resorts - Luxury Journalist

h o t e l s
&
i n d i a
r e s o r t s
hotels &
resorts
business:
Trident Hotels
w USP: Five-star corporate quality
w Hotels: Eight Trident business-focused hotels are to
be found in India, located in Mumbai (Nariman Point),
Gurgaon (Delhi National Capital Region), Chennai,
Bhubaneswar, Cochin, Agra, Jaipur and Udaipur. Nearly
completed is the 400-room Trident hotel at Bandra
Kurla, Mumbai. Due to open are a 320-room Trident
hotel at the new Bangalore International Airport; a
326-room Trident hotel at Cyber City, Hyderabad; a
100-room Trident hotel in Dehradun, Uttaranchal; and
a Trident hotel in Chandigarh, Punjab.
w Website: www.tridenthotels.com
w Others: Radisson, Sarovar, The Claridges
luxury:
Oberoi Hotels & Resorts
w USP: Award-winning luxury properties
w Hotels: The Oberoi Group, synonymous with
supreme luxury, is due to launch several new
properties across India in 2010: the 202-room
Oberoi Gurgaon, Delhi, and a new 299-room Oberoi
hotel at Cyber City, Hyderabad, in Andhra Pradesh.
These will join existing hotels: The Oberoi Rajvilas,
Jaipur; The Oberoi Amarvilas, Agra; Wildflower Hall,
Shimla in the Himalayas; The Oberoi Vanyavilas,
Ranthambhore; The Oberoi Cecil, Shimla; and
The Oberoi Udaivilas, Udaipur.
w Website: www.oberoihotels.com
w Others: Taj Hotels, The Leela Kempinski hotels
alternative:
Mayfair Hotels & Resorts
w USP: Home-from-home native individuality
w Hotels: The Mayfair Group of Hotels has five quite
distinct hotels, priding itself on its proximity to nature
— the interesting settings include former Maharaja
palaces — while also offering conference rooms.
The range of properties includes the Mayfair Lagoon
set on a lake in Bhubanswar, Orissa; the temple-like
Mayfair Gangtok Spa Resort, Sikkim; the Mayfair
Rourkela, Orissa; the scenic Mayfair Darjeeling; and
the beach-fronted Mayfair Puri, Orissa.
w Website: www.mayfairhotels.com
w Others: Neemrana Hotels, Leisure Hotels, Heritage
Hotels (IHPL) u
ABTA Magazine India Supplement 2009 45
i n d i a
h o t e l r e v i e w s
hotel
reviews
ayurvedic retreat:
SwaSwara
Arriving at this holistic retreat by car, you’re treated to one of the
most breathtaking ocean views in southern India.
Staff are friendly, from the hotel receptionist at check-in to the
Bihar School of Yoga trained yoga and meditation teachers — even
the head chef, who discusses your personal dietary requirements
before rustling up meals in the interactive open-plan kitchen.
All 24 garden villas share a local Konkan style, each with turfed
gardens and air-conditioned rooms with all the modern fittings.
SwaSwara offers a whole range of yoga programmes, including
the therapeutic Laughter Therapy — just the thing for beating the
recession blues. Staff create a personalised therapy programme,
complete with a healthy array of cuisine and Ayurvedic massage.
Just a minute’s walk away from SwaSwara is Om Beach, a
double-coved beach shaped like a Sanskrit letter. We enjoyed a
dip in this perfect swimming cove and ended the day watching the
sun settle behind the sea.
city spa:
The ITC Mughal, Agra
As we stood in awe of the size of the chandelier in the luxury
reception area, we were checked in and whisked away to our suite.
Immediately we were wowed by the size of our room and the rose
petal bath awaiting, and the traditional Salwar Kameez Indian dress
hanging up for us to relax in afterwards.
Having sampled the massage chair before being shown the view
of the Taj Mahal – this amazing mausoleum feels so close from the
hotel, you can almost reach out and touch it, making The ITC Mughal
the perfect base when travelling the Golden Triangle. Our in-house
guide took us out in a horse-drawn carriage, explaining how the Taj
Mahal came to be built.
The hotel has a choice of four restaurants, as well as an array
of outdoor activities on offer. After our sightseeing, we found the vast
Kaya Kalp, The Royal Spa, the perfect sanctuary to cater for
our weary needs and we emerged a couple of hours later feeling
infinitely more relaxed than when we arrived. n
The fAcTs
The fAcTs
w Location: Om Beach, Gokarna, Karnataka
w FaciLities: 24 self-contained villas with mini lawns and an Ayurveda Centre
w X-Factor: The Blue Meditation Dome
w ideaL For: Hippies at heart
w detaiLs: Minimum five-night stay from £1,093 plus tax, including transfers, all
meals and activities except Ayurveda. T: 00 91 484 301 1711. www.swaswara.com
w Location: Agra, Uttar Pradesh
w FaciLities: 269 rooms (four suites overlook the Taj Mahal)
w X-Factor: A 24-hour butler service in all suites
w ideaL For: Luxury travellers
w detaiLs: Rooms start at £198 plus tax per room per night.
T: 00 91 562 233 1701. www.itcwelcomgroup.in/Hotels/ITCMughal.aspx