"Smart work paints your success later, but first, you need to apply the base coat of hard work": Rahul Verma, CEO & Founder at ROOHI Hospitality Group
He could sell ice to Eskimos! The determination of his dreams and career took a road to Damascus (Mumbai for him) and he, instead of giving up on his dreams in the hands of high college tuition, took an appointment with the senior management and convinced them over why he should be a part of their institution and got a straight admission without paying an extra penny!
If you ask me to define this interview in one word, it has to be, 'Wholesomeness'. He is a good laugh, an enterprising person, someone who is full of the joys of spring. He is Rahul Verma, a humble leader who chairs as the CEO & Founder at ROOHI Hospitality Group. It is just brilliant to see how he speaks out his heart. A seasoned entrepreneur with over one and half decade experience within the Hospitality & Travel Industry, Rahul is someone who feels more and does not know how to fake it. Well versed with every element of the industry including New Set-up & Pre-Opening, Business Development & Expansion, Sales & Marketing, Media Plan, Brand Management, Strategic Planning, Revenue Management, PR & Key Account Management, Team Management, Property & Land Acquisition, Investors Relation, and Product Development, he has lived all his life on values, vision, and commitments. And he is, without a doubt, delivering the same with his venture ROOHI.
The start
Rahul shares the journey with us, "My professional career has seen various landscapes and weathers!" He hails from the city of Kolkata, home to the world's first non-euro Nobel Prize laureate, Rabindranath Tagore. His educational passage gliding by boarding schools shaped him as a person he is today, then the road took a curve due to some internal issues and Rahul landed in Mumbai and the rest is history.
Professional Jaunt
After completing his Bachelors in Hotel Management from Padmashree Dr D. Y. Patil Vidyapeeth and MBA (PGDM) in E-Commerce & Marketing from Welingkar Institute of Management, Rahul was ready to gain experience in the industry. The tenure of three years at his first job fine-tuned his aura and laid the bedrock of where he stands today. "When you are a part of a smaller organization, you shoulder many responsibilities and assignments and they open multiple opportunities to honour these responsibilities and put your heart and hard work. Contrary to 8-hour shift, I would spend 18 hours on the job, just to learn and work on my loopholes. So, you can say that I have covered an experience of 8 years in a 3-year professional stint and that's something to be proud of!" Charged with experience, he joined a premium hotel brand. He worked there for two years and this man was promoted 5 times- a reward for his hard work, deliverables, values, and words.
Wearing the Entrepreneurial Hat
"It's been two decades since I have been in league with the hospitality and management industry and have been working with most of the luxury to economic hotels of the country and right from the beginning I've observed the challenges the owners facing in terms of marketing management, franchise and on the other operational elements. Owning a franchise of international hotel brands brings its own headaches pertaining to the daily operations. This was the key idea that we picked up. To address the hindrances akin to marketing and management, we got back to them with the accurate solution wherein everything they are expecting pertaining to marketing and operations, they get it under one roof in the right hand and that too in a very professional and ethical air." Rahul started his entrepreneurial innings with Pallavi Verma, his better half, and business partners as well. Pallavi has been there in the Hotels and Aviation industry for almost a decade and has worked with top MNCs as a seasoned PR & Admin professional.
Tuned up with the industry, the duo thought of starting the brand to be a better fit for the individuals who stand alone on the marketing and operational scale. That was the ideation, they both wanted to deliver something operative, ethical and a much-focused platform where the team can assist them and support them from the inception of the hotel to running and launching the hotel.
The Chronoscope: ROOHI
Run by Hoteliers for hoteliers
ROOHI: Revenue Optimisation Opportunity for Hospitality Industry
Living the vision of leading the Hotel Marketing and Sales Convergence Revolution by creating India's largest network of Independent hotels
ROOHI! The soul! An essence of life where the purest and the most memorable instincts lie. ROOHI is a creation for the enhancement and growth of the wealth and revenues while walking hand in hand with the independent owners and operators by enhancing the sales. A start-up breathes commitment and creates relationships with support from consulting, marketing and sales. Today ROOHI stands as one of the most luxurious and prestige hotel marketing and consulting company. The firm enjoys a prestigious clientele adorned by leading five stars deluxe hotels that have their standard of integration in the market and ROOHI acts like their a face and voice at their behalf. "And this is prestigious for ROOHI as well", asserts Rahul. "In the process, we use our partners' standalone hotel as a product and ROOHI acts as a Face & Voice on their behalf with its immense knowledge & experience of local market, strong relation & recognition within corporate clients, travel trade partners, event companies, wedding planners etc. which are handled & managed by experienced team. And hence, we put our best efforts in creating opportunities and enhancing financial returns by optimizing the revenues, profit and brand awareness through Marketing, Sales, and Consulting."
Hotel Marketing & Sales Representation: A Driving Sales Force to Promote Independent Hotels
Hotel Consulting
Polishing its expertise: ROOHI's Hotel Management & Franchise offerings
The firm has ventured out an alcove within the talent management and property acquisition space. Adding more feathers to its cap, the firm has entered into a Joint Venture with a Bangkok based International Hotel Management Company –'The Staarbridge International SIHM as a Master Franchise Partner (INDIA), to operate and manage luxury to economy hotels & resort in India. ROOHI Staarbridge SIHM has launched 7 international brands- Seven Seas, StarGates, StarLight's, Nova Boutique, Fairyland, Sunny Lion and Sky House to address all the needs of business and leisure travellers seeking comfort, attention, and high-quality services. The step will definitely hamper the geographical expansion of the brand and will be a boon for hotel owners & operators to maximise result in three fundamental areas- People, Property, and Profit along with making us a trusted brand in the hospitality.
Road Ahead
To sum it up altogether- that's just the tip of the iceberg of a company who is marching ahead to have 25 hotels on-board under Franchise, Management & Marketing Module and expand our presence across North, South and East India along with setting up offices in Singapore and Sri Lanka.
Also in the menu
Rahul is among those entrepreneurs who represent diversity. He lives in simplicity, takes inspiration from her lovely daughter Ruhi and would love to title his autobiography as 'Think belief desire and dare'.
