It is Saturday night. Over roasted pumpkin soup, lawn cooled breeze and tinkling water that gleams in a long horizontal ribbon next to my feet, I feel a bit displaced. This is Bangalore, right? Just a few hours ago, I was choking over traffic fumes as I made my way to Alila, a relatively new hotel in the heart of Whitefield. Yes, the same Whitefield, that a few years ago was the preferred country retreat for theatre icons like Arundhati and Jagdish Raja, sculptor Dimpy Menon and her journalist husband Suresh Menon. Then ofcourse, it grew into an IT hub and also became increasingly cluttered with glass and concrete structures and yet like every other developing suburb, Whitefield is a study in contrasts.
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In a jungle of concrete, you still see vast stretches of farming land, a distant glint of Varthur Lake, glimpses of residential communities that live in sprawling bungalows sheltered by coconut trees and somewhere in the middle, embracing all these dichotomies is Alila. I know instantly that this is a differently intentioned space when I first clap my eyes on it. It does not conform for one to the boxed in luxury template of most star hotels. It breathes. And that is because, instead of wall to wall carpetting, gleaming chandeliers and an overkill of glint and gold in the lobby, it offers the ultimate luxury to the weary guest. Fresh breeze that courses through the long-lined open hearted design. There is no air conditioning in the public spaces of the hotel, I learn and I wonder at the logic of boxy buildings in a city like Bangalore that has always been loved for its gentle, accommodating weather.
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I recognise Dimpy Menon’s uplifting metal sculptures that define the lobby, the driveway and each of the five floors and pay a tribute to the human spirit and its hunger for freedom and connection. Hand picked art, Balinese furniture as well as pieces designed and sourced locally animate the interiors. I loved the antique tiffins in the Tiffin Bar, the little herbs that grow on individual tables in Tiffin Room, where delicately nuanced global and Indian cuisine is served along with the pumpkin soup I began this piece with. There is also High 5, the tapas bar on the fifth floor that is lit up like a fire fly at night.
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There are more surprises. The design aesthetics of the hotel are not about excess but minimalism and the layering of textures and elements of nature. Stripped wood, undressed granite and landscaped lung spaces that you have a visual access to no matter where you are.The interiors remain almost as oxygenated as the outdoors and I can’t remember the last time I walked into a hotel room with an attached balcony. My first morning at Alila, takes me to the wood slatted balcony with my cup of morning tea and the sunlight falls at my feet in textured strips. Beneath my floor, the hotel lawn stretches with its occasional sprinkling of seating zones meant for al-fresco diners.
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The balance between organic wholesomeness and the enveloping luxury that star hotels must offer to their guests is tough to strike. At Alila, forgive the repetition, it is a breeze. My room has a mini bar, an electric kettle, a bed swathed in feather soft linen, a wall mounted LCD television and a DVD player, a large shower space, a writing zone, a reading chair, a locker, a vanity zone and ambient and convenient lighting. In keeping with the natural palette of the hotel, the colours in the room are neutral and calming.
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Yes, I remind myself, this is Bangalore. Because from my balcony, I can see the remaining green farming land that I hope won’t be gobbled up by progress. From the fifth floor, beyond the infinity pool framed by vertical slashes of metal pillars, I see a view few can afford any more in Bangalore. The view of uncluttered skies, a lake, green fields and yes infinity that nature intended us to see before we messed it up. As a conscientious gesture towards the environment, Alila recycles its grey water and uses it to irrigate its greens, The fact that the public zones are open and airy, drastically reduces the air-conditioning bill. LED lights in the lobby make a difference too.
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That said, many guest unlike me come here to do business and to them, the hotel offers three fully equipped meeting rooms. There is a cozy, warm library and also those looking for just a weekend respite, can book themselves into one of the 101 rooms, leisure and SOHO suites, each one offering enough mindspace for work and leisure, solitude and celebration.
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What I loved most however was the feeling that the hotel exudes. Of a quiet, serene self-possession. You arrive here and you want to stop talking, want your mind to stop chattering and become centered and just observe and experience the here and the now. Because at Alila, tomorrow always appears far away.
For more details..
Log on to www.alilahotels.com/bangalore
PS: The writer was the guest of Alila, Bangalore.