The legendary Biki Oberoi leaves an indelible mark on Hoteliers and Guests around the world!
After getting up with the larks all my growing up and corporate life years, I have stopped being an early riser for about a decade and a half. So the upsetting news on the morning of the 14th of November was sent to my device by my niece and spouse respectively; for me to take note of when I finally warmed up to the already awake and working world.
The passing on of PRS Oberoi, one of the topmost leaders in hospitality the world has known, has been extremely hurting and sad for me. Despite the fact that Mr. Oberoi has led a full and experientially rich life, it still feels that he has gone away too soon leaving behind a deep lacuna!
Those of us, who have known him, worked with him and have had some kind of direct contact with him, find ourselves to be very fortunate. After all, it is not every day that you experience the magic that the presence of a one-of-a-kind, iconic leading light adds to your life.
The lessons learned from this tallest of the tall leaders have been outstanding and the finest that you could learn anywhere.
We, as hoteliers, would all like to claim a share of Biki Oberoi’s special attributes, wishing that some of it may have rubbed off on us. It would be great even if we can be just a fraction of what he has been.
Mr. Oberoi has been one of the most passionate hoteliers the world has seen. His name has been synonymous with style, sophistication, superlative service and a superior product that have set new benchmarking standards. His keen eye, his attention to detail, a sense of discipline and establishing of faultless organizational practices has been legendary.
There have been a legion stories about that perfect Sunshine shade of yellow for the egg yolk that he was a stickler for or the right tilt of that single rose bud in a vase, the tiny spot missed in buffing of a nameplate, the little speck of dust on a counter top, the absolutely perfect greeting that he expected from his team members ushering the guests in, the crease on a staff uniform, the colour registration on the Hotel Magazine cover and so on.
But the deep-rooted learnings have been over and above what has been obvious and chronicled time and again.
The Oberoi Values
I was hired into The Oberoi Group by Mr. Oberoi.
There had been six rounds of meetings before I was sent off to meet Mr. Oberoi. I later discovered that one round with the Head of Recruitments was skipped for me. When quizzed, the dynamic lady told me that since I was a close friend of her sister and that she had known me, albeit briefly, she had decided not to interview me; so as not to allow any bias to creep into the selection procedure. She had, obviously, informed the committee about her decision. I was pleasantly amazed. But that was a little window into the well-ingrained Oberoi value system.
During my tenure with them, I was going to encounter several such incidents that depicted to me why Mr. Oberoi and his Company spoke of the Oberoi Dharma.
My first assignment at The Oberoi, New Delhi was the organization and media management of the high profile Lipman Lecture event. Geoffrey Lipman, the then President of World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) was going to give the lecture. The Event came straight from Mr. Oberoi’s office and was going to attract the cream of India’s business, tourism, society and media figures.
He had directed that I helm it. I was going to be handling it during my orientation period. The nervous energy I felt around the time was channeled into attentive planning and execution. With the meticulous organizing of the event – to Mr. Oberoi’s exacting standards – I had passed my litmus test.
With the expectation, impeccability, refinement, and high standards defined, I was initiated well into the Oberoi Mission, Vision and Values, right from this first assignment.
For Biki Oberoi, the guest was truly the God
Mr. Oberoi’s much-acclaimed striving for excellence, establishing of the highest standards of service and luxury, and ensuring that the level of hospitality at all his hotels always exceeded the expectations, stem from his philosophy that the guest is of utmost importance. The innovation, the introduction of his trademark service template, bringing in of new ideas and concepts – be it in rooms or restaurants, and creating an Oberoi touchstone of product and service superiority have all been led by his zeal to delight his guests and offer them an experience that is far above and beyond the others.
I remember being approached by a famous Hollywood director with a request to use the Oberoi Pool. She was not staying with us, so the request was tricky. We told her it was against the hotel policy which prohibited the use of Hotel pool, Fitness centre and Spa by non- hotel guests. Yet when she insisted, we said we would seek clearance from Mr. Oberoi.
