Two Unlikely Maharajas
Restoring and refurbishing are personally planned and overseen by Nath-Wacziarg themselves, so they save on consultant fee. While restoring, they work with local masons, often using traditional construction materials like lime and mortar. The focus on restoration — not reconstruction — helps them avoid unnecessary changes and keep the history intact.
Marketing is purely by word of mouth.
Their tiered tariffs — from Rs. 2,000 to Rs. 21,000 a night with breakfast — targets a wide segment. Their hotels are minimalist — not luxurious but comfortable. Their USP is a “non-hotel hotel” where the service-facilities may not be five-star (there’s a TV room, but no TV in every room) but they promise an authentic Indian experience. Most of their staff is hired locally, do not have hotel management degrees and are groomed internally for their jobs. They may not have the five-star finesse but serve guests with certain warmth which is Neemrana’s differentiator.
All this helps keep costs and attrition low and helps cater to their unique positioning. “We do not want to treat our guests like a money-generating factory,” says Wacziarg.
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Hotel De L'Orient, Puducherry | |
An Evolving Gameplan
Nath-Wacziarg have learnt a few lessons on the way. Any property with less than 10 rooms does not make business sense. So in Coorg, in a property that had six rooms, they added four more and made it viable.
The Neemrana Fort best exemplifies their nimbleness. Initially, it largely catered to foreigners and NRIs. But steadily, the 70:30 ratio has turned into 35:65 today with more domestic travellers. They are now nurturing the weddings and official banquets segment. They hosted 17 weddings and 40 conferences last year.
To cater to that clientele, they have added facilities like amphitheatre (for ladies sangeet etal), swimming pool and wi-fi and conferencing facilities at their premises. Recently they added hot air balloon and zipping for a dash of adventure.
In many ways, Nath-Wacziarg’s personal passion and interests is helping fortify the Neemrana brand in the cultural and art space. Their NGO Khushii, which has 120 eminent artists and personalities from different fields as members, has organised collaborated painting events for charity. Their Neemrana Music Foundation hosted a Basant Bahar festival where eminent dancers and vocalists performed. The Writers’ Retreat at Neemrana, where top writers congregate, is famous.
The Challenges
Neemrana operates in a market that is unexplored and commercially unattractive to big companies. When Tijara Fort was in need of a patron, 14 firms showed interest and only two submitted the bids. So competitive pressures are limited in this business. But there are logistical and administrative challenges of getting approvals given the government is one of the biggest owners of heritage buildings, says Nath.
There are internal challenges. The biggest being that the group is too dependant on Nath-Wacziarg. From property acquisition to restoring and managing them, they are too deeply and personally involved in every aspect of the business. Will they be able to institutionalise and create a leadership pipeline to take the journey forward? That’s a question that Nath-Wacziarg need to find answers to.
As the duo adds new properties, will they be able to logistically manage a big and expansive business? They are trying to address that question by setting up a school at Neemrana that will train 200-500 workers annually — some of them could be used for their own properties.
Upkeep and maintenance, of course, will be an issue. For example, at Neemrana Fort one can sense the monsoon dampness and seepages in many places. Logistically, managing the owners and keeping them happy will be critical. One of their premium-most property — Glasshouse in Haridwar — is coming up for lease renewal and automatic renewal isn’t guaranteed.
There are worries and there are challenges. But Nath-Wacziarg’s soft voices remind you of a different world. “We are doing what we deeply love. Managing a hotel and making money is secondary,” says Wacziarg. Their “time machine” is their first passion — business later. They are clear about that.
Single Page View
really very good approach.
The king of Hospitality.
Aman Nath 58, Francis Wacziarg.
thanks.
I request them to revive TIJARA FORT and convert into hotel so that past glory can be preserved.
But one complain why they are charging entry fees of Rs 500..it s expensive.
