SHANGRI-LA HOTELS DEBUTS IN BENGALURU, INDIA

By: Christian Stan

Shangri-La Hotel, Bengaluru is set to be the city’s premier destination for dining, entertaining and business. It opened on 24 September in South India’s capital state of Karnataka and will become the city’s leading destination for business and pleasure, offering a dynamic array of restaurants and bars and arresting public and meeting spaces.

Shangri-La Hotels debuts in Bengaluru, India. The 397-room Shangri-La – sited on nearly two acres of land between the central business district and residential suburb – delivers a unique blend of the group’s signature service of ‘hospitality from the heart’ and legendary Indian hospitality at one of Bengaluru’s premier addresses overlooking Bangalore Palace and Cubbon Park.

Located 30 minutes from the international airport, Shangri-La Hotel, Bengaluru stands 19-storeys tall in a leafy blue ribbon suburb on Palace Road. Keen to reference the Garden City in its interior, the hotel embellishes tiles, carpets and wood carved screens with abstract floral silhouettes. Other stylish hints in the public spaces include marble from Italy, Turkey and China; textiles originating from the United Kingdom and Asia; as well as a glass elevator to shuttle guests to the function areas. In the Lobby Lounge, a sandstone wall installation sourced in Rajasthan measures four metres by nine metres and depicts a gold-stained palm leaf pattern.

Elevated at over 900 metres above sea level, Bengaluru is known as the hub of India’s technological developments and is just as acclaimed for its historical sites – dating to when noble Indian dynasties and the British governed – that rise majestically above the city’s hallmark green spaces.

High above the city’s skyline, the guestrooms present a soothing retreat in beige. Starting from 41 square metres, each room is accented by a tufted leather headboard and plush patterned carpeting. Complimentary and wireless Internet access allows guests to use their personal electronics at the executive desk or on the window-side sofa. Outfitted in locally sourced New Gold Vein marble, the bathrooms are spacious and built-in with a wardrobe, bathtub, separate walk-in rain shower and antique bronze mirrors.

The hotel’s 30 suites – awash in colours of gold, plum and green – range from 98 to 274 square metres, and include three Governor Suites and the palatial Shangri-La Suite; guests can marvel at the panoramic views and enjoy full access to the Horizon Club Lounge.

Closely following the opening, three more restaurants will open at Shangri-La Hotel, Bengaluru. They include Caprese – a stylish Mediterranean restaurant on level 18, serving seafood, traditional Italian dishes, Middle Eastern mezze platters and Spanish tapasamong terracotta topiary pots and wood finishes. On the same level, diners can feast on cuisines from the north and south of India at Ssaffron, while admiring the Indian restaurant’s ornate carvings and metallic sandstone sculptures. For an alternative sky-high dining experience, Yataii combines the best of traditional and modern Japanese food to deliver fresh sushi and sashimi, and teppanyaki for dinner.

Destined to be the most glamourous and distinctive bar on the top of Bengaluru is Hype, scheduled to open before year-end.

CHI, The Spa is a serene and luxurious retreat in the sky. Greeting guests at the level three entrance is a brass sculpture fashioned to resemble a blooming flower and flaming sun. In harmony with the warmness of the art piece, the spa is decked with dark timber floors. Managed by therapists to guide guests on a journey of wellbeing, a fusion of chi techniques and Ayurveda treatments namely Udhwartana, Shirodhara, Pinda and Sweda may be experienced in one of nine treatment rooms, including VIP couple suites and a dedicated Ayurveda room.

Rates start from INR 8.000 per night.