OYO Hotels & Homes encourages micro-entrepreneurs to run self-sustained businesses in Hyderabad during COVID-19

The disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic have impacted the micro and small enterprises the most with their earnings affected by more than 50%. MSME players have faced the maximum heat due to a lack of liquidity and revenue. But, the hospitality industry has been one of the worst-hit by the pandemic however the grit and determination of small hotel owners with many adopting unconventional, new growth models to tide over the present crisis have shown that this sector is best placed to come out of the crisis. The current situation has also fast-tracked digitisation in the hospitality industry and the hospitality chain, OYO Hotels & Homes, is playing a big role in enabling micro-entrepreneurs across the country reach their customers online while preparing them to operate in the ‘new normal’.
 
One such story is of Hari Prasad, owner of Capital O 7648 Sri Navya Grand in Hyderabad who is an entrepreneur and found his true calling in the hospitality sector. A mechanical engineer by education, he spent more than a decade in the construction industry. Hari would travel a lot during his work, and this was when he realised the gap between the customer expectations for good quality, affordable stay versus what the unorganised hotel sector had to offer. Hari spent a lot of his time talking to hoteliers, doing research, and this is where he learnt more about the day-to-day operations of running a hotel. He finally decided to start his hotel in 2016 with the help of his close friends. However, he quickly realised that he wasn’t equipped to cater to the changing needs of the modern traveller. During his travels, he stayed at many OYO hotels and was very impressed with the smooth operations and adoption of technology to manage finances, operations and online bookings. He decided to onboard his hotel with OYO and given the success of that one hotel, expanded to four hotels that he is successfully running with the company.
 
Speaking of his journey, Hari, owner of Capital O 7648 Sri Navya Grand, Hyderabad says, “I have always loved to travel. I have learnt my best lessons travelling, and I love working in an industry that allows me to do what I love. When I was into the construction industry, I thought I’ll have to do away with my passion. However, I’m thankful for the immense support, love from our customers, and OYO’s guidance that today I’m the owner of multiple hotels. During my initial days, I would visit all my hotels daily and speak to five customers every day to learn how to improve their overall experience. With the help of OYO and its transformation capabilities, today all my hotels offer standardised, high-quality experience at an affordable price-point. Even during COVID-19, we have a good supply across our hotels and are hosting our customers following the standard operating guidelines. With the help of OYO, we’re managing contactless check-ins at our hotels where a guest can check-in from anywhere without the hassle of physical check-in formalities at the hotel reception on arrival.”
 
OYO Hotels & Homes, through support from its hotel partners like Hari, has been spearheading newer standards of operating measures to deliver a safe and quality stay-in experience to its guests. OYO’s CO-OYO app, which is the go-to place for all partners to have complete visibility on their performance, pricing, reviews have been further upgraded with Chat support, a self-help section, and a support ticket center. Over seven years, the hospitality chain has empowered thousands of micro-entrepreneurs in India to help them in becoming job creators. OYO’s business proposition where it leverages technology along with its culture of service to simplify operations and drive consistent, high-quality execution is contributing to the success of hotel owners who are going above and beyond in pursuing alternative career choices.