Both I and my wife are used to travelling extensively. Last year, we had been going out almost once every month to different corners of the country. However, certain exigencies at home are temporarily holding us back in Hyderabad for the last few months, leading to a bit of frustration especially in me. So, we decided to explore the resorts of Hyderabad for a quick break instead. My Accor Plus membership comes in handy at these times, with the Weekend Getaway feature allowing us to park ourselves at any Accor hotel in the city for a day. This time, our stop was the Novotel Hyderabad International Convention Centre, close to Hitech City, but ensconced in a lot of greenery inside the Hitex Exhibition Campus.
Booking the hotel was simple. As an Accor Plus member one can book through their website, but I preferred to book through the sales department. The day before the vacation, we were happy to be informed that we had been upgraded through a suite, though we had booked for a Superior Room. On the appointed day, we reached around 2 pm. The check-in was smooth and quick, and soon we were up in our designated room on the second floor. The suite was very spacious with a large seating area at one end. A separate small room served as a changing room plus a study with a seating arrangement next to the glass window. The well-appointed bathroom is quite huge with a separate bathtub area and shower area.
After a brief rest, we leisurely enjoyed a cup of tea. The monsoon had just arrived in Hyderabad, and the weather was serene with light drizzles. The room offered a view of the front of the hotel. After nibbling at some fruits, cookies and chocolates provided in the room, we set out for our customary long evening walk. The hotel, which is inside the Hitex campus has its own walking trail as part of Novotel Garden. Furthermore, one can always walk around the campus, where there are places with lots of greenery where you can hear the birds chirping away.
After a long and satisfying walk, we settled down at The Bar. Some brilliant Podi Idlis sent across by Chef Satya from the kitchen paired well with some Cosmopolitan and Mojitos that we enjoyed at The Bar. One advantage of being an Accor Plus member is that your opening round of drinks is on the house. Also, you get a discount on subsequent drinks and a 50% discount on food for two people.
As the evening was setting in the guests were congregating near the pool. La Cantina, the Chinese restaurant of the hotel is located here with some decent al-fresco seating by the poolside. The place reminded me of the many good experiences I had there when it was its earlier avatar, including some excellent sous vide preparations. Novotel HICC is a completely non-smoking hotel, if you need to smoke there is a designated smoking area behind the restaurant. The rocks and the greenery make this place very attractive. If you are a health freak, you can also work out at the gym located next door.
Our dinner was at Food Exchange, the new format all-day dining restaurant of Novotel all over. This hotel has converted from The Square the earlier format to Food Exchange about a year back. The dinner buffet had two huge counters one for salads and one for desserts. The latter brought a lot of joy for my wife, who is a dessert aficionado. Next, to these, there was a long line of live counters serving kababs, grills and many other delicacies from Indian, Oriental and Continental cuisines. The dimsums of the day were the Siu Mais (veg and chicken) which we enjoyed with the chilli oil dips. The Fish Satays were also good with some peanut sauce. Chef made us some Malabar Prawns which with some fresh and warm parathas formed the core of the meal. And finally, among the desserts, the sugar-free Jackfruit Pannacotta was simply brilliant. The buffet at Food Exchange is top notch and provides a good choice for any palate.
We retired early at night hoping to wake up for a long morning walk. But, a full tummy and comfortable sleep threw a spanner in the works, and we could wake up only around 9 am. The breakfast at Food Exchange was sumptuous again. The cold meat collection was what impressed me, and I dug into the crispy fried bacon and sausages. The array of chutneys and podis with the flavourful ghee roast dosa were the other stuff I enjoyed. My wife was more interested in croissants, cakes, and muffins. After a satisfying filter coffee, we went around the campus one last time before we checked out and returned home.
What does one get out of a staycation in your own city? We have quite a stressful life both at work and home focusing on our goals and objectives. Even in the weekends, being at your familiar settings lets some of the stress percolates through. A change of place rejuvenates you, but after a tough weekend, you may be just that bit lazy not to travel out of station. A local staycation fits this bill perfectly. Apart from the hospitality, Novotel at Hitech City within the sprawling Hitex campus impressed me for its green surroundings. I loved the long walks apart from the pampering I received from the hotel staff. I would recommend the place for a quiet weekend. If you are an Accor Plus member, you have the specific “Weekend Voucher” which offers stay with breakfast and dinner for two people at an attractive price of Rs 4500 all-inclusive.
