From a debutant about 14 years ago to one of the biggest hotel companies on the Indian sub-continent today, Whereabouts brings its readers the growth story of one of the fastest growing hotel management company that’s been hailed the ‘Best Hospitality Management Company’ by ASSOCHAM, one of most ‘Promising Brands 2018’ by Economic Times, the CII Award for ‘Customer Obsession’ and not to forget the scores of industry awards and accolades that has followed.
In the league of its own, Clarks Inn Group of Hotels now boasts of a portfolio of 100 hotels and resorts spread across 23 states in India and Nepal. The company operates 65 hotel properties and there are 35 more that’s under different phases of development.
And the story continues.Exactly three years ago, in the January 2017 issue of Whereabouts, we had written extensively about the great strides Clarks Inn Group of Hotels had made, particularly in its meteoric growth as one of the top hotel companies in the country. And what made this growth even more important and talk of the town was the fact that Clarks Inn’s journey from zero to fifty hotels was the fastest compared to other home grown hotel management companies in India.
And the beginning of the 2020 comes with another big newsbreak for the hospitality industry once again as the hotel company now boasts of a portfolio of 100 hotels located across 22 states in India and Nepal. Clarks Inn has converted the fifty into a magnificent century.
Riding on the high growth trajectory, especially achieved in the last three years, the company has not set sight to reach an ambitious 222 hotel and resort properties by 2022. And the man behind this growth and mission 222, President & Co-founder of Clarks Inn Group of Hotels, SN Srivastava, ably supported by his boss & CMD, Anoop Kumar, is confident of making it come true.
Journey So Far
When you interact with the people, especially to know about their success story, most of them talked about the ‘hits’ very passionately. However, while interacting with Srivastava you discover that the journey of Clarks Inn has been a fine combination of many ups and downs, unforeseen challenges and learning and evolving enroute to creating an empire of 100 hotels and making Clarks Inn Group of Hotels one of the biggest home grown hotel management companies in the country today.
Srivastava is charming and suave but beneath his docile exterior lies a shrewd hotelier and a man of instinct. He is old school but equally adept at adapting, traits that has taken his company that he so passionately speaks about from an industry debutante in 2006 to the ‘Best Hospitality Management Company’ that it was recognized as by none other than ASSOCHAM sometime back. And he doesn’t hesitate to talk about the company’s humble beginning in 2006.
“Nothing came easy,” he says, recalling that it was a lot of toil, doubts and discussion with his CMD Mr Kumar and hard work. “We almost non-stop fought for our survival as a hotel company in the initial years. We worked very-very hard to be relevant and useful to our partners. It wasn’t as if the things were presented on a platter. We were exploring any and every avenue to be true to our promises to our owners and partners. We needed to convince the industry that this company is no fly-by-night operator, that we are sincere and serious industry player and that we are here for long haul,”
The company has recorded significant growth over the years, or at least that is what we are told but we are far from satisfied. It has been a journey full of ‘everyday learning, hard work and connecting the missing dots’ in creating some of the most reliable and promising brands that stand tall today.
The initial years were in stark contrast with where we see Clarks Inn today. Its journey began in 2006 with almost no infrastructure, manpower and investment. The very entry into the hotel management business happened by chance. Srivastava was associated with brand Clarks for close to 30 years working his way up at North India’s five star hotel Clarks Awadh and was closely associated with Anoop Kumar, one of promoters of Clarks Group of Hotels that operates five luxury hotel properties at Varanasi, Lucknow, Agra, Jaipur and Khajuraho. The duo were keen to chart a course of their own.
Celebrating Success; SN Srivastava with Anoop Kumar, CMD, Clarks Inn Group of Hotels
We were restless and wanted to explore something more challenging. Mr Kumar and myself were exploring new avenues to venture, but we were not thinking of getting intothe business of hotel management for sure. However, when the opportunity presented itself in 2006, we took the plunge. We were approached by the owner of our first property, Clarks Inn Pacific Mall (Also India’s first Mall hotel)) to operate their then upcoming property. Initially we were hesitant. We had our share of doubts. But once we said ‘Yes’ we have never looked back whatever be the challenges. We started with nothing but our conviction and will to create something that not only defines us but the Clarks story to a whole new level. We started without any investment whatsoever, no place to operate from as we had to shift of base from Lucknow to Delhi, no team, no experience of managing others’ properties and not even a hotel management contract,”
he informs.
