Santosh Kuruvilla
Business Strategy & Operations
As a father of two young sons, Santosh Kuruvilla’s downtime is all about family time. Sometimes, that’s playing a game of Uno, Cover Your Assets or Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza. Other days, it’s a game of cricket or tending to the family’s vegetable garden. “Whatever my kids are into is what gives me enjoyment. I love seeing big smiles on their faces.” In the evening, he and his wife pop open a nice bottle of wine and enjoy a few sips as they reflect on the day. Making people happy—it’s the secret to a joyful family life and a successful career in hospitality. “It’s all about people taking care of people.”
He should know—when it comes to hospitality, he’s covered a lot of ground. A quick tour:
He studied hotel management in his native India, then moved to Switzerland and earned an advanced degree in hospitality management at the prestigious César Ritz Le Bouveret.
He’s held management and executive positions at hotels across the country and around the world, and played a critical role in the openings of some iconic properties—the Borgata Hotel, Casino & Spa in Atlantic City, the Atlantis in Dubai, the Marina Bay Sands in Singapore and the InterContinental Danang, among them.
In California, he served as hotel manager for the Irvine Company’s Resort at Pelican Hill, where he implemented a CPOR (cost per occupied room) calculation model that resulted in $400,000 in labor cost savings over one year and spearheaded guest experience initiatives that helped it earn Forbes Five Star and AAA Five Diamond ratings. He then managed the opening of the company’s Villas Fashion Island and developed an immersive training program for employees at the 525-unit multi-family luxury living complex, which boasts resort-style amenities and generated $2.2 million in annual rent during his tenure.
More recently, he’s played a critical role in the success of industry disruptor TMC Hospitality, with its Bode and Drift brands’ unique concepts here in the U.S. and Mexico. His work has been wide-reaching, overseeing everything from openings and annual budgeting to property acquisitions and technology. Proof of his prowess: His new hotel protocol strategies—aimed at increasing revenue, building an employee culture and enhancing guest experience—resulted in a profitable operation within four months and landed a #1 ranking on Trip Advisor. Because hospitality is all about making people happy.
1:1 Video Consultation
Santosh can’t wait to connect with you over video and discuss your business! She can support and guide you along your journey and give direction and answer all of your questions
Duration : 60 minutes Price : $150 Consultation Type : Private
Santosh can advise on:
Concept Development & Refinement from a Guest/Operational perspective
Project Management/ Brand Creation and Brand Strategy
Financial analysis and Underwriting/ Feasibility studies
Designing Property Amenities and Features and Market positioning
Developing KPIs and Metrics for monitoring performance
Assistance with Recruitment, Training, SOP, and Coaching/mentoring
Guest flow/ Journey/ Designing Unique Guest Experiences and Touches
Management Consulting, Troubleshooting, and mystery shopping audits with recommendations.
Designing operations for maximum efficiencies and incorporating the right technology platforms that fit your needs