INDIA: Review of ITC Rajputana Jaipur

In a nutshell 

A five star property with 218 guest rooms and suites that reflect the spirit of Rajasthan and its royalty, designed along the lines of traditional havelis - the historic private mansions of India. 

Where is it?

It's in downtown Jaipur, quite literally around the corner from the railway station and 14km from the airport.

The hotel is on land known as ‘Atal Van’ and used to be the residence and rose garden of Mr. Amar Nath Atal, who was the Finance Minister of the State of Jaipur.

Style and character

The design pays homage to 'Rajpootana', the citadel of the Rajput clan. It's created in the style of a cluster of buildings with red brick exteriors, rising to different levels around a central area. I personally thinks it looks a little too much like the 80's council housing found in East London, but the outside beguiles the beauty within.

The interiors are some of my favourite yet, in fact. There's a beautiful latticed central marble staircase in the lobby, and this section of the property is open plan, with public spaces leading off from the reception, without the need for corridors in between.

The courtyard has a large swimming pool, and the windows of rooms face eachother over this central area - I initially thought people could see in so was fumbling around in the dark for a lot of the time, then realised they're one-way windows.

The Sheesh Mahal Bar is particularly nicely done, taking inspiration from the halls of mirrors, so much a part of the Rajputana palace design. Thousands of tiny mirrors embedded in the walls add a starry glitter to the muted lighting in the room.

What's unique?

The green credentials of the chain as a whole are so good, that they boast the highest number of LEED® Platinum Certified properties, and are recognised as the 'Greenest Luxury Hotel Chain in the World'. Here is more information on their responsible luxury.

Who goes?

A healthy mix of business folk, couples, tourists from India and those from further afield.

Breakfast

The buffet breakfast takes place in the Jal Mahal restaurant (with buffets available at lunch and dinner too) and recognising their diverse client base, it's an international offering. 

There are some Far Eastern entries with miso, congee, clear chicken broth, and dim sum; there are European cold cuts, cheeses and breads; lots of Indian offerings including a dosa station where they're made fresh to order; grilled tomatoes, mushrooms, and baked beans; and an egg station.

The almond meal and finger millet pancakes with aloe vera, blackcurrant and rambutan were fantastic - great texture and full of flavour. There was a fresh juice bar that had beetroot, and the oats did not already have sugar added, which is a good sign.

The restaurant also has fountains at the centre and live performances by ‘Ghazal’ singers, which is a nice touch in the morning.

Dining

Chandravanshi Pavilion is a good shout when you need to fill the gap between lunch and dinner and your body clock is yet to adjust to local time. It's open 24 hours and as I've found to be the case at all the ITC hotels I've stayed at, does international cuisine rather well, for when you fancy a change. 

A big thumbs up for the spaghetti carbonara, and the chef making it without cream as I requested.

Their restaurant Peshawri is an extension of their award winning Bukhara restaurant brand, serving up the robust flavors of the north west, with its rustic rugged décor and show kitchen. 

Everything is cooked in tandoor ovens (separate ones for meat and veg), and there are a lot of similarities with Turkish food - charred meats, yoghurt, raw onions, chillies, lemon. And what's not to like about that.

Mega prawns made up the tandoori jhinga, marinated in a carrom seed mix with yoghurt, red chilli, turmeric, garam masala, skewered and roasted in the tandoor. 

Then there was the kastoori kabab - chicken marinated in ginger and garlic, dipped in a gram flour batter, coated with an egg yolk wash, cooked in the tandoor.

Gulab jamun were huge. Reduced milk dumplings, at Peshwari stuffed with pistachio and cardamom, deep fried and doused in syrup. So very good.
  

Service

A special mention to Partab (pictured above, bottom left). He was on hand at every meal, consistently provided excellent service, remembered preferences, and is an all round great member of the hospitality industry.

I tweeted I was having a duvet day at the hotel (tagging them in). They saw this and called the room to check if I was feeling ok and asked if I needed a doctor! That was sweet. 

