Luxebook Top100

Puneet Dhawan Senior Vice President, Operations, Accor India & South Asia O ver an extensive career at Accor, Puneet Dhawan started in Hong Kong, and is now leading 55 properties in India. Dhawan says about luxury, “Money can’t buy experience!” and its apparent that his time in different cities and around the world has made him appreciate the energy that each one has. So, when asked for his favorite cities he says, “Sydney, as it touches home and within an hour you can be amidst the best of beaches, vineyards, and mountains; Kyoto for its amazing food and serenity; Rome, for its celebrated history and amazing people, Santorini for its blue and white magic, and New York City for its vibrancy and energy.” On the work front, Dhawan has been presiding over the launch of Raffles in India, with its Udaipur opening, while Mumbai was the setting for the 20th Ibis in the country. With more developments in the pipeline, Dhawan is in for a busy 2022. “I start my day with the thought – ‘Let’s go out and change the world, one step at a time.” Sabyasachi Gorai Chef and President, Young Chef’s Association of India S abyasachi Gorai’s pan-Indian restaurant portfolio includes Lavaash by Saby in Delhi, Mineority by Saby in Pune and Bob’s Bar in Bengaluru to name just three. At each, Saby cooks up comfort food with a Bengali spin, offering diners a global menu with a focus on European fare to diners. When asked how he manages he said, “Being in hotels and restaurants, working late nights and morning meetings are quite the part of daily routine. Also, being an entrepreneur, I start my day in the morning and work till late in the evening.” He’s also a MyThali ambassador and is in talks with an OTT platform to air a show in the coming year. Given his platform, he’s working to make a change, “From 2000, I have encouraged farm-to-fork dining, worked with locally sourced ingredients, Slow Food and Terra Madre. I use minimal electrical consumption. I am very conscious of water and food wastage.” As sustainability takes centre stage, Gorai is well-positioned to influence food lovers. “To me, luxury means being comfortable, minimalistic, opulence, clean air, aspirational and rewarding.” 68 | | 69