Words by Bindu Gopal Rao
As a brand that promises an ‘Anything But Ordinary’ Experience, Park Hotels is known for a differentiated offering and my stay at The Park Indore was exactly that and more. This 99-room property has a two-tier lobby with Italian marble and has been designed by Kapil Jain and Associates, Indore in collaboration with Priya Paul, chairperson of Apeejay Surrendra Park Hotels, a subsidiary of the Apeejay Surrendra Group and Saheba Singh, This Is It Designs, Delhi.
Hotel
The hotel is spread over two and half acres and the hotel occupies one acre. If an event is on the cards, then this is the place to hold it as the hotel boasts a wealth of banquet ready spaces, with a separate entrance via a grand stairway. The ground and first levels house the banqueting facilities, which consist of Malhar (6,000 sq.ft. with a ceiling height of 19 ft., accommodating 280 to 450 people), Revati (1,800 sq.ft. with a 13 ft. ceiling height for 72 to 120 people), Triveni (3,000 sq.ft. 13 ft. ceiling height for 186 to 200 people), Tamarind Tree (10,000 sq.ft. for 250 people) and the Lawn (spread over 23,000 sq.ft. for 500 people).
All the halls have been designed using local motifs and materials including the local speciality Chanderi silk, while you’ll spot artfully designed light fixtures from Lucent Worldwide, Ludhiana.
Room
The rooms are divided across two towers and are well-appointed indulgent spaces that redefine luxury with the merger of global spirit and local aesthetics. There are 23 luxury hill view rooms and 30 luxury pool view rooms both spread over 330 square feet, 24 premium garden view rooms (360 sq. ft), 13 studio suites (450 sq. ft), eight emerald suites (580 sq. ft) and one presidential suite spread over a whopping 2,000 square feet, which set across two levels, with two bedrooms, bathrooms, powder room, two living spaces, kitchen, and dining area.
The interiors possess natural slate, teak, ceramics, and mosaics for a mesmerizing presence. All the rooms have an array of local snacking options as part of the minibar and coffee machines are also installed in most of the larger rooms.
Food and drink
Indore is a city for foodies and has a vibrant street food scene. At the property, you can sample all kinds of local and international flavours at the eclectic collection of restaurants. Someplace Else, the legendary bar of Kolkata, has its third branch here and is a bar with 60 covers and an eight-seat private cigar room. The bar has live music in the evening and is open from 4pm. The ethnic space is modelled on the lines of an old British pub and has a combination of malt, cigar and music and some amazing cocktails. The delectable mono-portions, ranging from smoke infused presentations to imported meats and cheese and bite sized food make for great accompaniments to the food.
Flurys, the iconic bakery and confectionery from Kolkata, that is an in-house brand, also has a counter here. The sundowner is a special event that happens every Sunday and has a mix of food and alcohol.
Epicentre is the main restaurant that has an extensive global gourmet food menu as well as the longest buffet in the city and has a fine selection of gourmet food with Indian, Italian, Asian, and European cuisine. The 126-cover space serves breakfast, lunch and dinner buffet and is open from 6am until midnight. The poolside lounge is the perfect way to unwind by the pool and there are private cabanas for some private time. There are three new restaurants being planned on the terrace level of the hotel by the end of the year.
To do
The property has a covered swimming pool that overlooks the city as well as a fully equipped gym with state-of-the-art equipment and a trainer. It would be remiss to not pay a visit to Aura, the in-house spa that has four treatment rooms including a couple’s treatment room. This is where you can indulge in some signature beauty treatments using the purest ingredients including herbs, spices, and florals as well as experience treatments based on Ayurvedic traditions and procedures for a soothing experience. I had a Balinese massage when I was here, it was a great way to relax and rejuvenate.
Located 8km from the city centre, make sure you visit the famed food markets at Sarafa Bazar (11 Kms) and Chappan Dukaan (5.3 Kms). A stop at the Rajwada (8.4 Kms) and Iskcon Temple (1.3 Kms) are also recommended, and if you have the time do visit the Mahakaleshwar Temple at Ujjain, which 50 kms away.
In a nutshell
Debjeet Banerjee, general manager, sums up the experience beautifully: “A stay at The Park Indore is all about luxury that is redefined and one that comes with entertainment.” I could certainly not agree more, and it is exactly what you will experience when you stay here on your next visit to Indore.
Factbox
The Devi Ahillyabai Holkar Airport is located 16 km from the hotel.
Rooms can be booked from £65 pppn.
Address: IDA Plot No 5, Scheme no 159, MR 10 Road Indore.
Phone: Reservation Department – +91 731 4860 000 +91 731 4860 001.
Website: theparkhotels.com
Images courtesy of The Park Indore