Also, the guy at breakfast remembered our drinks order from the day before, that's not bad considering how many guests pass through. 

Liked lots / liked less

Liked lots. I really did like that lobby, I believe it was quite recently redone. I'm such a sucker for some nice lattice work. 

Liked less. The exteriors are not quite to my taste. But then what do I know.

Price point

Prices from around £150 a night for an Executive Club room to £300 for the Thikana Suite, rooms inclusive of breakfast. 

Contact

Palace Road, Jaipur 302006, Rajasthan
+91 (141) 5100100
Website
@ITCHotels

Note: I stayed as a guest of this hotel.

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INDIA: Review of ITC Grand Central Mumbai

In a nutshell 

A luxury tower housing 242 rooms, standing tall as an ochre red presence in the neighbourhood of Parel in Mumbai.  

Where is it?

It has a good location, just a few minutes from the key leisure and commercial districts of South and Central Mumbai. It's 15km from the domestic airport, 22km (45 minutes) from the international one, and 20 minutes from Nariman Point.

The area used to have a high concentration of cotton mills and prior to that, was a colonial residential settlement where the erstwhile governor of Bombay - Sir William Hornby - lived. Today, the district retains the old world charm of a bygone era, despite it being cited as one of the fastest developing neighbourhoods in the world (outside of China).

Style and character

The building is handsome and refined, with the design of the public spaces inspired by British Colonial architecture of old Bombay, giving it a stately air of grandeur. It's height and tall spire cuts a striking figure against Parel's skyline, and the cobble-paved Mill Square and central fountain provides a strong focal point.

The Peace Zone (the tower that houses the rooms) is separated from the Celebration Zone by Mill Square, where the restaurants and business and banqueting facilities are. They're connected by a rather pretty corridor, furnished with large leaning mirrors and a polished marble floor (see main pic).

Frederick's Lounge is a particularly attractive space. A spot for morning coffee and pastries, afternoon tea, or snacks and cocktails, the big bay windows overlooking the garden courtyard allow light to enter and reflect off all the shiny polished surfaces. Wicker garden-style furniture with plump seating, brass chandeliers and a gleaming black floor create a casual but sophisticated atmosphere.

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What's unique?

The hotel has the rooftop, split-level Point of View lounge, where you can actually go outside and look over the city - I'm not sure those sort of views, without a pane of glass in the way, are that common.

ITC business hotels (including this one) have been the first in the country to dedicate entire floors with standardised facilities for women travellers, which they call Eva floors. What are deemed to be 'feminine needs' - like full-length and make-up mirrors, iron and ironing boards, smaller hangers, bath robes, and an assortment of extra cosmetics - are provided especially for solo women travellers.

Security is also a big deal on the Eva floors, with guests only being able to get off the elevator if they have a room card for that floor, along with video phones that allow residents to identify who's at the door.

Who goes?

I'd say the majority were business folk, often seen having meetings over coffee in Frederick's Lounge, but we did also see families, couples, tourists from India and those from further afield.

Breakfast

The buffet breakfast takes place at the 24hr dining restaurant Hornby's Pavillion (with buffets available at lunch and dinner too) and recognising their diverse client base, it's an international offering. 

There are some Far Eastern entries with miso, congee, clear chicken broth, and dim sum; there are European cold cuts, cheeses and breads; lots of Indian offerings including a dosa station where they're made fresh to order; grilled tomatoes, mushrooms, and baked beans; and an egg station.

It was the first place in India that already had rock salt and a pepper grinder on the table, and also the first with skimmed milk readily available without having to ask for it. A fresh juice bar that would blitz up whatever concoction you fancied from what they had on display proved popular too.

Dining

Kebabs and Kurries aims to serve food from the royal courts and battlefields of a time gone by. They use sealed deghs and copper handis, clay and iron tandoors, and angethis and tawas, to rustle up a menu that, as the name suggests, focusses on meats and curries, and does them rather well.

