The Westin Pushkar Resort and Spa appoints General Manager – Mr. Vikas Kumar

Vikas Kumar Appointed as General Manager of The Westin Pushkar Resort and Spa

Vikas Kumar has been appointed as the General Manager of The Westin Pushkar Resort and Spa - Westin Hotel’s first resort property in India. Vikas has taken on the responsibility for overseeing the hotel operations and ensuring stellar standards of guest service with which the Westin brand is globally renowned. Honing on his extensive experience of over 18 years in the hospitality industry, which includes almost a decade spent with Marriott International Hotels, Vikas leads the executive team of The Westin Pushkar Resort & Spa, with innovative and proactive strategic planning and strong interpersonal and tactical management skills.

As the primary business leader of the property, Vikas is a well-structured, dynamic and results-oriented professional. He is responsible for all aspects of operations of the resort property, including guest and employee satisfaction, human resources, sales and revenue generation, etc. His strong hospitality background, which involved the successful pre-opening and opening of world-class resorts, luxury hotels, business hotels, and convention centers, enables him to deliver solid business results with increased profitability and market share. Vikas believes in leading by example and is very involved in mentoring the associates who work with him.

As an extremely talented professional, Vikas has gathered numerous awards and accolades to his name. One of the most prestigious awards won under his leadership has been the Brand Ambassador Award, Asia Pacific - Starwood Divisional Award in 2015, for Aloft Bengaluru Cessna Business Park. He was also credited for developing and implementing marketing plans and sales strategies that increased F&B revenue (per occupied retreat per day) by an average of $35 above target for 10 consecutive months at W Retreat & Spa Maldives.

Vikas has been preceded by an illustrious career. He was General Manager at Courtyard by Marriott Kochi Airport, where he was instrumental in converting the hotel to a ‘Smoke-Free Compliant Hotel’ which was also certified by the ‘Global Wellness Council’. While at JW Marriott Chandigarh, his active role in the conceptual development of 35 Brewhouse, resulted in it being established as the first-ever microbrewery of its kind in an Indian five-star hotel.

Essentially being an F&B professional at his core, his formative years were spent through the rungs of the Food and Beverage domain. He commenced his professional journey as the F&B Supervisor at Ananda in The Himalayas and worked his way up many prestigious hospitality chains as part of the pre-opening phases like - Aloft Bengaluru Cessna Business Park, Sheraton Bangalore Brigade Gateway and The Westin Hyderabad Mindspace. Before joining the ranks as General Manager, he was Director of F&B at W Retreat & Spa Maldives & Director of Operations at JW Marriott Chandigarh. Additionally, he has held various F&B designations at IHCL Hotels, Accor Hotels (Novotel Hyderabad), Intercontinental Hotel & Resort, Goa, and Sheraton Dammam Hotel & Towers, Dammam, Saudi Arabia.

Vikas’s academic qualifications include a Masters Program in Business Administration from IIBM and a Diploma in Hotel Management & Catering Technology from IHMCT, Kovalam. In his leisure time, he loves taking short vacations that include exploring nature and local food. He believes that driving through natural surroundings helps discover himself. Vikas is a fitness freak and even on a busy day, he finds time for a workout which contributes towards his holistic and well-balanced approach to life. He also enjoys singing and listening to music.