Pride Plaza Hotel Kolkata

Yuletide dining at Pride Plaza Hotel

No Christmas is complete without luxury dining. In an attempt to soak in the yuletide spirit, this time, I headed to Pride Plaza Hotel Kolkata to have an experience of dining in style during the Yuletide season.  Conveniently located in the business hub of New Town, Rajarhat, Pride Plaza Hotel is a 28-minute drive from Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport and is ranked as the best four-star hospitality group in the city.

 An outer facade of Pride Plaza Hotel

 The property stands tall in having an outdoor swimming pool, banquet, spa and a bar called Fuel Restrobar.  

                                        Fuel Restrobar

                                      Swimming pool

The all-day fine-dining outlet of the hotel is Cafe Treat, the 84-seater restaurant spread over 1,500 sq. ft and serves a blend of Italian, Chinese and Indian cuisine. With Christmas carols wafting in the ambience and Santa Claus making a round of the guests, it was party time at Cafe Treat. The menu served included delectable vegetarian dishes like the Hyderabadi delight called Tamancha Pulao, Narangi Kofta, Tandoori subz chilman and Italian favourites like mushroom rissoles and auberigine pepper mousakka. There was a live counter serving roasted Turkey Duck that was a special Christmas delight.

                                       Cafe Treat

Some of the signature creations of the outlet include Abu chilly kebab and green chilly chicken. After having my fill with the main course, I moved on to the dessert section and I was spellbound by the desserts on offer. There were eight dessert items and I took in small portions of Christmas pudding, Yule Log, Croquembouche and Tiramisu. I did not forget to savour the traditional Bengali speciality- Chitrakoot. Before winding off my meal, I was served Angoori Lychee that was divine to taste.   

                                                Croquembouche 

                                        Yule Log

 

                                       Assorted pastries on offer

 

Beawar

Remembering Beawar

It was during one cold winter evening dated December 15, 2017 that I reached Jaipur Airport and had to go to Beawar in the district of Ajmer. I was travelling in a group to attend the Shree Cement the Sacred Pushkar 2017 held at Pushkar every year. We took the cab ride from Jaipur Airport to reach Beawar that passed through National Highway No.8 connecting New Delhi with Mumbai.

It was a 182 km fascinating drive when we stopped at Neelam garden and Restaurant at Ramgarh to have our evening snacks. Sipping hot ginger tea with paneer pakodas made us feel warm and we moved on further to reach our destination.

  

                                     A view of Neelam Garden and Restaurant

We passed through the tiny hamlets like Gopalsagar and Ranisagar and finally, it was after 3 ½ hours road journey that we reached the Shree Cement township at Masuda, lying around 10 km from Beawar. We stayed at Shree Cement Limited’s guest house called Satkar that has a sprawling garden.

                                    Satkar Guest House at Masuda

 

At night, we had a sumptuous Rajasthani dinner. The next day morning, it was bitingly cold and I woke up before day break to head to the nearby Hanuman temple where the aarti was performed. One can come across peacock in the temple complex in the early morning hours. The tranquil ambience of Beawar is soothing for the tired nerves.

Hanuman temple at Shree Cement Limited Colony

                                        Lord Hanuman inside the temple

 Tales from Hanuman's life illustrated in temple complex

 After having done with my prayers, I returned to the guest house to have breakfast comprising Rajasthani mogra kachori. We savoured Rajasthani lunch comprising gatta ki curry and dum aloo. 

The Westin Kolkata Rajarhat

Kolkata’s latest global hospitality address

The newest global luxury hospitality brand in the east is The Westin Kolkata Rajarhat that has opened with a big bang.  Focused with a strong belief in spirituality, immaculate guest service and eclectic food at its all-day dining restaurant-Seasonal Tastes is how we define The Westin Kolkata Rajarhat. The five-star haunt from the house of Westin Hotels and Resorts is a part of Marriott International that has a strong global presence and is boast-worthy of having the largest rooms in the city. An opportunity to spend a day in The Westin revealed some interesting facts.

  

                            An outer facade of The Westin Kolkata Rajarhat

Sprawling over 8 acres of area, the hospitality set-up is around 8 km away from Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport and has 314 plush rooms with 8 layers of mattresses that are fire-proof and temperature-regulated. Every room has breathtaking views of the city skyline and the nearby Eco-Park.

 

                                        Well-appointed rooms of The Westin

The five-star, business hotel with its glitzy interiors has the largest indoor and outdoor ballroom spreading over 50,000 sq. ft and is incidentally the hotel to have the largest swimming pool in Kolkata.

                                       Glittering ballroom

 The 32-storied tower is the highest building in the city soaring to a height of about 146 metres and has the largest mural measuring 105 feet depicting The Face of Spirituality or the Goddess Durga in its lobby. An added attraction is the library in the lobby. For high-end global tourists checking into the city, the latest and most convenient luxury hospitality brand is The Westin Kolkata Rajarhat.

                                                The Face of Spirituality

 Health and wellness forms the topmost priority for the global hospitality brand and it has a wellness floor dedicated to the service of its valued guests since wellness is essential to ward off travel fatigue. 

                                       Seasonal Tastes

At Seasonal Tastes, one can gorge on one’s favourite menu since there is a blend of Indian and global cuisine. The menu keeps on changing everyday and there are recipes from most of the Indian states like Rajasthan, Gujarat, Punjab and West Bengal and a spread of 30 desserts. There are Sanskrit Shlokas on the walls of the restaurant. There are two live counters churning out Continental and Oriental delicacies. There is sleep well menu and lot of super foods are on offer. Moreover, there is a separate Jain food counter, the first-of-a-kind in the city.