Hotels & Resorts: Renaissance Bengaluru Race Course Hotel

Renaissance Bengaluru Race Course Hotel: Bastion of Unexpected Delights

Text by JUHAN KAMARUDDIN Images by RENAISSANCE BENGALURU RACE COURSE HOTEL

Located in Bengaluru (formerly known as Bangalore), the capital city of the state of Karnataka and the Silicon Valley of India, the recently opened 276-key Renaissance Bengaluru Race Course Hotel is a confident, swanky, tony and contemporarily opulent hotel. Reflecting the ascendance of Bengaluru as one of India’s upcoming major economic hubs, the hotel is 50 minutes’ drive from Kempegowda International Airport and only five minutes’ drive from Bengaluru Central Railway Station.

Bengaluru’s ‘eternal spring’ weather has been attracting professionals and even corporations from India and the rest of the world, elevating the city’s stature as one of the country’s fastest growing metropolises, contributing over two-thirds of Karnataka’s gross domestic product (GDP).

The hotel offers fantastic views of Bengaluru’s central business district skyline, and just a stone’s throw away from the iconic Bangalore Turf Club. Renaissance Bengaluru Race Course Hotel exudes charisma as a contemporary five-star deluxe accommodation with a seductive, independent streak through offerings such as delectable dining options, inviting pool, and smart meeting spaces, including communal public areas with convenient power outlets to promote networking, syndication and socialising.

Classy and efficient

Renaissance Bengaluru Race Course Hotel offers unconventional immersions to feed guests’ curiosity, fuel their imagination and excite their senses. Frequent lifestyle travellers who want to fill their stay with fresh and sharable eye-opening moments are bound to find the hotel appealing.

The hotel’s interiors are replete with strategically-placed experimental artworks in the form of unusual designs and thought-provoking motifs that allude to the nearby race course to amplify the hotel’s sense of place and incorporate Bengaluru’s exuberance all under one roof.

The rooms at the hotel sport classic look with whimsical touches and colours connoting luxury. All rooms feature expansive windows to maximise natural light, guaranteeing brightness and cheerfulness to the interiors. The room’s efficient bathroom comes with amenities and deep, inviting sunken bathtub to soak away the stress and wariness of the day. Travellers who wish to gain exclusive access to the hotel’s Executive Lounge should opt for any of the hotel’s executive-level accommodations.

A restful night’s sleep is assured since the hotel provides Marriott Revive® Bedding system that includes plush custom duvets for totally restful sleep. As in other Renaissance Hotels throughout the world, guests can expect the customary turndown service that help them to retire more comfortably.

Food and beverage options

Renaissance Bengaluru Race Course Hotel team really knows how to put together a memorably classy, resplendent and jocund get-together sessions over sensuously appetising menu and equally uplifting drinks, simply for the purpose of fascinating and delighting guests, a fact not lost among organisers of meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions (MICE), besides independent business and leisure travellers.

As guests step into the hotel’s lobby, it is recommended that they first relish a cup of comforting masala chai (thick hot sweet tea with fresh cow’s milk and spices) at Cinnamon, a gourmet delicatessen serving specialities like homemade gelato waffwiches, freshly baked breads and alluring selection of pastries.

Further into the hotel lies the 153-seat Lush, a casual all-day dining restaurant featuring Indian and international staples that emphasise on consciously sourced ingredients and local artisanal produce. Speaking of Indian staple, guests should never forget to savour a rice meal with flavourful side dishes, including aromatic curry, served on banana leaf, which is as authentic and gratifying as a Southern Indian meal can get!

In the evenings, Renaissance Bengaluru Race Course Hotel activates its lobby bar and lounges by converting them into atmospherically chic venues for guests and city residents to relax. Be sure to partake in the hotel’s signature Bar Ritual at the hip 59-seat R Bar (even though you are a teetotaller like yours truly) to indulge in innovative bespoke cocktails (and mocktails) concocted using locally crafted beverages.

Highlight

During my stay at Renaissance Bengaluru Race Course Hotel in November 2018, I was not only feted to an engaging bar ritual followed by an exclusive banquet dinner, but also an utterly astounding open air breakfast spread by the hotel’s catering team set in the middle of Bangalore Turf Club race course the next morning! The hotel clearly understands how to make its guests go ‘wow’. During my stay, the weather was cool and the skies were clear; Bengaluru enjoys a more-or-less pleasant weather yearround, especially between October and February, hence dining al fresco is like a national sport in this side of the world.

Sprawling across 85 acres in the Central Business District, the Bangalore Turf Club (https://www.bangaloreraces. com/) is an institution. Other than absorbing the refreshing morning atmosphere of the race course and ogling at fine steeds, guests of Renaissance Bengaluru Race Course Hotel can also arrange with the Navigators to catch an exhilarating horse race.

