Delhi´s Andaz

The New Style Parameter

Revolutionising the concept of sophisticated yet fun, upscale yet trendy, offbeat yet traditional, Hyatt´s newest lifestyle brand Andaz Delhi is gaining fans fast. It´s the first Andaz for India, the art-centric hotel with an attitude that stands out   

Text: Farzana Contractor

Sometimes life works out beautifully. Like it did for me, in March, when I was on my way to Kashmir for a bout of skiing after three decades. Gulmarg was a hotspot for a few of us at St. Xaviers, where we would land up every winter. And now I was naturally excited to be going there.
With all deadlines achieved  and a couple of days to spare, I took up the offer from my friend, the lovely art aficionado, Namita Saraf of Grand Hyatt to take a break journey in Delhi and check out their hotel, Andaz. "You won´t even have to drive into the city, it´s right at the airport and it´s beautiful!" I was told. Enticing enough. And with the lure of a world class spa at my disposal, I did not need to be coaxed or cajoled. For a good, luxurious body treatment, hum kuch bhi karega, kitne dur bhi jayega.
So let me begin my one-and-a-half- day experience at Andaz, the hotel with an attitude, one I enjoyed. Andaz is one among the 12 premier brands of the leading global hospitality giant, the Hyatt Group.
So here I was now driving out of Delhi airport at about 2 pm and there I was 15 minutes later at the hotel lobby being greeted by its smiling, but not too fussy staff. The lobby, if I can call it that, was really different.It´s a vast seamless space, leading to a bar, and a restaurant, with none of the ubiquitous furniture in sight. No long reception desk, with six people manning it. No deep sofas at perfect right with a centre table in place. Here was classy, out-of-the-box seating arrangements. Looked Nordic to me, but I could be wrong. Suffice to say, it was furniture with neat lines and a minimalistic look. I liked very much.
Well, soon I was escorted to my suite, which was modern yet warm. The d&eacutecor is such as to make guests feel at home. That´s the general concept. Well, I did. Not because of my surroundings as much as the view outside my large picture windows. Aeroplanes. And the tarmac. And hangars with planes parked inside! I have been a flying machine freak through my childhood. Used to read about planes, buy books on them, insist on drives to the airport. Which in those days, Santacruz airport had an open terrace and we´d climb the steps up to wave goodbye to strangers taking off!
This was a child´s fantasy being relived. After watching a few planes taxi away, I left the window (but before sleeping that night I watched a few more taillights and the blue apron, too.)
Skipping lunch, I went off to keep my appointment at the spa. And what an experience it was. I always say, to enjoy a good massage, work hard in office. For the appreciation is that much more when your body yearns for the soothing touch. I let the Andaz masseur work her magic and came away sighing in pleasure. Deep-tissue massage is my favourite. And here they guide you in selecting your chakra energy based on your own intuition when they make you pick a semi-precious stone from a cluster of them, which curiously indicates that area of your body which needs attention. Surprisingly I picked two appropriate ones on two consecutive days.
After the spa, a couple of hours of relaxing in my room and going through the charming book, 401 Reasons to Fall in Love with Delhi by Fiona Caulfield, I went down to dinner at AnnaMaya. It´s the only restaurant at the hotel. And frankly they don´t need another. It´s large, almost like a square labyrinth and serves a cross section of cuisines. The seating is cleverly sectioned serving different needs. Open-kitchen concept, the BBQ show window has enticing aromas emanating from within, whetting the appetite, making you make up your mind to go for Indian food. Which I did, tandoori prawns, simply excellent. And the lamb chops, divine!
The restaurant is an European foodhall inspired by the flavours of India. Here they want you to eat keeping in mind the source of the food trail. They want to raise awareness about what we take for granted. The labour that goes into bringing food to the table. To that end the chefs of Andaz source foods from people, artisans, villagers who have socially inspiring stories behind their business modules. Take for example, the artisanal rock salt they use which comes from Uttar Pradesh, quarried by local women in the tough terrain of Ranikhet.
What I found delightful is the Salad Bar with fresh aloe vera plants in coloured, hand-painted pottery and special temperature controlled cabinets for the microgreens which are grown and harvested in-house. This can´t be easy to maintain and I applaud their effort in marrying the various concepts Andaz stands for.
