When ITC Grand Chola opened its doors to Chennai a decade ago, it offered a much-needed refreshing and luxurious landmark to the city and its hospitality industry. Spread across eight acres and comprising several restaurants, bars, and massive banquet areas, the hotel’s interiors draw from palatial Chola temples and royal durbars, with engraved steps, ornate chandeliers, and an Insta-worthy wheel design on its grand staircase at the entrance. As the hotel celebrates its 10th anniversary this month, starting October 10, there are offers on stay and the team is reviving decade-old dishes, which featured on the hotel menu, to evoke culinary nostalgia.
Favourites from 2012
Zubin Songadwala, general manager, ITC Grand Chola and area manager at ITC Hotels, South, says signature dishes from the menus of 2012 will now be available at all restaurants. “The anniversary special menus have been curated to evoke nostalgia, and the dishes have been chosen for their popularity, and as a tribute to that era,” he says. For instance, at Café Mercara, guests can relish old-time creations, including Jubilee Coleslaw, Cary Saheb’s Baked prawns and Mrs Beeton’s Moorugh Curry, along with with retro live music.
Chef Mayank Kulshreshtha | Photo Credit: Anand Elumalai
The 10-day themed dinner featuring the Best of Madras Pavilion includes the hotel’s classics: The Spice Trail brunch, Highway on My Buffet, Local Love - Farm to Plate Brunch and Aamchi Mumbai Brunch series, among others.
Take an eco-tour
Guests will be greeted by ‘WelcomDivas’ clad in traditional Kanjeevaram saris , a floral rangoli, Bharatanatyam performances and a Champagne ceremony as “the grand evening ritual in the Sangam lobby”. The LEED Zero Carbon-certified hotel is also offering an eco-tour to its guests.
Cafe Mercara Express | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
“The tour by our technical services team will showcase all sustainable initiatives at the hotel. These include the organic-waste convertor that converts kitchen waste into manure, used by the hotel’s horticulture department, a sewage treatment plant, an air water generator, a rooftop solar water hot water system that generates close to 20,000 liters of hot water a day, among others,” explains Zubin.
“The celebration has been conceived as a thanksgiving to our guests, and we are immensely gratified to have been given the opportunity to become an iconic hospitality destination,” he concludes.
For details, call 044-22200000
