Taj Hotels are unquestionably one of the favorites for Indian travel, known very well within India as well as outside as a brand that stands for Indian hospitality across the globe. The hotel chain is not exactly my favourite ever since they burned down their loyalty program, but I still do visit them every now and then when they are the only premium hotels around, such as at Nashik, Srinagar and at Udaipur.

It turns out today, Taj Hotels are going to introduce a new brand promise, what they call, Tajness. Here is a teaser they released a while ago:

We’re unveiling #Tajness today. Here’s a sneak peek. pic.twitter.com/POrUZsOATs

— Taj Hotels (@TajHotels) August 5, 2016

So, what is Tajness? It has been something the GMs at a few Taj hotels have tried to explain to me, but always comes out as a mouthful. In an exclusive that the CEO of Taj Hotels gave to Conde Nast Traveller India, he mentions:

Tajness is a sum of all experiences that seek their inspiration from the nobility of Indian heritage and traditions.

If you hop over to the Tajness microsite, you’ll see the following six pillars on this new brand promise:

• Nobility
• Sincere Care
• Homage to Local Culture
• Sensorial journeys
• Pioneering Spirit
• Authenticity

I’m not entirely sure what the Taj did not do out of these anyways, because when you stay at one of their Palaces properties, you would notice that all the values are already there in the experience. Also in the experience I recently had at their Vivanta by Taj in Srinagar recently. So, yet again I turn to CNT India, where he tries to explain it:

The Tajness experience will focus on delivering a consistency in service and providing a taste of Indian tradition mixed with authentic local experiences. It will come to life for guests through a set of signature rituals to guide their journey from the moment of arrival. They will be able to do wake-up yoga wherever they stay, have afternoon tea that pays homage to local tea traditions, and take part in the atmospheric sunset ritual of diya or lamp-lighting.

The newness of Tajness

With Mr. Sarna, who is the current CEO of Taj Hotels coming in from the Hyatt fold, there is no doubt a bit of inspiration from the Hyatt experiences he has over a long period of time. As a part of the revamp, they intend to eliminate traditional lobbies and move to a living room format, something that the Andaz brand pioneered a few years ago.

Bottomline

While I already love my Taj experiences, I’m waiting to see how much more authentic they become over a period of time. Let’s see what does it mean when the CEO says…its just the beginning…

What are your thoughts on the Tajness experience?

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