It was like a dream come true when I read the
venue for the Indi blogger meet on 27th October, 2012. The Grand
Chola! Wow! I registered for the same
without any second thought. The D day dawned and I was on cloud nine even as I
entered the Gates of the Grand Chola.
The very fact that I was about to enter Grand
Chola filled me with pride. From the very end of the road towards the grand Chola
my eyes were thirsting to catch a glimpse of it. And I should add that when
cars passed by this hotel you could see a number of heads vying to peep out through
the windows to catch sight of the hotel’s splendor, not wanting to miss the captivating
structure, tracing its origin to Chola regime .Before entering this hotel I
thought it was a typical replica of the old Chola Sheraton maybe with some updates.
I was not prepared for what met my eye. My jaws dropped. The sheer magnificence
of the architectural splendor in front of me stunned my senses. The intricately
carved elephants on the wall near the entrance and the fascinating colour
combination magically transported me to the Chola kingdom and of course I felt
like a king. This was evident when I was warmly welcomed by Renie, the convener
of Indi blogger. The hotel staffs were hospitable and cheerful and shared the
values behind building such a great hotel which we thought was a seven Star
category but were told that it is a 5 star super deluxe luxury hotel to be
reckoned with. Each and every executive of the Grand Chola including the Area
Sales & Marketing Manager, Mr.V.Prakash, Mr.Baldev Dhir, Manager
E-Marketing and Ms.Meghna rao Asst. Sales Manager were most hospitable. As I
entered the lobby, my eyes were basking in the beauty of the interior of the
hotel. It was a mind blowing experience. The grand marble staircase brought to
our mind the grandeur of the bygone chola era. Cameras clicked incessantly with
people posing by the staircase. The lighting, the ambiance and the temperature
inside was really perfect .The huge chandeliers in different shapes drew the attention
of all. The escalator which took us to the second floor was a surprising feature.
The 45000 sq.feet pillar-less Rajendra hall inspired from the great kingship of
Rajendrachola Deva is an architectural wonder. The fact that Rajendra chola constructed
the one and only temple for the wind god in the 12th century must
have been taken note of by the architects of the hotel, who did not compromise
on the air-conditioning which was on the dot. Not too cold, not very hot,
perfect just like I prefer my coffee. There were about 10 round tables inside
the hall (Rajendra) where the event took place, each ornate with flowers and an
ipad which I thought was classic .They were also accompanied by an appetizing bowl
of chocolates and a jar of mouth-watering cookies. There were two big screens,
one updating us on the tweets by the bloggers .The other screen showed the
agenda for the day. Not only were the ipads kept to be exploited to our hearts
content but so was Wi-Fi. Apart from this we also had free electricity provided
by them incase our cell phones or laptops were dead. This was like “kanna
rendhavdhu ladoo thinga asaiya?”
The events unrolled. Anoop Johnson, the
master of ceremonies, was spontaneous and endeared himself to one and all with
his cheerful demeanour. We were showered with a lot of treats from the generous
Grand Chola, who awarded redeemable gift coupons worth Rs500 to the people who had
arrived first and to those who won a few games conducted by the Indiblogger
committee. Then we were briefed upon the tweets for treats game which evoked
enthusiastic participation from the bloggers. Then we had an introductory
session where each one of us had a minute to introduce ourselves and talk a few
words about our blog. Then all of us both young and old played the GANGNAM
STYLE musical chair.
ITC GRAND CHOLA has the unique distinction of
holding the Indi bloggers meet in their hotel for their hotel!
Then we dispersed for high tea. I drooled
over the sumptuous spread in front of me. This included items like samosa,
kachodi, vada and bonda with the red, white and green chutney and also saunth.
Different kinds of cookies, cakes, salads, bread and desserts set our taste
buds tingling. It was really scrumptious and lips smacking. And of course I
cannot fail to mention the rejuvenating fresh fruit juices served along with
aromatic coffee and tea. I must really thank Mr. Amit bangera the chef, who undoubtedly
won all our hearts with his awesome culinary skills.
Thereafter came the highlight of the day –
THE GUIDED TOUR OF THE HOTEL. We were so
full that we welcomed the idea of walking around the hotel and savour the
experience. We were introduced to a group of girls and boys clad in traditional
sarees and suits. They were the guides who split us in groups of ten each to
take us around the hotel. Ms.Meghna Rao, Asst. Sales Manager was our guide. Every
group had to choose a group-name for themselves and also a team leader with
four people who should tweet their experience continuously while on tour and
then spin all the information collected into a story, ‘A story of the tour’. The
generous ITC wanted to spread joy among all of us by doling out more gift
coupons - for the best story and the best photo click of the day .Each and every
one of the guides was well versed with the history of the hotel and could
answer to all the queries put forth to them without hesitation. We began our
guided tour from the lobby. We all had our Kodak moments (photo taken). That was
really enjoyed by all and then we also clicked a picture along with the
friendly staff of ITC. Then all of us were lead by our guide and were explained
about the lobby in detail. From the embossing on the floor, (which was really
interesting and had much historical reference) to the self-play piano everything
was awesome. The stylish Bar which was
not yet opened to the public spelt luxury. The high backed chairs looked chic
and elegant. The sofa sets were so soft that I could sink myself in it and for
those who didn’t like the soft ones could settle for the firm leather-finish
chair.