Forget pizza base spinning. I managed to take a good snap of rumali roti in the making (below, top left). It's handkerchief-thin bread, cooked on top of (the convex side) an inverted kadhai (Indian griddle) - lovely stuff.

We had some murgh tandoori - chicken marinated in yoghurt, malt vinegar, ginger and garlic paste, lemon juice, red and yellow chillies, turmeric, garam masala, skewered and cooked in the tandoor. First bit of chicken for some time, what with all the great vegetarian offerings across the country, and it was mighty fine.

There was also a pot of garlic achaar as part of the condiments which we emptied in minutes. Pickled garlic, with mustard oil, asafetida, fenugreek, cumin, coriander seeds, nigella seeds, chillies, salt, lime. They might have thought me odd if I asked for another, so I didn't. Shame.

Then there was the rather decadent dal bukhara. A voluptuous bowl of black lentils, tomatoes, ginger, garlic, simmered overnight on a low charcoal heat, finished with butter and cream, of course.

Hornby's Pavillion is a good shout when you need to fill the gap between lunch and dinner and your body clock is yet to adjust to local time. It's open 24 hours and as I've found to be the case at all the ITC hotels I've stayed at, does international cuisine rather well, if you fancy a change.

Service

This was very good, particularly in the restaurants. I was talked through the workings of the kitchens at Kebabs and Kurries, and one of the chefs was asked to make some romali roti just so I could see how it was done (where the snap is from).

The staff at breakfast were great too, with some Mumbai cutting chai made up so I could try something a little different and typical to the city.

Liked lots / liked less

Liked lots. The hour long Absolute Pearl Illuminating facial I indulged in, at the hotel's Kaya Kalp Spa. It involved a face massage, a scrub, a steam to open the pores, a very thorough blackhead scrape, an outstanding scalp and neck massage as the face mask that was applied was drying, followed by a facial bone structure massage (I'm talking brow bones, cheek bones, eye sockets, jaw bone), then finishing with moisturiser. This was the most thorough and most comprehensive facial I've had.

It knocked the dust and grime from the past few weeks in India right out of my epidermis layer, and I left looking positively radiant.

Liked less. This would have to be the same point raised in some of my other ITC hotel posts - their wifi is not included in the room, which seems strange in this day and age.

Price point

Prices from around £165 a night for an Executive Club room to £1000 for the Queen Suite, rooms inclusive of breakfast. 

Contact

287 Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Road, Parel, Mumbai 400 012, Maharashtra
+91 (22) 24101010
Website
@ITCHotels

Note: I stayed as a guest of the hotel.

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INDIA: Review of ITC Grand Chola Chennai

In a nutshell 

Channelling the glory of the Chola Dynasty – one of the greatest and longest-ruling maritime dynasties in the history of southern India - this is ITC Hotel's flagship property in the region. Boasting 522 rooms and 78 luxuriously appointed serviced apartments, it's 'grand' in every sense of the word. 

The highest standards in Indian hospitality, balanced with elegant restraint, in a sensational property, with a distinct personality. Simply put, this was, by far, the best out of both the ITC Hotels and hotels in general we stayed in during our five week visit to India.  

Where is it?

Equidistant from the city centre and the airport, the hotel is close to the business hubs of Mount Road, Olympia Tech Park and Guindy.

It's very handily only 8km from the international airport, but that does mean it's a little way from the city centre. However, the well-connected highways and flyovers mean you can easily and quickly (outside of rush hour) reach the key parts of the city.

Style and character

The clue is in the name. The property is so large and so impressive that it has three different reception desks for each of its three wings, with the main lobby basking in the grandeur that is a magnificent sweeping central staircase.

The vast spaces, splendid columns, alabaster granite and marble walls and floors, sweep you along the corridors; you take another turn, get into another elevator, come out on yet another floor or mezzanine. It's a little confusing to navigate (particularly if you have no sense of direction, like me), but it's the sort of place you don't mind getting lost in, and don't really want to leave.

