes are eaten more than the Rice dishes. Apart from this, the common vegetables like potato and cauliflower are rare over that place. The Dry coconut and curry leaves are widely used in dishes. The best dishes are ‘Dal Baati Churma, Ghevar and Pyaaz ki kachori’. They love to have Chaas (butter milk). Pushkar is known for its ‘Malpua’ and Ajmer for its ‘Sonan Halwa’. The best lamb dishes over there are ‘Lal Maas and Safed Maas’.

Jammu and Kashmir Cuisine

In Jammu, kidney beans (Rajma) are very famous. Moreover, in Kashmir the population is basically divided into Kashmiri Pandits and Muslims. Both of them consume non vegetarian dishes because of the cold climatic conditions. The best dish over there is ‘Wazawan’ followed by other dishes like Shaab Deg, Rogan Josh, Modur pulao, Kashmiri bengan and Gosh Taba. The ‘Kahva’(green tea), is the beverage consumed.

South Indian Cuisine

In South India, there are large minorities of Christmas and Muslims. It is also known as the ‘Land of Coconuts’. Rice is abundantly grown over here. In the Malabar coast, pan cakes and rice cakes are very famous. Tamarind and lime are used in sauces. Pickles and chutneys remain the popular accompaniment. Some of the South Indian dishes are:- Puttu (grated rice and coconut), Dosa, Idli, Sambar, Rasam & curd rice(good for digestion). The desserts served are warm payassam is the dessert made with milk and coconut (kheer). During the occasion of ‘Sadhya’ there is a traditional as well as vegetarian feast in Kerala.

Hyderabadi Cuisine

Hyderabad is the capital and the largest City of India. Moving further towards it’s Cuisine, Rice is the staple food of people which made it famous for its Biryanis. This city is under the regional as well as international influence. It is the descendant of Nizam therefore, it has a Mughal influence. Slow cooking is practised here. Some of the best and famous dishes of Hyderabad are ‘Dum Biryani, kachhe gosht ki biryani, Haleem( seasonal dish of wheat and meat served as a starter in muslim weddings) and Sheermal ( bread stuffed with minced meat).

Odia Cuisine

Odia people use less oil and less spices. Staple food is Rice. Traditionally, food is eaten on banana leafs. Yoghurt is used in the dishes and Cheena (cheese) is used in the desserts. The most popular dish is ‘Santula’ which is made of different vegetables, Paanch Phoron and green chillies. Pithas (rice cakes), chicken and mutton are also widely eaten.

There are so many other Cuisines followed by the people of India as well. But I have tried to highlight the famous and the rich cuisines of India. It is really crucial to know about the unique traditions and food items of India which makes it a famous nation in front of foreign countries.

We all are aware about the diversity of India in terms of tradition, culture, religion, race, language, festivals, cuisines and much more. There are plenty of reasons behind this diversity the predominant one is that India is the birthplace of Hinduism, Sikhism, Jainism and Buddhism. Moreover, India has been ruled by so many rulers which has influenced the diversity of nation. The geography has also played crucial role in heterogeneity of food and lifestyle.

India and Tourism

Tourism in India is important for the country’s economic as well as the social growth. The World Travel and Tourism Council calculated that tourism generated 16.91 lakh crore and supported 42.673 million jobs i.e 8.1% of total employment. There are so many natural as well as monumental attractions in India which attract domestic as well as international travellers. So lets explore India along with the specialised food of that particular region.

RAJASTHAN

Jaipur is the capital as well as the largest city in Rajasthan. There are ample of reasons to visit this city the first one is the unique Rajput history followed by the Markets, Historic forts, Craft museums, Rajasthani Cuisine, Textiles, Hindu temples, Street food and folk dance. Blue pottery of Jaipur has gained immense popularity furthermore, Dal Bati Churma, Moong Thal , Ghevar are the famous delicacies. Udaipur and Jodhpur are also the famous destinations in Rajasthan.

GUJARAT

Gujarat is famous for its traditional clothing, Asiatic lions, Rann of Kutch, colourful Handicrafts, Statue of Unity and natural landscapes. The best Gujarati dishes are khandvi, Gujarati Kadhi, Dhokla, Dal Dhokli, Methi ka Thepla and many more.

WEST BENGAL

The West Bengal is renowned for its culture and heritage. It is famous for its terracotta temples of Bishnupur. Hazaraduri temple is the popular tourist attraction and is the largest staircase in India. Bengali culture has its roots in literature, music, fine arts and Cinema. It is the land of Maach (fish) and bhaat (rice). Shukto, Sandesh, mutton biryani are some of the illustrations of authentic bengali food.

