Hitesh Keswani Founder & Director, Silver Beach Entertainment & Hospitality Hitesh Keswani started his career as a base-line manager with brands like Mocha and Hawaiian Shack in Mumbai. He later decided to pursue his passion for food and hospitality by starting his own venture, Silver Beach Entertainment & Hospitality. His very first venture under Silver Beach was a small shop in Juhu, that was defined by simplicity, comfort, and outstanding hospitality. Post the success of his first launch, Hitesh went on to open Nom Nom in Versova and Bandra, followed by Copa Sirocco, The Terrace, and Radio Bar. These later expanded to Goa with The Lazy Goose, Toro Toro, and Blue Turtle along with the subsequent launch of the iconic Estella in Mumbai which also won The Elite Magazine Award. Eventually, he opened two more outlets for Silver Beach Café, one in Bandra and the other in Lokhandwala. In 2019, Hitesh opened Basanti in JBR, Dubai, and Radio Bar’s second outlet in Chembur, Mumbai. His most recent launch was the popular Dubai-based Greek restaurant Opa Kipos in Worli, which became one of the “Luxury to me personally means ELEGANCE in its purest form.” city’s top-ranking restaurants in record time. From there he went on to launch Akina in Bandra, a contemporary Japanese restaurant and bar, defined by its distinctive, ultra-luxurious ambience and authentic Japanese food. Under his leadership, Silver Beach Entertainment & Hospitality has grown to become one of the leading hospitality companies in Mumbai in just 12 years. Jurgen Bailom With a career spanning over 30 years in the cruise and hospitality industry, Mr. Bailom has been President & CEO of Grupo Vidanta Cruises prior to his current role as President and CEO of Waterways Cruises. He has also held senior Corporate Director positions within several of Royal Caribbean’s brands such as SKY SEAS, TUI and Celebrity Cruises, Island Cruises and most recent as the Chief Operating Officer & Vice-President of Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines Pullmantur. He has also been Vice-President of The Maho Group, Sonesta Collection Resorts, Casinos, Spa & Real Estate to name a few. Bailom has provided his expertise across hospitality, leisure, and cruise industries involving food and beverage operations, guest services and financial operations, operations leadership, and general management at the Hilton International and Royal Caribbean International. With an MBA in Business & Tourism and a Diploma in Business Administration & Language, Bailom is a Certified Hotel Administrator (CHA) from the Hotel & Tourism School of Vienna & WIFI (Institute for “LuxeBook is an exceptional platform for exploring the nuances of luxury in a refined, accessible, and engaging way. ” Executives), Austria. In addition, he is the Founder of the JB Foundation, a non-profit Cancer Foundation (Ironman4Cancer). In his role as President and CEO of Waterways Cruises, Mr. Bailom is spearheading the launch of this world-class cruise experience in India. Being an industry veteran, he has played an instrumental role in the selection of the first ship, its refurbishment, bringing on board like-minded partners, ensuring the first cruise is ready to set sail. President and CEO, Waterways Leisure Tourism 64 | | 65
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