Navigators (lifestyle concierges) are dedicated local neighbourhood experts who help Renaissance Hotels’ guests unearth the destination’s unique local gems only insiders know and leading guests to inimitable encounters that inspire compelling stories.

Other facilities

The hotel offers a combined total of 12,680-foot squared space consisting of 2,893 square feet ‘The Turf ’ Ballroom, seven meeting rooms, and outdoor lawn, all backed up by talented catering team and planning services, making it ideal for spectacular weddings, social and corporate functions. Pertinently, Renaissance Bengaluru Race Course Hotel’s meetings package called R.E.N. Meetings (http://renaissance- hotels.marriott.com/renmeetings) allows guests to go beyond traditional meetings by developing them into custom-curated and sensory-rich sessions.

The outdoor swimming pool (opens from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.), helps guests to stay fit and unwind while absorbing the incredible view. Alternatively, fitness-conscious guests can head to the hotel’s 24-hour fitness centre that boasts state-ofthe-art equipment. Those seeking to be pampered can head up to The SPA at the North wing on second floor for indulgent yet efficacious and invigorating wellness treatments.

Exploring Bengaluru

Tip: Due to high economic growth and population explosion, Bengaluru is notorious for its traffic congestion, so travellers are urged to allow 45 minutes to an hour (depending on distance and time of day, of course) to get from one place to another.

When staying at Renaissance Bengaluru Race Course Hotel, guests should explore Bengaluru by utilising the Navigator service, the hotel’s version of the modern ‘concierge.’

Begin your day by having breakfast at Konark Vegetarian Restaurant (http://konarkveg.in/), an establishment serving Southern Indian flavours and delicacies with sincere service and meticulous eye for hygiene.

Then learn about Bengaluru’s role as India’s hub for aerospace and aviation by visiting HAL (Hindustan Aeronautics Limited) Museum (http://hal-india.co.in/), part of the HAL Heritage Centre and Aero Space Museum, located within the premises of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited. The museum charts the growth and impressive journey of the Indian aviation industry, including HAL, for the last six decades.

Since India is rich with royal history, allocating an hour or two to admire the imposing yet homely Bangalore Palace (http:// www.bangalorepalace.net/) is a must. This palace – which was completed in 1878 and functioned as the summer palace for the Mysore royal family – preserves old regal opulence and represents the epitome of grand architecture and beauty in its time, earning it as one of Bengaluru’s most-visited attractions.

After walking and working up an appetite, whisk away to the High Ultra Lounge (http://www.highultralounge.com/) on top of World Trade Centre at Brigade Gateway to enjoy lunch comprising pan-Asian fusion dishes with a modern twist while enjoying the surrounding panorama through floor-toceiling windows. Attached to the lounge is the helicopter pad belonging to Sheraton Grand Bangalore Hotel at Brigade Gateway (https://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/blrgssheraton-grand-bangalore-hotel-at-brigade-gateway/), which you might be able to access to appreciate the unobstructed view of Bengaluru from above.

Burn your calories afterwards by exploring M.G. Road, one of Bengaluru’s biggest commercial centres and busiest shopping areas. Buy special memorabilia and souvenirs at Cauvery Arts & Crafts Emporium (https://www.cauveryhandicrafts.net/) that sells authentic Karnataka handicrafts and accessories ranging from sandalwood and rosewood items to metal, bronze and textiles, all certified by the state government.

Break your walk around M. G. Road by resting and indulging in ice cream at Cornerhouse Ice Cream parlour (https://www. youtube.com/channel/UCUFZHvMm-NWpQ_tzHMfNx4A), an over 30-year old institution in Bengaluru. There are over eighteen ice cream flavours served such as sundaes, caramel, chocolate, fig and honey. Caffeine lovers should go for the sinful Cake-a-Mocha, a combination of coffee and chocolate flavours with scrumptious toppings.

End your day exploring Bengaluru by visiting The Bull Temple (Nandi Temple), one of the oldest temples in the city and home to the fourth largest Nandi statue in India. This house of worship honours the mount of Lord Shiva, according to Hindu religious traditions. Travellers are sure to gain insights towards local Hindu beliefs and practices when visiting this temple, and learn more about Bengaluru society.

Conclusion

Renaissance Bengaluru Race Course Hotel draws sophisticated patrons since the hotel delivers unexpectedly memorable experience, in line with Renaissance Hotel’s brand promise. As a result, guests become enriched, turning into ‘social discoverers’ who are curious, intrigued and actively engaged with the destination, culture, and heritage, as what truly meaningful travel ought to be…

https://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/blrbh-renaissancebengaluru-race-course-hotel/