Indian Hotels Company has been at the forefront of helping the frontline workers – doctors, hospital staff, and the police while they combat the fast-spreading novel coronavirus. It recently shared tales of the corona warriors at their many hotels of how they are easing the stress that the frontline workers are faced with.
The staff at Ginger Bhubaneshwar- one of the official self-quarantine centres in Odisha, led by the hotel manager Shantanu Kumar Das, have been rock solid and been serving quarantined guests exceptionally well. He has been multi-tasking and donning many hats to handle different situations, from preparation of the hotel as a quarantine centre to handling concerns of the parents of the front-line team who were worried about the health and security of their kin.
Saurabh Kumar Singh, the restaurant manager at Ginger Bhubaneshwar, has taken a greater responsibility and turned out to be a champion. During this time, Singh emerged as a leader and took lead not only to look after his domain but also held other departments together. On March 19, Ginger Bhubaneshwar hosted their first self-quarantine guest for which he handled the check-in and also stayed back till the last check-in of the day. Singh handled the guest from their reservation to check-in to room stay and also arranged for food to be delivered to their room. He also undertook additional responsibilities of coordinating with the BMC officials, Doctor’s Squad and Medical team, while pledging 24×7 support to the hotel manager.
At TajSATS Mumbai, Meherwan Karanjia, GM, has been demonstrating and encouraging outstanding teamwork, trust, harmony and synergy in these trying times. Putting duty first during this pandemic, he has been boosting the overall morale and driving the initiative to ensure that over 20,000 meals are delivered to the Doctors, Healthcare professionals and migrants. “When TajSATS got the opportunity to serve the community and serve food to the braveheart doctors and health professionals, I felt a sense of duty towards them as well as our community and put my heart and soul into serving the real heroes who are risking their lives every day,” he said.
Prakash Singh, guest service supervisor – F&B, Taj Mahal, New Delhi, eagerly volunteered to serve and be present at the Hotel through these challenging times. He plays a vital role in being the one point contact in managing deliveries of two rounds of meals for the medical and para-medical staff in hospitals. He coordinates with the hospital team, right from receiving the order till the delivery, and is continuously monitoring the ever-changing circumstances surrounding COVID-19 to keep the work areas safe. Prakash and his team ensures essential hygiene measures including increased cleaning and sanitizing frequency within the department and ensuring the final product delivered has been packed under utmost care, hygiene and love.
Likewise, Mohit Sharma & Sagnik Bhattacharya – Housekeeping staff at Taj Mahal, New Delhi have volunteered to be a part of the hotel taskforce to extend their services to the guests who are stranded in the hotel due to the lockdown. Both of them not only volunteered to put up in the hotel but have also taken complete ownership to take charge of planning and organizing all housekeeping operations- rooms, laundry, public area, horticulture, pest control and support to allied departments to ensure smooth operation, hygiene and safety of all guests and associates in the hotel. Working long hours to ensure that no task is missed out before calling it a day has also not made them physically tired but gave them more strength with confidence to prepare for the fight the next day and come out victorious.
At Taj West End, Bengaluru, Chef Paramjeet Singh, sous chef, Masala Klub, a chef hailing from Punjab, has been one of the core team members managing to co-ordinate this effort with everyone and ensuring all the meals were made ready on time. With having various constraints during this lockdown period he managed to ensure quality and consistency during this difficult time. A keen and talented chef, he has abided with the valves of Tajness and ensured that our guests and associates were well fed and happy.
Upasana Ghosh, restaurant manager at Taj West End, Bengaluru, although newly inducted into the Taj family, is far from a newcomer. With more than nine years of experience in the hospitality industry, she has Taj written all over her and has singlehandedly taken over F&B operations here with an unbelievable gusto and enthusiasm. She toils day and night to ensure super smooth functioning and perfection in service and takes pride in knowing that she has done something for the community.
