Читать книгу Cool Hotels - Kim Inglis - Страница 6
ОглавлениеThe Imperial New Delhi, India
For those who know India well, it is somehow comforting to arrive in Delhi, see a cow nonchalantly walking in the middle of the road, note the mayhem of traffic, and reminisce about the noise, confusion and Indian-ness of it all. For first-timers, however, it can be a little overwhelming. The smells, the barrage of humanity, the honking of horns—all interesting, different, but somehow too much.
This is only one of the reasons why I recommend the Imperial as the hotel of choice in Delhi: for a start, a black Tata Safari or a swanky Mercedes S320 with leather upholstery (instead of an ancient Ambassador that makes a noise rather like a sewing machine on speed) picks you up from the airport, the driver is wonderfully welcoming and informative, pointing out buildings of interest along the way, and the oasis of quiet and calm offered at the entrance gate to the hotel alleviates any worries, Check-in is efficient and friendly and on arrival at the room, all is ordered, beautiful and comforting.
Other reasons are too numerous to list: the art deco structure is in an architectural league of its own, the hotel has just completed an enormous restoration that has transformed its interiors, its historical legacy is legendary, there are over 4,000 original artworks within its walls, the beturbanned or besuited staff outnumber guests by a 3-to-1 ratio, and proudly adhere to that phrase describing Indian hospitality, "Athithi Devo Bhava" or "Guest is God." Furthermore, it is the only hotel in India to have been selected as a member of Preferred Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, a global brand of 110 of the world's finest and most distinctive independently owned luxury hotels and resorts. One word sums up the Imperial: impressive. Make that two: very impressive.
Designed and built in 1931 by DJ Bromfield, an associate of Sir Edwin Lutyens, the Imperial was inaugurated by Lord Willingdon in 1933. Lutyens envisaged that it would be the most luxurious hotel in New Delhi, located as it was on the prestigious Queensway (now Janpath), with a unique blend of Victorian, colonial and informal art deco. Sure enough, its pillared verandahs, 8 acres (3.2 hectares) of sprawling gardens, dining rooms, tea lounges and Royal Ballroom soon became the places to see and be seen. Guests from abroad marveled at its high-domed atrium, marble floors and art deco wall panels, not to mention the elegantly appointed rooms and suites. More significantly, it was within the precincts of the Imperial that Jawaharlal Nehru, Rajendra Prasad and Dr Radhakrishnan held talks about the integration of the princely states into the Union of India and Mohammed Ali Jinnah and Nehru discussed the formation of modern-day Pakistan.
The Imperial recently underwent a major renovation and restoration process under the aegis of Hong Kong-based architect Chandu Chhada. Unlike other so-called heritage hotels where the reworking has resulted in a sanitized, specious recreation of the original, the Imperial has emerged with its original atmosphere intact and all the benefits of modern technology on tap. Its historical legacy—be it in the gold deco design motifs on the lifts echoed on the stone in the ballroom, the superb collection of lithographs, paintings and photographs depicting the British presence in the subcontinent and the landscapes and peoples of India itself, or the meticulously restored period furniture—speaks volumes about the past. But backward-looking it is not. Set firmly in the present are the lines ensuring instant internet connection in all the rooms, the minimalist flower-and-candle arrangements in the corridors, the new music in the public areas (watch out for the Imperial CD), the Bang & Olufsen TV sets in the deco wing and a 100 percent commitment to innovation.
Even though the Imperial describes itself as a "museum hotel," it never seems stuffy or stilted. Rather, it encourages interaction between guest and artwork: you feel comfortable lingering in front of a panoramic photograph of the Coronation Durbar, or if you wander into the Royal Ballroom, you're invited in to admire the magnificent fresco by Bourne & Shepherd that lines the wall atop the stairs. You can take a history tour of the hotel with Ominder Singh Chaudhury, the resident curator who is cataloguing the giant art collection. Or you can just chat with any member of staff who happens to be passing. Staff in the Patiala Peg, the cosy 28-seat bar lined with a remarkable set of photographs of the maharajah of Patiala during World War II, are only too happy to tell you the story of how their bar got its name. Fable has it that the maharajah's team beat the viceroy's at a tent-pegging competition. By plying the opposing team's players with pegs of whisky much larger than the usual ones the night before, and by giving them smaller tent pegs during the match itself, they ensured the maharajah's victory. Giving a nod to history, the bar celebrates the tale by serving 75-milliliter shots instead of the usual 60 milliliters.
