VIVANTA BHUBANESWAR
August began with an interesting whirlwind trip to Bhubaneswar, the capital city of Odisha, to explore two unique offerings from the house of IHCL, Vivanta Bhubaneswar and The Crown Bhubaneswar — IHCL SeleQtions.
My first stop was the sprawling 136-key Vivanta Bhubaneswar that’s right off the main highway in the emerging business point of Kalinga Nagar, a decent 30-minute ride from the airport. The strategic location of the hotel makes it a great spot for people for activities across genres ranging from weddings, meetings, conventions and pit-stops on the Calcutta-Chennai Road as well as a great stay for those visiting the Jagannath temple in Puri. It’s also attached to a shopping complex, making it even more convenient for guests on the lookout for some extra entertainment.
The two-year-old property has been receiving great response from the city on all accords ranging from staycations to F&B, as well as banqueting. Vivanta Bhubaneswar is also a pet-friendly hotel.
ACCOMMODATION
Twelve suites are included within the 136 keys of the hotel. Room categories include superior and deluxe rooms, executive suites as well as premium suites. While the executive suite has a separate seating area, it doesn’t have separate rooms and has a simple partition. The premium suite (in picture) on the other hand has two separate rooms. The colour scheme of the rooms and the hotel in general comprises neutral tones with slight pops here and there. The rooms are minimal, with a focus on artwork that highlights the key facets of Odisha ranging from wildlife to architecture and cultural heritage.
DINING
Mynt, the all-day dine den with 270-degree panoramic views, is the main restaurant on the property serving world cuisine. Vivanta as a brand follows a policy of sticking to world cuisine, with hints and traces of local delicacies for guests looking for a local experience. Executive chef Sayantan whipped up a melange of flavours that used superfoods as well as locally sourced ingredients.
The New Zealand Lamb Chops at Mynt made for a distinguished plate.
The bar called Wink is a good spot to hang out. Featuring an onyx bar countertop in a stunning shade of teal, the bar has a modern feel to it with a community table right in the centre for those dining solo or for a big group. Locally sourced ingredients such as tea that pay homage to the Eastern region are blended well into signature cocktails. The property also has a patisserie in the lobby called Swirl.
AMENITIES
Being a MICE hotel, the property has taken the banqueting market by storm with its sprawling Plumeria Banquets that can be divided into multiple smaller banquets or used as a consolidated one as well. The total area covered by the banquet spreads roughly over 20,000sq ft with ceiling as high as 24ft. They’re also fully equipped with a comfortable bridal room for the bridal party to get ready in. The decor is minimal but the chandeliers more than just make up for it. The banquet floor has a separate entry and can easily accommodate around 1,500 guests.
The hotel also has multiple meeting rooms that can be arranged and customised as per client references. All meeting rooms are furnished with the latest audiovisual equipment for a seamless meeting experience.
The swimming pool along with a pool deck bar that’s operational dependant on the weather, is a major attraction point of the hotel as it overlooks the hotel’s facade on one side and lush greens on the other. The area also doubles up as a cocktail event for weddings. During winter, BBQ by the pool is a major attraction.
Vivanta Bhubaneswar is replete with a Jiva Spa as well. Services range from signature treatments to Indian special treatments, beauty services, steam as well as sauna. Gym facilities are also available at the hotel.
“Vivanta as a hotel is all about a neat, clean, minimal corporate approach. I’d like to call it unpretentious luxury. Sarabjit Singh is the designer for the property while P.G. Patki Architects have been the architect for the space. We are all about a smartly designed space, with brilliantly integrated architecture. The cuisine philosophy of modern Vivanta is also not one that is about any particular cuisine. While we offer Odiya cuisine, we don’t stick to a speciality. We tailormake your indulgences depending on what you require. As a MICE hotel, our positioning and stance are clear — quality service without any extra frills,” said Ashirbad Praharaj, cluster general manager, Bhubaneswar, and Ginger Hotels Bihar, Jharkhand & Odisha; general manager, Vivanta Bhubaneswar.
