HBI Staff | Hyderabad 
The Association of Hospitality Professionals successfully concluded the highly anticipated 6th edition of AHP Hospitality Excellence Awards 2023 at the USI Auditorium in New Delhi. This prestigious event celebrated the exceptional achievements of hospitality professionals and honoured the winners of the AHP Hospitality Challenge 2023.
The AHP Hospitality Challenge 2023 showcased the industry’s top talent including specially-abled professionals and their expertise in a wide range of categories. Participants from all corners of the country displayed their creativity, passion, and dedication, setting a new benchmark for excellence in the hospitality sector. With over 350 hospitality professionals competing in 17 diverse categories, the event highlighted the industry’s vibrancy and innovation.
In a landmark moment for hospitality competitions, the AHP Hospitality Challenge welcomed 25 specially-abled professionals who participated for the first time. Their outstanding performance was a testament to the competition’s commitment to inclusivity and diversity, and their resilience served as an inspiration to all attendees.
Speaking about the event, Mr. Vinod Gulati, President of the Association of Hospitality Professionals, expressed his admiration for the participants, stating, “The AHP Hospitality Excellence Awards 2023 is a true celebration of excellence in the hospitality industry. I am incredibly proud of the remarkable skills and talent demonstrated by all the participants throughout the AHP Hospitality Challenge. They have showcased the immense potential within our industry.”
Ms. Devipshita Gautam, General Secretary of the Association of Hospitality Professionals,said.” “The AHP Hospitality Challenge has provided a platform for participants to showcase their extraordinary talent and embrace the spirit of healthy competition. We are proud of their accomplishments and excited to recognize their outstanding performances at the AHP Hospitality Excellence Awards. This year, we introduced the Specially Abled Category for the first time, highlighting our commitment to inclusivity and diversity. AHP’s partnership with the Tourism and Hospitality Skill Council supports the Skill India Mission and promotes the World Skill Competition. We are dedicated to creating awareness and providing the right platform for aspiring professionals. The Hospitality Challenge and Awards have consistently allowed budding hospitality professionals to shine.”
The journey of the AHP Hospitality Challenge 2023 began with The Art of Bed Making and Towel Art competitions at The Park, New Delhi, followed by three days of intense culinary competitions at Banarsidas Chandiwala IHM in Delhi. The competition culminated in a thrilling finale, featuring the Art of Napkin Folding, Art of Table Setting, War of Spirits competitions at Radisson Paschim Vihar, and the Front Office Master competition at the Indian Hotel Academy, Subharsh Nagar, New Delhi.
The AHP Hospitality Excellence Awards 2023 honoured the winners in each category, recognizing their exceptional contributions and dedication to delivering outstanding hospitality experiences. These individuals and teams have exemplified the highest standards of professionalism, innovation, and customer service.
In addition to the competition winners, distinguished senior awardees were recognized for their outstanding contributions to the hospitality industry. Mr. Rohit Arora, General Manager of The Park, was honored with the Outstanding General Manager – 2023 award for his remarkable impact and visionary leadership. Chef Vivek Saggar, VP- Word Skills at THSC, received recognition for his significant role in monitoring the World Skills Competition and raising culinary standards for aspiring chefs. Mr. Mohd Shoaib, Associate Vice President of Pride Hotel, was awarded for his outstanding contributions to the hospitality industry and Ms. Darshan J. Singh, Vatern Housekeeper formerly of the Oberoi Group, was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award for her exemplary and lasting contributions to the hospitality industry.
The Gold winners of the competitions at the AHP Hospitality Challenge 2023 in the professionals’ category are as follows:
• Art of Bed Making: Ramprakash from Vasant Continental and Sheikh Azharuddinfrom The Park Hotel.
• Art of Towel Folding: Ritik Gaur from Crowne Plaza Rohini.
• Culinary Challenges Winners:Dressing a Cake – Sushil Kumar from Habitat World, Halwai – Rajesh from Country Inn by Radisson Sahibabad, International Cuisine – Rohan Chhetri from Habitat World, Regional Indian Cuisine – Praveen Damdora from Radisson Blu Paschim Vihar, Kebabs – Govinda Malhotrafrom Radisson Blu Paschim Vihar, Ornamental Bread– Ravi from Crown Plaza Okhla, Ornamental Bread – Deepak from Crowne Plaza Rohini, 45 minutes Live Cooking Challenge – Ashish Mehta from The Ashok, Sweet Sensation – Ritesh from The Grand, Biryani – Sandeep from Radisson Blu Khaushambi, International Confectionery – Pankaj Singh from Radisson Sec.29 Gurugram.
• Front Office Master – Kartik Papnefrom Crowne Plaza Okhla.
• War of Spirits – Govind Negi from Habitat World, and Sudhir Kumar from Radisson Sec 29 Gurugram.
• Art of Table Setting – Ajay Atri from The Lodhi.
The Gold winners of the competitions at the AHP Hospitality Challenge 2023 in the Specially-Abled category are as follows:
• Art of Bed Making: Vikas from Redfox Hotel Aerocity, Amit Kashyap and Ravinder Kumar from Sandal Suite by Lemon Tree Hotels Noida 135, Lalu Yadav and Rajeev Kumar from Lemon Tree Premier, Aerocity.
• Art of Towel Folding: Amit Kashyap and Ravinder Kumar from Sandal Suite by Lemon Tree Hotels Noida 135 and Kunj Bihari of Indian Habitat Centre.
• Art of Napkin Folding: Sandeep Kumar Mishra of Hotel Dwarka, MD Danish of Lemon Tree Hotel Premier Aerocity, Vimal of The Lodhi, Md. Shiraz Redfox of Hotel Aerocity, Umesh Kumar of Radisson Blu Paschim Vihar.
• Art of Table Setting: Himanshu Telang of Lemon Tree Hotel Sohna Road, Gurgaon, Dhruv Bhatia, Tanya Soni, and Chetan Singh Rawat of Lemon Tree Premier, Leisure Valley.
• Front Office Master: Lalit Kumar Haldhar of Red Fox Aerocity, Mahveer Prasad of Lemon Tree Premier, Aerocity, and Anshul Upadhyay of Lemon Tree Hotel Sohna Road, Gurgaon.
• Regional Indian Cuisine: Ramu Das of Lemon Tree.
The winners of the competitions at the AHP Hospitality Challenge 2023 in the student’s category are as follows:
• 45 Minutes Culinary Challenge: Gold winner Chureshwor Sanasam of Assam Downtown University. Silver winners: Jyoti Sharma and Raunaqbir of Indian Hotel Academy, Harsh Budhiraja and Sara Bhatia of Banarasidas Chandiwala Institute. Bronze winners: Susaan Singh of Banarasidas Chandiwala Institute, Abhay Pratap Singh and Charanjit Bhardwaj of Indian Hotel Academy, Pratham Brijwasi of Amrapali Group of Institute.
• Art of Napkin Folding: Gold WinnerVickey Yadav of Chennais Amirta International IHM. Silver winners: Jomon John of Jagannath University, Tanmay Rai of Indian Hotel Academy. Bronze winners:Tanya of Indian Hotel Academy and Harsh Sachdeva of Jagannath University.
• Front Office Master: Gold WinnerGeetanjali Upreti of Amrapali Group of Institute. Silver winner Vickey Yadav of Chennais Amirta International IHM, Bronze winner Bhavya Sharma of Jagannath University.
• Art of Towel Folding: Gold WinnerKartik of Jagannath University. Silver winners Bhavya of Jagannath University, Mahima Wadhwa of Indian Hotel Academy. Bronze winner Srihari. A.S of Chennais Amirta International IHM.
