‘Technology is at the heart of enhancing guest journeys and operational efficiency’

The hospitality industry in India has been undergoing a fascinating transformation. Dining, once viewed as an ancillary service to rooms, has now become a critical revenue driver and a core part of the guest experience. Today, food and beverage (F&B) is no longer just about taste, it is about immersive storytelling, cultural resonance, and emotional connection. Guests are not only looking for what to eat but also where to eat, how it makes them feel, and the stories that come with each dining experience.

Tapping into this cultural shift, Marriott International has launched a personalised F&B campaign, Toh Aaj Jana Kaha Hai, featuring actor Kareena Kapoor Khan. Moving beyond generic endorsements, the campaign aims to create authentic, tech-enabled, and emotionally resonant dining experiences for Indian audiences by leveraging hyperlocal insights to create a personalized, immersive storytelling culinary journey for Indian diners.

We caught up with Khushnooma Kapadia, Vice President Marketing; South Asia, Marriott International, to unpack the thinking behind this campaign, the role of F&B in Marriott’s evolving brand narrative, and what lies ahead for one of the world’s most recognisable hospitality brands in India.

Edited Excerpts:

Marriott has launched Toh Aaj Jana Kaha Hai as a first-of-its-kind personalised F&B campaign. From a marketing perspective, what gap or opportunity were you looking to address?

In 2019, when we launched Aaj Khaane Mein Kya Hai, our F&B campaign designed to showcase the culinary breadth of Marriott’s restaurants and bars. Since then, food and beverage have taken on a very different level of importance in the hospitality business both culturally and financially.

With Toh Aaj Jana Kaha Hai, we wanted to create a campaign that was progressive, hyperlocal, and deeply relevant to Indian consumers. Dining out in India isn’t just about food, it’s cultural, emotional, and aspirational. The phrase itself is colloquial and instantly relatable. We backed it with advanced reservation technology like SevenRooms, to shorten the discovery journey and offer personalised dining recommendations. Pairing this with Kareena Kapoor Khan, someone synonymous with authenticity, food, and aspiration made the campaign both credible and aspirational. The strategic objective was simple: to build deeper dining relationships and reinforce Marriott’s position as a dining-first, experience-rich hospitality brand.

In an era where authenticity matters more than generic endorsements, how did you position this campaign to connect with Indian diners?

While tech was core to the campaign, we also needed a face that resonated with Indian audiences. Kareena Kapoor was a natural choice. She is authentic, rooted, and has a genuine love for food. She’s not just a celebrity endorsement; she’s someone who dines with us often and has her own views about cuisine and dining experiences.

Importantly, her involvement went beyond a script. The campaign films are unscripted, and she speaks from the heart which makes the storytelling real and not staged. That authenticity, combined with the cultural aspiration of dining out in India, created the right connection.

You’ve mentioned technology several times. How is Marriott using tech to differentiate dining experiences?

Technology is at the heart of enhancing guest journeys and operational efficiency. Beyond guest-facing apps like mobile key and digital check-in, we’ve integrated advanced platforms such as SevenRooms, a CRM and reservation system.

 This enables us to anticipate guest preferences, optimise seating, and deliver personalised communications. For example, we can send guests birthday invites with a customized voice note, from Kareena Kapoor, inviting them to celebrate at one of our restaurants. These are smart, targeted, and emotionally engaging touches that technology makes possible.

We’re also creating city-level microsites and destination landing pages featuring curated Marriott restaurants, which give us the scale to reach niche audiences across markets.

The campaign currently features select restaurants. How did you curate them?

We launched with 20 restaurants across Mumbai and Delhi, two of our strongest source markets. Each restaurant was chosen strategically to showcase the diversity of our portfolio from Japanese-Peruvian at Koishii to Indian personalised F&B campaign at Sahib Room, from Mezzo Mezzo at JW Marriott Juhu to K3 at JW Marriott Hotel New Delhi Aerocity.

 Each restaurant has its own story, its own personality, and resonates with current dining trends. The idea is to highlight that Marriott’s F&B offerings extend beyond hotel guests and can be a destination for discerning diners across cities.

Marriott has built strong culinary IPs like Masters of Marriott Bonvoy and Luxury Dining Series. How does this campaign fit into that ecosystem?

Masters of Marriott Bonvoy was chef-focused, where we brought in international culinary icons. With Toh Aaj Jana Kaha Hai, the focus shifts to our own restaurants, powered by technology and storytelling.

It’s really an evolution, earlier we spotlighted chefs, now we’re spotlighting our portfolio. Both approaches are part of our broader strategy to build Marriott’s position as a dining-first, experience-rich hospitality brand.

Looking ahead, what role will F&B-centric storytelling play in Marriott’s South Asia strategy?

F&B has already become a critical revenue pillar for Marriott in South Asia. Traditionally, hotels were chosen for rooms; today, guests choose based on holistic experiences, with dining being central.

For Indian consumers, dining out is layered with emotions, celebrations, community, culture, and lifestyle. Storytelling is key to tapping into that. And yes, we do aspire to spotlight regional cuisines authentically, so that diners in Mumbai, for instance, can discover Assamese or Bengali flavours without leaving the city.

 Going forward, F&B-centric storytelling will not just complement but often take centre stage in Marriott’s brand narrative.

Finally, what’s next for Toh Aaj Jana Kaha Hai and for Marriott in India?

Our immediate goal is to scale the campaign to more restaurants and cities beyond Delhi and Mumbai, and reach younger audiences like Millennials and Gen Z who connect deeply with digital-first storytelling.

At the same time, Marriott is expanding aggressively targeting nearly 500 hotels across South Asia by 2030, including deeper penetration into Tier 2 and Tier 3 markets.

The future of hospitality lies in experiences, not just rooms. And food will continue to be at the heart of how Marriott builds relationships with guests.

Marriott Bonvoy, Marriott International’s award-winning travel platform, and Flipkart SuperCoins, the country’s most rewarding and inclusive loyalty program, have announced India’s industry-first dual loyalty integration. This alliance brings together Marriott Bonvoy’s global rewards ecosystem and Flipkart’s SuperCoins, creating a frictionless way for millions of members to earn more, redeem smarter, and unlock rewards faster. Premised on “Your Cart Takes You Places,” this collaboration allows customers to seamlessly swap Flipkart SuperCoins and Marriott Bonvoy points unlocking benefits that stretch from everyday shopping carts to free stays, suite upgrades, and unforgettable global getaways.

India remains a high-growth priority for Marriott, set to become the company’s third-largest global market within five years. With 137 properties in the pipeline, 23,000+ keys under development, and expansion into Tier 2/3 cities through partnerships such as The Series by Marriott with Concept Hospitality, the brand is catering to India’s diverse traveler base. In 2025 alone, Marriott has opened six properties and will add six more by yearend, supported by large-scale signings including a seven-pack with Ventive Hospitality and a six-pack with Brigade Hospitality. Notably, the luxury and upper-upscale segment accounts for over 53% of Marriott’s signings, reflecting India’s growing premiumization trend, with new developments in Shimla, Surat, Coorg, Jalandhar, and beyond.