Such stories give a human frame to what is essentially a monumental structure, and explain, in large part, why the Imperial is as popular today as it was in the past.
1 Janpath, New Delhi 110 001, India
tel: +91 11 2334 1234 fax: +91 11 2334 2255
email: luxury@theimperiaiindia.com
The Manor New Delhi, India
Hoardings in bright colors declaring "Aarti Plastic House," "Casuals and Formals," "Don't be in the Dark: Ecopower" line the road. There is heat, concrete and dust; a tsunami of fruit sellers, rickshaw-wallahs and drivers with their hands super-glued to their horns, hordes of beggars and cripples. Delhi seems especially confusing and confrontational. My driver has Bollywood movie-music blaring at full volume—and I can't banish terrifying visions of a head-on collision. It is serious sensory overload time. I want to turn the Indian tap off, and switch channels to "normal."
Enter the Manor. An oasis of cool in a cacophonous city. So cool that it isn't in any guidebook. So cool you have to direct the taxi driver to the exclusive gated residential suburb where it is located. The hotel's only downside is that it is a little off the beaten track—45 minutes drive from the airport and 30 minutes from the station. But no matter, once you head into the exclusive suburb of Friends Colony, you know you've arrived. Here, lawns seem the size of football pitches, the streets have speed bumps, and you can hear birds singing. Cross the threshold of Number 77...and exhale.
All is clean, spare and contemporary. Aggressive air-conditioning, sleek lines and angles, the cool of slate and tile, smooth terrazzo floors and a bevy of boys attending to luggage and ushering me into the lobby, An efficient check-in, an ice-cold drink, and the calm of a room in soothing colors where sound-proofing really works. Then a shower with hot water from the tap... Bliss.
It seems horribly ungenerous when in India to want something non-Indian. But, occasionally, you need a fix—and the Manor provides it. Once you're past the woven copper gates, and onto the cobbled stone drive inset with river stones, you could be anywhere. That is its greatest asset. There is a wonderful western menu at the slick restaurant Seventy Seven; or you can have Indian dishes if you prefer. The staff is rigorous, helpful and all speak excellent English; they could have been trained at the Four Seasons. There is instant internet connectivity in each room and the hotel thoughtfully provides you with a laptop if you don't have one. You want a cheese sandwich at 3 am? No problem, there is 24-hour room service.
So how did this 18-room gem of a hotel come about? Housed in a two-storey 1950s country house with generous rooms and bathrooms, terraces and a verandah overlooking an extensive lawn, the building was originally on the outskirts of Delhi. As the suburbs encroached, it became part of the city. In 1998 husband-and-wife team Vinay Kapoor and Shirley Fujikawa of London's Studio u+a decided to transform it into Delhi's first boutique hotel (Kapoor is one of the co-owners). It was an idea ahead of its time, especially in India—but the gamble paid off. People have taken to the concept surprisingly well, and the hotel is often full. It is sensible to book in advance.
"The Studio u+a design team believes in creating environments where the whole is always greater than the sum of its parts," explains Fujikawa. "Our approach at the Manor was to minimize the distinction between landscape, architectural design and interiors and create an environment where each forms a part of an integrated whole." Working with a local project manager to renovate the building completely, Studio u+a aimed for a contemporary design that didn't neglect classic comfort. "A terrazzo firm in Milan custom made the floors to our design," says Fujikawa, "while the carpets were woven in India to our specifications. What made this project so challenging was the fact that everything had to be designed—furniture, accessories, floral displays, graphics, even uniforms! In the end, the concept succeeds only if the details reinforce the concept."
