Hyatt Regency Tashkent includes Italian pizzeria Sette, Khiva café, Chai Lounge and Bar.

Hyatt Regency Tashkent also offers conference halls for conducting business meetings and weddings. There are also Spa Center, modern fitness center and indoor pools.

Puneet Tandon was appointed as the general-manager of Hyatt Regency Tashkent. We interviewed him about his career, hotel and plans.

How did you start making your career? Where did you learn the basics of the hotel business and why have you chosen this profession?

My association with the wonderful world of hospitality goes back to 1988 when I was selected to be a part of a two year post graduate in-house Management Trainee program run by one of the leading Indian hotel groups. While experience over the past years has taught me something new almost on a daily basis (you stop learning, you stop living!), the foundations were established in the time spent in “The Oberoi School of Hotel Management” where we were taught the fundamentals of our business – with hands on experience of working in housekeeping, engineering, reception, restaurants, kitchen, stewarding and various other functions that come together on a daily basis to create the magic in any hotel.

As many others, my choice of this profession was by chance as I studied Economics in college! However, from my childhood, I always wanted to be a manager who would wear suits and ties and whose signature would make a difference! While wearing ties and signing on countless documents every day is not really a pleasure anymore, what keeps me in the industry is the reality that hospitality is not a profession but a passion, a life style, an enriching opportunity to create a difference in the various lives that we touch on a daily basis – our guests, our associates, our stake holders and the community that we operate in. As very few industries offer all of these together and on a daily basis, I am glad that I am a part of this line of work!

How long have you been into hotel business management? What are the other countries you worked in as a General Manager?

After having started my hospitality journey in 1988, I was very fortunate to have been given the opportunity to lead the team of a hotel way back in 1996. I had just completed my MBA program in Hospitality Management from the Cornell University in Paris, France when the Owners of a lovely boutique hotel in Mauritius suggested that I join them as the GM of the hotel. I feel blessed to then have had the opportunity of working in various other locations in the world including India, Egypt, Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan and now the beautiful land of Uzbekistan.

How are you planning to apply your experience in our market which is quite specific? It is my firm belief that the success or the lack of it of any establishment is dependent on its people – “the software”. In our industry, this aspect becomes that much more critical as guests look at us not only for transactions but for experiences. Hence, my primary focus is to ensure that our operations are run by an energized and motivated team of associates who have a passion to care. The last months of setting up our operations in Tashkent have been a pleasure on this aspect as the quality of human talent that is on display is enviable. The country has a wonderful educational platform that is giving the youth multi-lingual skills, confidence and desire to succeed. This coupled with the famed Uzbek hospitality is a winning combination. Hence, recruiting the right talent and creating an environment for them to flourish is my primary task. It is this that I am focused on. When it comes to application of my past experience, I approach these things a bit differently as no two situations are identical. Hence, what worked for me in the past may not work in the present. Success in the current assignment can be facilitated by maintaining a sincere respect for the destination, its people and practices. Success also depends not only on the situation but what you make out of it. And these will be my guiding principles. How many brands are there in Hyatt Corporation around the globe and what are the differences between them?

With over 630 hotels spread over 52 countries in the world, Hyatt Hotels Corporation operates its hotels under 12 brands – while differentiated by style, location, physical product etc., each hotel strives to make a difference in the lives of the guests they encounter every day by providing genuine, caring and authentic hospitality.

It is known that the department of F&B plays a crucial role in the hotel’s entire life, especially in such high level hotel as Hyatt. How do you form your personnel and who are your chiefs? Do they have a Michelin stars?

The overarching philosophy that governs F&B operations for our company is built on “Thoughtfully Sourced. Carefully Served”. We also endeavor to celebrate local and regional cuisines of the location where we are based out off. Another important element of our F&B philosophy is to be contemporary and in touch with the current needs of our esteemed guests. These elements have formed the backbone of our operations in Tashkent which will see our hotel bringing a food and beverage experience that will delight the market.

Cooking is both an art and a passion. With this, we have handpicked associates who will diligently be working behind the scenes to deliver an elevated culinary experience to our guests. While a number of the team are youth without any previous work experience, we are happy this way as we can always teach them skill but never attitude and passion. Our Executive Chef, Taner Erdemir, a Turkish national with about 30 years of experience in various parts of the globe, is a professional who leads from the front and thrives in grooming and mentoring his team. He has been spending countless hours in the menu formation, sourcing of local raw ingredients and working with his team such that they become future Michelin starred chefs of the world!

How do you value the potential of hotel business development in our country? Do you plan to build your hotels in other cities of Uzbekistan?

Hyatt is delighted to have the privilege of being present in Uzbekistan as this is a country with such a rich history and hospitality tradition. Beauty of nature, famed historical architecture, richness in natural minerals, strong industrial base, young and motivated workforce etc. are all enviable facets of the country. These are already propelling the country onto a path of rapid growth and development. As service providers who, while catering to needs of the resident population, also look after those travelers coming to the country either for business or leisure, we could not be more excited by being here at this stage in the life cycle of the country. We are looking forward to partnering with all stake holders and playing our part in working towards the continued success for the country. As for the future plans of our company, I think that it will be more important to stay in the present as we first have to prove ourselves and successfully deliver on this current responsibility that has been assigned to us.

Who inspires you? Is it someone among your friends, partners or even historic personalities?

I admire humility in human beings. I also admire those who live principled lives by not allowing themselves to get distracted by short terms gains and fame. These are value systems that I am blessed to have been brought up with by my parents to whom I owe everything. While it may sound boring, I do not really have any one specific hero as I feel that inspirations are there to be gained from the goodness of each and everybody around us.

What do you think, what factor can cause the negative impression of the guest at first second when he or she checks-in the hotel?

Lack of empathy, care or human connect can destroy everything from the first moment. That is why this first touchpoint is so critical as it is said that you never get a second chance of doing something right the first time!

What motivates you?

The ability to create even the smallest difference in the lives of those with whom I interact is powerful for me. I remain motivated by this opportunity.

How do you build your relationships with your personnel? How often do you meet for brain-storming for new ideas?

Relationships are a two way street and strong relationships are anchored on respect. You give and the beauty is that you get lots of it back in return! Despite the positions that we may hold in the organization, each of us in the team are human beings first. Hence, my interactions with my colleagues is as equals - individuals first and nothing else after. Our future success will also depend on how close we are as a team. Consequently, I have made sure to have the final one on one interaction with each and every member of the growing Hyatt family in Tashkent. In my view this was an important first step in building a personal engagement and rapport that sets us all up for individual and collective success in the times ahead.

Setting up our operations in Tashkent from scratch in less than 6 months has been possible only by working very closely with each stakeholder in the equation. Therefore, while we have daily formal and informal interactions within our leadership group of the hotel, I feel that new ideas are not born only through prescribed brain storming sessions. Creativity thrives when the eco-system is conducive for individuality. With this, I have remained committed towards building a platform where each of us can keep thinking of ways to improve and stay energetic in both mind and action.

Do you have something that you are really proud of?

My father and mother will always remain my role models. Alongside, my wife, daughter and son make me really proud as they are achievers but by always remaining true to fundamental human values.

Are you more of “a tea” or “a coffee” loving man?

While I really enjoy a nice cappuccino, nothing beats a hot cup of “Masala Chai” from my mother land!

Your favorite hobby?

I enjoy staying in touch with current affairs, I love travel and being in the mountains but over the recent past, playing Angry Birds has become a very powerful “de-stresser” for me!!