Travel writer Bindu Gopal Rao discovers a hotel that seamlessly mixes business with pleasure, so whether you are looking for a mid-scale hotel for business or for a quick family getaway in Chennai that is located close to shopping and sightseeing destinations, then look no further. The recently opened Novotel Chennai Chamiers Road Hotel offers all this and much more.
Contemporary Chic
Located in the busy Chamiers Street, the newly launched Novotel is Accor Hotel’s partnership with AG Hospitality. The hotel is owned and promoted by Dr. SK Gupta, chairman, Gupta Group of Companies and Ashish Gupta, MD, AG Hospitalities and run by Accor. The grey exterior façade of the hotel has a contemporary and new age look at the property itself has been conceptualised by SODA, an international design firm that works on fresh, innovative and sustainable spaces.
The predominantly grey, black and white colour scheme is accentuated with colour pops of blue, green, yellow and red intermittently across the hotel. The hotel has eight floors including a terrace level that houses the gym and swimming pool. The design across the property maintains the same colour scheme and ethos that lends a nice tranquil atmosphere to the interiors. In fact once you are inside the hotel, you hardly get to hear the urban chaos on the outside.
Getting Roomy
The hotel has 100 rooms across several categories each of which come with top notch amenities including king or twin beds, shower cubicle in bathroom, health faucet and ironing board with iron that will appeal to the well-heeled traveler. The Executive Suite spread over 617 sq. ft. is a suite that has a separate living and bedroom area and comes with premium amenities like Wifi, fruit platters and evening snacks.
The Premier Room is on the higher floors and has enhanced bathroom amenities and a stunning view of the city scape. The Superior Rooms are also well equipped with all modern amenities. I stayed in a Premier Room and was impressed with the attention to detail in several elements here. The room for instance has several plug points so there is never a problem to charge multiple devices. The working desk is large and adjacent to the large windows and is equipped with Internet and Wifi connectivity.
Apart from a tea and coffee maker, there is also a Lavazza coffee machine that uses coffee capsules so you get to have an awesome experience within your room itself. The room comes with a Novotel Sound Spot Bluetooth Speaker that has a Bluetooth Playback option so you can simply pair it with your device and listen to music of your choice. Apart from an Aux-in playback, you can charge most devices directly from the Sound Spot too. You just need to connect your device to the USB Port on the rear of the device for it to charge.
Culinary Cues
Apart from an extensive in room dining menu, the hotel currently has two dining options including the all-day diner Food Exchange on the first level and the Gourmet Bar a lounge cum bar on the ground level next to the lobby. Food Exchange serves a buffet for breakfast that includes several live counters and special dishes each day. Do try the different dosas that Chef dishes up here – I sampled a rather unique Beetroot dosa when I was here – it was heavenly and gave the dosa an unusual healthy twist too.
The buffet is quite extensive and the cold cuts and fresh fruits are kept covered too. The décor of the restaurant is new age and a large feature wall that has local products is an attraction here. Lunch and dinner buffets are on based on occupancy or you can choose a set menu that includes starters, main course and desserts. The food is a mix of local and international cuisines so you do have much to choose from. The Gourmet Bar on the other hand has a nice relaxed vibe and large screens where you can chill with family and friends. A small counter has fresh cakes and pastries too.
Facilities Fix
The hotel also has a meeting space that can be collapsed into one large space or into meeting rooms which can accommodate over 100 guests and is ideal for conferences, meetings, events and other social gatherings. The rooftop has In Balance, Novotel’s state of the art gym that overlooks a swimming pool.
The views of the city from this space are stunning. A rooftop restaurant is also on the cards but for now there are some comfortable seating that you can use while you soak in the city views. If you are up here in the morning, a beautiful sunrise awaits you too.
A small business center equipped with two MAC computers and an attached printer is available for use by in house guests too. The best part of the hotel of course is its location which makes it a great way to experience the myriad sights and sound of Chennai. When you are here you can easily access the business districts of Nungambakkam, Egmore, Adyar, Mylapore and Alwarpet, the US Consulate, Apollo Hospital and Shankara Eye Hospital as well as T Nagar, Marina Beach and Mylapore within a 15 minutes’ drive.
With attentive staff and a comfortable stay, Novotel Chennai Chamiers Road is a hotel that is practical, fun, friendly and comfortable. Now what else do you need for a good holiday?
Address: 11 Chamiers Road, Nandanam, CHENNAI – 600035
Phone: (+91)044 24302333
Website: accorhotels.com/novotel-chennai-chamiers-road
Photography courtesy of Novotel Chennai Chamiers Road Hotel
