By Neha Kirpal
About 10 kilometres away from the hustle bustle of Himachal’s capital city, lies the grand Welcomhotel Shimla. Owned by Zed Infrastructure Private Limited and operated by ITC Limited, the hotel is spread over an expansive area of over five acres and surrounded by Mashobra’s rich evergreen forests.
On 15th November 2020, it was rebranded as a Welcomhotel property. Currently, it has 47 operational rooms (of which 12 are deluxe, 34 are superior and 1 is an executive suite), two food & beverage outlets (the indoor and outdoor all-day dining multi-cuisine WelcomCafe Cedar as well as Swizzle, the bar) as well as three banqueting and meeting venues.
We caught up with Welcomhotel Shimla’s General Manager, Raj Panda, who spoke among other things about some of the hotel’s unique features, the effect of the pandemic and its plans for the future.
What are some of the hotel’s unique features that set it apart from your competition?
The road approaching the crescent-shaped hotel is through a signature trail that exposes itself into a valley. All of its furniture has been made using anti-carcinogenic material. Unlike other hotels in the area, each room is V-shaped with a valley-facing balcony and enjoys a view of either the sunrise or the sunset.
Welcomhotels are all about enriching experiences. This hotel offers many of those. The property has an in-house putting green with two tees and two holes. There is a 24-hour fitness centre, an indoor recreational area for children having table tennis, billiards, American foosball, card room, library, chess, carom, ludo and a playstation. There are also daily yoga sessions, cycling, camping and river rafting services available on request. The Sunset Garden also offers various activities, such as air-gun shooting, archery and bonfires.
What has been the effect of the pandemic? What are some measures you have taken to counter its effect?
By and large, Himachal has been slightly blessed during the pandemic due to the influx of tourists after both the first and second waves. However, we continue to be careful on several counts. We conduct a random RTPCR test of our staff members from each department on a weekly basis. Further, the WeAssure programme has enabled various stringent measures, such as screening of body temperature, disinfecting luggage, minimum contact during buffets, digital ordering of food, quarantining of vegetables and linen, sanitised cutlery, crockery and tableware as well as e-payment.
What special promotions and packages are you offering during this time?
There have been many long-staying packages during this time, such as staycations and workations. Then there is the Relax and Rejuvenate package for a minimum length of 15 days. Another package we have introduced is Dine at Your Own Convenience, which enables a guest to order food that can be left outside their room using zero-contact delivery. Our cancellation policy has also changed from a minimum of seven days’ notice to three days from the date of arrival.
Since mid-2020, we have also been offering Doctor’s packages and Army packages to express a kind of gratitude towards both the medical and defense fraternities. By this, all commissioned officers or doctors possessing an ICMR certificate can avail of a flat 50% discount on given rates.
Tell our readers a little about your signature food items and complementary classes that the hotel offers to resident guests?
Our thin-crust pizzas, which use a local cheese brand, Amiksa, are very popular. We have a live noodle counter every evening. There is also the Welcomsthalika, by which one can relish regional dishes of Himachal Pradesh on a single platter.
We offer mixology sessions that help people prepare signature beverages using local ingredients that are easily available in one’s kitchen. We also offer interactive cooking classes that introduce guests to Himachal’s traditional cuisine, again using ingredients that are easily available in one’s home.
What are the hotel’s plans for the future?
There are a number of plans to extend the hotel’s inventory and add new experiences for guests. Presently, we are creating more walking trails within the property. We are also working on bringing one of ITC’s specialty restaurants within the hotel. Another 16 two-bay suites as well as three new treehouses (two super luxurious cottages and one gazebo) will come up by the end of the year.
Further, a super luxurious spa, K by Kaya Kalp, will also start operating by the yearend, offering various therapies, including the signature forest bathing experience (hugging trees and absorbing maximum oxygen from it).