The overall aim was to create a timeless feel, and this the Manor certainly has. It's the sort of place that will still look great a decade or more from now. Public spaces are characterized by geometric forms and wonderfully tactile materials: a slate wall lies adjacent to a backlit onyx panel, and wooden paneling offers a sensory contrast. The color scheme follows on into the adjacent public bathrooms where dramatically patterned yellow travertine slabs create some of the best loos I've had occasion to use. Mosaic and terrazzo floors and custom-made furniture accentuate the cool, sharp look. This is carried on into the rooms and bathrooms, where high-quality materials are married with simple, sleek lines. Luxurious silk curtains, custom-designed wood, upholstered furniture and hand-knotted carpets are in natural tones with black accents. Bathrooms feature huge slabs of deep green granite, mirrored surfaces and lighter green stone walls and floors.
Everything works at the Manor, both design-wise and in reality. In a country like India, where the unexpected is often the norm, this is a rare treat. And a final plus-point: tipping is taboo.
77 Friends Colony (West), New Delhi 110 065, India
tel: +91 11 2692 5151 fax: +91 11 2692 2299
email: manordel@ndf.vsnl.net.in
Amarvilas Agra, India
Try to arrive at Amarvilas at dusk, as that is when the hotel is at its most magical. You'll definitely hear a muezzin calling the faithful in the distance, his plaintive tones rising, falling and echoing off the stone walls; there will probably be the harsh cry of a peacock too, and the silhouettes of crows wheeling overhead. Walk up the steps, past two stone sentinel elephants—and prepare to be amazed. In front of you is an astoundingly lit colonnaded forecourt or bidadari (see previous pages), complete with blazing torches or mashals, 64 carved stone fountains, reflecting pools, and scalloped-edged Rajasthani-style arched cloisters lined with Mughal-style inlay and gold leaf stenciling. It's like a scene from The Arabian Nights meeting the velvet Indian sky.
Then it is only a short walk through a domed reception area (overleaf) in gold leaf and cobalt blue to any number of views of the Taj Mahal. Amarvilas, one of the prestigious Oberoi "vilas" properties, is situated only 600 meters (2,000 feet) from this most delicate of monuments, and offers magnificent vistas of it at every turn. Floor-to-ceiling windows from lounges, bars, restaurants, even some of the spa suites, give guests un-paralleled access to its creamy translucence. Take a lift up to any of the 105 rooms and suites, and view it from a different angle from your own private terrace. The appearance of the hotel seems to change almost hourly with subtle nuances in light and sky, and you could almost be forgiven for not wanting to spoil it by going close up.
It is said that an estimated 20,000 skilled craftsmen labored for 22 years to build the Taj Mahal. At Amarvilas, it was eight years from conception to completion, with a full four years dedicated to the work that needed to be done by 600 Oberoi artisans. Even though the architecture borrows from Turkish, Rajput and Moorish traditions, as well as Mughal ones, the materials and meticulous workmanship take their cue from Shah Jehan and his team.
Red Samathra sandstone and pure white Thassos marble (harder and less prone to marking than the Taj's Makrana quarried marble) are the predominant materials; they echo the red-and-white combination so favored by the Mughals. Italian Satvario marble with dark veins is employed as flooring, and beige Karoli stone from Rajasthan is also widely used. The geometric patterning of the two colors was inspired by similar use in earlier forts and palaces—and it is interesting to note that for the most part these surfaces are left unblemished—allowing the stone to speak for itself. There's an austerity both inside and outside, with only a few choice artifacts, one or two floral arrangements and no indoor plants and potted plants elsewhere. This allows the impeccable craftsmanship to take center stage.
And this is truly magnificent. There are examples of the pachikari inlay favored by the Mughals, whereby minute slivers of precious and semi-precious stones—such as green nephrite jade, lapis lazuli, amber, turquoise and malachite—are set in complex stylized floral designs into a marble base. Like the Taj with its filigree screens in the tomb area, Amarvilas has similar screens with jaali patterns (Jaali means "net" or "mesh" in Urdu). The Mughals were great naturalists; the Persian poet Abu Talib Kalim was so enthused by the inlay work on monuments commissioned by Shah Jehan that he wrote in a poem: "They have inlaid stone flowers in marble/which surpass reality in color if not in fragrance." At Amarvilas, delicate floral patterns in gold leaf are applied on various walls.
