Insights by Mr. Nagesh Battula, Founder, FHD Group
Written by Sriram Ramakrishnan & Vignesh Srinivasan, FHD Group
Friday, 28 December 2018
Shri. Vishal Dev IAS, Commissioner-cum-Secretary, Department of Tourism, Government of Odisha recently said at Make in Odisha Conclave 2018: “Odisha is growing by leaps and bounds in every sector. I am glad major companies are recognizing the potential present here. Tourism is one of the six focus sectors of the state, we are bolstering our efforts in developing infrastructure and are totally committed to providing every support these companies need to build their properties here.”
With a growing focus on this sector, Mayfair Hotels have expressed their intent is growing their business operations within and outside the state with the aim of developing 17-18 resort hotels by 2023. Given our almost-decade-long experience with Mayfair Hotels, we wanted to share our insights on designing hospitality properties for Mayfair Hotels. Part 1 of this article outlines FHD Group’s first step with Mayfair Hotels when we designed the Mayfair Convention Center.
FHD Group & Mayfair’s First Collaboration
FHD Group’s collaboration with Mayfair Hotel began in 2010 when we designed the Interiors for Mayfair Convention Center at Bhuvaneshwar.
Mayfair Hotels had built and were operating Mayfair Lagoon in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. They were planning to build a large event venue right across their existing property. Floor plans were already in place by a leading architect when Mayfair heard about FHD Group through a mutual contact. Mr.Dilip Ray, Managing Director of Mayfair Hotels, approached us with a brief to provide a holistic design solution(including interiors, coordinated services, landscaping and more). The key brief given was to design a vertical convention hall within a moderate budget but offering an opulent guest experience.
Bhubaneshwar’s Leading Convention Center
Mayfair Convention Center is located in Bhubaneshwar, Odisha. Known as “The City of Temples”, it is one of the most culturally effervescent cities in India. State capital Bhubaneshwar is a sprawling metropolis that ably balances between upholding traditional values & cultural heritage and adaptively accommodating modern conveniences. With many tourist and local attractions, the city is home to Lingaraja Temple and Mukteswar Temple, some of the finest temples, State Museum, Bindu Sarovar, and Nanda Kananas well as places of interest such as Puri and Gopalpur-on-Sea. Responding to local, tourist & business needs, Mayfair Convention Center continues to hold the answer as a center of spectacular opulence for Bhubaneswar. Promoting Odisha’s culture and dialect has always been Mr. Dilip Ray’s priority. A leader of embedding Indian-ness into his hospitality projects, his passion for Odisha remains evident from the fact that 3 Mayfair Hotels properties are in Odisha and many employees are from Odisha.
Design aspects that set the Mayfair Convention Center apart from the rest
Driven by the consistent passion, Mayfair hotels set a benchmark of its own in terms of scale, luxury and guest service. In addition to the strength of its brand& reputation, Mayfair Hotels has a unique strategy. They offer larger than standard sizes for the suites, rooms and public spaces. They articulate a sense of luxury not only through expensive materials but also through well-thought-out design and lush green outdoor spaces. And of course, their success is anchored on and around exemplary guest experiences and services.
Today, the Mayfair convention has become the benchmark for opulent weddings in Bhubaneswar. Mayfair and FHD Group have been collaborating ever since. Part 2 of this article dives into FHD Group’s inputs in designing for Mayfair Convention Center and how the collaboration grew into a rich and continuing experience.
Design success in hospitality projects
“Mutual understanding between Mayfair Hotels & us, at FHD Group, was key to the success of this project. Where there is a positive spirit where everyone brings their best for the cause of the project, this (and any projects, for that matter) are bound to see success only. “
Nagesh Battula – Founder, FHD Group
Since then, FHD Group has been hired as the lead design consultant for Mayfair Resorts in Raipur and Mayfair Resorts in Kolkata, with 124 keys and 250 keys respectively.
Be sure to read Part 2
To read the second post in this series where we discuss the project’s design and spatial experience, click on this link: Part 2 and find out more about Mayfair Convention Center.