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 What
is the Luxury Collection?
Starwood has many levels of brands, St. Regis being
the top of the line. Next comes Luxury Collection followed
by Westin, Sheraton and the Four Points. All our ITC-prefixed
properties like ITC Maurya Sheraton, ITC Grand Central,
ITC Grand Maratha etc. have become
the Luxury Collection with effect from May 15.
Luxury Collection concept has been very lucidly described
by our Divisional COO, Mr. Nakul Anand as ‘Champagne
wishes, caviar dreams’. It is a recognition of
the standards and status the ITC Hotels enjoy in the
eyes of a discerning business traveler. ITC has always
been known as a warm, caring and hospitable chain offering
world class standards but with an Indian soul. With
a 'collection’, not a chain of only 58 Luxury
Collection properties in the world, addition of ITC's
7 premium Prefix properties have now become part of
this prestigious brand.
Isn’t the hotel in an odd location,
in a lower middle class neighbourhood, with no 'view'
Not really. Mumbai is basically a North-South city
linked through the Western Express highway which has
always been the saviour for getting into the city, but
only up to Mahim. There, chaotic traffic builds up.
It may take an hour and a half to reach Marine Drive
from the airport.
The sea link which connects Bandra to Annie Besant
Road would be ready in a couple of years' time. With
the soon to be approved, 'road over road' non stop connectivity
from Haji Ali to Marine Drive ,over Peddar Road and,
with Lata Mangeshkar's final nod, a pleasant ride into
town may ultimately be a reality.
With the North South connectivity in place, the next
challenge is going to be the West-East connectivity.
With the new international airport clearance to come
up in Navi Mumbai, and hopefully with the elder Ambani’s
push, the much touted 22 km sea link may become a reality,
within 5 years. The Sea Link will end at or around the
port in Sewri, near Parel, where Grand Central is located.
Hence the name:Grand -luxurious and Central- convenient.
And the location is very good.
But why was only this specific location selected
The hotel is situated on our former cigarette factory
which came up in 1903 and was shut down 20 years ago.
With the stupendous success of our airport hotel, Grand
Maratha, having another hotel in Central Mumbai made
very good sense.
Would you say the location has proved a success
When we opened the hotel in January 2005, for the first
6 months every journalist used to ask me why we chose
Parel, a low middle class neighbourhood. Next 6 months,
after they realized we were doing well, the question
shifted to why so many business travellers were coming
to Central Mumbai. Next I was quizzed on the high room
rates and now, the questions are, 'how many and which
other hotels are coming up in the vicinity'.
The reality is even a premium brand like Four Seasons
is going to open up close by.
The interesting and aesthetically pleasing
hotel architecture
 Ours
is a relatively small plot of only 2.5 acres, of which
we had to leave nearly half an acre for the set backs
for walkways. Grand Central is the country's tallest
hotel. Not only is the architecture steeped in the colonial
heritage of the city, the structure is unlike the usual
match box like high-rise hotels.
This is because of the architectural features such
as the false ceiling of our top floor lounge, Point
of View, is as high as 5- stories. On top sits our magnificent
dome, reminiscent of the Jijha Bai Tower, rising 7 stories
high. This identifies the 'Grand Central' from any direction,
right up to Haji Ali.
Despite the challenges of a small plot, we have very
successfully incorporated two unique identities within
one hotel. There is the high rise which we call as the
peace zone. The second part, the low zone, has the conferences
and events area, two restaurants and a bar. On top sits
a magnificent garden, with the most aspiring experience
for starlit events.
The two sections of the hotel have their own porches
and drive-ins, allowing an unobstructed check in for
the residents and the other clients who are ‘celebrating’
an event.
The outer 'skin' of the tall edifice is reminiscent
of the colonial brick work offering double wall effect
not only from the outside but also between rooms itself.
Expensive bricks were all imported from Malaysia
‘After all we are in the business of selling
Sleep and not a room!’ sayys Malik with a smile.
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