This ornate, palatial tribute to Southern India's greatest empires – the Imperial Cholas – overlooks a central outdoor swimming pool fringed with palm trees. 

The first thing that struck me on entering the lobby - something I believe to be a signature of ITC hotels, but which I found to be most prevalent here - was the wonderful fragrance. To be able to make every corner of such a huge space smell so gorgeous is impressive. I was told a key ingredient to the aroma was lemongrass. I want some.

Furnishing so many public areas (and this place has a lot of them) is a huge task. Here, it's done particularly well. The impeccably carved temples, beautiful bronze sculptures and keen attention to detail in aesthetics from the Cholas are reflected in the pieces used to dress the seating areas, corridors, lounges and receptions. Guest rooms are upholstered in elegant fabrics with delicate hues, and plump furnishings.

What's unique?

The outside of the building would look mighty impressive at night with some strategic spot-lighting, but they choose to use a minimal amount of bulbs in order to conserve energy. There's even an eco-friendly setting in the room which will only illuminate small LED lights close to the floor - more than enough to see with, whilst using little electricity. 

The green credentials of the chain as a whole are so good, that they boast the highest number of LEED® Platinum Certified properties, and are recognised as the 'Greenest Luxury Hotel Chain in the World'. Here is more information on their responsible luxury.

The Grand Chola has the largest banquet and exhibition space in the country, and all the in-room functions are controlled by an ipad - lights, AC, entertainment - you can even see who's at the front door and open it from the comfort of your bed. 

Who goes?

The Grand Chola has had the greatest mix of people I've seen so far in the hotels in India. It does describe itself as a five star 'business hotel', and because it's so close to the airport, there were a lot of international business groups attending breakfast, complete with name tags and briefcases under the table.

But it's most definitely suitable for leisure pursuits too, if not more so. I also spotted both Indian and international tourists, families, couples, and the first place with quite a few Americans - I had wondered where they'd all got to.

Breakfast

The buffet breakfast takes place in the Madras Pavillion restaurant (with buffets available at lunch and dinner too) and recognising their diverse client base, it's an international offering. 

There's a Far Eastern corner with miso, congee, clear chicken broth, and dim sum; there are European cold cuts, cheeses and breads; lots of Indian offerings including a dosa station where they're made fresh to order; grilled tomatoes, mushrooms, and baked beans; and an egg station - it was the first place I came across that could make poached eggs, and successfully. 

Along with some of the other ITC Hotels, they also have a 'carefully selected and mindfully prepared' menu some of which is gluten free, uses more grains and I think is supposed to be healthier and more innovative with the flavour pairings. Expect the likes of finger millet and almond meal pancakes with aloe vera and blackcurrant relish, and buckwheat waffles with maple glazed bacon and poached pear.

There are ready-packed bags to grab if you're in a rush. There's a coffee man that goes round pouring it from a great height from one vessel into another to create the signature Indian froth, whilst also patiently posing for the the videos and photos people were taking.

It's a good idea to make a reservation for breakfast so you don't need to wait around when you get down there - just ask reception. 

Dining

The hotel has no less than ten separate drinking and dining destinations, including a 24hr coffee house (which also serves food), a boulangerie, a cigar and whisky lounge, Italian restaurant Ottimo Cucina Italiana, and highly acclaimed Far Eastern restaurant Pan Asian, to name a few. 

They really do make it easy to leave the place.

I had a really good Mulligatawny soup in the Cafe Mercara Express - it was hot with lots of pepper and great with a squeeze of lemon.

But the real show stopper, and strong contender for the best meal I've had in the full five weeks in India, was the unexpected stellar performance from fully vegetarian restaurant, Royal Vega.

