The ITC Grand Chola sets a new benchmark in
luxury. We got a first look.
Don’t be confused: regular visitors to
Chennai will know the name Chola from as far back as 35 years ago, but that
hotel has since been rebranded (it’s now known as My Fortune, Chennai).
Meanwhile the highly-awaited ITC Grand Chola opens its doors this moth. The
reason for the buzz? This is the first of many high-profile hotel openings in
Chennai slated for 2012; it boasts over 600 rooms (including 78 serviced apartments)
in the heart of the city.
The
ITC Grand Chola sets a new benchmark in luxury
I had the opportunity to visit, and am glad
to report that it is a worthy flagship; it retains the warmth that ITC is best
known for, while updating its facilities and design to a very sophisticated
level/
At its core, the ITC brand is proudly
Indian, infusing its properties with a Made in India badge of honour. The ITC
Grand Chola is no exception; drawing on the art and history of the powerful
Chola dynasty, which ruled parts of South India and South-East Asia from 300BC
to 1250AD, it attempts to recreate an atmosphere of glorious, contemporary
space.
At
its core, the ITC brand is proudly Indian, infusing its properties with a Made
in India badge of honour.
The entrance itself it palatial-massive
doors lead you to a foyer, where you encounter a grand marble staircase and
chandelier in the distance; only on stepping forward do you discover the entire
ceiling is studded with bulbs. Light fixtures are integral to the design of the
hotel-they are everywhere, large lamps falling down several feet to illuminate
tabletops, stunning crystal chandeliers casting a flattering glow on
everything. Wall art is conspiculously – almost thankfully – absent. Instead,
massive Chola-inspired motifs are intricately carved directly into pillars,
staircases and walls. The effect is striking – monotone, detailed, evolved
design.
Instead,
massive Chola-inspired motifs are intricately carved directly into pillars,
staircases and walls.
Fortunately, nothing is ancient where it
matters. Impressively, each and every room comes with a bedside Digital
Assistant, i.e. an iPad 2 that allows you to control everything from your
air-conditioning to TV to room service. The rooms come in various categories,
but be sure to ask for a room in the Tower as it feels much more like a suite;
the basic Executive Club category rooms are needlessly cramped, although women
will appreciate ITC’s Eva rooms, complete with thoughtful products such as
nail-polish remover. Forest Essentials face wash and safety pins. The Kaya Kalp
spa, when completed by June, will spam 23,000sq ft.
Impressively,
each and every room comes with a bedside Digital Assistant, i.e. an iPad 2 that
allows you to control everything from your air-conditioning to TV to room
service.
Suitably for its new flagship, the ITC –
always a leader when it comes to their food – brings to Grand Chola old
favourites such as Peshawri and Pan Asian, but it’s upping the ante with Royal
Vega, an all-vegetarian fine dining restaurant where food is served in golden
thalis; Cheroot Lounge, a laid-back malt and cigar lounge; and Nutmeg, a casual
deli. I sampled a tasting menu and was overwhelmed – small bowls of delicate
Mangalorean mutton curry served with miniature parathas, prawns with curry
leaf, all displayed as Masterchef finale.
‘Each room comes equipped with a bedside
Digital Assistant – an iPad 2 that allows you to control everything from your
air-conditioning to TV to room service’
Mangalorean
mutton curry
Of course, the massive hotel (spread over
eight acres) is also geared up for large events (even before its opening, it’s
played host to two high – profile Chennai weddings) and conferences The
Rajendra Chola ballroom, at 55,000sq ft( of which 30,000sq ft are devoid of any
pillars), accommodates 5,000 guests and has VIP entrances ready. This is also
ITC’s first property to open since it was recognized as the world’s greenest
hotel chain last year, and when I inquired about all that splendid lighting,
was promptly assured that a greater amount of windmill – generated power was
being contributed to the Timail Nadu Electricity Board.
It is to the ITC’s great credit that they
have been building the Grand Chola for five years, and yet the space feels
entirely new without losing the chain’s brand identity or soul. So far, they
seem to have to have thought of everything (including a private pool and
private elevator for the Presidential Suites; the only touch lacking is free
wi-fi for other rooms). If it runs as per plan, this will mark a triumphant
return to Chennai for the brand – and surely do the Chola kings proud.