Right at the door of AnnaMaya, in a barrier-free entry is the Juniper Bar, India´s first gin bar, where they serve 40 varieties of home-infused gin. They also serve the famous Bombay Sapphire, but with a twist. I believe the  concept here was to bring out the age-old rivalry between two of India´s largest cities; Delhi and Bombay. Therefore, it is gin from the same bottle – Bombay Sapphire – but a jazzed-up version, the bottle made more opulent to the eye, to suit Delhi. Ha, ha, is all I can say. Bombay´s opulence is in the right place, it is content that matters and not show baazi. But playful, friendly rivalry aside, Juniper Bar is a perfect place to socialise, sip on quirky concoctions, gang up on the large communal bar tables on a night out.
Breakfasts which I had here for two mornings, were the same. Juice, tea (served readymade in a ceramic kullad, delicious), sourdough bread, butter and marmalade. Well, that´s me. I look minutely at everything on every breakfast buffet table around the world and then settle for my staple. In Europe I do have a cheese omelette (gosh, they have made a fine art of the same) and while in Kashmir I was planning on aloo paratha and achaar breakfasts. But for the rest it remains the same for me.
But today was going to be an indulgence. Apart from a different spa experience that I was scheduled for, dinner was going to be at The Hong Kong Club. This is Andaz´s pi&eacutece de r&eacutesistence. I had already heard about how this night club-cum-restaurant had the capital´s movers and shakers flocking to it.
Well, it did not disappoint, not on any score. The island bar, the centrepiece really rocks. Its young and active bartenders don´t get a chance to let up. Full of energy they go on shaking up cocktails based on the zodiac calendar. A bit gimmicky, but that´s what the world demands in present times.
The Chinese fare that comes down from the kitchen situated on the first floor is truly world-class. There are tables around the open kitchen, too, and that is where I opted to dine. Quieter than downstairs, and I could really relish my meal, one half of my brain  enjoying the meal, the other concentrating on the quality, the service, etc, etc. That´s the trouble with being a journalist whose agenda is always on bringing a good story to readers.
Well, Andaz is certainly a good story and good news for the inhabitants of Delhi and Gurgaon, situated as the hotel is between the two metropolises. It´s also great news for those looking to celebrate the big fat Indian wedding, the norm these days. I was shocked to see the size of the banquet hall. Like a football stadium, may be bigger! Enclosed, air-conditioned, oval-shaped and pillarless, with clever entry and exit points at two sides, it also includes a VIP entrance right from the road, along with a private VIP lounge. A must in Delhi, I guess, unlike in Bombay where a Ratan Tata would quietly enter a venue, with no fuss, alongside the aam janta. But I guess I am being a typical Bombayite, for in all fairness our VIPs, apart from a few, don´t move around like the VIPs in Delhi, gun-toting posse of Z security, unnerving if you are a guest at a reception. Best to give them their special entrance.
The feature which is charming is there is an elephant path which leads from the main road, through giant gates, right up to the banquet hall. Yes, our grand weddings still have the groom make his way, in his baraat, atop a bedecked elephant, so why not!
There are 15 Andaz hotels all over the world and with Andaz Delhi, it´s the chain´s entry into India. And I must say the architects have adapted well, a good integration of concept. Keeping in mind the Indian requirement Andaz also offers residential apartments. A must for baraatis.
Andaz Delhi, global in scale and local in perspective is highly personalised and stylish. In keeping with the creative concept of the Andaz brand which weave the sights, sounds and tastes of their surroundings into each property, whichever part of the world the hotel is situated in, Andaz Delhi reflects the unique culture of our capital city. Even city tours are fashioned keeping this in mind. So let´s say you have the propensity to explore its myriad streets in Chandni Chowk, they will take you there. Or if you want to try food, there is a Taste of Delhi tour that has been curated. And you travel in the old- world Ambassador on your sojourns,which is a nice touch.
Last but not the least are the stunning art installations in creative spaces, each which tell a tale of this evocative city. The one right next to my suite was a creative marvel as well as an engineering feat. Giant cubes of papier-mách&eacute strung together by fine steel wire dangling in a glass enclosed shaft, from the topmost floor till the bottom.
Rajiv Sethi, the curator of all the art in the hotel is a man with unusual sensibilities, without doubt a genius. Namita Saraf is fortunate in her artistic endeavour for she could not have found a better mentor.