Mr. Oberoi is known to accord the same degree of regard and respect to every single guest who stays at his hotel. The comfort, the convenience, the flawless experience of the in-house guest has been paramount to Mr. Oberoi, a thought process that has percolated down. Naturally, Mr. Oberoi declined the request even when it came from an insanely famous person. And guess what, the Director who is known to have made several award winning films and directed the likes of Reese Witherspoon, Kate Hudson, Hillary Swank, Richard Gere, Denzel Washington and more, completely understood Mr. Oberoi’s point of view.
For the same director, Mr. Oberoi granted his permission for a film shoot after much cajoling and assurance that at no point would the hotel guest be inconvenienced. It was perhaps the first time a Film Shoot was going to take place within the premises of an Oberoi hotel. I put my neck on the block and stood guard on my toes along with my Assistant, so that not a single untoward incident or mishap occurred and travelled to Mr. Oberoi’s ears.
That the guests enjoyed the little spectacle and did not find it to be a bother was a pleasant aside.
Mr. Oberoi’s brand philosophy, vis-à-vis his guests, has been absolutely non-negotiable. The credo has been successfully passed down to the lowest common denominator.
As tributes are pouring in for PRS Oberoi, a guest shared on LinkedIn about her husband’s recent stay at an Oberoi property. She said her husband carries a picture of a Hindu God in his Suitcase, which he puts on the Desk during the tenure of his stay. Imagine the Husband’s surprise upon returning to his room after a day of meetings, when he found that a pristine white cloth had been placed under the picture and a few marigold flowers had been put around it by the Housekeeper.
There are a zillion stories like these that are being shared and that make Mr. Oberoi distinguished among equals and his Hotel Company distinctive.
The internal customer has been as important for him
Perhaps because Mr. Oberoi has been so acutely guest-driven, he has been equally focused on his team members.
I think it feeds from the ideology that happy, satisfied, respected employees are the best Brand Ambassadors and service providers.
Mr. Oberoi has proved the belief right, time and again.
His brand value and ethos have instilled a sense of profound pride in every Oberoi employee – on the rolls or an XO (Ex-Oberoi employee).
On a Rotary International Fellowship to the United States, I found myself sharing my Oberoi experience with the Opinion makers and Business leaders one interacted with during the course of the Study exchange. The brand positioning PRS Oberoi has created for the Oberoi hotels has been extraordinarily remarkable. There has always been a fine example or two to elicit in any conversation.
One time, in the Year 2000, worked up by a colleague’s illogical and annoying interference and extremely displeased with a few other unpleasant issues, I put in my papers. JPB, the congenial and soft-mannered GM at the time, was not happy about it and tried to stop me. But I was sorely riled and acerbated.
Then one afternoon, I was in a training session together with the Sales Team, when the Front Office called and said that Mr. Oberoi wanted to meet me at the Belvedere, the exclusive Club at the Hotel.
I trooped down, a tad nervous and confused. Seated in the room were Mr. Oberoi, the GM and the Corporate Head of HR.
“How have you been Ms. Dhir,” asked Mr. Oberoi in his rich baritone.
After a little small talk, he looked at the piece of paper in front of him. It carried the points that he needed to discuss with the GM. At #3 was my resignation letter.
“I have received this from JPB. So what are the issues you are facing?” Mr. Oberoi asked.
I rattled off the things that had been heavy on my mind. He listened to them patiently, probed a little, asked me to elaborate where necessary and addressed each one of them, point wise with the GM there and then.
“She’s right JPB. She has a point. I don’t think there should be a problem in sorting it out.”
Mr. B nodded his head in agreement, adding that he would straighten the things.
Mr. Oberoi held out my resignation letter and asked me, “What do you want me to do with this, Ms. Dhir?” There was a twinkle in his eye.
I don’t know what made me say it, but the next words I spoke were, “You may throw it away Mr. Oberoi.”
He jokingly responded, “It is your note, you throw it away.”
And with that we all burst out laughing.
The tension had lifted from the room. Mr. B was relieved. I felt light and relaxed.