THE CROWN BHUBANESWAR — IHCL SELEQTIONS
Nestled within the heart of the city lies The Crown Bhubaneswar — IHCL SeleQtions. It’s right adjacent to the famed Kalinga Stadium and is spread over 1.75 acres of lush green area. The hotel that has been functional since July boasts of 81 keys with rooms across different categories, including suites. The idea behind a SeleQtions property is for it to be an experiential symbol of the area that it is situated in, and Odisha and its culture, craft and cuisine can be seen in every nook and cranny of the newly revamped space. This luxurious property driven by hyper-local facets has a multitude of activities and experiences for guests to engage in, and also follows the 'paathya' program for IHCL hotels that is centred around community building, sustainability and environmental friendly methods.
ACCOMMODATION
Seven categories of rooms such as superior, deluxe, premium, premium with balcony, executive suite, premium suite (in picture), and SeleQtions suite are a part of the accommodation options for guests to choose from. The SeleQtions suite has a dining area as well as a powder room. The wallpaper has a Shiva connect, as it has the Neelkanth bird, Ashoka flower and some alpana on the side. The bathtub here comes with a Jacuzzi. Headboards also have ikat print. From the wallpaper to the upholstery trimmings, the art on the walls and the ikat and woodwork on the trays all depict the rich cultural heritage of the state.
AMENITIES
A swimming pool right next to sunbeds and a gazebo is a great spot for chilling. Bonus points? A waterfall runs along the walls of the pool.
A number of indoor and outdoor event spaces for banquets, weddings, or even meetings are available at the hotel. They’re named after different elements of nature and are hence called Earth, Air, Fire and Water. Outdoor gardens are also used for banqueting purposes, and the main banquet, The Empress, is under maintenance to be up and running by October 2023.
EXPERIENCES
Sandhya Aarti: An evening ritual dedicated to Lord Jagannath takes place every evening in the lobby
Write a letter : The hotel provides postcards that guests can write and then post it at the letter box right next to the elevator. An encouraging way to foster the lost art of letter writing.
Take a Book, Leave a Book: A dedicated corner in the lobby fosters the hobby of reading wherein guests can pick up any book they want provided they leave one in return. It’s a great way to exchange ideas.
DINING
Zodiac Cafe is a coffee shop that serves a buffet as well as an a la carte menu. The a la carte menu has the famous Temple Thali inspired by the bhog at the Jagannath Temple in Puri. Other culinary experiences include the ‘Do You Have a Sweet Tooth’ experience that takes one on a dessert-tasting tour of local delicacies right at the restaurant and one that serves pakhala, a local fermented rice preparation. We loved digging into the Temple Thali. The restaurant is done up in colourful pops with ample sunlight and family seating.
A snapshot of the Temple cuisine experience at Zodiac. We also savoured some jhaal muri at the hotel post the evening ritual, and a filling yet interesting breakfast platter that consisted of aloo dum with dahi vada, a famous street food in Bhubaneswar that’s a hit breakfast item as well.
The Deli, the patisserie, is a woman-run coffee space that echoes the vivid colour scheme of the other F&B outlets and the hotel overall. It also has a woodwork wall and serves fresh coffee with a variety of baked treats, breads and small bites.
Highness Bar is a quaint and tastefully done bar that has Odisha woodwork that we see in temples across the state. Even the entrance has a modern-style archway covered by similar woodwork. A medley of cocktails using local delights such as tender coconut and local honey are served by the amiable bartender who hails from Konark, the land of the Sun Temple. We also tasted a few nibbles that were equally well done.
“From the cuisine to the dokra artwork in the lobby, or the revamped presentation of the sundial at the reception, the state of Odisha is a major inspiration for the property following the ideals of SeleQtions as a brand. The carpets have the design of the alpana, the corridors have art that portrays the different mudras of Odissi dance, and our temple cuisine, all create the quintessential Odisha experience for our guests. At SeleQtions, we promise to deliver locally curated experiences while maintaining the same standards of luxury and that’s all that The Crown Bhubaneswar — IHCL SeleQtions is all about,” said Jalpreet Singh Sodhi, general manager, The Crown Bhubaneswar — IHCL SeleQtions.