T
he IT boom set Bangalore
bang in the centre of
international cyber cool.
Bangalore has the bang and
the lore and far from “ban
galore,” it feeds hedonism galore.
Heightening the hedonism is India’s
very first Ritz-Carlton.
It hasn’t banged on about its
presence. Indeed, I discovered it
quite fortuitously, when a hotel
I was to visit bungled their airport
transfer, leaving me stranded at the
airport. There, savvy young Saurabh
Bharti, Ritz-Carlton’s Guest
Relations agent, noted this damselin-distress and gallantly intervened.
Over an hour, whilst Saurabh tracked
another hotel’s errant airport
transfer, he duly dazzled me with
the glories of his own hotel. I could
not but check into the most booming
new address in town.
I’m bang on time for the launch of
the searing-sexy, soaring rooftop
bar, Bang, that opened with, well,
a bang (for want of a more explosive
expression). Under blazing stars,
a bonfire crackled, contoured by
sleek white seats. Hot young
things, sizzlingly skimpy, kept up
the temperatures, whilst thumping
music maintained the tempo (much
to the chagrin of guests trying to
sleep on the musically porous floors
below). There were cabanas to
canoodle in over teetotaler
mixologist Manu’s cocktails.
Illusions created by clever use of
light, including the surrounding city
reflected in glass, furled round the
bonfire, and scintillating lights
streaked across the floor that looked
like rising steps, leaving you lightheaded in every sense.
No illusion, though, the ubiquitous
artwork, no less than 1,280 pieces,
made this hotel a live-in art gallery.
Light fixtures that struck down like
crystal rain or fell like snow drops or
tumbled like silver curls made for an
enlightening experience.
Yet the hotel’s signature and
pervasive decorative motif was the
jaali, an interlaced intricacy of grill.
In metal or wood, contemporary
geometric patterns abounded with
oriental teak filigree doors, windows
and glass panels, whilst even cement
acquired chic when finely fashioned,
as on the hotel’s facade.
Suites have bathrooms stretched
along their length that are a
combination of walk-in wardrobe,
closet, shower-corner and marbled
white space, where an ample bathtub
reigns. Suites come with Asprey
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