Indian Hospitality Excellence Awards 2024 By Hozpitality Group

The fourth edition of the Indian Hospitality Excellence Awards 2024 was hosted at Crowne Plaza Hotel Greater Noida on January 4th, 2025. This prestigious event recognized leaders from across the hospitality industry in India, with nominations following a series of votes from various hotel companies. The winners were celebrated during a grand gala over 200 hospitality professionals attended. Organized by Hozpitality Group, the awards process involved a thorough voting system, ensuring a fair and transparent selection of winners. The event would not have been possible without the support of Stave Hospitality. The evening was also supported by key sponsors, including Prologic First, Scents Circle, Ex Lenze, Aria Lifewater, Absolute Frame Dubai, SRA Gifts and Awards, Wordswork, and UpliftU, underscoring the importance of leadership in delivering exceptional guest experiences and operational excellence across the Indian hospitality sector.

The Indian Hospitality Excellence Awards was graced by the presence of Sangram Singh, the celebrated Indian wrestler, who attended as the Chief Guest for the evening. Known for his achievements in the ring, including being a multiple-time World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and Pro Wrestling Champion, Sangram has earned national recognition not just for his wrestling prowess, but also for his inspiring story of overcoming adversity. Beyond sports, Sangram is also a fitness expert and a motivational speaker, using his platform to encourage others to live healthier, more disciplined lives. His presence at the awards added an inspiring touch, as he shared insights into the importance of discipline, hard work, and perseverance—values that resonate strongly within the hospitality industry.

The Indian Hospitality Excellence Awards celebrate individual achievements and the industry’s collective growth. From General Manager of the Year to Sustainability Champion and Hidden Gem, the awards highlight the diverse talent pool that drives the sector forward. Each winner was chosen through a comprehensive voting process, reflecting the trust and recognition of their peers and colleagues.

In addition, Hozpitality Group has successfully hosted 22 awards across the Middle East and India, including the prestigious Middle East Hospitality Excellence Awards (celebrated its 10 years recently), Middle East Chef Excellence Awards (6 years), and Middle East F&B Excellence Awards (3 years), Indian Hospitality Excellence Awards (4th year). These events have become benchmarks for recognizing and celebrating talent and leadership in the hospitality industry across the region.

Here is the list of award winners in both personal and corporate categories. These awards were determined solely through a voting process, ensuring an impartial selection of recipients.

PERSONAL CATEGORIES WINNERS

Hospitality Leader of the Year (Top Management only) (CEO/VP/MD)
Commended: Atul Upadhyay, Executive Vice President, Pride Hotels Group
General Manager of the Year
Commended: Amrendra Karn, General Manager, Sarovar Portico, Agra
Gold: Utsa Majumder, General Manager, Hyatt Regency Dharamshala Resort
Entrepreneur of the Year
Commended: Nandlal Agarwal, Founder of ShriGo Hotels & Resorts
Gold: Satyen Jain, CEO, Pride Hotels Group
Hidden Gem of the Year
Commended: Surbhi Sachdeva, Assistant Manager – Front Office, Four Points by Sheraton New Delhi
Gold: Jayesh Wadher, Corp Head Talent & Culture, Pride Hotels
Sustainability Champion of the Year
Commended: Karan Singh Tanwar, Chief Engineer, Four Points by Sheraton New Delhi
Gold: Tulasiram Gurram, General Manager, Sarovar Hotels & Resorts
Food and Beverage Service Champion of the Year
Commended: Mohit Sharma, F&B Manager, Four Points by Sheraton New Delhi
Gold: Anuj Kapoor, Director of Food and Beverage, Radisson Gurugram Udyog Vihar
Guest Services Champion of the Year
Gold: Sheetal Seth, Loyalty Manager, Four Points by Sheraton New Delhi
Housekeeping Champion of the Year
Commended: Azharuddin Syed, Executive Housekeeper, Sheraton Grand Chennai Resort and Spa
Gold: Raviraj Joshi, Executive Housekeeper, The Westin Mumbai Garden City
Human Resources/Training Champion of the Year
Commended: Ranjith Halan, Director of Talent & Culture, Novotel & Ibis Bengaluru Outer Ring Road
Gold: Jagannathan R, HR Manager, Hyatt Regency Ahmedabad
Front Office Champion of the Year
Commended: Deepanshu Chaturvedi, Front Office Manager, DoubleTree by Hilton Gurgaon-New Delhi NCR
Gold: Piyush Malik, Rooms Division Manager, Radisson Gurugram Udyog Vihar
Engineering Champion of the Year
Commended: Vijay Ananth. S, Director of Engineering, Sheraton Grand Chennai Resort and Spa
Gold: Karan Singh Tanwar, Chief Engineer, Four Points by Sheraton New Delhi
IT Champion of the Year
Commended: Amit A Dalvi, Corporate IT Manager, Pride Hotels Ltd.
Gold: Pugazhenthi Kannan, IT Manager, Sheraton Grand Chennai Resort and Spa
Sales and Revenue Champion of the Year
Commended: Vikas Kumar Chona, Director of Sales, Sheraton Grand Chennai Resort and Spa
Gold: Vishal Sharma, Director of Sales and Marketing, Crowne Plaza New Delhi Rohini
Marketing/PR Champion of the Year
Commended: Vinay Sivan, Assistant Marketing & Communication Manager, JW Marriott Pune
Gold: Sonam Thakur, Marketing and Communications Manager, DoubleTree by Hilton Gurgaon-New Delhi NCR
Admin and Finance Champion of the Year
Commended: Pawan Kumar Gupta, Assistant Director of Finance, The Park, Indore
Gold: Mahesh Honakuppe, Director of Finance, JW Marriott Pune
Culinary/Kitchen Champion of the Year
Commended: Pradeep Kumar, Chef De Cuisine, Four Points by Sheraton New Delhi
Gold: Surya Narayana, Executive Chef, Hyatt Regency Ahmedabad
Health/Safety Champion of the Year
Commended: Praveen Panghal, Security Manager, Hilton Garden Inn New Delhi/Saket
Gold: Sanjay Kumar, Chief Security Officer, Radisson Gurugram Udyog Vihar
Events/Banquets Champion of the Year
Commended: Purushothaman D, Director of Events, Radisson Blu Bengaluru Outer Ring Road
Gold: Vineet Pandey, Banquet Manager, The Park, Indore
Hospitality Rising Star of the Year
Gold: Balasubramaniam. P, Operations Manager, Courtyard by Marriott Tiruchirappalli
Hospitality Educator of the Year
Commended: Neelendra Prasad Srivastava, Principal, IHM Lucknow
Gold: Dr. Vimal Kumar, Director & Principal, Chandigarh College of Hospitality