MAHARASHTRA

This state is famous for its caves, ancient temples and the maharashtrian food. Gudi padwa and Ganesh Chaturthi are the popular festivals of the state. Maharashtrian people love to eat Pav bhaji, Vada Pav, Misalpav, sheera and panipuri.

KERALA

It is the state on the Malabar Coast of India. It is named as one of the ten paradises of the world and is popular for its ecotourism initiatives , tea/ coffee, spices and beautiful backwaters.

JAMMU & KASHMIR

It is known as the Paradise of Earth. It is famous for its scenic splendour, snow capped mountains, wildlife and local handicrafts. Meat and rice is the most popular food item in J&K.

UTTAR PRADESH

It is known for its spectacular monuments having Mughal influence. Here are some of the illustrations:- Agra fort, Akbar Tomb, Jama Masjid, Jantar Mantar and Shish Mahal.

DELHI

Being the capital city, it also has many eye-catching attractions such as Qutub Minar, India Gate, Iron Pillar, Khooni darwaza, Kashmiri Gate, Bhool Bhulaiyan and many more tombs as well as the other historical monuments.

There are so many other states which have their distinct culture, food cuisine, lifestyle, language, natural attractions, temples, agricultural produce and so on. India is tagged as the mother of so many inventions like algebra, number zero, chess and diamond mining. It has nearly 90,000 types of animals and 50,000 plant species all these features make India a unique country in the world as well as the favoured tourist destination.

Now before thinking about travelling to Singapore, Thailand, Paris do not forget to explore and embrace your own nation first. I couldn’t cover my whole India every word is less for its natural beauty and cultural heritage. Every state has its own speciality and no matter if someone is Punjabi, Bengali, Parsi or anything we all are Indians first. United we stand.

As we all know managing something is never easy. There are obstacles even in managing a household so Just imagine about managing a large hotel (even though the work is equally divided) when there should not be any chance of mistake; as guests are not less than God especially for the hospitality industry. But it’s rightly said “Every problem comes with a solution”. Hotel industry needs those people who are confident, good communicators, who have the skills of controlling the critical situations, diplomacy for the sake of guests and a Happy tone to attract guests towards themselves. Still, in the matter of safety and security of guests hotels are still striving to find out a permanent measure to discard every kind of mishappening. Metallic room keys are replaced by the electronic key cards. Apart from the service automation, guest apps and self check in there are so many recent additions in technology for the easy functioning of industry. Such as fixed mobile convergence,tech lounges,sip- dect, social listening, recognition technology and Blockchain and cypto currency. These helps in good network connection, better security and transparency in the transactions.

Inspite of technological advancement, we are helpless in front of the nature. The most popular pandemic: Coronavirus has totally altered everything. Every sector of the economy faced crises due to this pandemic but the tourism and hospitality sector came to a standstill. After this pandemic, the entire scenario will be amended the things will become more easier for the staff as well as the guests even though now also due to the technology workload is comparatively less than the hotels with less technology and more manpower.

Its never easy to welcome a sudden change but what’s important is important. The hotel industry will focus on the contact less services i.e the minimum contact of staff with the guest, everything will be done by the technology. It will not end the work of staff the management of accounts, posting of charges, the management of things, cleanliness, food, service and many more functions will be the same.

Sanitation and hygiene as well as food and nutrition has always remained as a priority for the higher levels of hotels. But now, at every level the nutritional/ food hygeine aspect as well the level of cleanliness of hotel or restaurant will be a necessity otherwise that hotel will not do any progress.

In the dinning area, there will be ‘grab and go’ service to avoid crowds in restuarants. Moreover, in public areas such as gyms, swimming pools and spa’s there will be time slots for the limited entry of people.

Every sector is trying it’s maximum to revive it’s loss and to boost again in the World. These changes will really ease out the functioning and will help guests as well as the staff because the things will be managed and crowds will be reduced. Let’s hope for a positive change.

The title reveals the content of the whole blog. There are plethora of hotels built according to the guest preferences, budget, competition, desire and design. Moreover, when it comes to the formal classification star rating, size, duration of stay, ownership, level of services and type of clientele is taken into consideration.

The Indian heritage hotel association provides the star rating to the hotels after proper survey of the hotel. The one star, two star , three star , four star and five star hotels are differentiated on the basis of the level of services as well as the amenities provided.

These are the basic types which we all are aware about. There are so many other hotels which exist and are totally distinct from these but when we visit such hotels unaware about the type our Focus simply remains on the enjoyment so it’s crucial to shed light on the type of accommodation we live in when we travel.

Heritage Hotels

A recent addition to the hotel industry are such kind of hotels. These are the properties set in small forts, palaces or havelis. In a heritage hotel, the visitor is offered rooms that have their own history and the glimpse of traditional cuisine is provided by the folk artists. These are further divided into heritage Classic and heritage Grand.