The food is based on ayurvedic principles - the understanding of the medicinal properties of plants, herbs, fruits, vegetables and grains. Chef Varun Mohan uses seasonal ingredients, and the 'rassa' or 'taste' of these traditional dishes passed down through the royal kitchens, plays a big role in the menu. 

We had a sensational thali meal, served in traditional tableware, with unique flavour combinations that I am yet to encounter elsewhere in the country. These were:

Anardana raita. Jewels of pomegranate and mint folded into thick yoghurt, seasoned with salt and roasted cumin.

Idiyappam with kai kari korma. Soft rice noodels manipulated into a patty, topped with a fantastic sweet and nutty korma with seasonal vegetables such as lotus stems, corn, edamame and a cashew and coconut gravy.

Avrakkai poriyal. Freshly podded and sliced broad beans tossed with mustartd seeds, curry leaves and green chillies - hot and vibrant.

Palak chaaman. Incredibly soft cheese made on site, with a fantastically concentrated and chlorophyllic spinach gravy.

Ganika. Rice cooked in the water that fresh jasmine flowers have been simmered in. Delicately fragrant.

Angakarhi. Unleavened whole wheat flat bread, pinched into concentric spirals, flame grilled.

Vzhaipoo vadai. Deep fried patty made of banana blossom.

Mangochi pakauri. Ground mung daal, rolled into balls, spiced with dry fenugreek and red chilli, simmered in mung lentil and turmeric buttermilk, tempered with asafetida and white cumin. The whole meal was great, but this was something else.

Shatawari purva. Asparagus tips, whipped saffron butter, pistachios, raisins, and Himalayan gucchi - a type of hard-to-come-by morel.

Kheer sagar. Paneer made on site, slow cooked with cardamom flavoured milk, reduced to a sweet rabi, with a shimmer of silver leaf.

A round of applause, please.

Service

It's going to be difficult for other hotels to match the service I received here.

We pulled into the train station after a five hour ride, wondering how we were going to locate the hotel driver who was due to pick us up. Worry not - two impeccably smart members of staff were already waiting for us on the platform, standing right at the door of our carriage (the details of which I did give in advance, so not just a lucky guess). 

As I stepped off with my huge bag, a voice said 'Miss Kazim?' and the moment I responded, the bag was whisked away before I even got a chance to haul it onto my back. No other hotel who has picked us up from a train station has managed that level of service.

Some of the high-end rooms, namely the suites, include a butler service. We weren't in one of these, but we were gifted the service, and what a luxury it was. Our butler was the fantastic Anu. She organised our days, made reservations, waited inconspicuously in the wings wherever we were in the hotel should we need her, and was there to cater to our every whim. 

The butlers stay with guests from check-in to checkout, and are only ever assigned to one room at a time - they go to bed when you do. How the other half live, eh. Could very easily get used to someone like Anu.

A really special touch was the welcome card in the room when we arrived. Not only did it have my picture on it, but it was made out of white chocolate - the whole thing was edible. I doubt there's anything in the hotel that can rustle one of these up, so they must have gone outside to get it done. And that in itself is quite lovely.

The traditional greeting when you first enter the lobby has also been the best we've received. We were given soft drinks, a thumb printed bindis onto our foreheads, and traditional Indian scarves were draped over our shoulders. Very nice ones too, which we got to keep.

Liked lots / liked less

The signature Kaya Kalp full body massage I had at their spa was great. It started off with a herbal tea in the reception. A few labyrinthine corridors and corners turned later, and I was at my treatment room. 

It began with my feet being bathed in warm water with eucalyptus salts, then the soles of my feet being gently pounded with a wooden hammer to increase circulation. The massage itself was spot on - it felt as though there were three pairs of hands on me and it was full body in every sense of the word, from my toes to my finger tips, including my stomach, head and even my ears (which are my sweet spot - giggedy).

A lot of consideration goes into the treatment rooms, with ensuite showers and toilets in each, as well as a bowl full of fresh crysanthamum flower heads to look at through the head rest. This doubles up nicely as a dribble-catcher - don't be surprised if that happens, it was a damn good massage.