Outside, by the lapis-colored, mosaic-lined pool there is a fabulous gold Ganesh painted against an azure wall. Across the water is a colonnaded terrace, with more painstakingly applied gold leaf floral patterning. On either side, terraced water gardens rise from the central swimming pool where oversized tasseled umbrellas from Bali give the pool beds shade. With the ever-present sounds of gurgling water and the backdrop of Mahal and mosaic, one could easily imagine oneself in some Mughal pleasure pavilion of old.
Despite the use of age-old techniques, there is a "here-and-now" feeling to the hotel that sets it firmly in 21st century India, Internet ports in the rooms, waste recycling and "green" practices in the household management—including the use of minimal-pollution propane gas—are only some of its futuristic features, Similarly, Amarvilas suits both young and old; traditionalists and trendsetters alike are attracted by its timeless style, Past guests have included Greek shipping magnates, sheiks from the Middle East and Moroccan princesses, as well as Indian film stars and movie moguls, It's entirely appropriate that its name translates as "Eternal Abode": amar is "eternal," vilas translates as "resting place" or "abode."
Taj East Gate Road, Taj Nagri Scheme, Agra 282 001, India
tel: +91 562 231515 fax: +91 562 231516
email: reservations@oberol-amarvllas.com
Take the aggravation out of Agra and check into Amarvilas. Through the cobalt blue, gold and the patina of Burma teak floors are offset by austere stone, marble and sumptuous drapes, carpets and upholstery. Kashmiri embroidery works well with cotton rasais (quilts) in the rooms, while flashes of kingfisher blue are seen in the lampshades and soft furnishings, Named after India's most famous diamond, the Kohinoor Suite (opposite below) is the most exclusive, Here antiques, such as an ebony and ivory-Inlay armoire, match modern custom-made pieces seamlessly.
ITC Hotel Sonar Bangla Sheraton & Towers Kolkata, India
We've got eco-resorts, business hotels, country retreats, hip urban resting places—you name it. What once was the humble hotel is now a huge hospitality industry, with a hundred different niche markets. So when I was told about a "business resort" in Kolkata (Calcutta) that had opened on New Year's Eve of 2002, I didn't bat an eyelid at the term. After all, people have always combined business with pleasure, haven't they?
Yes, but perhaps not in quite such spectacular style. For the Sonar Bangla Sheraton & Towers, the latest offering from that mega-giant of Indian hoteliering, ITC Hotels Ltd, caters to both business-person and tourist in a state-of-the-art kind of way. Set over 16 acres (6.5 hectares) of land roughly half-way between the city center and the airport, the hotel is an awesome construction. First impressions are of dramatic high ceilings, natural light filtering in from all sides, long internal views and water everywhere; there's a minimal design ethos that never seems empty or sterile. Quite the opposite in fact. As all the rooms, both public and private, are huge, there is a wonderfully spacious, airy feeling throughout—clean and deceptively simple, with a mix of quality artworks, luxurious furniture and small, carefully chosen design pieces.
ITC prides itself on pioneering the concept of "the hotel within a hotel" and at Sonar Bangla, all public spaces are contained within one block, while the rooms are housed separately. This is an inspired idea: the atmosphere in the dramatic, high-ceilinged lobby or in the lounges, bars and restaurants—areas which form the activity hub of the hotel—is buzzy and informal, with a type of European or American luxury pervading throughout. But walk across the lawns or waterways to one of the residential blocks, and immediately all is quiet, calm and serene. Giving the buildings a sense of connection and cohesion is an impressive 120-meter (400-foot) watercourse (right and below) that runs the full length of the hotel—apparently the largest in any hotel in India. Courtyards and colonnades provide breathing space, while brick or wooden screens allow for the dramatic throw of shadow and light.