And hence began the journey of Clarks Inn with its first property hotel Clarks Inn Pacific Mall opening doors in 2006. Subsequently, the company signed three more properties over the next year and half in Goa, Gorakhpur and Bengaluru. Though the number was small Clarks Inn’s these properties gave Clarks Inn geographical presence that spanned across North, South, East and West of India.The industry took note. The platform was set.
The following years were marked to global financial crisis. If Clarks Inn presence was barely growing, it didn’t lose heart. Many of hotel companies folded up, international players exited the market, developers shelved their plan as did hotel companies, developments stopped mid-way. Clarks Inn used the period to drive across the message that it is here for long. Apart from ‘Clarks Inn’ its brand portfolio now also included ‘Clarks Inn Suites’ and ‘Clarks Exotica.’ The company emerged unscathed. And that paid as there was significant change in the way industry was looking at us now. We were taken more seriously now. We were now being noticed.And the company witnessed an era rapid growth starting 2011and emerging probably the fastest to clock 50 hotel portfolio over the next few years.
There was another particularly significant change once the company was past 50 hotel portfolio. “We were now being approached instead of being always on the tail. We were able to say ‘no.’ We were able to decide who are serious about forging long term partnership and who are not. At the same time owners and developers were simply fascinated by our business ethics, our brand promises, our commitment to long-term and mutually rewarding partnership and our understanding of hotel business and not to forget that the team, our team, is probably the most accessible and approachable team today,” Srivastava says beaming with pride.
The growth of the company from 50 to 100 hotels has been tremendous. “The owners and developers are keen to be associated with our brands.This growth would not have come true with one-way effort. Today, not a day passes by when owners from some part of the country visit us in order to know us better. It’s humbling. It is also thanks to their word of mouth appreciation and publicity for us we were able to add as many as 22 property in 2019. It is also thanks to their effort on our behalf that we have managed to reach 100 hotel portfolio milestone,” Srivastava says earnestly.
“When you have such a large number of hotels around, you are considered more reliable and well settled. And one of the reasons of this phenomenal growth would have been the influence of our well performing hotels and the high level of satisfaction of our investors,” he added further. Sharing an example of brand’s popularity he informs, “We signed a property in Indore in less than an hour of our meeting as the owner was very keen to give us his hotel to manage and operate.” Bangaluru, Varanasi, Pune, Noida, Indore, Mysore, among tens of other destinations that the company has made inroads in in the last few years.
Next Phase of Growth
During my interaction with SNS, he revealed that inspired with the growth that the Group has registered Clarks Inn is readying to achieve a very ambitious target of 222 hotels by 2022. Elaborating more on the ‘Vision 222 by 2022’ he said that when this ambitious plan of more than doubling the portfolio size was discussed with the core team,it turned out to be everybody’s mandate and there was a complete consensus in achieving this target and taking this Group to the next level of growth.
After striking a magnificent centaury in hotels, the Group is poised to hoist its flag on many international soils as well. SNS shares that things are taking shape for its resounding international foray too. “The brand is exploring opportunities in
Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Thailand, Malaysia, Dubai and also the European market. We are poised to have at least five international hotels operational in the year 2020,” he added.
Taking a giant leap in this direction, Clarks Inn has opened an office in Netherlands and appointed a development team in London as well. The Group has already signed three hotels in Nepal, one operational and the two other are under development. Group’s hotel in Kathmandu is high top notch property with casino and all luxury facilities. The company is also in touch with prospective owners in Bangladesh and expects to open its first property later this year.
Team Irrepressible
To create and efficiently run an empire of 100 hotels, a strong team of dedicated professionals is essential. Starting with just two people, Kumar and Srivastava himself with a small corner desk as office, today the company boasts of 50-member strong teamacross departments such as operation, training, development, technical, finance and sales with an office area that is almost 10,000 square feet at Noida and Delhi.
