abroad, the brand has a rapidly growing
member base and is expected to cross 100,000
Market
There was a time not so long ago, when
holidaying meant a whistle-stop tour that
rocketed people from city to city, country to
country in a breath-taking display of stamina
and endurance. Returning tourists brought back
a blur of memories and rolls of pictures shot
against popular tourist backdrops. All this is
now slowly changing. More people are, today,
opting for the relaxed, soak-in-the-local-flavour-
and-culture holidays. The joy of ducking into
little alleys to taste the local cuisine, day trips to
places off the beaten track, shopping for ethnic
handicrafts and learning the odd steps of a local
folk dance now form part of the wish list of
holiday makers.
As the Indian consumer continues to evolve
in the post-liberalisation era, the concept of
holidaying has become experiential as well as
aspirational. Holidaying, today, is now based on
an individual's idea of fun, excitement and the
elation brought on by the simple pleasures of
discovery. In this developing environment,
resorts help create a perfect holiday.
Indian tourism, standing on the threshold of a
new era, is expected to grow at about 25%
annually until 2017 (Source: World Travel and
Tourism Council report). The same report
projects India to emerge as the world's 3rd
fastest growing travel and tourism destination
over the next decade while the number of
domestic travellers is expected to cross the 300
million mark.
52 SUPERBRANDS
The current mix of
escalating land prices,
insufficient leisure properties
and the pressures of demand
from tomorrow's holiday
seekers is a giddy combine of
opportunity and wealth
creation. In this scenario, the
hospitality industry has come
face-to-face with the realities
of optimising investments in
real estate, evolving marketing
strategies in sync with today's
tourism climate and the increasing relevance of
shared ownership of leisure products.
The market for vacation ownership models is
huge. Significantly, domestic traffic is adopting
lifestyles that support this innovative concept.
While vacation ownership is well-established
in the US and Europe it has made an enduring
beginning in India. The market is maturing and
surging ahead at a speed that was inconceivable
just a few years ago.
Club Mahindra Holidays (CMH), the flagship
brand of Mahindra Holidays & Resorts India
Limited (MHRIL), is clearly the leader. Following
a steady beginning thirteen years ago, CMH is
today, the fastest growing timeshare brand
outside the US. With 23 resorts in India and
member families in 2010.
To service the needs of this growing family of
members, CMH has fifteen offices, supported by
70 direct sales agents and 31 franchisee retail
sales outlets. The company accounts for 65% of
the total active members across the vacation
ownership industry in India (Source: RCI).
Achievements
The tenacity of purpose with which Club
Mahindra has worked in India has won it several
accolades and recognitions.
The company has received the Avaya
Customer Connect award for Best Customer
Responsiveness while its member relations
department was certified ISO 9001:2000 by the
Indian Registered Quality Systems in July 2007.
Club Mahindra is also the first hospitality
company in the world to receive the PCMM
Level 3 Certification.
Its resorts in Goa, Coorg, Binsar, Munnar,
Manali, Dharamshala and Kumbhalgarh were
recipients of the prestigious RCI Gold Crown
Award in 2008/09. This annual award from
amongst affiliate resorts from across the world
is based on feedback provided by actual guests
on tangible parameters such as facilities and
service. Club Mahindra Lakeview in Munnar
resort has won this recognition ten years in
a row.
Club Mahindra Holidays has always placed
customer centricity above all else; that perhaps
is the single biggest reason for it to win several
accolades and awards – be it in the standards of
its resorts or in delivering customer delight.
Club Mahindra promises its members a lifetime
of quality and unique holiday experiences. It
pledges to live
up to the highest
standards of
excellence
and offer
every family a
memorable
holiday and
unbounded
joy in an
environment
of complete
security
and safety.
History
Mahindra Holidays & Resorts India Limited is
part of the Rs. 30,000 crore (US$ 6.25 billion)
Mahindra Group – amongst the top ten
business houses in India – with a leading
presence in financial services, trade and logistics,
automobiles and automotive components,
after-market, information technology and
infrastructure development.
Established in 1996, Club Mahindra set up its
first resort – Club Mahindra Lakeview – in the
breathtaking rolling hills of Munnar in 1998.
Today, CMH has 23 resorts each offering nature
trails and untouched landscapes that stretch for
endless miles; Corbett is its latest addition.
 Over the period of its growth and success,
CMH has managed all aspects of operations
through one entity. This integration has
enhanced management competence in many
areas, each of which has helped the company
attain new standards and surpass several
milestones. The key areas are member
acquisition, servicing of and continuous
engagement with members, identifying land and
developing resorts and resort operations.
Product
Club Mahindra offers a range of holiday options
to its members – from the misty hills of Coorg
and Munnar to the sun-kissed beaches of Goa,
from the back waters of Ashtamudi and Poovar
to the snow-clad slopes of Auli and Manali.
Members can even choose to explore the wild
life in Corbett or relive history in the fort town
of Kumbhalgarh. Each year, Club Mahindra adds
to its bouquet of offerings, enhancing the
choices its members can make.
