Ravi Khubchandani, the General Manager of Pullman Bali Legian Beach, is a seasoned professional with over two decades of experience in the hospitality industry. Starting his journey in New Zealand, Ravi has navigated through various roles and challenges, showcasing his expertise in pre-openings, renovations, and business turnarounds. With a deep commitchament to sustainability and a profound appreciation for Bali's Tri Hita Karana philosophy, Ravi continues to lead Pullman Bali Legian Beach towards new heights of excellence.
Can you tell us about your journey in the hospitality industry and how it led you to your current role as General Manager at Pullman Bali Legian Beach?
I began my hospitality journey with Accor in Wellington, New Zealand, about 20 years ago as a part-time employee while pursuing my bachelor's degree in hospitality. I held various positions across different properties, eventually landing my first General Manager (GM) assignment in India over a decade ago. After a few GM assignments in India, I moved to Bali as the GM for Novotel Bali Ngurah Rai Airport. I then led an IT project for Accor Asia, spanning across almost 400 hotels. Returning to operations, I now have the privilege of managing Pullman Bali Legian Beach, a property that perfectly aligns with my vision of exceptional hospitality.
With your extensive experience in pre-openings, renovations, and business turnarounds, what are the unique challenges and opportunities you see for Pullman Bali Legian Beach?
Pullman Bali Legian Beach is an exceptional resort with a prime location, stunning facilities, and a dedicated team. We constantly seek opportunities to enhance our guests' experience by refreshing our rooms, expanding our F&B and wellness offerings, and augmenting our service levels. We recently introduced new meeting facilities, and we're adding 17 more rooms to our inventory, set to be operational well before the end of the year. One of our challenges is finding professional talent with the growing business volumes; however, this is not specific to us but something that is experienced by everyone in Bali and even by the industry globally.
Bali's Tri Hita Karana philosophy emphasizes harmony among people, nature, and spirituality. What is your personal reflection on this philosophy, and how do you incorporate it into the operations and guest experience?
Tri Hita Karana deeply resonates with the resort’s operational ethos and guest engagement initiatives. It’s a philosophy close to my heart and integral to how we conduct business daily. We ensure that our practices reflect this harmony, fostering a deep connection with the local environment and community. This philosophy isn't just about today but about leaving a lasting legacy for future generations. By nurturing and protecting our surroundings, we ensure that we contribute positively to Bali’s rich cultural and natural heritage, creating meaningful experiences for our guests while preserving this beautiful island for years to come.
"Tri Hita Karana deeply resonates with the resort’s operational ethos and guest engagement initiatives. By nurturing and protecting our surroundings, we ensure that we contribute positively to Bali’s rich cultural and natural heritage, creating meaningful experiences for our guests while preserving this beautiful island for years to come."
Sustainability is becoming increasingly important in the hospitality industry. What sustainable practices and initiatives have you implemented at Pullman Bali Legian Beach to support environmental conservation and community well-being?
At Pullman Bali Legian Beach, we are committed to sustainability through comprehensive practices that support both environmental conservation and community well-being. We are guided by Accor's global ESG commitments, targeting a 46% reduction in carbon emissions by 2030 and achieving net zero by 2050. We've completely eliminated single-use plastic from the resort, and we strive to source most of our supplies locally. Our initiatives also include regular beach clean-up drives and supporting underprivileged children with access to free education. We also collaborate with SOS Food Hunter to redistribute surplus food to the underprivileged, adding a social dimension to our sustainability efforts. Additionally, we partner with the local community body- 'Banjar', for collaborative efforts of waste management and creating employment opportunities for the locals.
The resort also boasts the largest hotel temple in the Kuta-Legian area; we respectfully showcase the local cultural traditions by welcoming the community and our guests to our resort's temple for various ceremonies. We aim to balance modern hospitality with Bali’s natural beauty and cultural heritage. Our ‘Green Globe’ certification is a further testimony to various other innovative initiatives like the stingless trigona bee house, the biopore natural water absorption technique, and our collaborations with local NGOs to give back to the community and protect the environment.
Pullman Bali is a known destination for both tourists and business travelers. How do you ensure a seamless experience for such diverse groups of guests?
We ensure seamless experiences for both leisure and business travelers by leveraging our exceptional location, comprehensive facilities, and dedicated team. We cater to the diverse needs of our guests by continuously evolving our offerings. For leisure tourists, we offer a variety of activities, including our signature Tjakra 7 Spa and an elaborate multi-cuisine F&B offering. For business travelers, we've enhanced our meeting spaces to well accommodate corporate events and conferences, providing top-notch services and premium meeting facilities. By continuously adapting to the evolving needs of our guests, we create memorable experiences for both leisure and business travelers. This is also much in line with the Pullman DNA and our concepts like 'Meet and Play,’ where we bring together the best of both worlds. As a testimony to our exceptional service offer, we were recognized as the ‘Best Leisure & Business Hotel’ by Exquisite Awards.
"At Pullman Bali Legian Beach, we are committed to sustainability through comprehensive practices that support both environmental conservation and community well-being. We've completely eliminated single-use plastic from the resort, and we strive to source most of our supplies locally, all while targeting a 46% reduction in carbon emissions by 2030 and achieving net zero by 2050."
You have been recognized with numerous awards for your contributions to the hospitality industry. What do you believe are the key factors that have contributed to your success?
I believe adaptability, agility, diligence, and most importantly, the ability to form cohesive, high-performing teams are the key to success. A GM is only as good as the team, and I've been fortunate to work with great teams that I have been able to steer further towards perfection!
In your current role, you mentioned focusing on enhancing the guest experience and stimulating revenue growth. Can you share some specific initiatives or strategies you plan to implement to achieve this goal?
To enhance the guest experience and stimulate revenue growth, we're refreshing our rooms with a modern, inviting look, and we are expanding our inventory with 17 new rooms. We're enhancing our meeting spaces to better support events and MICE activities at the resort. We are constantly elevating and upgrading our F&B offer; exciting and elaborate menus have been rolled out for all our restaurants and bars, catering perfectly to our diverse international and domestic clientele.
Our signature ‘Tjakra 7 Spa’ has been elevated with some great new concept therapies, and we plan to add more to our offer in the months ahead. We're always agile and proactive in seizing opportunities in the form of newer markets and adapting to evolving guests' needs. Our focus and efforts have already yielded positive results, surpassing our historical financial performances, and we're well on track towards establishing greater benchmarks in 2024.
Outside of your professional life, you enjoy exploring new destinations and cultures. How do these personal interests influence your approach to managing a hotel in a vibrant location like the island of Bali?
Hospitality is all about catering to guests and managing teams from varied backgrounds and geographies. I believe an insight into different regions, cultures, and people helps in developing the much-needed understanding of guests' lifestyle requirements, including cultural nuances, food habits, and stay preferences. It helps one blend the best of all personal experiences to curate something exceptional for the guests, as well as to create an enriching work environment for the team.
