What is Hotelogix’s core function & how is it different from its competitors in the market?

Aditya Sanghi: As far as our core function is concerned, we are a globally leading cloud-based hospitality technology solutions provider. We have been instrumental in driving the hospitality industry’s shift towards the cloud. Over the last decade, since we came into existence, we have created a clear roadmap for the industry, not just our product. We have achieved many benchmarks. The most recent and significant one is this largest deployment of our multi-property solution for 50K+ rooms in a single group for the world’s largest sporting event happening this year.

Here are a few areas where we score over our competition in the market. We offer the only multi-property management solution on the cloud to hotel groups. We technologically assist their corporate teams to –

• Manage all of their member properties as a unified business entity that is in line with their group strategy rather than considering each of them as a single entity.
• Holistically handle the group’s IT and revenue management strategy.
• Comprehensively re-strategise their staff training policy.
• Most importantly, realising their expansion strategy by quickly adding new properties.

Please share some insights into your primary clientele.

Aditya Sanghi: Besides thousands of independent hotels operating across 100 countries, including North America and Europe, we have an active client base of 250+ hotel groups in India, the Middle East, Southeast Asia and Africa. Some of our prominent clients in India are – Leisure Hotels, Ahuja Residences, Rosakue Hospitality, Waxpol Hotels & Resorts, Amritara Hotels & Resorts, etc. In the Southeast Asian region, we serve groups like Kokotel Hotels, Azalea Hotels & Residences etc. And in the Middle East market, we are associated with brands like Quiet Dreams Group, Luxuria Management Group, Iris Hotels, etc. Similarly, we are empowering the Paradise Group in its digitisation effort in Africa. Then, we have this largest deployment of our multi-property solution of 50K+ rooms in a single group in Qatar that is being used for the world’s largest sporting event.

Which markets do you service both in India and internationally?

Aditya Sanghi: We are present in over 100 countries. Our property management system is available in 12 languages and enables hotels in several countries to meet their region-specific regulatory requirements. We offer 24/7 multi-channel live support to our clients.

Talk about your journey as an entrepreneur. Why did you feel that India requires a brand like Hotelogix? What brought about the launch of Hotelogix?

Aditya Sanghi: The bug of creating products bit me very early when I started working with my brother in his company which is now called Edisphere. Making a brand out of India to solve problems at the global level has always been close to my heart. And when Prabhash Bhatnagar, the Founder, came to me with the idea of Hotelogix, I could instantly connect. We set our journey in 2008 to create a solution for the mid-market hospitality segment to help them leverage the growing online travel globally. In a way, the thought of putting India SaaS on a global map also motivated me to take this journey at Hotelogix. I am delighted to see that it has come a long way from where we started when India was not known for rolling out products. And look now, India stands at the number two position in the B2B SaaS segment after the United States.

What are the trends in the future of cloud-based hospitality tech?

Aditya Sanghi: Digital transformation and rapid growth – are two crucial drivers of rapid cloud adoption across industries. IDC survey states that at a CAGR of 24% over 2021-26, the Indian public cloud services market is set to touch $13.5 bn by 2026. With time, hotels are becoming more competitive and intelligent. To stay relevant in changing business scenarios, they are leaning on cloud-based hospitality solutions to manage their business while serving guests.

The future of Hospitality in India, tell us why it is imperative for hospitality chains/brands to partner with a robust Tech provider.

Aditya Sanghi: The future of the hospitality industry and hotel business looks promising in India. The country is expected to welcome over 30.5 billion international travellers by 2028. Keeping this in mind, to tap this vast potential, international hotel chains are increasing their presence in the country and may account for over 50% of the total hotels by 2022. This will lead to fierce competition among hotels, and that’s why they all need robust technology solutions to automate operations, save costs, sell more rooms at optimal rates, increase occupancy and serve guests efficiently while beating the competition.

How has the pandemic impacted the sector & what are some of the permanent changes in the Hospitality tech sector since March of 2020?

Aditya Sanghi: The hotel industry was among the hardest hit by the pandemic. It has permanently altered many paradigms of conducting business in new ways – from looking at technology as a part of their core corporate growth strategy to serving guests with touchless solutions. In the tech sector, we see a rise in demand for cloud-based Hotel PMS and several other solutions. About 80% to 90% of hotels are expected to replace their legacy solutions with cloud ones to propel their go-to-market TAT, gain agility, address the shortage of on-property workforce, and respond to the changing market dynamics. Another significant change is the rapid adoption of the right tech platforms to offer touchless services to guests.