Business hotels are not stereotyped to be boring, they actually are. It is very unlikely to find an unconventional business hotel in Bengaluru without compromising on the quality of product and service. However, I did find a business hotel that is bold, bright and full of quirk. Yes, you read that right, there is a business hotel in Bengaluru with these surprising and eccentric elements. I am talking about Aloft Bengaluru Cessna Business Park located in the IT corridor, which is Outer Ring Road. Which other business hotel do you know where the staff is dressed in smart denim, colorful t-shirts and funky hair-dos?
The Property
The hotel has 191 spacious rooms which itself is designed with the concept of loft living where everything is fit around you for convenience and ease of use. It is ideal for the corporate traveler. You can choose from a different variety of rooms, namely: Aloft Room, Aloft Urban Room, Savvy Suite, and Breezy Suite (Presidential). Aloft CBP also has a swimming pool – Splash on the second floor right beside Re:charge, a fully equipped gym for those keen on their fitness.
The banquet space which 6,478sqft in the hotel has multiple venues fully loaded with foosball tables and an air hockey table as recreational activities for tea/coffee breaks and a couple of outdoor spaces that double up as lovely dinner settings for both corporate networking and social events.
The hotel also has a corner dedicated to being a grab-n-go or one-stop-shop for anyone in a rush popular known as Re:fuel. With an assortment of food and beverage, this concept seems to be ideal for the corporate traveler who does not have the luxury of time to enjoy a full meal.
Different by Design
The team at Aloft CBP has given a lot of emphasis to its design, which is very evident when you step into the lobby or Re:mix as it is called. Bright, vibrant and young are all the words that would pop into mind at this moment.
The overall setup may make you rethink if you have entered a business hotel. With an actual fighter plane hanging from the ceiling to the front desk designed to the tune of a DJ’s console desk and a pool table in the middle of the lobby, this business hotel will make you stand back in awe for a few minutes.
Our Room
Our suite came with a sere view of greenery surrounding the IT corridor, with extensive space and luxurious furnishings. The highlight was our living room, which was as big as the bedroom with a pop of bright colors in the form of sofas and other individual furniture in different shapes.
Lobby / Lounge Bar
In tune with the trend, Aloft emphasizes the bar as the leading element of the lobby with the WXYZ Bar Lounge which is vibrant, lively and brings down walls between the bar and lobby, blurring the lines and bringing the energy between the two areas. WXYZ bar, located at the lobby level is often a hotspot for the young crowd from the companies nearby, as this turns into a live musical experience every Wednesday and Friday with the Live@Aloft concept. Here, upcoming bands/artists are encouraged to display their musical talents.
Dining at Aloft – Get ready to be bowled over by lip-smacking food
Next to the lobby bar is ‘Nook’ a nature-inspired green and white palette all-day dining restaurant that satisfies morning and evening cravings of both in-house and visiting customers. While we were staying in the Hotel during the last week of November, we were fortunate to experience the finest spread of Punjabi delicacies during their ‘Apna Punjab’ food festival.
Punjabi is one of the most replicated cuisines in India with everyone pushing their version. Right from fine dining restaurants to the roadside dhabas, everyone is an expert in Punjab food (in their own world). It is all about flavors, not from any exotic sauce but full-blown Indian spices, desi ghee and butter. The rich and bold flavor is what distinguishes good or bad Punjabi food. At Nook, things were different, I was bowled over by the richness of flavors in the food. Let me put it this way; this is one of the best Punjabi food I have experienced in Bengaluru.
For lunch on day 2, Chef decided to prepare a special thali, comprising of 15 items, which included some of the best dishes like Nellor Rice, Udupi Tharkari Korma, Moru Thalichathu, Kadaikudi Chicken, Kerala Fish Curry Mutton Uppu Kari and Malabar Paratha among others from different South Indian cities. We were speechless to what we were experiencing, this was beyond our expectation. Chef Narayanamurthy with this special thali proves that there are endless possibilities with food.
We did not forget to take a wonderful picture with the entire kitchen and serving team of Nook.
Cake Mixing and the launch of Sundowner
Splash, the poolside on the 2nd Floor was decked up with all thing Christmas and a perfect venue for cake mixing, grape stomping and the official launch of a weekly sundowner.
The vibe was absolutely electrifying, while most of the guests were dancing and stomping the grapes, the others cheered and clapped for them. This was followed by a traditional cake mixing ceremony and the moment everyone was waiting for – the official launch of the Sundowner at Aloft CBP.
The Aloft Hospitality
For a reason, it is termed as the ‘Hospitality Industry’. Hospitality is what makes or breaks any business and this is what guests remember and cherish for a long time. The staff or talent as they call at Aloft scores very high in customer delight. It is small things that matter and touches your heart. On the second day, while we were away for lunch, the housekeeping staff left a handwritten note on our bed along with some wonderful towel art.
Aloft Bengaluru Cessna Business Park is the perfect blend of formal and informal, business and leisure – something very rare to find in Bangalore. The hotel is perfect for the next-gen traveler who likes the spaces around him to be vibrant and full of energy.