Words by Bindu Gopal Rao
It was past 10pm when I landed in Kolkata after a long day and when I entered Beyzaa the first thing I saw at the lobby entrance was a bright red note on the floor that read ‘it’s good to see you’. Despite everything, it instantly perked me up. The staff welcomed me with a bouquet of red roses and led me to my sixth floor suite that has a welcome board with my name outside the room. I knew instantly that this would be a stay full of personal experiences and I was right.
Room
The 60-room property is situated in Sector 5 of Salt Lake City Kolkata and has rooms spread across four categories; suites, premium, superior and executive. Architect Veenu Chaddha has designed the property that has an underlying theme of modern European décor with bespoke wall art in each room.
My suite was a spacious 550 square foot space that had a living area, powder room, spacious bathroom, and bedroom space. The room itself is fitted with two wall mounted televisions, a mini bar, cupboard, and state of the art amenities.
This is India’s first microbrewery hotel, you are encouraged to try their beer, so the complimentary water bottles have a humorous tag that reads ‘save water, drink beer.’
My room faces the lake which gives it an added advantage. Wi-Fi is complimentary for guests and the study table is a great place to catch up on work if you can tear away from the views. One of the suites also has a large balcony and can be set up as a party suite, so if you are planning to entertain or have a private celebration, this is the room you must book. All rooms are furnished comfortably and are spacious, so you will always feel comfortable here.
Food
Chef Sanjit Kumar Roy helms the kitchen at Beyzaa and has an experience of 27 years that includes stints at major hospitality chains and food businesses. The food is an eclectic mix of Asian, Peshawari and Continental fare.
I sampled several wonderful meals that he made especially for me that had some winners like meloni tarkari (a delectable mélange of mixed vegetables tossed in a flavourful curry), chote mote aloo aur anardhana (baby potatoes cooked in spices and topped with pomegranate kernels), dal Beyzaa (a specialty lentil preparation), wood apple ice cream and apple crumble cheesecake among others.
Owner and director, Sudhir Ahuja, said; “we have run backstage, our very popular bar for years and always had something special in terms of making it special for our high-end guests. Whether it was reserving a bottle with their name or having glasses engraved with their name, we have always believed in having a personal touch. Even with Beyzaa, we have our guest needs at the centre of our experience.”
At the Motorworks and Brewing Company, the in-house microbrewery, you can sample eight to nine varieties of beers on tap, the most in the city. Some interesting beer variants include watermelon beer, mango beer and green chilli beer. Beyzaa is the only hotel in India that has its own microbrewery on the premises which helps them offer their guests fresh beer to enjoy in the room as well. You can also book a tour to visit the brewery and speak with the master brewer to understand the flavours and process.
Hotel and activities
The hotel is great for weddings and other banquets as the entire second floor is dedicated to Bakstage Banquets which is spread over a 5,500 square feet area and has three large spaces that can also be divided to accommodate anywhere from 50 to 500 people.
The banquets can cater to corporate events like conferences, training, and meetings or even office and private parties. The meals can also be customized as per the requirement and in house accommodations make this perfect for small weddings too. A special beer spa can also be organised by the property on prior booking. “As we fill half the bathtub with fresh beer, the price is high, but beer is known to have several restorative benefits for the hair and skin,” explained Ahuja.
Being in Sector V of Salt Lake City which is now a buzzing locality, there are several retail and shopping options all around the hotel and it is easy to find public transport and private taxis here. For a local experience, hop into one of the yellow Ambassador taxis, it’s the only place in India that still has them.
In a nutshell
If you are looking for a holiday that is all about relaxing and rejuvenation, look no further than Beyzaa Hotel and Suites in Kolkata.
Factbox
Address: EN 1, Sector 5, Salt Lake City, Kolkata
Tel: +916292226001
Website: beyzaa.in