Set in breathtaking locales, every resort is
aesthetically landscaped and offers facilities such
as a swimming pool, gymnasium, beauty parlour,
spa, restaurants, bars, recreation rooms,
children's clubs, hobby rooms and more.
The resorts have spacious, well-ventilated
apartments equipped with modern amenities
like microwave ovens, DVD players,
refrigerators, television sets, tea/coffee
makers, air-conditioners and room
heaters, amongst others.
A core focus of the brand is
customer centricity. Everything it
does is based on consumer
insights and is intended to deliver
greater value and create member
delight. One such initiative is the
concept of Fun Dining. A
sumptuous buffet for all three
meals at a nominal Rs. 590
(US$ 12.30) is an option
members can exercise. Club
Mahindra's entire culinary
experience is designed by a team
of acclaimed chefs led by
Corporate Executive Chef,
Soundararajan. Soundararajan was
accorded the National Best Chef
status by the Government of
India in 2006/07.
Club Mahindra is conscious
that in the service sector the
moment of truth is the
consumers' experience. To ensure
that the brand always delivers the best, Club
Mahindra has placed experienced and fully
trained personnel at both the pre-holiday and
holiday stages. A state-of-the-art call centre for
reservations answers all queries to the
members’ satisfaction. It is this back-end strength
that converts nearly 100,000 member families
into satisfied ambassadors for Club Mahindra
and accounts for the fact that 30% of all new
member enrolments each year happen
through referrals.
The Club Mahindra membership is especially
consumer-friendly and
offers a high degree of
flexibility. Members can
choose not only the
resort, time of the year,
duration of the holiday
and the apartment size
but can also advance or
carry forward annual
entitlements and extend
holiday privileges to
relatives and friends.
Recognising the
increasing trend,
amongst affluent Indian
families to holiday
abroad, Club Mahindra
has affiliated with RCI
(Resort Condominium
International), allowing its members access to an not only remember names of guests, they are
additional 40 resorts in India and 5087 resorts also taught to anticipate preferences. This is the
across the world. As a result, holidaying abroad secret of the brand's success.
has been made extremely economical. At a A dedicated, well-trained team of holiday
nominal exchange fee, paid in Indian rupees, the consultants works out of the state-of-the-art
entire family can get holiday accommodation. Member Relations Centre at Chennai that
To ensure that member feedback remains at provides member support all seven days of the
the core of its future plans, Club Mahindra has week. Continuous tracking is done using a HEP
developed and deployed a cutting edge CRM (holiday experience profiling) touch screen
solution. The brand analyses each comment system implemented at resorts to record online
and then works backward to ensuring that feedback from holidaying guests.
the next experience surpasses its already The company's multi-channel sales operations
outstanding record. have a pan-India presence covering metropolitan
and tier-II cities. CMH uses a variety
of additional marketing channels to
enrol members including media
advertisements, direct mailing, e-
commerce and on-ground promotions
backed by outbound telemarketing.
Memberships are sold through one-
on-one contacts and presentations
often made at the prospect's home so
that the entire family can be involved
in the decision-making process. The
company also extends invitations to its
HolidayWorlds, which are plush
lounges where consultants attend to
guests and explain the features of
the product.
Recent
Developments Brand Values
The recent past has been The company brings to the industry old-world
a busy period for Club values such as reliability, trust and customer
Mahindra. The brand has satisfaction. As a leading player in the leisure and
added five new resorts to vacation ownership industry, it strives to enrich
its offering including people's lives. It does this by attempting to
Tusker Trails Thekkady, make family holidays a rich experience. The
Fort Kumbhalgarh, company’s vision is to become Asia’s No. 1
Whispering Pines company in the holidays and leisure services for
Mashobra, the urban family.
Dancing Waters Club Mahindra has a well-defined, time-bound
Naukuchiatal and plan to attain these objectives. It expects to be
Nature Trails Corbett. there sooner than later.
On the appreciation
front, its resort at Munnar www.clubmahindra.com
received the RCI Gold
Crown for the 10th year
Things you didn’t know about
in a row while in the
Customer as Promoter Club Mahindra
evaluation its resorts
received the stunning Club Mahindra Holidays is the largest vacation
score of 35. ownership brand outside the US
30% of all new members have enrolled through
Promotion referrals
Club Mahindra believes that building a brand is
of paramount significance. It also accepts that in Club Mahindra's Munnar, Goa and Coorg
this category brands cannot be built unless the resorts have been accredited with 5-star rating
service that supports it is world-class. Perhaps, by the Department of Tourism, Government of
that explains the high level of member delight. India
The service in every one of the resorts is
Seven Club Mahindra resorts have won RCI
professional and highly personalised. A variety of
Gold Crown Awards in 2008/09
restaurants offer food of choice and holiday
activities are designed for all seasons and for The brand has secured a Customer as
people of all ages. Club Mahindra also brings a Promoter Score of 35 for the resorts
personal touch in dealing with guests; its staff
SUPERBRANDS 53