CORPORATE CATEGORIES FINALISTS

Hotel of the Year (5 Star)
Commended: Sheraton Grand Chennai Resort and Spa
Gold: THE Park Indore
Hotel of the Year (4 Star)
Gold: Hilton Garden Inn New Delhi/Saket
Hotel of the Year (3 Star/Budget Hotel)
Commended: Ibis Bengaluru Outer Ring Road
Gold: Four Points by Sheraton, New Delhi Airport Highway
Best Weekend Getaway
Commended: Radisson Jodhpur
Gold: The Westin Mumbai Garden City
Hotel of the Year (Sustainable Initiatives)
Gold: Radisson Blu Bengaluru Outer Ring Road
Best New Deluxe Hotel of the Year
Commended: Ramada Encore by Wyndham, Udaipur
Gold: Royale Sarovar Portico Agra
Restaurant of the Year (Fine Dining)
Commended: Shaan E Awadh, Pride Plaza Delhi Aerocity
Gold: Asia Alive, DoubleTree by Hilton Gurgaon New Delhi NCR
Restaurant of the Year (Casual Dining)
Commended: Kutchi Pukki Biryani
Gold: India Grill Restaurant
Banquet Venue of the Year
Commended: Four Points by Sheraton, New Delhi Airport Highway
Gold: Hyatt Regency, Ashram Road, Ahmedabad
Spa of the Year
Commended: Heavenly Spa
Gold: Shine Spa, Sheraton Grand Chennai Resort and Spa
Hotel Team of the Year
Commended: DoubleTree by Hilton Gurgaon New Delhi NCR
Gold: Howard Johnson By Wyndham, Udaipur
Best Hotel Management Company of the Year
Gold: Indian Hotels Company Limited

JUDGES CHOICE AWARD

PR Person of the Year: Radhika Changoiwala, Assistant Marketing and Communications Manager, The Westin Mumbai Garden City
Lifetime Achievement Award: Dr. Sudhir Andrews
Hospitality Trainer of the Year: AK Singh, Director, FHRAI Institute of Hospitality Management
Marketing Leader of the Year: Kunal Jhavar, Associate Director- Sales & Marketing, The Park, Navi Mumbai
General Manager of the Year: Sharad K Upadhyay, General Manager, Crowne Plaza Greater Noida
Business Hotel of the Year: Crowne Plaza Greater Noida
Rising Women Leader in Hospitality: Namrata Sharma, Director of Operations, The Leela Palaces Hotels and Resorts Hyderabad
Rising Hospitality Star of the Year: Vibhor Uniyal, Director Of Sales, Hilton Garden Inn New Delhi/Saket
Spa and Fitness Champion of the Year: Anna Fernandes, Director of Spa, Quan Spa, JW Marriott Pune
Lifetime Achievement in HR: Gurmeet Singh, HR Advisory and Consultancy
Culinary Leader of the Year: Vikas Seth, Culinary Director, Embassy Leisure
Wellness Champion of the Year: Sangram Singh
Hospitality Icon of the Year: Rattan Keswani, Independent Consultant, Coach & Author
Executive Chef of the Year: Arvind Dwivedi, Executive Chef, Lemon Tree Hotel Lucknow
Front Office Leader of the Year: Arpit Saha, EAM Rooms- Revenue, Marasa Sarovar Premiere
Innovative Tourist Destination Mall: The Grand Venice Mall, Greater Noida

Hozpitality’s Best 30 GM Powerlist in India- 2024

Abhishek Sahai, General Manager, Conrad Pune
Amit Raman, General Manager, Radisson Blue Pune Hinjawadi
Debjeet Banerjee, General Manager, THE Park Indore
Kapil Vig, General Manager, Crowne Plaza New Delhi Rohini
Koustuva Ratan Mukherjee, Assistant Vice President – Gujarat Region, Pride Plaza Hotel Ahmedabad
Namit Vijh, Area General Manager – Central India & General Manager, Radisson Gurugram Udyog Vihar
Pankaj Gupta, Area General Manager – IHG South West Asia and General Manager, Crowne Plaza New Delhi Mayur Vihar Noida
Puneet Baijal, General Manager, Hyatt Regency Ahmedabad
Rajat Tuli, General Manager, DoubleTree by Hilton Gurgaon
Sandeep Johri, General Manager, Novotel & ibis Bengaluru Outer Ring Road
Saurabh Thakur, General Manager, Radisson Jodhpur
Shubhankar Jyoti, General Manager, Four Points by Sheraton New Delhi
Sonale Z, General Manager, Hyatt Regency Gurgaon
Suraj Kumar Jha, General Manager, Crowne Plaza Ahmedabad City Centre
Vivek Mahajan, General Manager, Grand Mercure Agra