The new Hilton Hotel in Chennai, India combines traditional Indian motifs with stylish contemporary design
If you’ve ever slipped into a pair of Madras shorts, then indirectly you know about Chennai, which is the new (ethnically correct) name for the southern Indian capital city that gave its Colonial name to the colorful plaid cotton.
Capital of the southeastern province of Tamil Nadar, Chennai is newly flourishing and this week inaugurated its first Hilton Hotel.
From the filigree lobby screen to drawings of local temples on the meeting room floor, the new hotel’s design blends traditional Indian motifs with comfortable modern armchairs, wide-screen TV sets, and Wi-Fi. Limited to ten stories by its convenient proximity to the city’s international airport (a mere 10 to 15-minute ride away, the new Hilton lies near the foot of Mount Thomas, site of the 1st century AD martyrdom of the apostle of Jesus who was sent to Asia to spread Christianity.
Floor to ceiling windows in the comfortable rooms provide cityscape views
Each of the sunlit guestrooms is furnished in stylish wood and neutral tones with luxurious baths and floor-to-ceiling windows offering views across the teeming local community out toward the Bay of Bengal, bordered by the 13-kilometer stretch of Marina, the world’s second-longest sand beach.
Open kitchens in Vasco Restaurant offer diners views of chefs preparing cuisines from around the world
Besides quick and impeccable room service, the hotel’s restaurants offer a variety of dining options. Tucked into a corner of the lobby, café Est serves salads and sandwiches in view of bakers concocting fresh pastries and chocolates in the open kitchen. On the third floor, Vasco serves global cuisine from four to five live kitchens—breakfast and lunch buffets with Asian, Indian, and European cuisine. The adjacent wine and cheese bar, Vintage Bank, is decorated in the masculine Raj style and expands outside to comfortable couches on the fountain deck.
Adjacent to the rooftop Q Bar, the infinity pool offers swimmers views out over Chennai
A similar deck upstairs faces the swimming pool with views out over the city roofs. Guests relaxing on open-air couches sip cocktails from the poolside Q Bar. There are similar cityscape views from the fitness room equipped with Precor workout gear.
Hilton executives from around the globe assembled this week to celebrate the opening at a news conference and at an evening soiree held among palm trees on the tenth floor outdoor deck, beside the Infinity pool overlooking the colorful lights of the city.