The fine art work on each floor and the
number of artifacts arranged in a very pleasing manner and also the detailing,
lighting and the understated elegance of the rooms set this hotel apart from
the others. The icing on the cake was the plush and luxurious presidential
suite. ITC has followed the pure room concept which offers you the best
business and luxury services in a completely allergen-free environment. The
building stands tall amidst many other structures around and nearby with an
imposing chola traditional look. It is amazing to know that there are 600 rooms
built on a 2.5 acres area consisting of 10 floors. The sprawling complex
redefined the concept of space with a combination of luxurious accommodation. The
aesthetically designed rooms reflected the rich heritage of the Chola dynasty.
This made me draw the conclusion that ITC
Grand Chola was Chennai’s Burj Dubai. I could sense the same kind of lighting
effect and aesthetic sense. But our ITC is different in its own way owing to
its desi theme.
We also had the privilege to see the
different restaurants which displayed an array of delectable dishes both
continental and intercontinental and trust me our experience with food was
exquisite. The Ottimos, Madras pavilion, Café Mercara, Nutmeg the Gourmet shop,
Royal Vega, Peshawri, Pan Asia are the restaurants we came across. Some are
functioning while the others are yet to open. Then we headed to The Cheroot, Malt
and Cigar lounge. On our way to the Cheroot, we were enlightened with a very
interesting piece of information by our guide. She threw light on the hotel’s
detail to its acoustical features reminiscent of the Chola era. There was an
embossing of a lotus flower on the ceiling which I had thought was just another
architectural splendor but soon realised that it was acoustically tuned to echo
sounds when one stood under the centre of the flower. As one stepped back the
echo faded away. Another interesting stop drawing everyone’s attention was the famed
Louis XIII and the famous Armenteros brand cigars. The tables were carefully arranged
keeping in mind the Chola theme. There were old coins of the chozhan era displayed
under a sealed glass table which also displayed different cognacs. There was a
mini bar too which was yet to open. The small room dedicated for smoking
purpose was a thoughtful addition.
We had the time of our lives at the
Tranquebar where we were served with a variety of thirst quenchers to the extent
that our stomachs would burst. The hospitality of our host, the ITC Chola stole
my heart.
The room we were shown by our guide was more
tech savvy than me. The rooms would be a haven to all the lazy people who
prefer not to move their ass from their couch or bed as all that one wanted to
do could be achieved in one click of the ipad. From the lights to the blinds
and the door, everything would be under the control of the person in the room. It
also helps one to see the person outside the room and to reach the receptionist
very soon. The sliding wall sized mirror in the room concealed the bathroom
behind it. The use of sliding doors a space saving feature blended well with the
traditional décor.
Then we were lead to the techno gym which lived
true to its name. The treadmill had access to face book and twitter and one
could also watch TV while working out. The pool could be viewed from the Gym as
also a partial view of the hotel’s front side grandeur. Wasn’t that awesome? I
think a hotel couldn’t give more to please its customers.
And oh I must not fail to mention Kaya Kalp, the
royal spa, inspired from the Turkish bathing sense which is called Hamam. The entrance
to the spa had a small pond with many lotuses’ floating in it. This was the most prominent flower during the
Cholan period.
Our next stop was the Gentleman’s barber shop
which was a class apart from a normal saloon. The ladies could make use of the
state-of-the-art manicure and pedicure saloon. The last lap of our tour ended
with a visit to the Cauvery. This was not the river but a room where board
meetings and other important official meetings could be held. Again ITC did not
fail to surprise us with its unique feature. Any piece of written matter kept
on the table would be scanned and could be projected and viewed by all. It also
had very effective audio detailing. A small cloak room adjoined the main
meeting room.
Then we headed back to the Rajendra hall
where we were in for a pleasant surprise.
The meeting came to an end with every participant getting an invite for a
complimentary dinner for two at Café Mercara or Madras Pavilion or Ottimos or
Peshawri. The event was a memorable one for
me and I am sure for others too. My experience was indelible and will
remain in my mind for ever. The chola dynasty is a legend and has been
portrayed in this building by way of art work and the building structures.
Centuries
ago the Cholas took India to the world. Today, the Grand Chola invites the
World to Chennai…
SEKAR SAPTHARISHI
Contact:
sekrajc@yahoo.com
