A Summer Evening in Mumbai with Very Special Friends at The Westin Mumbai Garden City

Fred Tibbitts & Associates, FTA is a global social entrepreneurship group that operates as an NGO, minimising all expenses and giving all profits to those less fortunate via UNICEF, Habitat for Humanity International and direct humanitarian relief assistance for desperate families in Thailand and Cambodia. FTA has offices in Bangkok, Thailand, Phnom Penh, Cambodia and Menands, New York, USA.

The Fourth Annual FTA, a Summer Evening in Mumbai with Very Special Friends at The Westin Mumbai Garden City proved to be a memorable event for the 62 guests, who included vice presidents, senior hotel executives, Area General Managers, General Managers, industry VIPs, members of the press and the sponsors of the dinner. 



The four-course gala dinner brought Fred Tibbitts Jr, President and CEO of Fred Tibbitts & Associates, Inc. to the podium, who welcomed all the guests and urged one and all to do more for those less fortunate. The reception was put on in a style reminiscent of a trade show, showcasing the products and services of two of the dinner sponsors, Treasury Wine Estates and Pernod Ricard India. 

Venerable Acharya Guru Gyaltsen sharing his pearls of wisdom



The Venerable Acharya Guru Gyaltsen, Executive Director, Pema Ts’al School, Mundgod offered a Buddhist prayer and spoke about the humanitarian work of the school for refugee Tibetan youths at Mundgod and Nepal.   





Vinay Singh, Account Director of The Westin Mumbai Garden City, David Naidu, Director of Human Resources of The Westin Mumbai Garden City, Amrita Gujral, Director of Sales and Marketing of Novotel Mumbai, Vijay Nagpal, General Manager of Oakwood Premier Apartments and Anuraag Bhatnagar,Area General Manager of The Westin Mumbai Garden City



The dinner menu was superbly crafted by The Westin Mumbai Garden City Executive Chef Ajay Chopra, while the six dinner wines were artfully paired by a famed New York wine educator Harriet Lembeck. At the end of the evening our very own Area General Manager Mr Anuraag Bhatnagar thanked everyone for coming and encouraging such a noble and honourable cause.



Fred Tibbits Jr, President and CEO of Fred Tibbitts & Associates with Maria Perez, Resouce Development Consultant, Habitat for Humanity India

The Westin Mumbai Garden City is very proud to be associated with such a huge charitable event and will continue doing so.

Westin Women, the pillars of The Westin Mumbai Garden City

The Westin Mumbai Garden City has created a woman empowering forum called Westin Women. The Women’s Grievance Forum is all about empowering women at Westin. It celebrates the feminine side in a community of strong, nurturing women who wish to cultivate wholeness in their lives. It’s a forum to interchange ideas and to empower women with their rights.
 

Excecutive Secretary Tina Khotu, Assistant HR Manager Ranjana Pal and Director of Revenue Dipti Chaudhary are the vibrant members of The Westin Women Forum.

The forum is an individual body where we have members from admin departments, Human Resources and Executive Committee representatives. All the concerns by the women are kept strictly confidential. The women can reach out to members at any time of the day. The strong members of The Women’s Grievance Forum are there for all the Women in Westin and they are their confidants.


 

AGM Mr Anuraag Bhatnagar cutting the beautiful cake

The Westin Mumbai Garden City Area General Manager, Mr. Anuraag Bhatnagar has initiated this encouraging forum and he believes that the hotel will remain committed towards the complete empowerment of women. The Women of Westin Mumbai celebrated the launch of Westin Women with a lot of encouragement and glee on 31st May 2013.The launch of Westin Women was filled with interaction, videos, lots of fun and games. Every woman of The Westin Mumbai Garden City went back home with a thoughtful gift, a feeling of empowerment and a sense of belonging at Westin Mumbai. The Westin Mumbai Garden City is very proud of their headstrong Women and will always stand up and be there for them. 

The proud women of  The Westin Mumbai Garden City

The Westin Mumbai Garden City goes green!

Team Westin Go Green

World Environment Day is observed on June 5 every year to promote awareness on the importance of preserving our biodiversity, the need to identify problems related to the environment and ways to take corrective action. It was on this day in the year 1972 that the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment was formed. First celebrated in 1973, World Environment Day is a means to tackle environmental challenges that include climate change, global warming, disasters and conflicts, harmful substances, environmental governance, ecosystem management and resource efficiency.

