Cool holidays, hot packages

Hotels and holiday resorts unveil special packages and discounts to lure the summertime traveller

by Bella Jaisinghani

SUMMERTIME and the livin’ is easy, especially for hotels and holiday resorts that are through with preparations for the season’s rush of tourists. While some are advertising new concepts to invite potential customers, others have prepared special packages and discounts for this time of the year.

The Taj chain of hotels is promoting so many destinations across India and internationally, that it can be quite a tough task deciding which option to take. For instance, there is Hotel De L’Annapurna in Nepal, which gives visitors a good two-and-a-half days of sightseeing tour of Patan city, Swayambhunath, Bhaktapur city and, of course, Pashupatinath.

The Taj Coral Reef Resort in the Maldives offers a 10 per cent discount on water sports, and the spa and bar. A nocturnal fishing excursion promises more excitement. And yes, visitors to this hotel can take their choice of Lagoon Villa or Garden Villa.

The Taj’s options in Sri Lanka are twofold. There is the Taj Samudra & Airport Garden Hotel in Colombo apart from the Taj Exotica in Bentota. A combination of two hotels is possible here. What the children would love, though, is a visit to a turtle hatchery and a boat excursion in River Bentota.

Back in India, the group has summer packages in Kerala, Rajasthan and the Nilgiris. The Jai Mahal Palace, Rambagh Palace and Ramgarh Lodge in Jaipur have good facilities for indoor and outdoor sports. The first organises folk dances and puppet shows, and allows children the rare privilege of feeding peacocks! Taj hotels in Udaipur, Jodhpur and Sawai Madhopur seem to be good places to come home to after having explored the beauty of the region.

Meanwhile, Bangalore’s main business district recently saw the opening of Park Hotel, which is the city’s first ‘boutique hotel’. Situated on M G Road, it is targeted at the premium business traveller. It has only 110 rooms, and likes to call itself “an oasis among classic, corporate hotels”.

Park Hotel has Bangalore’s only 24-hour restaurant, Monsoon, which serves the cuisines of coastal India and Southeast Asia. There is even an “intensely blue” swimming pool that has been specially conceptualised for the serious swimmer. Incidentally, this is the city’s only heated swimming pool, which is another first. A bar, a speciality restaurant, banquet halls and a health club are part of the facilities which will be incorporated gradually.

Meanwhile, those looking for an idyllic summer retreat within India can avail of Usha Shriram’s special summer packages at Snowcrest Manor, Manali, and Springfields, Shimla.

What makes Snowcrest Manor special is that it is set amidst the most peaceful and verdant pine settings of the Rohtang Pass, and offers a grand view of the Himalayas from every room. The resort, which has 32 rooms, has been built in wood and boasts of tasteful interiors, porticos and an open-air dining area. The hotel has a gymnasium for those who do not like to miss their daily workout.

And because such a pleasant environment would make most tourists want to spend leisure hours outdoors, Snowcrest Manor organises stimulating activities like mountain biking, paragliding, river rafting and trekking. Sightseeing tours of the Solang Glacier, the Vaishno Temple, the Vashisht Springs and the Nehru Kund are likely to be great fun, as are regular little exciting events like bonfires, open air dances and candlelight dinners.

As for the Springfields heritage hotel, it is quite an attraction in Shimla, with its Victorian style architecture, its expansive gardens and big rooms with old-world fireplaces. The hotel is situated in Chhota Shimla and is distant from the main hub of Mall City, lending it that touch of quietness and solitude.

While Park Hotel is situated in the heart of urban Bangalore, Snowcrest Manor and Springfields are hill city getaways, so the options aren’t mutually exclusive.

The summer offer for both Usha Shriram hotels is valid until July 15. It includes accommodation for a couple, breakfast, choice of lunch or dinner, and complimentary stay for two children below five. The package costs Rs 8,999 per couple for a standard offer and Rs 11,999 for a deluxe package at Snowcrest Manor, while the deluxe treat in Shimla comes for Rs 12,499. Of course, all leading hotels allow for online booking, and ushashriramhotels.com does, too. A small bonus comes in the form of a Fuji camera which is given to every guest.

