In India’s ‘Pink City’ of Jaipur, renowned for its indelible cultural heritage and historical treasures, the first InterContinental hotel in North India sets a new standard of elegance and sophistication with the barely two-month-old InterContinental Jaipur Tonk Road.
With its contemporary-meets-opulent charm, this hotel is poised to provide remarkable experiences and moments of celebration for both business and leisure travellers alike. A rare combination in a city where the focus is more on the latter than the former. Other Jaipur hotels and resorts are typically modelled more on the lines of luxurious palaces and havelis (grand homes) than the contemporary chic, but the brand ethos of an InterContinental hotel firmly reflects a mixture of the two.
Hotel
Located near the city’s Sanganer Airport and the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway, the InterContinental Jaipur Tonk Road capitalises on its prime position near the Jaipur Exhibition and Convention Centre.
The hotel itself is a modern cuboid shaped structure with geometry at the forefront of its design aesthetic, while the lobby exudes an aura of contemporary opulence and warmth, seamlessly blending avant-garde architectural design with artistic flourishes. These take the form of contemporary sculptures and art pieces with glittering overhead hoop-shaped chandeliers casting a warm glow and a winding staircase as the main focal point.
Room
This ultra-modern hotel with a historic soul offers a total of 218 generously appointed rooms, including 20 bespoke suites that reflect this duality in their décor. Striking a harmonious balance between contemporary aesthetics and timeless comfort, each room showcases intricate Thikri glass inlay work and lattice sandstone screens with fine jaali carving. Elevated with top-tier amenities, a luxurious four-fixture bathroom complete with a generous bathtub and Byredo bath amenities, the rooms and suites mirror locally inspired artwork, sleek furnishings, and captivating urban vistas.
Guests can luxuriate in the experience with the option of pool views, private terraces, and balconies, immersing themselves in the seamless fusion of modern style and traditional décor, all while enjoying exclusive access to the Club InterContinental Lounge. This perk brings a wealth of benefits to those who opt for the hotel’s Club InterContinental Lounge accommodations, such as complimentary breakfast, all-day non-alcoholic beverages, afternoon high tea with delectable snacks, pre-dinner cocktails, and exclusive check-in and check-out services to enhance their stay. The lounge also offers a curated selection of books and magazines, providing an oasis for relaxation and reflection during the guest’s stay.
Food and drink
Besides an extensive in-room dining programme, the hotel features an array of dining options at its three main restaurants. These include Socorro, a global cuisine all-day dining restaurant with its wood fired pizzas and a host of live stations and the Royal Root, an authentic Indian cuisine restaurant where one can sample some of the best of North Indian and local Rajasthani cuisine like the laal maas goat curry and the simmered overnight black lentils dal makhani.
While House of Han might be a Chinese speciality restaurant, it regularly hosts other Asian cuisine pop-ups and food festivals like the recent Taste of Vietnam. This 10-day-long festival saw the esteemed chef Do Van Quy from InterContinental Hanoi Landmark 72, known for his innovative approach to local ingredients and mastery of Asian flavours, front this one.
Spa and wellness
For the sybarite seeking even more pampering in the form a spot of rest and relaxation, the hotel’s rejuvenating spa and wellness facilities offer a haven to unwind and refresh after a day of exploration and activities.
The property features an open air pool, a state-of-the-art fitness centre, yoga sessions, and Planet Trekkers. The last one being a dedicated kids’ play areas, ensuring a comprehensive wellness experience for guests. The tranquil Tattva Spa with dedicated couple massage rooms and heated beds, offers a huge selection of therapies, from Western offerings like Swedish and deep tissue massages to traditional Indian medicated therapies such as abhyanga and other Ayurvedic treatments to set your body’s chakras back in alignment.
To do
While there is never a dearth of things to do and see in a fascinating and historic city like Jaipur, the hotel does have an ace up its sleeve. This takes the form of the very efficient concierge service to double up as a cultural connector, helping guests embrace and explore the locality. The concierge, at the heart of cultural exploration, plays a hugely significant role by organising champagne breakfasts with a hot air balloon to picnics at the Jhalana Leopard Sanctuary, among other equally interesting activities and excursions.
A city tour featuring the highlights like the wind palace called the Hawa Mahal and the Amber Fort are great ways to let the culture of the city seep in. As the hotel’s surrounding area of Sanganer is famous for both its block printed fabrics and also for Jaipur’s iconic blue pottery, guests can opt to be taken to a few such workshops and artisanal hamlets to get a hand’s on experience with the two art forms.
In a nutshell
While this sumptuous hotel tries its best to exemplify Jaipur’s vibrant and distinctive allure, redefining the luxury of India’s heritage, its cutting edge style and modernity sets it apart from the rest in myriad ways. But never once does this seem like a jarring afterthought or a compromise. All this, thanks to the attention to detail in almost every aspect of its functioning with all the accoutrements of world-class hospitality nestled within a decidedly traditional Indian soul.
Factbox
The InterContinental Jaipur Tonk Road hotel is a short, 15-minutes drive away from Jaipur’s Sanganer Airport. Daily flights connect Jaipur not just with major cities of India like New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Ahmedabad, but also with international destinations like Muscat, Sharjah, Bangkok, Dubai, and London via New Delhi and major European cities like Frankfurt, Paris, Zurich and Moscow as well.
Rooms and suites start from £100++ and £200++ respectively, inclusive of breakfast.
Address: Tonk Rd, Sitapura Industrial Area, Jaipur, Rajasthan 302022, India
Phone: +91 124 4551260
E-mail: reservations@icjaipur.com
Website: igh.com
Photography courtesy of InterContinental Jaipur Tonk Road.