Team Westin contributes to cleaning up their locality

Like every year, The Westin Mumbai Garden City has joined their hands with the world to save the environment. On Environment Day, The Westin Mumbai Garden City created a green village, consisting of a huts in a natural and pollution free environment. The associates of Westin Mumbai commenced environment day with exercises that were guided to them by our Westin Workout representative. The associates voluntarily cleaned the interior and exterior premises of the hotel and made a compost bed consisting of renewable grass and leaves .

Cleaning of Westin Woods



Compost Bed












 



 


Chilren from BalVikas enjoying a SuperFoodsRx spread

 By noon the children from BalVikas arrived at The Westin Mumbai Garden City. The hotel associates set up many fun filled activities and a delicious SuperFoodsRx spread for the children. The children thoroughly enjoyed the drawing competition and the entertaining games. The children did their bit in saving the environment by planting trees. After their tummies were filled with the mouth watering snacks they bid adieu to the associates of Westin Mumbai until next time. The Westin Mumbai Garden City is proud to bring people together in making the environment greener and a better place to live in. We celebrated the day with a motto in mind to GO GREEN and to support our mother nature to grow. Our Green Team sustainability initiative was lead by our very own Chief Engineer – Mr. Anup Dey.



The children from BalVikas enjoying the tree plantation activity with
Mr Anup Dey, Chief Engineer, The Westin Mumbai Garden City



Taking action for the environment, get ready it is time for the ‘Green Initiative’

Nature provides a free lunch, but only if we control our appetites. - William Ruckelshaus

The Westin Mumbai garden City has come up with an initiative; it is time to ‘Go Green’!

We are committed to consume less and caring for our planet and hotel. Our environmental policy addresses six areas of opportunity, and our focus is on- reduce, recycle and reuse.
To support sustainability program as follows and to create awareness initiatives within the property.

•        Energy Conservation, involves high efficiency lighting, occupancy sensors, solar panels, HVAC system correction / Up gradation wherever possible, preventive maintenance
•        Water Management, here we ensure proper functioning of STP (Sewage Treatment Plant) recycled water, rain water harvesting during monsoon season, use water aerator for taps
•        Waste Management and Pollution Control involves organic waste management through an approved waste disposal vendor, compost waste management within the hotel perimeter, recycled paper, control emissions generated by our steam boilers, diesel generators, boiler, chiller & vehicle etc and proposed control
•       Enhancing Indoor Environmental Quality which involves potted plants in Public areas to help in the   increase of oxygen percentage increase the air quality of HVAC system through proper maintenance, keeping the area clean and tidy.
•        Environmental Awareness where in are working on tree plantation program, spreading awareness in community towards ‘Green’, food donation.

We are working hard on the initiative to save mother earth; it is a step forward to work
on a green and clean environment.

Team Westin Gearing up for the Green Initiative 

The Westin Mumbai Garden City Proud Milestones!

Another feather is added to the ever growing cap of The Westin Mumbai Garden City. We are very proud to share the great news of us achieving two new milestones.

TripAdvisor, the world's largest travel site, announced its prestigious 2013 Certificate of Excellence Award. TripAdvisor  has awarded  highly rated accommodations, restaurants and attractions with the 2013 Certificate of Excellence Award. The accolade, which honors hospitality excellence, is given only to establishments that consistently achieve outstanding traveler reviews on TripAdvisor, and is extended to qualifying businesses worldwide. Approximately 10 percent of accommodations listed on TripAdvisor receive this prestigious award.

The Westin Mumbai Garden City, is proud to receive not one but two TripAdvisor 2013 Certificate of Excellence awards. The first one being the TripAdvisor 2013 Certificate of Excellence award  for The Westin Mumbai Garden City. The accolade is given to only those establishments who consistently achieve outstanding traveler reviews on TripAdvisor. The Westin Mumbai Garden City has strived hard to get the Certificate of Excellence twice in a row.

This year The Westin Mumbai Garden City fun dining venue Prego is proud to say that they have received a TripAdvisor 2013 Certificate of Excellence award.

The Westin Mumbai congratulates their associates and guests who are always encouraging, helping and understanding the hotel in achieving these prestigious awards.

