Design : ITC Grand BharaT
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its architecture to details in the bar , tribute
From ITC Grand BharaT aims to showcase ‘ the glory of India .’
by Ann BAgEL STOrck , mAnAging EdiTOr
To say the bar was set high for the design of ITC Grand Bharat is a bit of an understatement , given that the 104-suite property was envisioned as nothing short of “ a tribute to the glory of India .”
That tribute begins with the hotel ’ s rather expansive setting — 300 acres ( 121 hectares ) in the Aravali hills in India ’ s bustling New Delhi capital region — which also includes an 11-acre ( 4-hectare ) sustainable farm , a 7-acre ( 3-hectare ) citrus plantation and a 27-hole Jack Nicklaus-designed golf course .
Just as notable is the hotel itself , which was constructed over a period of more than four years . James Nordlie , president of Denver-based Archiventure Group , PC Architects , oversaw both the project ’ s architecture and interior design , and when it came to the hotel ’ s exterior , the question of what to highlight ended up having several answers .
“ Over the last 5,000 years , there has been a wide range of thinking , styles , movements and phases in Indian architecture ,” says ITC Grand Bharat General Manager Anand Rao . “ No one style could lay claim to epitomizing India ’ s architectural heritage as a whole . The result is that ITC Grand Bharat is an architectural confluence of some of the finest details and techniques India has witnessed .”
Exterior columns , for example , pay homage to the Adalaj Stepwell , a Hindu “ water building ” that dates back to 1499 , and the hotel ’ s Yamuna — a body of water that separates the block of suites from the property ’ s main palace — takes inspiration from the ghats ( stone steps ) of Varanasi .
Inside , the tribute to India continues via details such as domes in some of the deluxe suites , which were hand-painted on-site by local artisans , and stainedglass chips depicting the plumage of a peacock — India ’ s national bird — in the Peacock Bar .
Rao notes that particularly the golf course and the property ’ s Kaya Kalp spa — which occupies the entire second floor of the resort ’ s main palace — attract both international guests as well as “ staycationers ” from the capital region thanks to its proximity to New Delhi . He says the property ’ s projected average room rate is INR22,000 ( US $ 353 ), and despite the fact that the hotel only has soft-launched , occupancies are increasing steadily .
“ We have also had several ‘ sold-out ’ dates due to long weekends , special occasions and holidays ,” Rao adds .
In line with ITC Grand Bharat ’ s lofty design goals is the resort ’ s target for what it will offer all guests , wherever they call home . “ Our goal is to provide a composite experience on par with international golf and spa destinations ,” Rao says . “ We hope our guests will also believe ITC Grand Bharat is indeed a tribute to the glory of India and evokes the concept of Bharatvarsh — the very idea of India .”
42 HOTELS May 2015 www . hotelsmag . com