Shimla is a favourite summer retreat for tourists all over the country. The Cecil, a major hotel in the town, offers a deadly combination of “the magic of the mountains” and the luxury and hospitality that the Oberoi group is known for. The promise of a memorable family holiday comes for Rs 13,999, inclusive of taxes, and translates into two nights and three days’ accommodation for two adults. Two children below 12 years are allowed a free additional room, provided one is available, and receive meal supplements of Rs 1,000 each. One child under five is accommodated in the parents’ room, and no extra payment is to be made for this service. The scheme closes September 30.

The hotel serves an American breakfast and lunch or dinner to two people at the restaurant each day as part of this ‘Cool Himalayan Vacation’ offer.

Those who avail of this scheme are lodged in what The Cecil refers to as superior rooms, but patrons who wish to upgrade to the deluxe category can pay Rs 1,500 and do so.

Also in Shimla is the famous Clarke’s Hotel which is located on the main promenade. The hotel has a quaint, ancient charm, which beautifully complements the modern comforts it provides. Its summer package costs Rs 8,000, valid until September 30, extends to a two day-three night stay.

Maidens Hotel, Delhi, also part of the Oberoi group, has a similar package as that offered by Clarke’s, except that it costs Rs 4,444. This, probably because the hotel is situated in the heart of old Delhi. Yet, one cannot deny that the place has a gracious elegance about it.

A really unique destination, though, would be Orissa’s Gopalpur-on-sea. The Palm Beach Hotel offers a panoramic view of the destination. Its three night-four day package costs Rs 8,000. The basic aspects of the package at Clarke’s, Maidens and Palm Beach largely remain the same: accommodation for two adults in a superior room, complimentary breakfast and one’s choice of lunch or dinner. A complimentary bed for one more person may be set up in the same room but food and beverages will have to be paid for. All three hotels allow for check-out as late as 6.00 p.m. subject to availability, of course.

Trident Holidays, also promoted by the Oberoi group, gives patrons a chance to win a free Toyota Qualis by availing of its two night-three day summer special. Its hotels in Jaipur, Udaipur, Agra, Khajuraho, Cochin and Chennai have offers that start as low as Rs 3,999.

The Trident, Jaipur, looks out at the picturesque Mansagar Lake while the grand Aravalli mountains keep vigil. It captures the romance of the Pink City with its rose-coloured facade and Rajasthani architecture. Similarly, the group’s Udaipur hotel overlooks Lake Pichola apart from offering a good view of the Jag Mandir and the Aravallis.

As for those who like the all-season tourist spots, The Jass Trident at Khajuraho markets the Panna National Park and diamond mines apart from the obvious attraction, the Khajuraho Temple. Agra, of course, is the destination for those who haven’t seen the Taj Mahal—and for those who can’t have enough of it.

Even sarkari ITDC has launched a series of summer packages at its various Ashok Group of Hotels in India. The packages, available from April to September 2001, have been specially designed to suit a family vacation budget.

The Family holiday package offers vacations at any of the 27 hotels in different destinations all over India. The price ranges from Rs 1,650 in a comfort hotel to Rs 5,999 in a five star. The package also offers 30 per cent discount on the menu except at Hotel Indraprastha, New Delhi, and Aurangabad Ashok.

The group also brings economically priced student’s package. Priced at Rs 255-Rs 300 per head per night, the package offers accommodation in different hotels of ITDC. The bill includes a standard room accommodation on triple sharing basis, applicable to a group of a minimum of 18 students. The package also offers a 30 per cent discount on themenu.

The group also brings a senior citizen’s package for all people above 65 years. The package offers a 50 per cent rebate on published FIT tariff on a single or a double room at any of the ITDC hotels with a 30 per cent discount on the menu. ITDC also offers the distinctly abled package at a special 50 per cent rebate on FIT tariff with a 30 per cent discount on the a la carte meals.

For more wider choice, one can turn to Cox & Kings—reputed to be the longest established travel company in the world—which has just unveiled its holiday offer called Bharat Dekho.

The holidays give you the chance of having a luxoriuous holiday while you discover the mysteries of Indian cities. So be it the tranquil mountains or, god’s country Kerela, the options are wide. The Himachal Dekho package for 7 days and 6 nights costs you Rs 18,000 per head. The Goa Dekho offer is priced at Rs 10,450 per person for a holiday of four days and three nights. The Kerela Dekho package of seven days and six nights comes at Rs 17,800 per person. So you choose the part of country you want to see and have your pick from the Bharat Dekho holidays.

—with Prachi Raturi