The new HVS Ana‘Rock’?

Mandeep Lamba has taken over as the President of HVS ANAROCK South Asia. He discusses about his new job role, how he is planning to grow the brand in India, and how different the new association is from the previous one!

How different is the new association from the previous one?
In terms of structure, it’s a JV, but of course, both the partners are extremely strong. ANAROCK is a substantial real estate consulting company and HVS is a global leader. So, with the two companies coming together, there couldn’t be a better merger of opportunities in the real estate and the hospitality sector, and that’s why it’s going to be different from the previous venture. The strength of the two companies merged together is going to be substantial. The earlier joint venture was between HVS and an individual in his own capacity. This one from that perspective makes it look very different because both the companies are extremely solid in their own space.

Tell us about your new role at HVS ANAROCK.
I have taken over as the President of HVS ANAROCK (South Asia). ANAROCK Property Consultants has recently partnered with HVS, and as a new business vertical of the ANAROCK Group, HVS ANAROCK will focus on brokerage, feasibility studies, operator searches, appraisals, executive search, and other hospitality sector consulting and advisory services throughout South Asia. My new role is to take over, help build, and grow what has already been an iconic brand in India. Also, my role is like any other CEO who leads a company – grow the brand in India. HVS is well-known in the country and has one of the best equities in terms of its branding. ANAROCK is relatively new in the real estate consulting and advisory space but has had a substantial growth story in the last two years. Its listed among the top 50 real estate companies in India. My job is to bring together the strength of both these companies and take HVS to a much higher level and become the undisputed leader in the hospitality consulting world.

What kind of hospitality trends do you foresee for 2019?
The hospitality industry is evolving both in India and globally. I think, one of the biggest shifts that has been observed post the Marriott and Starwood merger is that there is a lot of consolidation happening. I see this going forward as a trend globally. More and more mergers and takeovers are going to happen. In India, I see renewed interest from global investors coming into India, as the performance of this sector has shown consistent improvement and there’s enough reason to believe that we are heading towards a bull run. So, we are going to see increase in investment opportunities
coming to India. Also, we are going to see increased transaction space getting occupied over the next couple of years and of course, we are going to see lots of new entries coming in terms of new players and investment in the boutique
luxury sector.

WHAT IS ANAROCK ALL ABOUT?
Anuj Puri
Chairman, ANAROCK
Property Consultants

How different will Hotelivate’s functioning be from what it was under the HVS banner?
Hotelivate is a new-age hospitality consulting firm with a focused, empathetic, and innovative approach. What sets us apart from other consulting firms operating in the region, including HVS, is that we offer lifecycle consulting – advising the client right from the inception of a project to its opening, and eventually its divestment. It eliminates the need for several different advisors, with a single firm serving as a one-stop shop for all of the client’s needs concerning that project. Presently, there is no ‘dedicated’ hospitality firm offering lifecycle consulting in this part of the world.
Additionally, our solutions are tailored to the needs of our diverse set of clients as against offering templatedriven,
cookie-cutter outcomes. Our proprietary models for analyses are dynamic and take into consideration the several local factors that influence investment decisions. We have also embraced technology with both hands for internal efficiencies as well as to provide better insights to our clients.

What advantages does operating under a new name offer?
A new name marks the beginning of a new journey with endless possibilities and exciting opportunities. I have a fantastic team with rich industry experience and an enviable entrepreneurship spirit. Together, we remain committed to excellence and are focused on building a firm that has a forward-looking approach to consulting, offering customised and pertinent solutions. While we are not afraid to change with the times and challenge existing paradigms, we do not undermine the
importance of traditional consulting frameworks. Thus, Hotelivate has the agility of a start-up with the delivery
mechanism of a stalwart! In terms of marketing, our work speaks for itself. We have high client retention and were fortunate to have their patronage as we launched Hotelivate. Our referral business from existing and past clients as
well as our alumni is extremely strong, which stands as a testament to the quality of our deliverables and healthy client relationships. Having said that, we are not complacent and do recognise the need to promote our services. We are doing this by publishing articles on numerous hospitality topics periodically, positioning us as knowledge leaders in the region. In addition, we are engaging actively on social media and improving our online presence