Archana Bhawan | Revners Hospitality
The hospitality industry thrives on change. Client expectations evolve, online presence is paramount, and revenue management is a constant dance. Keeping pace requires a unique blend of hospitality expertise and digital prowess.
Meet Archana Bhawan, a seasoned hotelier with over 20 years of experience who founded Revners Hospitality in 2021. Archana’s journey began at prestigious locations like Rambagh Palace, JW Marriott, IHG and Hyatt, where she honed her skills in revenue management—a passion that would fuel her entrepreneurial spirit.
Revners Hospitality bridges the gap between traditional hotel management and the digital age. They offer a comprehensive suite of services, including revenue management, website design, SEO, and online travel agency (OTA) management. They even help hotels secure offline wedding business. Essentially, Revners Hospitality equips hotels with the tools they need to navigate the ever-changing hospitality landscape.
In our exclusive interview with Archana Bhawan, Founder and Director of Revners Hospitality, for our prestigious “The Leader Behind an Admirable Company 2024” edition, we delve into her remarkable journey and the secrets behind Revner’s meteoric rise in just two short years. Stay tuned.
Prime Insights: Brief us on the inception story of the company. What inspired you to create Revners Hospitality?
The pandemic’s challenges, especially for women in hospitality with brutal shifts, sparked my idea for a work-from-home model. In 2021, me and my friend Amit Rao started Revners Hospitality, focusing on revenue management and hotel marketing—a small operation we envisioned with just five friends, each managing a client. Everything clicked!
We helped hotels, offered flexibility, and grew—more services, a fantastic (friend-filled!) team, even international clients! Now we manage over 20 hotels, exceeding our wildest dreams. Work-life balance can lead to great results!
Prime Insights: Balancing work and personal life can be a challenge for any leader. How do you manage to find that equilibrium?
Balancing work and life is a challenge! Working from home gives me more family time, but societal expectations can be tough. Luckily, my family prioritizes my well-being, which has been my core strength. While we save on commuting costs, client visits are essential for strategy and keeping a pulse on the hotels’ performance.
Prime Insights: Can you share a unique obstacle you encountered as CEO, or is the struggle universal?
Building trust with my team while working remotely was the biggest hurdle. As a founder, you pour your heart and soul into the business, working long hours. It was hard not to expect the same from everyone else, but I had to remember they weren’t founders; they were employees with lives outside of work.
Mentors who helped me see this. I tried micromanaging and lost clients. I learned to trust my team, and things boomed. Now, my core team is like family. We support each other through thick and thin, celebrating successes and weathering challenges together.
Prime Insights: What kind of clients do you serve? Any special mentions?
Revners Hospitality serves a diverse range of clients, primarily focusing on the hospitality industry and expanding into other sectors.
The core of our business includes managing over 20 hotels internationally (in Canada, the UK, and Dubai) and domestically (in Rajasthan, Rishikesh, and Mumbai).
We have also begun offering digital marketing services tailored for travel agencies, helping them enhance their online presence and reach. Revners is also now venturing into the education sector, providing marketing and management services to colleges and schools. We have expanded our portfolio to include marketing for jewellery companies in Mumbai. Yes, as a special mention, we manage the portfolio of celebrity Khushwant Singh. As a celebrity and influencer management agency, we are also involved with actor Khushwant & Minal from the show Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai.
Prime Insights: Speaking of staying ahead, how does Revners Hospitality keep pace with evolving market trends?
Webinars are great for staying on top of trends, but it’s a two-way street. We keep our ears to the ground by having young team members who alert us to new ideas, like AI tools. We also attend industry seminars and conferences, and we even make learning fun by listening to podcasts together as a team once a week.
Prime Insights: Research and development (R&D) play a vital role in many companies. How important is it to Revners Hospitality growth?
Absolutely, research and development are crucial! It’s about constantly learning—surveys, classes, trying new things. We adapt successful strategies across our hotels. For instance, a food and beverage plan that works in one location can be tweaked for another with a similar focus.
Prime Insights: As a CEO, do you face competition in the market, and do you feel this competition is influenced by your gender as a female leader?
