Exclusive Interview | Ajay Kanojia, General Manager Sayaji Pune

Being positive in tough situations is something that every budding hospitality professional must imbibe themselves.

-Ajay Kanojia

Tell us about your Journey. How did it all Start?

My base is F&B when I started working with previous organizations and worked in Front Office, Business development is also experienced. The job is not monotonous & gets a chance to explore oneself. The sales & guest handling experience & know about guest behaviors. Worked with different locations, including Leisure & corporate hotel, South, Kerala, Jaipur, Central part and; working with business Locations, Like Delhi and; Pune. Being F&B background not only restricted me in supervising production & services but my own interest drives me to learn other elements of hospitality and better experiences for guests. Every guest is new and every day is about learning in-depth and the remaining guests focus on true spirits. attention to minute details, Work for the betterment of the guests and Learn out of passion. Focusing on all the aspects of hospitality is what inspires me every day. Hospitality suffered during the pandemic but anything which goes down also bounces back strongly as its nature's rule. So being positive in tough situations is something that every budding hospitality professional must imbibe themselves.

What do you think it takes to succeed in this Industry? 

Working in hospitality always keeps you on your toes and there is no time limit when it comes to serving the guests. The shifting of the departs which is FnB, Front office & sales within the operations is a very dynamic part of working in the industry.

The knowledge of different cities, sectors, different property categories like, business hotels, Leisure hotels & mix of both makes more learnings and better understanding towards guest’s requirements from different departments.

What are the attributes you look for while selecting or hiring? If someone wants to work with you, what should they do? 

The Positive attitude is the key that I look at in every candidate irrespective of entry-level, mid-level & senior with a smile.  

What advice would you give to a young, aspiring hotelier for their internship?

The Patient is required to work in hospitality. The career initially is slow in terms of Monetary but later stage it becomes very glamourous & great place to work. The learning & public dealing.

What is the single factor that got you your promotion?

Defined Target: Keep employees happy, Business focused, and a Better understanding of terms of revenue management with guest satisfaction.

What are some of the trends you see impacting the hospitality Industry?

Shifting of the workforce to different sectors. Less Student enrollment in Hospitality institutions. Post-Covid the fear in mind to see hospitality going down again.

What tech would you like to see in operations? What operational problems need tech solutions?

Adding new devices to different stages makes work less challenging. Adding better software which help to understand guests more & memorized the visits & experience. Security checks for the rooms which can smartly check the guest before checking out majorly require guest solutions.

What is the one tech/app/software feature you would like to see? This could be for guests, operations, etc.

Security Applications for guests & Employees

Two things you would like to change in the industry. 

Good reforms on labor laws on giving Balance between work life & personal life by law for example 5 days working for all industries.

What is your favorite question for a candidate interview and why?

I give departmental situation-based questions for candidates’ reactions & through the process. It helps to analyze the thinking level of a person & gives actual insights.