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    After Virat Kohli room-invasion controversy in Australia, desi hotels upgrade privacy settings for VIP guests

    Synopsis

    ​For those in the hospitality business, the episode was a stark reminder of how fragile guest relations can get.

    Taking note of the Virat Kohli room-invasion controversy in Australia late last year, hotels in India have tightened security protocols and made training more stringentAgencies
    Taking note of the Virat Kohli room-invasion controversy in Australia late last year, hotels in India have tightened security protocols and made training more stringent.
    In October 2022, a video of Team India captain Virat Kohli’s hotel room went viral when the cricketer was staying at Crown Perth in Australia. An appalled Kohli put out an anguished message and called it what it was - a breach of his privacy.

    For those in the hospitality business, the episode was a stark reminder of how fragile guest relations can get in a world where authorised access and a camera phone are all it takes to broadcast the insides of a celebrity's suite.

    Virat Kohli appalled by invasion of privacy in his hotel room; says 'not okay with this kind of fanaticism'

    India's Virat Kohli said he was the victim of an "absolute invasion of privacy" after individuals entered his hotel room in Perth and posted video of his clothes and belongings on social media on Monday. The former India captain said he was appalled by the actions of the "fans" and called for his privacy to be respected. "I understand that fans get very happy and excited seeing their favourite players and get excited to meet them and I've always appreciated that," said Kohli.

    On the case
    “What happened is a hospitality nightmare,” says Sharmilee Kapur, co-founder of Atmantan Wellness Centre. “This incident was a reminder for every one of us to never take guest privacy for granted and has become a crucial case study. And yes, we have further enhanced our in-house training on what constitutes a breach of privacy,” she shares.

    Sonia J Banerjee, Director of Rooms at Sheraton Grand Bangalore Hotel at Brigade Gateway, who sees a number of famous faces, says that the most important concern and priority for the entire hotel team is a guest's privacy and security while they are with them. “The incident has been added as a new case study to our structured and regular training schedule. We must do everything possible to ensure a guest’s privacy is not compromised in any way. This incident definitely left a lot of celebrities feeling vulnerable and has cast a doubt on the kind of privacy hotels provide,” she says. Following the incident, the entire team was briefed in an interactive session. The procedures for dealing with guests and the learnings were recalled.

    Rooms Division Manager at Renaissance Bengaluru Race Course Hotel, Zibraan Kazi, says that it’s not just celebrities but all guests that need to feel that their privacy is being respected. “It is a part of our induction program for all new associates that join the organisation, at the same, we ensure there is refresher training in place on a monthly basis so that the awareness of guest privacy adheres,” he shares, adding that while he does understand the excitement of having celebrities in-house but at the same time, it’s a hotels responsibility to ensure that is no invasion of privacy for guests, “no matter who they are.”

    Systems in place
    Social media they say is a boon as well as a bane when it comes to the hospitality industry. “It depends on how you interact with it,” says Kapur, who even though they follow a digital detox on their property, have systems in place to ensure privacy.

    Tejas Chavan, Director, Viveda Wellness, Viveda Wellness, says that some of the systems they have in place also include briefing all the in-house guests to refrain from taking pictures and selfies but that the Kohli incident has given them a heads-up of what should not happen on premises and has helped tighten their training and audit activities further. “We also open a social corridor for their easy movements and also private dining spaces for their meals to avoid any loophole of intrusion. Trained housekeeping and service staff along with a responsible under a manager category will be assigned for every service offered to the VIP,” says Chavan.

    Kazi says that even once a celebrity guest checks out, protocols are kept in place. “In an era where social media is accessible to almost every other person, nothing takes too much time to get viral, especially when it comes to such famous personalities like Virat Kohli. Nothing is supposed to get posted when the celebrity is in-house as it is a breach of privacy and it also becomes a concern for the celebrity’s security. Even when the celebrity checks out, nothing is to be posted on the internet without the consent of the concerned guest,” he shares.

    To avoid incidents like this in the future, sensitising staff and strict mobile policies are a must. “Celebrities and prominent individuals must be hosted on specific floors and handled by a dedicated team throughout the guest cycle. Some of the key measures that help ensure a safe guest experience include regular patrolling of the floors, monitored key access to the housekeeping team supervised by the leadership team, training, and strengthening hotel policies such as 'no personal mobile phone usage' during work hours, CCTV monitoring,” recommends Banerjee.

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