At a time when Hyderabad’s hospitality sector is witnessing rapid growth, strong leadership and a clear vision have become more important than ever. John Surendranath, General Manager of Ibis Hyderabad HITEC City, is known for his practical approach to hospitality, focus on guest satisfaction and ability to build high-performing teams. Under his leadership, the hotel has continued to deliver strong business performance while staying committed to service excellence and sustainable practices. In an exclusive conversation with Asmita Mukherjee, Surendranath discusses Hyderabad’s evolving hospitality landscape and the key factors driving growth at Ibis HyderabadHITEC City.
Tell us about your professional journey and your association with Accor.
I have been with Accor for close to 15 years and have had the opportunity to grow across multiple brands and segments within the group. After completing my education at Christ Collge, Bengaluru, and Sheffield Hallam University in the UK, I returned to India and joined Accor as a Duty Manager at Ibis and Novotel Bengaluru Techpark.
Over the years, I have held leadership positions across key properties including Novotel & Ibis Bengaluru Outer Ring Road, Novotel Hyderabad Convention Centre, Novotel Chennai SIPCOT and Grand Mercure Mysore before taking over as General Manager of Ibis Hyderabad HITEC City.
A significant part of my development has come through Accor’s leadership programmes, including the Indian Executive Learning Programme, GM Pass Asia Pacific and the Global Executive Leadership Programme. These programmes are performance-driven and focus on business results, guest satisfaction, profitability and leadership capabilities.
Working across the economy, midscale and premium segments has given me a comprehensive understanding of operations, commercial strategy, guest experience and revenue management.
What differentiates Ibis Hyderabad HITEC City in a competitive market like Hyderabad?
The biggest advantage is our location. We are situated in the heart of Hyderabad’s IT corridor, which places us close to major corporate offices and business hubs.
However, location alone does not guarantee success. What differentiates us is consistency. The hotel has built a strong reputation for service quality, guest satisfaction and operational reliability over the years. We are backed by the strength of the Ibis brand and the Accor network, which operates more than 5,000 hotels globally.
The hotel has also grown alongside Hyderabad’s transformation into a major technology, consulting and pharmaceutical hub, allowing us to benefit from a diversified demand base.
How has business performance been over the past year?
The hotel continues to perform strongly despite market fluctuations. We consistently operate at occupancy levels between 80% and 85%, which remains among the strongest performance indicators within the segment.
For FY 2025-26, we expect occupancy to remain stable within that range while focusing on improving rate performance. We are targeting ADR growth of approximately 8% to 14%, which should support healthy RevPAR growth as well.
The objective is to maintain the right balance between occupancy, pricing and profitability while continuing to enhance guest satisfaction.
What does your guest mix look like today?
Corporate travellers remain the backbone of our business and contribute approximately 50% to 60% of total room demand. Hyderabad’s IT ecosystem is a major demand generator, but the city’s strength lies in its diversification. In addition to technology companies, we see significant demand from consulting firms, Global Capability Centres, research organisations and pharmaceutical companies. The pharmaceutical and healthcare segment alone contributes close to 20% of our business mix. This includes pharmaceutical executives, healthcare conferences, visiting doctors and medical travellers. The diversity of Hyderabad’s economy provides greater resilience compared to markets that rely heavily on a single industry.
How important are meetings, conferences and MICE business to the hotel?
MICE remains an important contributor, particularly in the small and mid-sized corporate events segment. Our focus is not on large conventions or wedding business. Instead, we cater to day conferences, leadership meetings, training sessions, interview drives and strategy workshops with attendance ranging between 45 and 50 participants.
We regularly host programmes for technology companies, healthcare organisations, life sciences firms and banking institutions. The demand for smaller, focused business meetings has increased significantly in recent years.
Our two meeting rooms can accommodate up to 50 participants in a combined setup and are equipped with interactive presentation facilities. The convenience of having meeting spaces, dining facilities and guest services located on the same level makes the experience efficient and productive for corporate clients.
Ancillary revenue has become increasingly important for hotels. How are you leveraging it?
Ancillary revenue today contributes approximately 10% to 15% of the hotel’s overall revenue and has become an increasingly important profitability driver.
Food and beverage, meeting spaces, laundry services, early check-ins, late check-outs and corporate dining programmes are key contributors. We are also creating curated experiences and thematic events that drive engagement while generating additional revenue streams. These initiatives strengthen guest loyalty while improving commercial performance.
Corporate dining remains a particularly important opportunity because it allows us to leverage existing corporate relationships beyond room business.
Food and beverage remain highly competitive in Hyderabad. How do you position your offering?
Our approach is centred around authenticity and consistency. Hyderabad has no shortage of dining options, so differentiation comes from delivering quality experiences rather than simply expanding the menu.
At Spice It and Groove Hub, our focus is on serving freshly prepared food, authentic flavours and a warm, personalised dining experience, sip on refreshing mocktails, and unwind after a busy day in our vibrant metropolis. We have found that guests increasingly appreciate authentic hospitality and attention to detail.
Sustainability is becoming a key focus area for hospitality businesses. What initiatives have been implemented at the hotel?
Sustainability has become a business priority rather than a compliance requirement.
Ibis Hyderabad HITEC City was among the first Ibis hotels in India to receive Green Key certification and is currently in its third year of certification. The hotel has invested in multiple sustainability initiatives, including an in-house water bottling plant, which significantly reduces plastic bottle consumption by 10500 per month, 30 solar panels for energy conservation by 100 units per day,500 aerated sensor taps to reduce around 10% water usage per day, 90% lightings are LED emitting lesser greenhouse gases, rain water harvesting and bio-composting systems for waste management.
These initiatives are environmentally responsible, but they also align with the expectations of corporate clients who increasingly evaluate sustainability practices when selecting hospitality partners.
Hotels are significant consumers of water, energy and natural resources. As an industry, we have a responsibility to reduce our environmental footprint while maintaining operational efficiency.
What are your key priorities for the next financial year?
Our primary focus remains on operational excellence and maintaining the quality of the product. Continuous investment in guest-facing areas and public spaces ensuring that the hotel remains competitive.
The second priority is sustainability. We intend to further expand our environmental initiatives and improve resource efficiency across operations.
The third focus area is enhancing ancillary revenue streams through curated guest experiences, entertainment-led programming and stronger engagement initiatives.
At the same time, we continue to invest in safety and security infrastructure, including fire-life safety systems, surveillance technology and emergency preparedness measures. Guest confidence is built not only through service but also through safety and reliability.
How do you view Hyderabad’s hospitality market over the next few years?
Hyderabad remains one of India’s most promising hospitality markets. The city continues to benefit from sustained growth in technology, pharmaceuticals, consulting, Global Capability Centres and infrastructure development.
What makes Hyderabad particularly attractive is its balanced demand profile. The market is supported by corporate travel, pharmaceutical business, MICE demand, healthcare-related travel and an emerging leisure segment.
Unlike many cities that depend heavily on one sector, Hyderabad benefits from multiple demand drivers. That creates resilience and long-term growth potential.
The city has consistently delivered strong hospitality performance and continues to attract significant domestic and international investment.
Asmita.mukherjee@saffronsynergies.in
