ITC Grand Chola in Chennai is one helluva massive and magnificent hotel. We were in Chennai for one night and a day, and frankly, found the time to be too short to enjoy all the frills we were entitled to at the Chola. We couldn’t even make it to the pool, despite having complimentary passes for it. Pity!
Staying at the Suite of ITC Grand Chola: We ahhed-oohhed when the hotel executive showed us to our suite. A huge room with a fantastic bathroom, our daughter squealed at the sight of the bathtub, while I rolled my eyes when the executive tried to explain how to switch on the lights and television using a tablet!! I murmured to myself, so this is what the world has come to?! Switches controlled by iPads?! Where happens to the tech-challenged people like me now? An extremely luxurious room on the whole, spacious and very well lit with natural light streaming in through the day. Just the type we love….
Food at the Madras Pavilion in ITC Grand Chola, Chennai: Told you, we stayed just for a night and a day there, so just managed to have a good, leisurely breakfast at the Madras Pavilion and a drink at the Tranquebar before our sortie to the saree shops in T Nagar.
Brimming and buzzing with people, the spread at Madras Pavilion was colossal. We settled for our usual English breakfast, but not before eyeing and ordering some lamb dimsums. Temptations of dimsums are hard to resist, so what you saw them at the breakfast counters? Big and well spread out, the only thing I missed at the Madras Pavilion were windows. Why didn’t they make windows at that enormous dining hall for some natural light to come in? Breakfast is so beautiful when you feel the sun’s rays around you.
A drink at the Tranqubar is perhaps a must, if you have time to spare when at the ITC Grand Chola. Jayanta wanted to down one before I pulled him out for saree shopping (Read — Saree Shopping in Chennai). Said, he needed to numb his senses so that the saree bill wouldn’t shock him!!! Exaggeration, of course! Nice place, Tranqubar – done up in gold, is plush and looks extremely rich.
Final Word on ITC Grand Chola, Chennai: Stay there if you love luxury. But most importantly, stay there if you have time in your hands. You will enjoy it thoroughly, the luxury and the frills too 🙂