Downtown Hotels

Such type of hotels are located in the centre of the City or near the business centres, shopping complexes, theatres, public offices or busy areas of a town or a city. They are in demand during weekdays.

Suburban Hotels

These also provide the same services like the downtown hotels but the only distinguishing trait is that these are situated in the outskirts of the city and are in demand during weekends. People who want peace or break from the hectic lifestyle prefer such hotels.

Resorts

These are the best holiday destinations for travaholic people. I personally love resorts because they are situated near the natural attractions such as hills, lakes or beaches. These are away from the hustle and bustle of city life therefore, are very serene. The best recreational activiy one can ever do is spending some days in a resort.

Airport hotels

It’s lucid from the name that these hotels are located in vicinity of airports just to provide accommodation to the international or even domestic travellers for a short break and comfortable journey.

Motels and floatels

This word comes from two words motor and hotel so these are located primarily on the highways and provide modest lodgings and facilities to the highway travellers. Apart from this, floatels provide accommodation on the level of sea.

Transient and Residential hotels

Transient hotels cater to the needs of people who are on the move and need a stop over to route their journey. On the other hand, residential hotels provide accommodation to those guests who express their desire to live for a longer interval of time.

Chain Hotels

A Group of hotels that are owned or managed by one company is called a chain. Property ownership hotels, Management Contract Hotels, Time share hotels and condominium hotels are the illustrations of Chain Hotels. Managing a hotel is not less than managing a large business empire. There are contracts signed, relations maintained and policies initiated.

Apart from these there are Casino hotels, Conference hotels, convention hotels, semi residential hotels and extended stay hotels. All these accomodations are divergent on the basis of certain parameters explained above. There are different types of rooms (delux, suite, parlour, Quad, Hollywood twin, interconnecting, adjacent, duplex, effeciency, pent house, hospitality, cabana, lanai, studio, king and queen room)in one single hotel. Undoubtedly, hotel industry is a vast industry.

Food Outlets

There are so many food outlets following different types of services ( Russian service, American service,self service, silver survive, English service, french service or gueridon service) in which we dine so let me just tell briefly about the important outlets which should never be missed when you are planning to dine. So being a foodie I’m really thrilled to share about the restaurants hope you guys will also try out the delicacies of good restuarants rather than going over and over to MC’D , pizza hut, burger King, Subway and many more.

Speciality/Ethnic Restuarants

Whenever you travel to a place never forget to dine in this outlet. It not only presents the food speciality of that area but also the tradition associated with the geographical location is also displaced as a theme of the restaurant. The “mis en scene and mis en pla” of the restaurant is also very authentic as it complements with the style of service.

Fine Dining Restaurants

This kind of restaurant primarily caters to the requirement of the affluent market segment which wants to experience fine dining. It is really expensive because of the food, interior as well as the standard & level of service provided to the guest i.e silver service as well as the gueridon service (trolley service).

Popular Restaurants

The Popular Restuarants have simple style of service that is of spoon and fork. These are less expensive but are highly preferred by the travellers. Such restaurants also provide tiffen service as well.

It’s crucial to draw a graph of everything in the mind before travelling i.e the type of accommodation and the food. Never miss the traditional food when you are travelling to an unknown place. Even Before travelling or booking any hotel identify it’s classification and make a reservation accordingly. Thank you for your kind attention. Meet you soon in the next blog.

Food and travel has always remained at the pinnacle for people. Hotel and tourism industry are the fastest growing industries of the World and is estimated to provide employment to 52.8% employees by 2028. Due to the development of technology hotels are striving to provide contact less services to the guests especially after this Pandemic.

Development of hotels

In the ancient Times, this industry didn’t exist like it Exists today but the commencement of food and accommodation was started over a long period of time, it existed in the forms of Dharamshalas, inns, guest houses, dak bungalows, lounges and so on. Mughals and Britishers had a great impact on this sector.

How did it expanded its roots all over?

The Indian Tourism Development corporation was set up in 1966 with the vision of expanding India as a tourist destination. Tourism and hotels always go hand in hand they both can’t exist independently. There is no fun to travel without food and accommodation.

The rapid development in transportation, globalisation and advancement in technology led to the expansion of this industry. The Taj and Oberoi hotels were made after independence. Since then, this trend is never ending.

The influence of France and westernisation has made amendments in the hotels as well as the lifestyle of people. When it comes to travel the first objective is to find an accomodation for living and eating. But now it’s really difficult for the people to choose hotels due to distinct features which are really attractive. It’s a dilemma to choose a hotel by the services provided. Everything has glorified perfection. The staff, the food, the interior, the services, the amenities and the location.

There are so many types of hotels which I’m going to explain in the next blog. As well as there are other types of alternative accommodations such as lodges, youth hostels, railway or airport rooms, sarais and so on.