Hotel Investment Conference South Asia (HICSA) 2013

HVS the world's leading hospitality consulting firm is here with the 9th Hotel Investment Conference - South Asia (HICSA) 2013. HICSA has grown over the years to earn the reputation of being the best hospitality conference in the region with over 600 business leaders from across 20 countries participating last year.

HICSA 2013 for the very first time, had the four global CEOs of leading global hospitality brands on a common dais - Arne M Sorenson, President & CEO, Marriott International; Christopher J Nassetta, President & CEO, Hilton Worldwide; Frits van Paasschen, President & CEO, Starwood Hotels & Resorts and Mark S Hoplamazian, President & CEO, Hyatt Hotels Corporation.

Adding to this were interesting pre-event round table activities exclusively for owners discussing key issues related to development costs, constraints of management contracts, profitability, human capital and availability of funding.

It is an honor to have our Area General Manager, Mr Anuraag Bhatnagar impart his words of wisdom regarding the Hospitality Industry at this platform of HICSA 2013. Mr Anuraag Bhatnagar gives his take on the 'Pressure of Making Money in Challenging Markets'. He has the company of many prominent General Managers of leading hotels in this important discussion.

Subject: Pressure of Making Money in Challenging Markets

Moderator
Kapil Chopra, President, The Oberoi Group
Kapil Chopra is President of The Oberoi Group and is responsible for overseeing all The Oberoi and Trident Hotels in India. With over 19 years of experience, he has worked with premium hotel chains in the country. Most recently, Kapil was the Executive Vice President of the Group and was instrumental in opening the two flagship properties – The Oberoi and Trident in Gurgaon. He was also voted Hotelier of the Year by Hindustan Times in 2012.

Panelists
Anuraag Bhatnagar, Area General Manager, Westin Hotels Mumbai and Pune
Anuraag Bhatnagar is Area General Manager of Westin Hotels in Mumbai and Pune and has 22 years of experience in the industry. Prior to his 10 year long stint with the Starwood Group that included him serving as a General Manager for The Westin Pune Koregaon Park in Pune and Le Royal Meridien Mumbai, Anuraag was associated with The Oberoi Group for 12 years.

 

Biswajit Chakraborty, General Manager, Mövenpick Hotel and Spa Bangalore
Biswajit Chakraborty took over the reins of Mövenpick Hotel and Spa Bangalore as General Manager in August 2012. He has 25 years of experience in the industry, which includes working in leadership positions with The Leela in Kovalam and Mumbai, The Yak and Yeti in Nepal (General Manager), The Oberoi Group (Sales and Marketing Head) and the Taj Group, where he started his hospitality career as an F & B Controller.

Maverik Mukerji, GM Ibis Navi Mumbai, AGM Ibis Hotels – Maharashtra
Maverik Mukerji is the Area General Manager of Ibis Hotels in Maharashtra and the General Manager of Ibis Navi Mumbai. He has been associated with Accor since 2002. Maverik started his career with Accor in New Zealand as an Assistant Manager, Mercure Hotel, Wellington and in 10 years has excelled to be a performance driven leader with experience in world class hospitality and property management. In a career spanning over 16 years, he has played a key role in handling important hotel management operations in the Novotel Tainui Hamilton and the Novotel Rotorua Lakeside in New Zealand. Prior to Accor, Maverik was associated with the Taj Group.

Taljinder Singh, General Manager, Taj Palace New Delhi
Taljinder Singh is the General Manager of Taj Palace New Delhi since 2009. Prior to this, he was the General Manager of Taj Bengal, Kolkata and the Resident Manager of the Taj Mahal Hotel, New Delhi. He has completed varied assignments with the Group at Taj Mahal Palace and Tower Mumbai, Vivanta by Taj – President, Mumbai; and at Taj Palace New Delhi. He started his career with the Company as a Management Trainee in 1990.

Yann Gillet, General Manager, Park Hyatt Chennai
Yann Gillet is the General Manager of Park Hyatt Chennai. Recruited by Hyatt as a Corporate Trainee in 1994, he subsequently joined Hyatt Paris Charles-de-Gaulle. This was followed by a range of opportunities with Radisson Group for opening their properties in Cannes as well as Beijing. Yann’s journey with Hyatt was renewed as an Executive Assistant Manager – Finance in Casblanca, Morocco, followed by various other interesting assignments within the Company.