New Delhi, India – Reported by Elite Traveler, the Private Jet Lifestyle Magazine
The Park Hotels group, pioneers of the boutique hotel concept in India, is expanding its portfolio with the addition of the Apsara, The Park on Vembanad Lake and The Park Hyderabad.
“Our three new properties successfully combine local culture and world-class design, affording guests a distinct travel experience in some of India’s most intriguing regions,” said Priya Paul, Chairperson, Apeejay Surrendra Park Hotels Ltd.
In January 2010, The Park Hotels launched its first luxury lake cruiser—Apsara—a two-level, eight-cabin cruiser on Kerala’s Vembanad Lake. Designed with luxury and comfort in mind, the interiors combine elements of Kerala’s magnificent heritage with the quiet elegance of European yachting style.
Each week, the Apsara boat sets sail on four-day/three-night itineraries that take cruisers through the waters of Vembanad Lake and the backwaters, replete with paddy fields and fruit-laden coconut trees, where guests can watch the day-to-day rural life of Kerala drift by. The boat will dock at The Park on Vembanad Lake (a brand new resort that recently opened as well) when it is not sailing.
In addition to eight guest accommodations, the 28 meter Apsara has a crew cabin, galley, dining area (seating 24 people), saloon (with a capacity of 14), sundeck and panoramic forward-seating area (with comfortable corner sofas and tables). Cabins feature teak wood furnishings, LCD television, DVD player, double bed, desk and chair, mini-bar, safe, satellite receiver and private bathroom. The textural furnishing applied to the walls and ceilings of the interiors include veneer, rich leather, silk and natural cottons, plus marble in the bathrooms. The MV Apsara can also be hired on an exclusive basis for personalized sailing itineraries, offsite company meetings, and other special occasions.
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As a complement to the Apsara, the company unveiled The Park on Vembanad Lake, a sophisticated lakeside resort with 10 luxury rooms (four Deluxe Lakeview Rooms, four Luxury Lakeview Rooms, The Vembanad Room and The Vembanad Suite), a tented spa featuring Ayurvedic and international treatments, a gym, restaurant, two bars, a pool and adjacent deck and performance space.
Also joining the collection this year is The Park Hyderabad, the new 270-room flagship hotel. The Park Hyderabad had a soft opening on March 1, 2010 and will officially open in June 2010. In March, the hotel debuted with about 100 rooms, The Veranda, Sicca Bar, Street Lobby, Hotel Lobby, Library Lounge, Ruby Lounge, pool deck, aqua pool and garden.
The property is influenced by Hyderabad’s tradition as a design center and producer of precious stones and distinctive textiles—all reflected in the accommodations, a 3-D horizon pool, three restaurants, two lounges, two entertainment venues, and Aura Spa.
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The hotel’s unique exterior façade references jewelry settings and metal work found in the Nizam collection (one of the most valuable jewelry collections in the world). The interior space showcases local traditions of craftsmanship, patterning and style.
The Park Hyderabad was designed by Skidmore Owings Merrill (New York) and Conran & Partners, U.K. The Park also commissioned a series of famous Indian designers to inspire the interiors including Tarun Tahiliani, Rohit Bal, Manish Arora, Jean Francois Lesage, Bharti Kher, Subodh Gupta, Rajiv Saini and Preksha Baid. Throughout the property, custom pieces were specially made—including chandeliers, textile installations, furniture and tableware—to celebrate and showcase Indian design trends.
Reflective of its environmental consciousness, The Park Hyderabad is the first property in India to introduce all non-smoking guest rooms, plus the property is a certified LEED GOLD green building (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). The internationally recognized LEED certification measures how well a building or community performs across metrics such as energy savings, water efficiency, CO2 emissions reduction, and stewardship of resources and sensitivity to their impacts.
For more information, visit www.theparkhotels.com.
