Following a simple philosophy of ‘making sure that the brand speaks for itself’, Grand Mercure Goa Shrem Resort is a destination in itself ‘where time stands still’, says Manish Dayya, general manager of the property By Kahini Chakraborty
Synonymous with elements such as music, art and culture, Goa has been providing travellers with their much needed relaxation coupled with a lively environment. The north of Goa- Candolim has recently seen the launch of the first upscale brand of Accor- Grand Mercure Goa Shrem Resort bridging this the gap between the supply and demand curve in the market. Owned by the Shrem Group and managed by Accor, this getaway property situated around the bustling nightlife and beaches of Goa, provides the perfect rejuvenation for travellers.
With the brand functioning on its four essential brand pillars – Sense of Welcome; Sense of Guest Amenities; Sense of F&B and Sense of Discovering Culture, this 121 room property has a dramatic architecture which has elements of Indo-Portuguese design, and the interiors reflect the Goan ethos. The resort features 86 Superior Rooms, 10 Deluxe Rooms, 20 Superior Suites and five Executive Suites. Manish Dayya, general manager, Grand Mercure Goa Shrem Resort highlights, “Each room at the resort has been designed keeping the comfort factor in mind along with taking into account detailing of elegance in interiors, indulgence facilities for guests to provide a comfortable and memorable stay at the resort.” Having a clear agenda to offer the best of hospitality service to leisure and business travellers to the region, Dayya states that the resort offers four restaurant and bars – Chy, an all-day cafe and deli, Festa- 100 seater trendy all-day dinning venue offering European, Asian and Indian delicacies, Junho Bar- which offers a fine selection of spirits and wines and Sunken Bar attached to the pool. Boasting about the resort’s spa and wellness offering, he mentions, “Our BalaeSpa at the resort has been adopted from Bali and has been designed as a tropical Balinese sanctuary offering 10 treatment rooms providing holistic therapeutic traditional and exotic treatments. We have also introduced the Turkish Bath and Hammam spa treatments, and are also going to add Raindrop Therapy (nine oil therapy) for the well-being of our guests. These are some of the elements that we consider as our biggest unique selling points in the market. We will also be bringing in new concepts- yoga, gym, Ayurveda and much more for long stay guests.”
Market analysis
Being in the hospitality industry and working for the best of hotel brands such as Marriott, Taj Group of Hotels, Lemon Tree and now Accor, Dayya opines, “Over the years, I have seen that while there is a huge demand for hotel developments, offering consistency in services among hotel brands is where the market really lacks. And this is exactly where I see a brand like ours having a good opportunity as the north Goa market belt has few hotel offerings. As Goa has two distinct market belts- north and south, the south Goa is very restrictive to luxury and upscale properties and north Goa lacks a strong mix of this. Hence, according to us our brand Grand Mercure Goa Shrem Resort has stepped into the market at the right time and the right place to make sure that the offering is available to travellers opting for a vacation in north Goa.” He further continues, “We opened the Hotel Novotel Goa Shrem Resort in 2013 and in our first year of operations we touched nearly 70 per cent of occupancy during the pre-opening phase itself. Novotel showed a growth in its market share in Goa and it is the city’s demand that helped us in deciding to bring in an upscale brand- Grand Mercure Goa Shrem Resort into the north Goa market. We did a soft launch of the property in July 2014 with limited services and now we are fully operational.”
Goa is a market that has not only been the most sought-after among domestic tourists but also international travellers. “About 30 per cent of the business is through charter services and the domestic market which was earlier ignored is now forming a key segment for business growth. The emergence of the middle-class segment and youth travellers are the real travellers who do not mind spending money on quality and consistent services being offered to them. We are looking at targeting leisure, honeymooners, families and business travellers. Presently the market has about 4,750 rooms inventory across all segments of hotels. Of this only 15 per cent fall under the upscale segment and there are a lot of people who look forward to being in Goa. By 2018 there should be a healthy upsurge of 6,500 rooms ready to cater to discerning travellers in Goa. Having said that, the next year is going to be challenging for hotel chains.”
Giving an understanding of the market dynamics of Goa, Dayya states, “Goa has been one of the most favourable short weekend getaway destinations among travellers, and in terms of year-on-year growth the sector has seen a growth of three per cent in RevPar and 70 per cent occupancies resulting in five per cent growth. The resort has an outdoor banqueting and meetings space which has 16 meeting rooms with capacity to accommodate 150 persons. “We want to cater to the MICE segment and we are fortunate to be situated in this belt which gives us the option to offer club business with leisure facilities for our guests,” he mentions.