Sohaib Kidwai
General Manager
Hyatt Centric Sector 17 Chandigarh

People-Centric GM

There are people in this world who define your experiences, who go along with you on your journey and help shape your path in life. Sohaib Kidwai is a people’s person without a doubt and knows full well the value of those in his life who have, and continue to, make an impact. From colleagues to friends, family and God, first and foremost, it’s been a blessed life and the young General Manager doesn’t let a day go by without acknowledging it and expressing his gratitude.

Over a telephonic conversation, we sat down with the sweet-looking GM of the hotel that has ‘taken Chandigarh by storm’ since 2022, as he puts it. With his candid smile, he reiterates, “I have been here for a year now and the experience is amazing. For one, it is closest to home than I have ever been and second, it is the flagship Centric hotel of the Hyatt Group in India. It has literally taken Chandigarh by storm!” And he loves being its GM!

To lead a hotel that is fully booked most days – which is a first for Sohaib in his 15-20 years in the industry – to oversee restaurants like the fairly new Koyo Koyo that is packed with reservations, to have people flocking from outside the city as well – covers that run up to 150 on Saturdays; to launch the latest trend, Le Petit Chef and be sold out for the entire month with payment made in advance…Hyatt Centric is the place to be and Sohaib is pleased with his mise en scene, let’s call it that!

Sohaib has been across the country with the Hyatt Group for 16 years now and thanks them for their faith in him, feels he’s lucky to have gained so many opportunities, to open such wonderful hotels, and to be able to lead them today. “It’s interesting to be the GM at this hotel, with new ideas floating around and a team that is all fired up, every day,” shares Sohaib. “You just don’t realise when the day starts and when it ends! Each morning, I take a look around the property, after breakfast service, I interact with the team for 35-40 minutes and then get on with my day, overseeing the operations of the hotel, ensuring the quality of service is maintained.” For Chandigarh is all about quality and his experience in both F&B and Sales & Marketing gives him the edge he needs to be a capable leader. He takes us through his journey…

It all began as a young lad in Delhi where he was born and brought up and where his parents continue to live. He commends them for the way they raised him and his school, DPS, too, for the right development so integral to a kid in their formative years. The passion for hotel management began right after 10th grade and after completing his degree from IHM Aurangabad in 2005, he set off for his training with the Marriott Group. A nascent hotel chain in India at that time, Sohaib was part of the first batch of management trainees, greenhorns who have gone on to do wonders for themselves. Like Sohaib, who started off with the fabulous JW Marriott Mumbai Juhu, the flagship hotel of the brand in India. “Even after 19 years, if I walk into that gorgeous lobby, I will not forget my way around, through the back areas and all. The memories are still fresh. That’s the beauty of this industry, the experiences and the learning will stay with you wherever you go, forever!,” exclaims Sohaib. “You cannot pick just one or two as each assignment is different and unique.”

His next assignment after JW was the Goa Marriott Resort & Spa, followed by the Renaissance Mumbai Convention Centre, where the shift from F&B to Sales & Marketing was made. Sales Manager was up next at the Grand Hyatt Mumbai, in 2008 – that horrific year of the terror attacks. But Sohaib remembers his tenure by the famed Bombay rains, something he still misses; the petrichor, the hassle, the bhajias et al.

It’s been an upward and onward journey for the manager who went from one position and (Hyatt) hotel to another, from Bombay to Chennai to Poona, back to Chennai, and then Ahmedabad where the position of General Manager – Task Force awaited, during the 2020 COVID period. Once again, Vadodara beckoned, this time as General Manager Pre-Opening at Hyatt Place until 10th April 2023 when Hyatt Centric Chandigarh named their GM, Mr Sohaib Kidwai. Now you see why this is one of his favoured postings, for it’s closest to home (Delhi), where he gets to spend more time with his parents and revel in Chandigarh, the city that he, and we, believe is the next hot destination.

Time with his nuclear family, you ask? “Oh, we love to travel as a family, once a year at least. Europe is a favoured destination. We are also working on staying healthy as a family, for that is crucial today,” says Sohaib, husband to his beautiful wife, Misha, and father to three wonderful children – twin girls, Haroon and Haadiya, and a boy, Hareem.

As the hotel industry does not favour a relaxed lifestyle, a packed schedule is the adrenaline rush for Sohaib, with time to focus on his workouts and time to cook a lovely biryani when he can. “Delicious, as my wife will testify,” Sohaib laughs.