Surreal, majestic and opulent

Even as India was witnessing its second wave of the never-heard-before deadly Covid19 virus, the opening team of one of South Asia’s largest hospitality brand was busy building hope in the industry by giving final touches to an iconic hotel in the heart of India, Madhya Pradesh. Opening a hotel at any time comes with its own set of challenges but doing so when the pandemic loomed large was unprecedented. The team was worried but determined to make it happen. And it did when, after countless hours of research, food trials, trainings and detailed snagging, working alongside 3,000 labourers with a competent core opening and a focussed project team along with the passion of the owners, Taj Lakefront Bhopal was launched in October 2021. 

“It was a difficult time to leave family and loved ones and travel in empty aircraft or trains to reach Bhopal. Building a strong team was priority and with the belief that we had to build back hospitality careers, we hired people from across India who had been furloughed during the pandemic. This has built immense pride in service and the brand which is core to us at Taj Lakefront Bhopal. Being part of the Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL) family, the pandemic helped us emerge stronger than ever before,” says property General Manager Kanika Hasrat, also the Area Director, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Uttarakhand at IHCL.

I happened to meet the gritty, soft-spoken and congenial Kanika during my stay at Taj Lakefront Bhopal, a couple of days after the City of Lakes had been almost devastated by heavy rains. However, contrary to belief that the city would have come to a standstill, life seemed normal except for a few uprooted trees en route the hotel from Raja Bhoj Airport, almost half-an-hour away. The property exudes ‘Taj-ness’ that the Group has been famous – surreal, majestic and opulent. Overlooking the Upper Lake, the structure of this magnificent hotel redefines fine living with its modern interiors and ornate, luxurious finishes. “We are proud that we have been able to create a space that represents the rich culture and diversity of Madhya Pradesh. Zardozi embroidery, jaali work, bagh prints and bell metal craft of Tikamgarh are proudly displayed across the hotel,” informs Kanika, adding the hotel is home to two of Taj’s legacy restaurants – Machan and House of Ming. “Both these brands have been delighting patrons and guests for more than 40 years with dishes curated overtime by some of the most renowned chefs of the country,” she says.

With 142 rooms – Deluxe, Luxury, Deluxe Lakeview, Luxury Grande and 10 suites – Executive, Luxury and Presidential – the property offers spectacular views all around as it is surrounded by water on three sides. However, guests can have the best views from the Infinity Lounge and Bar on the rooftop, ideal for watching the sunset while sipping your favourite drink or grooving to the music of some of the most renounced DJs and bands in the country. My two-day stay at the hotel, most of it while experiencing rains, was simply out-of-the-world. 

On how do they enhance guest experience, Kanika shares, “Taj has always been proud of India’s culture and heritage. We set high standards at all our hotels to ensure each guest experiences ‘Taj-ness’ and has a unique memory of the place to carry home. Today, luxury is about space, silence, design harmony, carbon footprint, community impact, staff engagement, food ingredient sourcing and immersive experiences that bring all these together. At Taj Lakefront Bhopal, we offer our guests all this and more. We encourage guest to experience the city while supporting the local community and building livelihoods.”

I was informed by the Concierge that should I want to experience Van Vihar National Park and Zoo early the next morning, just 2 km from the hotel, I could cycle down and enjoy an urban safari while I was briefed about the flora and fauna of the region by a guide and then end it with a picnic breakfast by the lake. I did exactly so. And what an experience it was. I found Van Vihar to be an ideal example of eco-restoration. Located within city limits, it is a treasure trove of Nature and wildlife, waiting to be explored by casual tourists as well as wildlife enthusiasts. In fact, it has the unique distinction of being a combination of a national park, rescue centre for wildlife, zoological garden as well as a conservation breeding centre. 

Guests wanting to experience food and know the historic city more can embark on a journey to the streets of old Bhopal with the help of the Concierge again. Guests are left enchanted with diverse flavours of local cuisines and stories of the Begums of Bhopal who ruled the city for over a century. As Bhopal is also known for zardozi embroidery, the hotel offers opportunities to visit karigars and appreciate this fine art form.

The location of the hotel is strategically planned for it to become an epicentre of tourism to Madhya Pradesh, shares Kanika. “Be it exploring the Nature trails at Bandhavgarh National Park, Satpura National Park or Kahna National Park, an excursion to the temples of Khajuraho and Ujjain, an exposure to the tribal districts or getting awestruck at the world heritage sites of Sanchi Stupa and Bhimbetka, Taj Lakefront Bhopal is perfectly located to suit any itinerary,” she says. 

To cater to guests better, the property innovates and introduces food festivals regularly as well as provide options of unique dining experience like ‘dining under the stars’ or ‘private dining by the pool’ and celebrate every festival with themed-buffets and curated cuisines. “The dining experiences at the hotel include Machan, the all-day diner which is a multi-cuisine restaurant with a culinary legacy that has been winning every mood and palate since 1978; House of Ming which is based on the Yin-Yang concept and perfectly balances the flavours of Cantonese and Sichuan cuisines; Infinity, the high energy bar with mesmerising views of the Upper Lake and Emperor Lounge where you can enjoy elegantly crafted patisserie, exquisite teas and tisanes,” shares Executive Chef Anup Gupta. 

The culinary team at the hotel has spent months researching the tribal cuisine of Madhya Pradesh apart from spending some days with the tribes in their local habitat. With the support of the Tribal Council and MP Tourism, the hotel team hosted a Tribal Food Festival which represented five major tribes of the state which boasts of 55 tribal districts. “With authentic food, celebration of indigenous culture and art of the tribes, the festival was a huge success. This Tribal Thali is available at our restaurant,” Chef Anup informs. 

He adds that better F&B offerings do add value to the overall operations of the hotel. “F&B offerings definitely enhance guest experience and give a completely new revenue opportunity to a hotel. We have a unique responsibility of educating our guests on authentic flavours as well as meeting their expectations based on their preferences.  We have seen the people of Bhopal enjoy our speciality restaurants while also looking for the paani puri or golgappe) on the buffet,” he shares. 

Incidentally, before I bid goodbye to the City of Lakes, I had the honour of having a plateful of golgappas with legendary documentary maker, television producer and presenter Siddharth Kak whom I bumped into the same afternoon in the lobby. He, like me, was there for work and he was kind enough to accept my invitation for evening tea and here we were, savouring these mouthfuls while reminiscing their famous counterparts from Bengali Market in New Delhi as also his iconic TV show of the 90s, Surabhi which he hosted with the ever-effervescent Renuka Shahane. An unforgettable show. And an unforgettable property. I promised myself to return soon as there was loads I had missed experiencing and exploring. Till then…

The authors were guests at the hotel |on the invitation of Taj Lakefront, Bhopal