New Tower at Crowne Plaza Chennai Adyar Park hotel ,Chennai

I stayed at the newly launched Towers wing of Chennai’s historic 5 star hotel, Crowne Plaza Chennai Adyar Park hotel. Crowne Plaza Chennai Adyar Park hotel is one of the oldest 5 star hotels in Chennai, with over 3 decades of history. Formerly known as Adyar Gate Hotel, this property located at the heart of city is also close to the heart of many loyal customers, who have had their life events and major celebrations/decisions taken place here. With the amount of personal touch and attention to details, no wonder 80-85% of the business comes from repeat customers. (That is remarkable given that over half a dozen 5 star hotels have opened shop in Chennai in past few years) .

The New Towers wing is envisioned with a 'Hotel within a Hotel' concept. Towers has 125 rooms open, with work still in progress on the grand presidential suit. This post is a quick review of the rooms and facilities, based on observations and experience during my stay. To understand how Sheraton's personalized service is unique and different from other hotels, check this post

Check-in

As I walked in, I was given a traditional welcome, with a dhoti and vermilion. No lengthy paperwork to finish, no waiting to know which room. I only had to identify myself and give them an ID proof. I was escorted to the room and briefed about key facilities.

As we walked to the room, the art work on the wall caught my attention. It consisted of hundreds of ants and a few flies places beautifully on the wall.

 

The room

My room was number 2705. For a moment I wondered if it is on 27th floor. I eventually learnt that it is on 7th floor, Room 05, while 2 refers to tower. (Heritage wing has rooms starting with 1)

Room had a personalized welcome message and looking inviting. It has two parts- the main area or living room with sofa, table and chairs, typically where you would sit and talk with visitors and the bedroom area where your family can relax. Both parts can be separated in a soundproof way and both parts get their own flat screen television with USB and HDMI ports. This setting is highly useful for business executives who otherwise have to hunt for a meeting room to receive their guests.

Above: The king size beds at Crowne Plaza Chennai Adyar Park hotel's suite

Below: Large living room  at Crowne Plaza Chennai Adyar Park hotel' suite

Room has got mood lighting, you can select one of the four options and the light settings will change accordingly (night= no light, read= lights near the writing table, relax and intimate). Both the bedroom and living room get two separate mood light controls

 

The mini-bar and snacks all were well stocked. Filled with multiple fruits and snacks options. And telephone was handsfree multi functional, yet simple to use because of interactive menu. Wi-fi connectivity is available all around the hotel, for about Rs 600 a day. With same access key I could connect both laptop and mobile, there was no need for two separate access. (Some hotels have one password, one log in policy- have to either get two different password or can connect only one device at a time)

The ward rope includes an iron, ironing table and bathing gown. Bathroom was well stocked with good quality consumables. While regular hotels go for cheapest of soaps and shampoos, could notice the difference in quality and quantity of the items provided.

Two giant windows facilitate huge amount of natural light to flow in. The tower is surrounded with greenery on all sides. Notice the light house and Mylapore Kapaleeshwar temple in below photo 

Guests of ITC Sheraton Park’s tower section get their own bar, restaurant and lounge. The bar has a red ambiance with a dedicated smokers room. The designer candles add to the mood.

 

The exclusive guest lounge is beautifully designed. Tall designer chandelier hangs down illuminating the lobby in the night, while giant windows allow ample day light to soak in. This one place alone can keep a photographer engaged for a few hours, as it is very picturesque and offers lots of perspectives. The lobby has its own coffee shop and two televisions, one showing news channel and another, kids channel, to keep both business and family audience entertained. Huge metal curtains with rings and other artwork catch your attention quick.

 Below: See the reflection of the vertical chandelier in the glass.

Room rents:

Room rents at Crowne Plaza Chennai Adyar Park hotel start from Rs 5000 onward (for the heritage wing) and tower rooms start from Rs 8000 onward. Note that prices are indicative and may vary based on season, room type, how early you book, corporate discounts and other factors.

Location:
Crowne Plaza Chennai Adyar Park hotel is located on TTK road/Chamiers road intersection, in the heart of Chennai city. About 12 kms from airport and very close to key locations like Adyar, T Nagar, Mylapore and Anna Salai

Food and Beverages: A bunch of meeting rooms and even a super specialty board rooms are available for MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Events) and the campus has about half dozen fine dining facilities. I will write about them separately. [Related: Dakshin celebrate 25th Anniversary]

Other facilities: Crowne Plaza Chennai Adyar Park hotel has all standard amenities- a spa, pool, gym and business centre.