TRIED & TESTED

ITC Maurya, A Luxury Collection Hotel, New Delhi

BEST FOR Its location and exclusive F&B experiences

DON’T MISS A meal at one of its iconic Indian restaurants

PRICE Upwards of ₹4,000

CONTACT ITC Maurya, A Luxury Collection Hotel, New Delhi; Diplomatic Enclave, Sardar Patel Marg, New Delhi 110021, India; itchotels.com

BACKGROUND An iconic landmark in the Indian capital, ITC Maurya, A Luxury Collection Hotel, New Delhi has been a longstanding and preferential hotel for Heads of State, royal dignitaries and business leaders from across the world. The hotel is built with standards of sustainability and is certified as the world's first LEED EB Platinum rated hotel by the US Green Building Council (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design in the existing building category).

WHAT’S IT LIKE? The hotel o ers an expansive selection of 437 luxuriously appointed rooms and suites overlooking the glorious expanse of Delhi’s Green Ridge. Exuding a sense of royalty and Indian tradition across its decor, the property is also an exhibit for art lovers. Its walls are adorned with a rare collection of masterpieces by eminent Indian artists like M F Husain, Krishen Khanna, Tyeb Mehta, Akbar Padamsee, Satish Gujral and others.

WHERE IS IT? Situated in the verdant heart of New Delhi, ITC Maurya is nestled in the exclusive Diplomatic Enclave. It is in close proximity to the Delhi’s corridors of power, ideally located for business meetings, high-end retail therapy, events and recreation.

ROOMS The hotel’s large inventory is spread across an array of categories including Executive Club, Executive Club Exclusive, EVA rooms, The Towers rooms — ITC One, Deluxe Suites, Luxury Suites, Presidential suites, Grand Presidential suite. I stayed in the ITC One room on the 11th floor that overlooked a calming garden view. Decorated in warm shades, the room is elegantly furnished with high-end amenities. There were many quiet nooks for me to choose from for my evening co ee and news catchup. Since I was staying at one of the Executive floors, I had access to butler service.

FOOD AND DRINK The hotel is known for its premium and authentic Indian dining restaurants — Bukhara and Dum Pukht — that are world-renowned for their service, flavours and ambience. I enjoyed a decadent Indian meal at Dum Pukht - a detailed review of my experience would be featured in the forthcoming issue. The Pavilion - the allday dining restaurant that overlooks the open air swimming pool and Golf Bar - a cozy English country club are some of the other F&B outlets. ITC Maurya also houses Fabelle, ITC Hotels’ signature chocolate boutique and a gourmet shop - Nutmeg.

MEETINGS From the intimate to the grand, ITC Maurya o ers a range of venues to suit every occasion. Kamal Mahal, Nandiya Garden, Sakya and Chaitya are some of its function rooms.

LEISURE ITC Maurya houses ITC Hotels’ indigenous spa brand - Kaya Kalp, a fitness centre, a gorgeous outdoor swimming pool and the luxurious Salon Di Wills.

VERDICT Ideal for the business traveller who appreciates the finer things on their work trips.

There were many quiet nooks for me to choose from for my evening coff ee and news catchup

The Taj Lands End, Mumbai

BACKGROUND One of the most well known hotels of the Mumbai suburbs, The Taj Lands End, Mumbai has been an evergreen favourite with locals and international travellers alike.

WHAT’S IT LIKE? With 493 rooms and suites, the daunting size of this hotel is actually quite unassuming. The lobby area is exquisite and large with a lot of the hotel area surrounding it. Since the inventory of the hotel is high, there are several reception and concierge areas where the prompt sta helps you out with formalities.

WHERE IS IT? Situated literally at the “land’s end”, this Taj hotel is located beside the Bandra fort at the end of the Mount Mary area - giving a larger than life perspective of the the maximum city.

ROOMS Featuring a mix of soft pastels and dark wood, the accommodation starts at Deluxe rooms and Luxury rooms with sea views. I was put up at the absolutely beautiful Luxury suite with sea view that overlooked a majestic view of the sea link, partially the sea and the cityscape. In my opinion, this is pretty much the most iconic view of Mumbai where you can observe the metropolis in all its glory. Not surprisingly, the window pane of the suite is where I spent most of my time. Featuring a grand and spacious living room, a luxurious bedroom and a kitchenette, the Luxury suite is designed tastefully and exudes elegance at every nook. The work desk is exceptionally large and faces the window — quite the iconic work view I reckon!

FOOD AND DRINK Atrium Bar & Lounge on the lobby level has a fantastic Bandra Trails Hi Tea that serves the traditional English hi tea with a classic Bandra touch. Any local would totally resonate with this experience and I personally loved every bite of the classic “Bandra” dishes which were reconstructed to suit international standards. Dinner was at Masala Bay where I enjoyed a traditional Indian meal inspired by the Awadh region — this included some mouth-watering Tunday kebabs, “dhabba-walla” chicken, biryani and chur chur naan. Next morning, I quite enjoyed my breakfast experience at The Chambers Lounge on the 25th floor where I munched on some avocado on brioche that was sprinkled with some authentic Italian tru le shavings. I also savoured a selection of cheese including brie, cheddar, goat’s and parmesan along with some fresh orange juice. Lunch was a light spread from Ming Yang where I tasted some of their pan Asian specialities including ginger and Ming Yang chicken along with some egg fried rice and a chocolate mousse to finish.

MEETINGS A ballroom, well appointed private rooms, poolside and seaside lawns, fitted out with modern equipment, and a five level parking facility.

LEISURE The hotel houses the Taj’s signature Jiva Spa that o ers rejuvenation therapies. I indulged myself in a deeptissue massage that helped with my sti muscles. Niu & Nau, the hotel’s classy salon, overlooks a beautiful view of the sea where I pampered myself to a manicure and pedicure sundowner experience. Niu & Nau also o ers a host of salon experiences including barber services for men - quite a hit with the resident business traveller community.

VERDICT Ideal for a work from anywhere kind of staycation with exceptional views of the city, delicious F&B and comforting leisure facilities.

Not surprisingly, the window pane of the suite is where I spent most of my time

BEST FOR Views of the Mumbai sea link and extensive F&B

DON’T MISS Bandra Trails Hi Tea at the Atrium Bar & Lounge and a sundowner manicure experience at Niu & Nau

PRICE Upwards of ₹7,000

CONTACT The Taj Lands End, Mumbai, Band Stand, BJ Road, Mount Mary, Bandra West, Mumbai 400050, Maharashtra, India tajhotels.com