The rooms (overleaf) are sexy, soft and very easy on the eye. You feel pampered as soon as the door clicks behind you, as there is space and light everywhere, fabrics are luxurious', tones are restful and mod-cons plentiful. Whether you've endured a day of meetings or enjoyed time out at the spa, they are welcoming and super-comfortable. There's a massage chair to soothe sore muscles, huge flatscreen TV and (in some of the higher-end rooms) a giant TV at the end of the tub. If you are watching television and the phone rings, as soon as you pick up the receiver, the volume on the TV turns to mute. Very New York, I thought.
Other thoughtful touches include Japanese fan coil units for silent air cooling, blackout curtains (a boon for the jetlagged) and glass screens separating the bathroom from the living/bedroom. Such are the gizmos of the hotel. The nuts and bolts are equally impressive. There's a chip-and-putt golf course, a massive spa, near Olympic-length swimming pool, tennis courts, jogging track, bars, lounges, seven restaurants and fully digitalized business facilities. Service is efficient, but kind too. And everywhere you go, the design is city-slick and cool.
Singapore-based architect Kerry Hill was the creative force behind the Sonar Bangla. In much of his work, context provides the focus for content, and the Sonar Bangla is no exception. "We took inspiration from the louvers, trellises and shutters in Calcutta's architecture whilst formulating the hotel," he says. "And also the rivers and surrounding water bodies. In the beginning, there was quite a division of ideas between the client and myself, but over the five years it took to plan and construct the hotel, we came closer and closer together. By the end, we were in agreement on most things; I believe ITC is happy with the result."
"Absolutely," confirms general manager, Ranvir Bhandari, "We have created a product that truly reflects the sprit of Bengal." Bhandari points out that many have compared the hotel to the quintessential baganbaari or riverside country house of Bengal's landowners of old. Although there is clearly a lapse of scale in such a comparison, there is a connection to place throughout. For example, art consultant Ina Puri selected a varied and exciting collection of paintings by both old and young artists from Calcutta to grace the hotel's walls and the huge statues in the lobby are copies from Calcuta's Indian Museum. Horticulturalist Suhash Joshi based the landscaping around the plants of east India, collecting many rare specimens and types of bamboo to accompany the water features. And on the culinary front, Master Chef Imtiaz Quereshi, whose ancestors set up the famous Royal Hotel in Calcutta decades ago, has dug out recipes from memory to make sure authentic Bengali food is served in some of the seven restaurants.
Sonar Bangla has a strong modernity that allows it to look to the future whilst still paying homage to the past. It prides itself as a showcase for Bengal and is giving its all to live up to its name (sonar translates as "golden"), Does it exemplify 1he Indian hotel of the future? Watch this space.
1 JBS Halden Avenue, Opp Science City, Kolkata 700 046, India
tel: +91 33 2345 4545 fax: +91 33 2345 4455
email: mail@welcomgroup.com
Ananda—in the Himalayas Tehri Garhwai, India
Ananda hovers, as if in a bubble, high in the Himalayas overlooking the eternal Mother Ganga and the pilgrimage site of Rishikesh. On a clear day you can see the mighty river and the small ashram town far below, but when the cloud comes into the valley, the only sight is of the pristine ochre Ananda buildings bathed in sunlight and caressed with rarefied air. Isolated and serene, it pulses with an energy, yet soothes with quiet and cool. One guest described it as "almost surreal," straddling as it does both the real world (rooms, restaurant, spa) and the ethereal (maharajah's palaces, holy sages, forested mountains, and clear, pollution-free mountain air).
The Ananda experience begins at Haridwar Railway Station or Dehra Dun Airport, where you are picked up by chauffeured jeep. A cassette tape playing devotional music interspersed with information about the resort sets the tone. Crossing the River Ganges, the jeep begins the climb up some 1,000 meters (1,200 yards) through forested hillside to the 100-acre (40-hectare) estate of the maharajah of Tehri-Garhwal. Vultures on blasted trees stare unblinking out to air, eagles lazily circle on the thermals and ubiquitous monkeys scamper from tree to tree. The dense sal forest is home to tigers as well, I'm told.