In terms of lowlights, it seems unusual in today's age of advanced technology, for such an otherwise well-kitted out property, with all mod-cons and whims of luxury you could possibly think of, to only have wifi available at an extra charge. Medium speed is 6000 (£6) rupees per day, high speed is 15000 (£15). This should be included in the room, as has been the case in every other hotel I've stayed in. I do wonder what the reasoning is behind this decision. It's worth noting, wifi comes at a charge in all ITC Luxury Hotels, it seems. 

Price point

Prices from around £105 a night for an Executive Club room to £250 for the Chola Suite, rooms inclusive of breakfast. 

Contact

No. 63, Mount Road, Guindy,Chennai 600032
+91 (44) 2220 0000
Website
@ITCHotels

Note: I stayed as a guest of this hotel.

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INDIA: Review of ITC WelcomHotel Raviz Ashtamudi Kollam

In a nutshell 

A three-year old luxury property spread over five sprawling acres, with 93 rooms including 9 suites and cottages, perched on the banks of the vast Ashtamundi Lake in 'God's own country', also known as the state of Kerala.

Where is it?

Kollam Junction is 4.5km away and is the nearest railway station. For domestic flights, Thiruvananthapuramis airport is 70km away and the hotel is 150km from Kochi. 

Ashtamundi Lake is Kerala's second largest and deepest wetland , and the southern gateway to the famed Kerala backwaters.  It wraps its eight branching tentacles around the hotel's open lobby, wafting in gentle breezes and offering some special lakeside sunset views from the spa, rooms, gym and lobby that face it.  

Style and character

The property is made up of two sections - the main Heritage Block and the adjoining Tower Block. The former is reminsicent of the architectural style of the 19th century Thevally Palace, with its vast and impressive lobby and generous use of dark wood on the staircases, exposed beams and furniture. The latter is more contempory, housing the business hall and the signature Ayurveda Spa on the sixth floor.

The style as a whole is a complimentary blend of modern architecture and traditional Keralan art, with local artisans, architects, engineers and waterway specialists engaged in its design. It's beautifully done and merges into the spectacular natural surroundings seamlessly.

What's unique?

Each evening the hotel offers a complimentary sunset boat cruise for all guests, making the most of its unique location - calls are made to the rooms half an hour or so before as a reminder. In a similar vein, a cultural show is also hosted each evening in the hotel lobby. 

I'm not sure if it differs from day to day, but the evening we went down there was a small but perfectly formed young woman performing Bharata Natyam - a classic Indian dance with origins in the temples of Tamil Nadu - known for its grace, purity and tenderness. She was in full makeup and traditional dress, and it was wonderful to watch.

They can also organise a number of other complimentary activities to do on site - a list of which is provided at check-in - including rope climbing, fishing, saree tying, learning the Malayalam language, and watching cooking demonstrations from the restaurant chefs.

Who goes?

Around the reception there are blown up photographs of the famous Indians that have stayed at the property - the likes of President Pratibha Patil and Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan - posing with what I presume is the owner or head of the hotel or ITC chain as a whole. 

The rooms have the Forbes 100 Richest Indians magazine in them, which may be indicative of the clientèle and their target market. But from the people we saw, there were a mix of families, groups of friends, couples, tourists from India and those from further afield.

Breakfast

As I have found to be quite common in good Indian hotels, the buffet breakfast included a 'live station' where a chef makes tasty fresh dosas or omelettes to order. The rest of the offering focussed on Indian food, with the usual southern suspects of idly (steamed rice patties), fried lentil donuts, sambar, chutneys, stuffed parathas and quite a few other breakfast dishes typical to the region.

Alternatives were porridge, fruits, bread, chicken sausages, baked beans, fried potatoes and more . It's held in the Lakeside Restaurant and if you choose to sit outside, the setting is picture perfect with the body of water twinkling under the strong Indian sun framed by the silhouetted fronds of palm trees.

