A white, 35-ft tall abstract stone sculpture weighing five tonnes greets you at the atrium. As you take in the simplistic splendour of the sculpture which resembles a Ganesha from an angle and a mother and a child from another, you are told that the architects designed the hotel around the installation.
The first thing that strikes you when you walk into Park Hyatt in Banjara Hills is the sense of space. There is space and lots of it, in the lobby, corridors, restaurants, rooms and even washrooms. The design is linear, non-fussy, functional and easy on the eye. The hotel is dressed in chocolate brown, offset with cream and contrasted by granite from Madurai.
The eight-storey luxury five-star property has 185 rooms, 24 suites and 42 service apartments. The expansive glass doors and windows allow plenty of natural light to stream in and the lush green indoor garden space is a value addition. The interiors, designed by Hirsch Bedner Associates, pack in a host of amenities without cluttering the living space. The rooms are equipped with Nespresso machines, iPod docking stations, work tables and plenty of utilitarian storage space. The service apartments (one, two and three bedroom variants) are targeted at the corporate clientele and are equipped with a kitchenette and walk-in wardrobes among other facilities. A commendable aspect is having specialised ‘accessible rooms' for the physically challenged.
The hotel provides banquet/meeting areas to suit different requirements, from small meeting rooms to the more personalised ‘The Manor' with an interactive kitchen and lobby. The ballroom is designed to accommodate nearly 600 guests.
Good food is the soul of a hotel and the property promises both Indian and European culinary treats. Each of the restaurants and bars have an interactive kitchen. The Italian restaurant Tre-Forni boasts of three wood fire ovens — for meats, breads and pizzas and have exclusive cheese and meat counters. The bar area has eight wine cellars that can stock around 3000 wines. For those who want both Indian and European cuisine, there's the traditional Dining Room while The Living Room caters to your sweet tooth with macaroons, French pastries and hi-teas. If you want to chill out after a hard day at work with a few finger foods and something to drink, there's the Oriental Bar and Kitchen.
The hotel is scheduled to open shortly.
