Come long weekends and the majority of the Bengaluru crowd are off to common weekend getaway locations like Goa, Pondicherry, and Coorg among others. It also calls for an exorbitant price at these touristic locations, bus fares are hiked as much as Rs. 2000 one-way per person, and not to forget the unimaginable crowd.
Like everyone else, we also decided to have some fun over the recently concluded Ganesh Chaturthi holiday, which allowed us with a cushion of three days. However, unlike others we decided to stay here in Bengaluru, giving a miss to the maddening crowd and save precious travel time. After much deliberation, we chose to spend our weekend at Hilton Bangalore Embassy Golf Links.
The Property
Overlooking the expansive Karnataka Golf Course, the hotel boasts of 247 rooms and is set within the Embassy Golf Links Business Park, the hub of several Fortune 500 companies. The state of the art rooms is among the largest in the city. Featuring three categories – Guestrooms, Suites, and Accessible Rooms, each category is artfully designed and offers excellent amenities to guests.
The hotel also features a large badminton court, kids play area, an exclusive dining lounge only for its members, a 24-hour fitness center for all the guests, a temperature-controlled courtyard swimming pool, a large Jacuzzi next to the pool and a luxury spa to unwind.
Our Room
We decided to stay in a King Suite with a serene view of the hotel’s heated pool, with an extensive space and luxurious furnishings. Featuring unmatched living amenities, our room had a fully equipped perfect kitchenette, offering a home-like comfort for both long and short-stay guests who want to cook their food.
The suite also featured an ergonomic work area, WiFi, a plush Hilton Serenity Bed and a contemporary home entertainment system. Our elegant bathroom featured a bathtub, a separate rain shower area and an Aqua TV for our entertainment. The suite also features a separate baggage storage room.
Dining at Hilton – Get prepared to be spoilt for choice
I. Ministry of Food
With live interactive cooking stations and exquisite culinary creations, this all-day global cuisine restaurant serves a wide selection of European, Pan-Asian, Indian and Japanese delicacies. One can complement their meal with a bottle of fine wine or choose from our specially crafted wine and food-pairing menu for a comprehensive dining experience. There is also a private dining space and an exclusive wine table for a select gathering.
The Saturday Lazy-Lunch and the Sunday Brunch is something that is not be missed. If you were not staying in the hotel, I would still recommend you visit the Ministry of Food just for this experience. The Sunday brunch opens up to The Salt Grill area for dining by the pool and brings in other elements like the tarot card reader and card magician to keep the guests engaged.
II. Klinx
Nothing gets better than spending your evening at Hilton’s sports bar with their special cocktails and food inspired by global flavours, while you watch your favourite game on the big screen. Our Saturday evening at Klinx was nothing short of special as we witnessed the most lively and best comedy set in a long time by Nitinn Miranni and other stand-up comedians.
III. The Salt Grill
This al fresco restaurant by the poolside serves a selection of Indian and Eastern Mediterranean grilled delicacies. Delicious vegetarian options and authentic European meats creatively cooked on Himalayan salt stones and the cabana seating are just some of the highlights. This is an ideal venue to wine and dine in the lap of luxury with a range of premium spirits, cocktails and mocktails as the sun goes down.
After the comedy night, we were in for a surprise with a beautiful Indian street food festival set up at The Salt Grill, along with interactive live counters and live music.
Masterclass by Chef Anand
Hilton organises a masterclass by Executive Chef Anand Kumar every last Saturday of the month at The Salt Grill. We put our aprons and toque, switching to a complete chef mode to make Spinach and Ricotta Cheese Pasta. It was an interactive and fun masterclass session where Chef Anand focused on the basics and nuances of making pasta.
The next masterclass is scheduled for 28th September and it is all about the basics in Thai cuisine, followed by a masterclass on Indian Kebabs scheduled for the last Saturday in October.
IV. Re:Cess
This 24-hours café serves freshly brewed tea and coffee as well as an extensive choice of cakes, hand-made chocolate delights, gourmet sandwiches and pastries for dine-in or takeaway. Re:Cess hots many late-night guests after the party or a long drive to enjoy a cup of tea or garner an Illy experience. The discerning tea drinker that I am, it was an amazing sight to find a range of perfectly brewed teas from signature world-estates.
Zivaya Spa – Rejuvenation Unlimited
From the range of spa options, we chose their signature couple massage for 60 mins, an experience we cannot forget. Those 60 mins were pure bliss, helping our body to loosen up, muscles to relax and a night of sound sleep.
The masseuses here are highly experienced and they check for your preference in terms of the pressure to be applied throughout the session. They also check for any concerns and pain points in your body, which may need specific attention. The couple spa room comes with a bathtub and a separate rain shower area.
The Hilton Hospitality
The hospitality at Hilton Bangalore Embassy Golf Links has to be their strength and the staff is one of the most generous and thoughtful I have come across. They organised a farewell cake for us before leaving and all of them stood there for us to cut the cake. This gesture by the Hilton staff was overwhelming for us.
