January 16, 2018 TnH Global

Kolkata’s outstanding dream destination

Stepping in at The Westin Kolkata Rajarhat, it is the world steeped in luxury, wellness and spirituality for the well-heeled class of travellers.

The newest global luxury brand in the eastern region of India and particularly Kolkata is definitely The Westin Kolkata Rajarhat. An invitation from the hospitality group came to me and it was a golden chance to have a day-spend at the dream haunt sometime in the first week of December. It is the five-star, business hotel from the house of Westin Hotels and Resorts that forms a veritable part of Marriott International. Moreover, it commands a robust global presence and with 314 rooms, the hotel takes pride in having the largest rooms in the city.

The 32-storied hotel is the tallest high rise in the hospitality world of Kolkata. We entered the hotel with a warm welcome and the first thing that attracted our mind was the largest mural in the lobby measuring 105 feet depicting The Face of Spirituality or the Goddess Durga that connotes the fact that the hospitality group is spurred on by a strong belief in spirituality. Another added attraction in the lobby is the presence of library with wellstacked books for guests. The hotel spreads over 8 acres of land area. Nearly 8 km away from Subhhas Chandra Bose International Airport, the hotel is done up with glitzy interiors and Sanskrit Shlokas all around.

We first visited the ballroom with illuminating interiors spreading over 50,000 sq. ft that happens to be the largest in the city. There is the largest swimming pool in the hotel. Health and wellness forms the highpoint of the hospitality brand and we were taken to the Wellness floor sprawling over 2,000 sq. metres of area that provides invigorating massages and rejuvenating therapies to keep travel fatigue at bay for travellers. The bottom line is to stay fit and healthy while travelling.

We were taken to the well-appointed rooms that have been done up tastefully with 8 layers of mattresses that are fire-proof and are temperature-regulated. Every room provides panoramic views of the city skyline and the Eco Park in the vicinity.

We finally made it to the hotel’s all-day dining restaurant-Seasonal Tastes that has sparkling interiors and serves a blend of global and Indian cuisine. The menu keeps on changing daily and there are dishes from the Indian states of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Punjab and West Bengal. I savoured Gatta ki curry, Khandvi and Patra. There are two live counters rustling up delights including the Continental and Oriental recipes. There is another surprise in store for vegans. One can get Jain food counter.

The hospitality group has an edge over other luxury hotels in the city in serving as many as 30 desserts. The sleep well menu and super foods on offer are the Unique Selling Preposition of the restaurant. We were served chocolate tart with ice cream that was divine. There were Indian desserts like rasgullas, kaju katli and sandesh.

Suman Julka, Director, Sales and Marketing, The Westin Kolkata Rajarhat, spoke on the sidelines of the lunch, “It is the service and quality that distinguishes our hotel from other luxury hotels in the city. MICE travellers form our major forte. We have forayed into the city at the right time. We are now flying high and intend to reach out to the Kolkata market. We have picked up the business in the city and we have good footfalls in the weekend. We are in close proximity with the Information Technology hub and we are having a good run with the global tourists on a tour to the city. We plan to open the doors of EEST that will have Oriental cuisine and Vedic with exclusive vegetarian platter sometime in June, 2018. Both the restaurants will be on 31st floor.”

Verdict: The hospitality group rides high on a blend of spirituality and luxury and the guest service is beyond comparison. With immaculate service and eclectic range of food, guests remain spellbound in the ambience of The Westin.