#Novotel #NovotelHICC #AccorPlus
Booking the hotel was simple. As an Accor Plus member one can book through their website, but I preferred to book through the sales department. The day before the vacation, we were happy to be informed that we had been upgraded through a suite, though we had booked for a Superior Room. On the appointed day, we reached around 2 pm. The check-in was smooth and quick, and soon we were up in our designated room on the second floor. The suite was very spacious with a large seating area at one end. A separate small room served as a changing room plus a study with a seating arrangement next to the glass window. The well-appointed bathroom is quite huge with a separate bathtub area and shower area.
After a brief rest, we leisurely enjoyed a cup of tea. The monsoon had just arrived in Hyderabad, and the weather was serene with light drizzles. The room offered a view of the front of the hotel. After nibbling at some fruits, cookies and chocolates provided in the room, we set out for our customary long evening walk. The hotel, which is inside the Hitex campus has its own walking trail as part of Novotel Garden. Furthermore, one can always walk around the campus, where there are places with lots of greenery where you can hear the birds chirping away.
After a long and satisfying walk, we settled down at The Bar. Some brilliant Podi Idlis sent across by Chef Satya from the kitchen paired well with some Cosmopolitan and Mojitos that we enjoyed at The Bar. One advantage of being an Accor Plus member is that your opening round of drinks is on the house. Also, you get a discount on subsequent drinks and a 50% discount on food for two people.
As the evening was setting in the guests were congregating near the pool. La Cantina, the Chinese restaurant of the hotel is located here with some decent al-fresco seating by the poolside. The place reminded me of the many good experiences I had there when it was its earlier avatar, including some excellent sous vide preparations. Novotel HICC is a completely non-smoking hotel, if you need to smoke there is a designated smoking area behind the restaurant. The rocks and the greenery make this place very attractive. If you are a health freak, you can also work out at the gym located next door.
Our dinner was at Food Exchange, the new format all-day dining restaurant of Novotel all over. This hotel has converted from The Square the earlier format to Food Exchange about a year back. The dinner buffet had two huge counters one for salads and one for desserts. The latter brought a lot of joy for my wife, who is a dessert aficionado. Next, to these, there was a long line of live counters serving kababs, grills and many other delicacies from Indian, Oriental and Continental cuisines. The dimsums of the day were the Siu Mais (veg and chicken) which we enjoyed with the chilli oil dips. The Fish Satays were also good with some peanut sauce. Chef made us some Malabar Prawns which with some fresh and warm parathas formed the core of the meal. And finally, among the desserts, the sugar-free Jackfruit Pannacotta was simply brilliant. The buffet at Food Exchange is top notch and provides a good choice for any palate.
We retired early at night hoping to wake up for a long morning walk. But, a full tummy and comfortable sleep threw a spanner in the works, and we could wake up only around 9 am. The breakfast at Food Exchange was sumptuous again. The cold meat collection was what impressed me, and I dug into the crispy fried bacon and sausages. The array of chutneys and podis with the flavourful ghee roast dosa were the other stuff I enjoyed. My wife was more interested in croissants, cakes, and muffins. After a satisfying filter coffee, we went around the campus one last time before we checked out and returned home.
What does one get out of a staycation in your own city? We have quite a stressful life both at work and home focusing on our goals and objectives. Even in the weekends, being at your familiar settings lets some of the stress percolates through. A change of place rejuvenates you, but after a tough weekend, you may be just that bit lazy not to travel out of station. A local staycation fits this bill perfectly. Apart from the hospitality, Novotel at Hitech City within the sprawling Hitex campus impressed me for its green surroundings. I loved the long walks apart from the pampering I received from the hotel staff. I would recommend the place for a quiet weekend. If you are an Accor Plus member, you have the specific “Weekend Voucher” which offers stay with breakfast and dinner for two people at an attractive price of Rs 4500 all-inclusive.
#Novotel #NovotelHICC #AccorPlus
No comments:
Post a Comment