Mr. Oberoi took the discussion to other matters of importance. He complimented me on the Newsletter we were bringing out at the Hotel. He asked me how much it cost us, and felt that it was being produced at a moderate cost.
Immediately, he called up the General Manager of his other Hotel, “DB, I think Delhi produces the best newsletter, and they do it at a fraction of the cost. Please speak with Aruna Dhir and see how you could enhance the quality of your Newsletter and bring the cost down.”
“Is there anything else you would like to discuss Ms. Dhir? If not then the agenda for this meeting is over,” he said with a smile.
I am yet to meet a Head Honcho who has made his employees feel so much at ease, so respected and cared for. I am yet to come across a Legend who has been known for his immensely egalitarian approach. And a Chieftain who has been this focused, on the ball, and sharp about every little or big thing that happens in his hotels. All hotels!
Biki Oberoi has been the wind beneath our wings
Today, you meet a motley group of XOs scaling up and reaching the top of their chosen fields – as Heads of hotel companies, Entrepreneurs starting off new hotel chains, Award-winning authors, Restaurateurs running Michelin-star restaurants, the list is ever-growing.
A lot of it is owed to the training ground provided by the Headman. We have cut our teeth on such fine standards, procedures and principles that have been an embodiment of Mr. Oberoi.
In the year 1999, I was selected as a Weather newsreader with Doordarshan, India’s national broadcaster. It was a sizeably significant feat and I shared it with PJ, the delightful General Manager. He agreed with my request, but then the permission had to be granted by the Super Boss. We approached him and were happy to note that Mr. Oberoi okayed my little stint on Television.
The following year, sometime in the middle of the week, I was met by the owner of a well-known event management and television company. I had a good business equation with them, having done several events together. But this time, they came with a proposal that involved getting an Oberoi Chef to headline a Food Show for a prominent channel.
I saw merit in the proposal – for the hotel to an extent, but more for the Chef. It was going to allow him to blossom and carve a new position for him. But there was a catch. Something like this had never happened at the Oberoi.
We trod carefully around the idea, we gathered consent from the other superiors in the chain of command, we drafted a compelling note, and then steeled ourselves to put it on Mr. Oberoi’s table.
It took a little time, but then to our collective sense of euphoria, Mr. Oberoi granted his approval and the Chef went on to become a known face on television, hosting several successful shows thereafter.
In July 1999, The Oberoi Centre for Learning and Development was going to host the Summer University together with University of Strathclyde, UK-based Vth Dimension International Consultancy and the Asian Institute of Management.
Having been a PhD student and fancying myself as a perpetual learner, I evinced interest in attending it. But there was a hitch. The course was meant for General Managers, Sales personnel and Operations executives.
Yet, the curriculum was tempting. Seeing my keenness, PJ, the GM who I have regarded as a mentor, withdrew his name and sent mine instead to the Executive Offices.
The next thing I knew was that a signed off note had come back from Mr. Oberoi’s office and that I was the only PR & Communications Head attending the course.
I must have put the fantastic education to use in my work at the hotel, but such enrichment programs have also brought in immense personal growth.
At the Closing Dinner, Mr. Oberoi was amidst us. As he shook my hand, one could see his chest puff up visibly upon being told by our Professors that one had fared well.
Biki Oberoi will stay alive in our memories, as exquisitely as the hotels he has created.
What a Man! What a legend! What a life! R.I.P Mr. Oberoi! Heaven's just inducted the Ambassador of luxury and style!
His legacy and the sterling wisdom and insights from him will be carried forward in our personal and professional journey as we aspire to become leaders of significance and value.
As for The Oberoi Group, Biki Oberoi has passed on the baton to the very able hands of Vikramjit Singh Oberoi and Arjun Singh Oberoi. The Managing Director & CEO and the Executive Chairman are cut from the same cloth of lineage, nous, elegance, leadership acumen and sophistication. With the blood of luxury hoteliering running through their veins, they will carry the invaluable inheritance far and to higher levels.
The World knows it!