Absolutely! Competition is fierce! But it’s a good kind of fierce—it keeps us sharp. Even friends become competitors! It’s a cutthroat market. Clients chase the cheapest option, not necessarily the best. Some companies offer rock-bottom rates just to win business. While that might work for them, we focus on quality and results for our target audience.
Being a female leader comes with its challenges. Some still see men as the default authority figures, but things are changing. I’ve earned the respect of my clients and team through hard work and results. Societal bias lingers, but I focus on empowering my valued team.
Prime Insights: How do you prioritize employee satisfaction at Revners Hospitality?
We prioritize employee happiness! We offer perks like travel time off, birthday celebrations. But it’s a two-way street: I invest in their growth with conferences, training sessions, and even our Youtube podcast, RevTalk, featuring CEOs from Marriott and Taj, Mr Shanta DeSilva, celebrity chefs like Ranveer Brar etc.; sharing their experiences adds to their knowledge.
Prime Insights: Who are your biggest role models, and what advice would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs who look up to you?
I don’t have one role model, but I pick up great qualities from everyone. For the most important part of life which is balance, I look up to my mother. For hard work and dedication, it’s my father. In hospitality, Doris Goh, Tushar Arora, Gagandeep Hanjra and Nivedan Kukreti are all mentors as I have tried my best to pick their best. They taught me to manage my team like family and fight for what’s right. My friends and family have been my real strength.
Every day is a learning experience! Once, I learned a sales strategy from a vegetable vendor in Singapore used it in one of my restaurant project, and it did unexpected magic.
For those who look up to me, my advice is to focus and develop expertise. Build relationships that last. You learn from everyone every day. Like Chef Ranveer Brar, whom I met years ago at the Alila Fort Bishangarh opening. He showed me the importance of staying grounded and giving back no matter what heights he has achieved.
Prime Insights: What are your thoughts on CEOs actively participating in the broader entrepreneurial ecosystem?
Being a founder is like being a parent—you’re responsible for everything! It’s a thankless job, but my team trusts me because I’m transparent. Everyone has access to the company finances, and we all work together to make payroll. This openness builds trust, which is essential for any startup.
Prime Insights: What message would you give to CEOs who might be considering giving up on their dreams?
My advice is to believe in yourself and your expertise. Don’t be afraid to delegate. If your dream falls through, find a new one! There are always other options. For example, a friend who lost her agency in COVID started a successful cloud kitchen. Stay positive and keep going!
Prime Insights: Looking ahead, what exciting plans does Revners Hospiltality have for the future?
We have big plans! We’re going international this year, focusing on clients in Canada, the UK, and the US. We’re also expanding our services to include hotel management. We might even open our Central Reservations office in Mumbai or Jaipur soon! I’ll be managing these new ventures and building our reputation in celebrity management. The team will grow as we do!
Prime Insights: Can you share some of the company’s milestones and achievements that you’re most proud of?
I’m most proud of four projects. First was the Royal Retreat Resort and Spa; we turned around their revenue, and they’re still a client four years later. The second was Golden Healing Journey, a homestay I learned to manage. Third was Bijapur Lodge Jawai, a remote destination we helped put on the map. Fourth was Northumberland Heights, a Canadian project where we increased revenue despite having no marketing budget.
Prime Insights: Does Revners Hospiltality have any social responsibility initiatives in place?
Yes, we just started this year by providing education kits to 50 underprivileged kids in Delhi. We’ve been committed to doing this for 10 years. Education is key; it empowers people and creates opportunity.
Prime Insights: Is there a final message you’d like to leave with our Prime Insights readers?
To all the hotel owners and General Managers out there, I’ve got a simple request for you: Give us a shot at Revners Hospitality and watch your profits rise! We’re always searching for new strategic ways to help you do better and have a team here that’s eager to support you in this competitive and ever-evolving market
For everyone reading this, remember to trust in yourself and work hard. Balancing your job with your life outside of work is important, and managing your time well can make a big difference, even for students. Keep going with confidence and keep pushing forward!