How does hotels manage everything or there are some sub bodies?

The question which arises on every Mind when a person has never been to a hotel for accommodation it’s really confusing to guess about its functioning. Some relate hotel management with cooking and some with restuarants and some with reception it’s really beyond this. There are so many departments, handling a single hotel satisfying the guest and for repeat business.

Front office

The department which people assume as reception is the front office department which is divided into many sections:- reservation department, accounts department, night auditing department, reception department, telephone department, safety and security department , maintainance department & bell desk. The First step is the reservation, then comes check in, during stay, check out and post departure. The duty of this department is to reserve and allot rooms, handle complains, post charges to the guest account, depart guests and most importantly, provide them the best of the services possible.

The food production department

Those people who assume that the food is cooked by a chef in a kitchen and served is all about the food department? Well, you all are wrong. Large hotels have ample of satellite kitchens and one main kitchen in which there is mis en pla (Pre preparation of food) . There are not only two chefs (Head chef and sous chef) there are tandoor cooks, non vegetarian cooks, vegetarian cooks, south indian cooks, mithai cooks, fish cooks, soup cooks, sauce cooks, roast cooks, pastry Cooks, Garde manger and assistant cooks.

The food and beverage department

Food cooked by the specialised chef is served by this department and people who assume that there is one manager and rest are waiters. You all are again living in a misconception this department is also beyond your thinking. A restaurant is divided into various sections for easy and fast service as well as management. There is a restaurant manager, head waiter, station head waiter, station waiter, junior station waiter, waiter, wine waiter, barman, porters, secretary, banquet head waiters and sales administrator. It also has a another department associated with it that is food and beverage control.

The housekeeping department

This department is always presumed for cleaning and again it is far more than it. It is not all about cleaning apart from this it’s about decorating and designing a guest room according to the guest preferences. There are not only cleaners in the department it also follows a hierarchy similar to others:- Executive housekeeper, assistant housekeeping, floor supervisor, laundry supervisor, linen room supervisor, public area supervisor, florist, guest room assistant and other assistants too. There is a desk control room which examines the functioning of the entire department.

Hotels are managed by all these departments every department knows it’s duties and does everything in an extraordinary manner to provide the best services in every way. Hotels are using every sought of technology and practices to satisfy and please their guests.

After pondering a lot , I finally got something to write on . I know that everyone is aware about life in a hotel, but those people who spend most of their life travelling for ample of reasons they mostly live in hotels. Hotel industry started since a long time that is in the mid of nineteenth century but with the advancement of globalisation, westernization , transport and skilled people it flourished a lot. So it is not at all difficult to travel across and live in hotels.

Frequent visit vs Recent visit.

When we visit for the first time the feeling is not less than visiting a heaven. Everything is well organised, equipped and managed. We are impressed by the amenities and cleanliness over there. The tempting food of restaurants is really mouth watery. It seems like that there is no place like this one the things become easy and fun . Treatment given by the staff is generous we feel extremely privileged and royal.

Recent
Visit

People who travel for business they frequently stay at different hotels and they are less impressed by the hotel staff as they are used to everything. They find hotel just a place to stay, a shelter which will ease the journey or the motive of travel. Apart from the restaurant food , such people prefer home made ethnic food as well as traditional food.

Life of hotel staff.

Apart from these people, we never imagined about the hotel staff who spend almost 12 hours here. People who live away from their house , they wish to visit their place , they are tired of everything. People in hotel want to move out and people outside want to come inside. Isn’t it strange? Well not! This blog was just an example to show we people donot get satisfied by anything we receive. If we get happiness in small doses that’s okay but if we daily experience the same amount of happiness we tend to change our concept of happiness.

Why happiness is so rare ?

It’s just the case of self satisfaction, we find our peace outside us. We donot understand that peace resides within, wherever we go we need to take all our happiness with us. For instance, if you are staying at home find your peace at your home not in luxurious hotels where you can’t give a daily visit. On the flipside, if you are staying in a hotel for work or business travels, find your peace in that hotel make that room your house, feel the comfort and coziness over there.

Rich vs poor

Neither the rich is happy nor the poor! Only that person is happy who is satisfied and adjustable to his or her situations. This blog was clearly a distinguishing trait between the two sectors of society. If a person is happy and satisfied from within his or her happiness will not be short lasting , he or she will not be used to surroundings wherein he or she will see everyday as a new adventure irrespective of where the person is actually residing. A person in a slum area maybe happier than a person in a hotel . Happiness is the state of mind not our economic or social position.

Life is too short , let’s find maximum reasons to be happy in every situation, let’s see every problem as a opportunity to get more stronger . Let’s see life as a journey , where good -bad people meet, where positive – negative happens our work is to believe in us and fight the problems and feel the blessings.