As the hospitality sector prepares to enter 2026, industry leaders remain optimistic about the road ahead. Sharing his year-end perspective, Neil James, General Manager of Sheraton Grand Palace Indore, believes the industry is moving forward with confidence and a clear sense of direction.

According to him, the hotel industry is witnessing a noticeable shift driven by changing guest expectations, the growing use of technology, and an increased focus on environmental responsibility. These factors are influencing how hotels design experiences, engage with guests, and manage operations.

Neil James highlights that experience-led stays, personalised services, and authenticity in hospitality are becoming key factors in building guest loyalty. Guests today are looking for meaningful interactions and memorable experiences, rather than just a comfortable stay. Delivering genuine warmth and consistency in service continues to play a vital role in meeting these expectations.

Alongside guest experience, operational efficiency and people-centric leadership have emerged as important priorities for hospitality businesses. Investing in teams, nurturing talent, and creating supportive work environments are essential for sustaining service quality and long-term growth.

Looking ahead to 2026, Neil James emphasises the importance of balancing innovation with the core values that define hospitality. While embracing new technologies and modern practices is crucial, maintaining trust, warmth, and reliability remains equally important. He adds that hotels which remain flexible, adaptable, and responsive to their guests are well positioned to achieve sustainable growth in the coming year.

This Christmas, Late Checkout, nestled in the heart of Lower Parel, is emerging as one of Mumbai’s most talked-about festive hangouts. Housed within a beautifully restored textile warehouse, the bar has been reimagined as a glowing holiday retreat that captures the warmth and charm of the season.

The space comes alive with soft festive lights, rich seasonal hues, and thoughtfully styled décor that blends seamlessly with its signature industrial-chic design. From cosy corners ideal for intimate Christmas dates to vibrant spaces perfect for group celebrations, Late Checkout offers a setting that feels festive yet relaxed.

Known for its striking cocktail room and design-led interiors, the bar carries an unhurried holiday vibe, inviting guests to linger longer, sip winter-inspired cocktails, and soak in the Christmas mood. The atmosphere feels warm, welcoming, and effortlessly stylish, making it as perfect for celebrations as it is for capturing Instagram-worthy moments.

With its festive energy, beautiful ambience, and prime Lower Parel location, Late Checkout stands out as a must-visit Christmas destination in Mumbai, offering the perfect blend of celebration, comfort, and style this holiday season

Bharatanatyam exponent Bala Devi Chandrashekar has long been known for her deeply researched, philosophically rooted productions that seamlessly weave together shastra, sculpture, music and literature. Her latest work, Mauli – A Timeless Tradition, draws from the centuries-old Pandharpur wari and the Varkari movement, presenting devotion not as spectacle, but as lived, collective experience.

In conversation with Hospitality News Magazine, Bala Devi Chandrashekar speaks about the inspiration behind Mauli, her multidisciplinary approach, artistic evolution, and how platforms like the Sangam Festival continue to showcase the enduring relevance of India’s classical dance traditions.

What inspired you to choose the Pandharpur wari and the Varkari tradition as the central theme for Mauli – A Timeless Tradition? 

The Pandharpur wari and the Varkari tradition inspired Mauli – A Timeless Tradition because they embody an unbroken, living continuum of bhakti that has flowed across centuries without reliance on spectacle or patronage.

At its core lies a radical spiritual democracy, where devotion dissolves distinctions of caste, class and scholarship. The poetry of the Varkari saints offers profound philosophical depth rooted in lived experience rather than abstraction.

The physical act of pilgrimage, walking, singing and surrendering resonated deeply with me as embodied spirituality, aligning naturally with Bharatanatyam’s kinetic language. Mauli emerged as an artistic response to this collective, timeless surrender to Panduranga Vittala.

Your works are known for blending shastra, sculpture, music and literature. How did this multidisciplinary approach shape the narrative and choreography for Mauli?

For Mauli, the multidisciplinary approach allowed the Varkari tradition to be experienced not merely as history, but as a living philosophy embodied in form.

Shastra provided the philosophical framework, while temple sculpture and iconography shaped spatial design, stance and kinetic geometry. Abhanga poetry and kirtan traditions informed the musical and rhythmic architecture, guiding both narrative pacing and emotional contour.

Literature anchored the choreography in lived devotion, translating metaphysical ideas into accessible human experience. Together, these disciplines converged to create a cohesive narrative where movement becomes an act of collective remembrance and surrender.

The wari embodies values like equality, devotion and collective humanity. How did you translate these spiritual and emotional dimensions into movement vocabulary and stage design?

The values of equality and collective humanity were translated primarily through movement and musical architecture rather than visual spectacle. I consciously employed minimal stage props, allowing the body, rhythm and shared spatial pathways to carry the emotional and spiritual weight of the wari.

Elaborate musical structures rooted in abhanga, kirtan and cyclical laya shaped the collective pulse and guided the choreography. The movement vocabulary emphasised walking patterns, unison phrases and grounded repetition, reflecting devotion as a shared, lived experience. This restraint in design ensured that the focus remained on collective surrender and the inner journey central to the Varkari ethos.

With your global experiences and recognition as ‘Natya Kala Visharadha Ha’, how does this production reflect your artistic evolution, and what message do you hope audiences take away from Mauli?

Mauli reflects my artistic evolution towards greater restraint, depth and inner clarity, shaped by decades of performing across diverse global contexts.

The recognition as Natya Kala Visharadha Ha reaffirmed my commitment to scholarship-driven work where tradition is not presented as nostalgia, but as a living ethical force. This production distils movement, music and philosophy into an offering rather than a display, privileging collective emotion over individual virtuosity.

Through Mauli, I hope audiences are reminded that devotion can be egalitarian, participatory and profoundly humane. The enduring message is that spiritual continuity is sustained not by grandeur, but by humility, shared faith and walking together.

How do the featured productions at this year’s Sangam Festival showcase the richness and appeal of India’s classical dance tradition to a wider audience?

This year’s Sangam Festival brings together a thoughtfully curated set of productions that reflect the breadth and vitality of India’s classical dance traditions. From Ananta Nartana, which celebrates expansive ensemble movement, to Vichitra Pradarshini, showcasing distinctive creative voices within a classical framework, the festival foregrounds both continuity and innovation.

Together with Meenakshi, which draws from mythological and devotional narratives, the festival demonstrates how classical dance continues to evolve while remaining deeply anchored in tradition. The diversity of themes, choreographic approaches and ensemble work makes the performances accessible and engaging for a wide audience. Collectively, the productions affirm classical dance as a living art form rich in heritage, expressive in content and relevant to contemporary audiences.

Event Schedule: Mauli – A Timeless Tradition (All are welcome)

• 25th December 2025 | 7:30 PM
  Brahma Gana Sabha, TAG Dakshinamurthy Auditorium, PS High School, Mylapore, Chennai

• 27th December 2025 | 5:30 PM
  Kartik Fine Arts, Bhavan Auditorium, Mylapore, Chennai

• 4th January 2026 | 5:30 PM
  Parthasarathy Swami Sabha, R K Swamy Auditorium, Mylapore, Chennai

• 9th January 2026 | 5:30 PM
  Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Mylapore, Chennai

Event Schedule: Sangam Festival 2025

• 30th December 2025 | 10:00 AM
  Kartik Fine Arts, Bhavan Auditorium, Mylapore, Chennai