Another luxury hotel and 103 more rooms to choose from as ITC’s WelcomHotel Coimbatore opens its doors for business. Jasmine flowers greet the guests who can’t help noticing the textile-themed leitmotif of the décor. Textile-inspired design fills the hotel spaces with the walls, floors, ceilings and upholstery all reflecting textiles from these parts. Huge walls are entirely devoted to showcasing spools of colourful yarn. Even the lampshades are locally sourced or made. “Staying true to the ‘local’ is the philosophy,” explains General Manager, Rohit Mallick. The plush presidential suite is named The Sundaram Suite after the textile industry doyen of these parts.
What is exciting is that the hotel endeavours to be sustainable and eco-friendly and has applied for the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Platinum Certification for Green Buildings and the highest standards of environmental excellence. “It ticks all the boxes and more,” says Mallick and points out the features that showcase mindful functioning of the hotel. The idea is to minimise the carbon footprint, optimise the natural resources like air and sunlight and to try and source as much as possible locally. Strategically positioned skylights and windows ensure the use of optimum sunlight and there are detectors that monitor the carbon dioxide levels in the air and so on. LED lights are used and solar panels on the rooftop that heat the water in the geysers track the sun to make the best use of the natural energy.
‘Sunya Aqua’, says the label on a glass bottle of water. It is zero mile, artisanal water treated by the RO plant on site. So no plastic bottles that have travelled miles to reach here. The hotel also recycles all its water. It has a sewage treatment plant and the black and grey water is treated and reused for the gardens and for flushing. There is an organic waste composter and, of course, strict garbage segregation.
Energy consumption in hotels of this size is bound to be high, thanks to all the gas/diesel/electricity being used to run it efficiently. Expanding on this, Mallick explains, “A hotel of this size would normally use 650-700 kilocalories/square meter. But this hotel uses no more than 450 to 500 kilocals/square meter at best. The reason is the investment in energy friendly and advanced technology that was incorporated in the design stage it self.”
Chef Ajit Bangera
In the cheerful and colourful bright restaurant called WelcomeCafe Kovai, a beautifully laid out buffet awaits and Senior Executive Chef Ajit Bangera points to the section that highlights the local cuisine. “Extensive research and trials went into it,” he says. Chef Praveen Anand, an authority on Southern Cuisine, travelled across Kongunadu visiting local eateries and people’s homes to sample and get a better understanding of local palates and the nuances of the spices used here, besides the methods of cooking. “We always interact with locals to understand the cuisine and add to our knowledge bank,” says Bangera.
Chefs Bangera and Anand say there were many dishes they absolutely loved but, for obvious reasons, not all are being incorporated into the menu right away. “They are being archived for future use and you will see them on the menu at a future date. A harmonious dining experience for our guests is our endeavour,” says Bangera, adding that the best possible ingredients are sourced locally from the region and a gourmet panel approves every dish. Bangera says “We are already in the process of planning Kongunadu food promotion in some of our other hotels.”
Of his favourite, Bangera says, “If I have to pick one, it will be the Kadai Thengai Curry. The slow process of browning the dry coconut with red chillies in a heavy-bottom vessel ensures the slow roasting of spices in the oil of the dry coconut. The resulting taste derived from the combination of cinnamon, red chilli, dry coconut with a few other spices and quail is unique.”