Srivastava says that nurturing talent is one of the hallmarks of Carks Inn Group of Hotels. And, very strong element of nurturing talent is that deserving employee being given unique new opportunities to develop and progress to the next level of growth. “In a hotel management business our team is the most valuable assets. If you consider your team as your capital and take care of them, your problems and challenges in the day-today business will take care of itself,” he noted.
“I feel very blessed that my team (Clarksinnian as they are called) consist of people who have been with the company for a long time. There are people who have been with us since the day one and working with full commitment. Almost 90 percent of our employees have been elevated and given bigger responsibilities as and when required.We have seen minimum attrition at Clarks Inn. It’s not only the people at the top who matter, but also the front line staffs too. And we are grooming talents from withinwho will take key responsibilities tomorrow. It’s our team and their untiring effort that has catapulted Clarks Inn Group of Hotels into a trusted and the fastest growing hospitality company today,” says SNS.
Rapid Fire
How has your journey with Clarks Inn been over the years?
It’s has been a life-changing experience, to say the least. Unfortunately most of the people never get such opportunities or take advantage of opportunities when it comes knocking. But I never wanted to live in a reactive mode all my life. The journey with Clarks Inn has not only been immensely satisfying but has also been life-transforming for me. Back in 2006 when we started, we didn’t know that we would be one of the biggest hotel company on the Indian sub-continent.
And today, this journey is not only about growing ourselves, but to also bring new opportunities like jobs and all to far-flung corners of our country. And looking at the success that we have achieved so far, it’s been the most humbling experience of my life so far. With power, should come responsibility!
What were the key turning points of your professional side?
I would say my restlessness about not living life in reactive mode was the trigger. And though getting into the business of managing hotels was nowhere in my mind, but when the opportunity did present itself, I took the plunge never to look back and without any ‘Plan B.’ Failure was just not the option.That was the turning point of my professional career. And I would not like miss my all-weather friend and philosopher MrAnoop Kumar, also the CMD of Clarks Inn Group of Hotels,who was with me at every step of this turning point and transformational journey and we have walked down this path of transformation together.
What are the best, and most challenging parts of your job?
I live and breathe by our aspirations. And our aspirations is to be the best in the business and taking our Indian ethos of hospitality to every part of the world and create whole new opportunities in far-flung areas of the country.
As for the challenging part, we don’t really see anything that we can’t achieve as a team when we set our mind to it. Probably going into markets where no one has dared enter before was a challenge. But we have now been able to bring destinations like Gadag, Hubli, Deoghr, Bareilly, Ara, Buxur, among others, on the hospitality map of India.
How would you describe yourself?
I am a simple person who loves being in the company of family and friends and his irrepressible best-in-the-business team. If I am at home I love to spend my time with my granddaughter and that is so invigorating. I am passionate about my work and driven by my aspirations for the company and love for the family and friends. And I firmly believe that everybody deserves a second chance.
If not a travel and tourism professional; what would you be?
I am law graduate. My first love was ‘law’ but life had other plans as responsibility came very early in life. I might have been a practicing advocate in Lucknow.
How do you make a balance in your personal and professional life?
I don’t really see it in a very complicated manner. My work requires me to travel extensively and be available all the time. And when I am not travelling I am spending time with my family – my wife, kid and granddaughter at home and in between taking work related calls as well. There is no problem. I am early to bet early to rise and therefore I have a healthy friend circle of my own in the society where I live.
Also, and thankfully, I live close to my office. And that’s a premium considering three-four hours of travel time is not uncommon in a city like Delhi which I save.
Where have you travelled recently with your family?
Our country is a Pilgrims paradise. I am a religious man and believe in Karma. So every few month my wife and I, we travel to some place holy and we also take time out to explore the city and surrounding. Most recently we were on the southern sojourn visiting and Rameshwaram, Kochi, Trivandrum, among other places.
Do you have any favourite childhood travel memory?
Well I looked forward to our visits to my uncle in Varanasi every year. Also we travelled once to South India as tourist and that was a lot of fun as the entire family was visiting.
FAV-FIVE
Destination (India/Overseas): Southern Indian, London, New York
Cuisines: Vegetarian flair
Hotel: Clarks Inn hotels
Airlines: Air India
Car: Mercedes
