The Oberoi, Delhi

A Million Dollar Look

Building a new 5-star hotel would be tough enough, but re-doing an iconic one must surely be tougher. With its soul intact, the hotel celebrates one year of newness

Text & Photographs: Farzana Contractor

The biggest USP of the now one-year-old, renewed, revamped, refurbished, rejuvenated and yes rejoiced Oberoi hotel in Delhi has to be the sophisticated, indoor air purification system, which I believe keeps the air within as clean and unpolluted as needed, by world standards. The system keeps harmful air particles from entering into the building. I have to confess I never knew of the existence of such technology, but am I glad? One reads constantly about the scary levels of air pollution in Delhi, so this comes as a relief. Not that I hail from a city any less polluted, but it feels good to know that those visiting our capital from areas of the world which are green, clean and liveable will at least feel a sense of relief knowing they are not ingesting the foulest of air.
That said, and since I am on the subject of guests who we in our culture treat as god, I have to say, I was quite struck by the unique piece of art, titled Atithi, that greeted me in the lobby as I stumbled in, dishevelled and dusty and fairly pooped from a long drive from Nainital.
"A beautiful floor to ceiling screen, the art installation is a metaphorical interpretation of time and gracious hospitality, since, Atithi which means guest also translates literally, as that which occurs without known time or date, totally in keeping with the Oberoi philosophy where the guest is always welcome irrespective of the time of arrival," enlightens Jay Rathore, Vice President and General Manager, who was around to welcome me, a gritty-jou ey traveller.
But wait, there's more to the concept and art I fell in love with. The installation, which cleverly creates a see through barrier with the reception activity beyond, is made up of beautiful semi-precious stones inlaid in marble discs in three colours, representing the three time zones of the day. Lapis lazuli, blue, representing dawn, mother-of-pearl, white representing day and agate, yellow, representing sunset. Like welcoming flowers they are strung together in an hexagonal silver frame. "And the semi-precious stones even rotate on a pivot, which has a mirror on the other side, aimed to reflect our oneness with our guest," concludes Rathore, turning around the floral disc to show me the mirror. It's amazing how much detailing goes into every aspect of a 5-star hotel which we often don't care to notice, even as we stroll into one. But for those who offer us this level of hospitality every nuance is important and no detail is small enough. Thatu00b4s perfection. And that's the PRS Oberoi stamp! A more exacting hotelier will be hard to find, even now at age 89. Along with a keen eye and a nostalgic heart, Mr Oberoi also has what it takes in terms of strong guts, to spend 600 crores or one million dollars on a makeover! Thatu00b4s commitment, to himself and to the industry. Congratulations, Mr Oberoi, you have done us proud. And only you can make a comment as understated after spending such a vast amount, "I hope our guests will breathe the cleanest air possible."
I did. And enjoyed my suite stay, immensely. From one end I looked out at Humayunu00b4s Tomb sitting solemnly in its verdant surrounding and from the other, acres and acres of pure green joy which was the golf course. I am certain this property is the envy of every other hotelier in Delhi. Itu00b4s that fantastic a location.
The rooms are refurbished with a pleasing sense of balance. Subdued, yet vibrant. Vivid colours of the cushions and paintings on the wall, and even those being contributed by the flowers in the vases and fruits on platters, offset by the subtlety of the glossy Italian marble and polished wood trimmings and old-world fu iture. I like what I saw, but what I liked most was the bathroom; well laid out, large, bright with daylight, super fittings, mode sanitaryware (temperature controls for seat warming) and a huge centre piece of a bath tub. And the view, unmatched. Or perhaps competes with another of its own properties; Amarvilas in Agra. There you look out at the Taj Mahal! How do you hoteliers manage to do this!
Still wondering, I went on a tour of the property to discover its Club Bar, a perfect place to conduct formal or informal meetings. Its Cigar Lounge, exclusive enough to fetch you hand-rolled Cuban cigars of your preferred choice from a well-curated collection stored in a floor-to-ceiling humidor, reminiscent of a classic bookcase in a library. There is also a clutch of personalised lockers for some of the regular guests to hold their own, personal, preferred brands of cigars. I noticed one marked, PRS Oberoi, the same...

The Cigar Lounge

Dine in style at 360 Degrees

Now for the best news; the iconic 360 is intact! Yes, it has been upgraded to an unparalleled level, but its soul is intact. The popular restaurant, Oberoi's most used dining area has a fresh look to it. The inte ational feel comes from its design and the fantastic world cuisine. The glass wall on three sides overlooking the garden and the pool lets in streams of natural light giving the space a happy feel.

It is here that I caught up with the Executive Chef Rohit Gambhir, who has done a marvelous job of helming things in. "How does it feel," I ask him, "now after three years, two of overseeing the renovation operations and one of re-starting and running it?" "Re-energising!" pat comes the reply. "Truly, it has been simply fantastic! For 21 months, it was all about brain-storming, liasioning with vendors and consultants, traveling abroad and what not. You won't believe it but I took 14 international flights in that period. Making factory visits to source the best brands for kitchen equipment to enable us to set up the most mode and state-of-art kitchens, and we did!" says Rohit with pride.

I can understand his happiness. He was given an opportunity, a challenge to upgrade the kitchens, re-create the restaurants and he has passed muster. All of the restaurants are operating with great success.

Omya, the Indian restaurant redolent in hues of saffron and gold touches has authentic Indian fare with new twists but flavours intact, sophisticated and contemporary eating. Three impressive tandoors in the show kitchen entice you to try out Tandoori Murgh and Tandoori Mushrooms.

Omya is mentored by Chef Alfred Prasad of London. He of the Michelin-star fame, not once or twice, or even thrice, but 13 times. The restaurant that won him his credentials is Tamarind in Mayfair and he brings the same level of commitment and flair to Omya.

Baoshuan, I now list among my favourite Chinese restaurants of Delhi. A menu comprising recipes from 14 different regions of China, Baoshuan located on the ninth floor has Delhi patrons booking tables way in advance. Again it is London based, Michelin-ado ed Andrew Wong who has created the magic. I found myself there twice, for dinner and again for lunch the next day. Both times, a gratifying meal. Wong wasn't around, made no difference, Chefs Vaibhav Soni, a product of the Oberoi Centre for Learning and Development and Chuanxi Sun from China, did admirably well.

Cirrus 9, a rooftop bar across the floor from Baoshuan is an add-on. A good idea I'd say, with a young and vibrant feel, contributed in no small measure by its team of young and enthusiastic servers, coaxing you to try one of their devilish concoctions, a view of the Delhi skyline, an easy communal seating with a retractable roof, this bar must buzz. Come winter and the fire pit would come handy, in creating warmth and atmosphere.

Some things must stay as they are. And I am glad The Oberoi Patisserie and Delicatessen has remained so. The smell of freshly-baked bread made a happy assault on me and I sat in there just for a while, relishing old memories.

Baoshuan

Omya 360 Degrees

360 Degrees