Dining

The all-day-dining Lakeside restaurant has a concise and well thought out international menu offering, along with a section for Kerala specialities and grilled Indian kebabs.

One highlight from the local cuisine was the Allepey chemeen manga curry. It was prawns (chemeen) stewed in raw mango (manga), coconut and turmeric, and with shallots, green chillies, ginger, garlic, chilli powder, coriander powder, fenugreek, mustard seeds and curry leaves. 

Another was the Ashtamundi meen curry, essentially a Keralan fish curry, which will have different names depending on where you're eating it in the state.

It was cubes of fish (dictated by what's caught that day - often karimeen which has black spots), simmered with shredded coconut, tamarind juice, chillies, garlic, ginger, coriander powder, turmeric, fenugreek, curry leaves, and with mustard seeds and shallots, and was very good indeed.

International food offerings at hotels can often be disappointing. Whilst I would usually never order these on a short trip abroad (diving head first in the local cuisine is always my main priority), eating Indian food three times a day for almost three weeks had me desperately craving alternative flavours. 

One lunch time I ordered wok-tossed prawns with, garlic, Chinese greens and oyster sauce and it was so good, I ordered it again at dinner. The kebab meats were exceptionally soft and yielding, expertly spiced and a real pleasure to eat after having a lot of vegetarian food during our India tour so far.

We happened to pass the restaurant when they were setting up to feed a large group for lunch. There were rows of banana leaves laden with all manner of southern thali dishes, waiting for the addition of piping hot rice and poppadoms. We've had a lot of thalis so far in India, but these looked particularly good.

There is also Raanthal, a large boat that serves as a floating restaurant offering a unique option for private hire, be that for bigger groups hosting social events, parties or for an intimate and romantic dinner, as well as the Shanghai Club specialising in Chinese cuisine.

Service

This was a highlight of the stay, particularly within the restaurant, with special mention to Ashvin. His grasp of English was spot on meaning he understood any unusual requests the first time round, without me having to repeat myself. He also remembered my preferences from previous visits; it felt as though he was reading my mind before I was about to ask for something. Courteous, efficient and with a great mannerism and attitude, it was a pleasure being served by him and we always looked out for him each time we visited the restaurant.

Reception staff were also fantastic, with Preethi ensuring our 1am railway station transfer was booked, sending us off with very appreciated packed breakfasts for our first overnight train ride.

Nice touches include in-room check-in for certain rooms, a fresh fruit platter on arrival (the pomegranate was gorgeous enjoyed by the pool) and they have a concierge service that's even available on Twitter @ITCHotelsCares. 

Liked lots / liked less

Liked lots. The Ayurveda spa has over 12 very nicely kitted out treatment rooms, each overlooking the picturesque lake, and offers a host of traditional and international treatments. The centre is ‘Green Leaf certified’ (the highest rating for Ayurveda facilities given by the government of Kerala) and offers both rejuvenating and curative treatments, as well as Ayurveda massages.

I indulged in an hour long Ayurveda facial which involved massaging with lemon and honey, a bracing exfoliation with a coarse paste, followed by a face mask. On leaving, I felt like I'd had a facelift - my skin was bright, taught and as clean as a whistle - fantastic. The service there was also wonderful.

Liked less. The fitness centre has a view to compete with most gyms, but the air conditioning in it was not adequate. There are intermittent power cuts in the hotel - very brief and only lasting a couple of moments, you barely notice them. But this did mean the AC also cut out when I was using the gym and there was no one around to turn it back on. I did a 30 minute run in what must have been about 40C heat - it was toasty.

Price point

Prices from around £46 a night for a studi to £300 for a suite, rooms inclusive of breakfast. 

Contact

Thevally, Mathilil P.O., Kollam, Kerala 691601
+91 (474) 2751111
Website
@ITCHotels

Note: I stayed as a guest of this hotel.

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