Purchasing Power: Sathish Chozhankath

How long have you been in hotel purchasing?
I have been in purchasing for the last five years. I worked with Aloft prior to my move to Le Royal Méridien Abu Dhabi a year ago. All of my experience in the UAE has been with Starwood.

What products are you on the lookout for?
We are responsible for the purchasing for every department of the hotel. Most of our time is focused on f&b, engineering and fixed assets. We use both local and international products for the hotel as per Starwood standards. We have a centralised supply chain for all of the Abu Dhabi hotels and combine our efforts to get the best out of the approved supplier list.

What area of your hotel are you most proud of?
We are proud of our Le Méridien Hub, Café Palmier, Wheat and the brand new Royal Club Lounge, all of which were launched in October 2013. The transformed areas look stunning and are a direct result of endless coordination, planning and implementation from all stakeholders involved.

Tell us about one of your most successful deals?
Within a very short period we have succeeded in getting well-priced, high quality items delivered to the hotel for the preopening of the two outlets and our new lobby. Central purchasing plays a major role in this success.

How is procurement evolving at starwood hotels and resorts?
We have a standardised tender process. The purchasing team coordinates with each department and outlet at the property. Once we have a thorough understanding of their requirements we go to market to secure the best quality, most competitively priced products.

What does a supplier have to do to impress you?
Suppliers should be highly professional, prompt and honour all pricing and terms agreed.