Crested gates swing open when you reach the top; past the façade of the maharajah's original 19th century palace (right) and on to the Viceregal Lodge he built in 1911 as a guesthouse for the British viceroy (a visit that ironically never occurred). This is the Ananda reception, where all is orderly, calm and soothing. A duo of musicians flanked by Bijapuri arches play on the terrace, and the reception hall where you check in is resplendent with ancestral portraits, black-and-white photographs of past British rulers, including ones signed by Queen Elizabeth in 1937 and Lord and Lady Mountbatten, art deco furniture, drapes and Venetian crystal chandeliers. The welcome is. genuine.
Formalities over, it is from here a short buggy ride along a ridge past the music pavilion, sunset viewing point, squash court, mini golf course and spa to the residential block, A modern structure, it is built over five floors and hugs the edge of the promontory, seeming to float above the valley In a series of tiered steps. Each luxurious room has a balcony—with views either over the valley or back to the maharajah's palace, which looks especially dramatic when lit up at night.
Even though Ananda describes itself as a lifestyle destination spa—which it certainly is—this is definitely no pain-is-gain, bread-and-water retreat. In fact, it is luxurious in many senses of the word. You can choose to partake as little or as much as you like in the various health, relaxation and rejuvenation programs on offer. In addition to Ayurvedic and Western therapies, there is yoga, meditation, hydrotherapy and a fully equipped gymnasium and lap pool, with resident nurse, Ayurvedic doctor and physiotherapist on hand. Spa therapists are probably the best trained in Asia; not only are they intuitive, knowledgeable and loving, they radiate inner goodness. It is easy to surrender to their healing hands. They make you feel special, and if serenity, soul-soothing and stress-busting are on your agenda, Ananda delivers—big time.
Ananda ("bliss and contentment" in Sanskrit) is not new to healing and devotion. The maharajah of Garhwal, a pious person himself, invited renowned spiritual leader Ma Anandamayi to set up a base at his palace, and it was from here that she established her ashram propagating universal love and brotherhood, and became a respected figure in India. The legacy of Ma Anandamayi's all-pervading love eases throughout the entire resort: in the same way that the scent of roses—from the flower petals in the room, the rose-tinted spectacles I was wearing, the scented body lotion in the bathroom—wafted through my stay like a blessing, so did this feeling of warmth and love.
It took me precisely half an hour to settle into the rhythms of Ananda. The days began with an early morning yoga session or invigorating jog; followed by fresh fruit and baked delicacies on the Tree Tops deck. Then the only decision to be made was whether to have a swim, steam or sauna, relax on the balcony, or have one of the too-numerous-to-mention pampering treatments.
More often than not, the latter won through, but for those less self-indulgent, there is a vast range of activities. These include visits to the aarti at Rishikesh (the evening ritual where song and prayer are accompanied by releasing little "boats" of flowers and candles along the Ganges), whitewater rafting and trips to the nearby Rajaji elephant wildlife reserve. Another delightful option—and many simply follow this route—is to simply unwind and relax. There's no better place for it.
The Palace Estate, Narendra Nagar, Tehri Garhwal, Uttaranchal 249 175, India
tel: +91 1378 227500 fax: +91 1378 227550
email: anandaspa@vsnl.com
The spa at the Ananda is refreshingly modern, with a reassuring no-nonsense air of professionalism. That doesn't mean to say that it isn't beautiful too, With one floor for men and another for women, it's a coo! combination of green marble, sandstone and granite, interspersed with small Internal courtyards with fountains. There is a separate Ayurvedic wing, each room containing a beautiful therapy bed hand-crafted In Kerala from a single piece of neem wood. The relaxation areas and many of the treatment rooms have dramatic views ever the Himalayan landscape, as do many of the rooms. Here, elegant touches include rose petals and lantana flowers floating in a copper bowl, stationery folders in hessian and leather, recurring lotus images and Individual private balconies, The Viceregal Suite In the palace annexe is the most opulent of the resort's suites.
