Holi and staying at the ITC Gardenia, Bengaluru

March 7, 2015, Bengaluru: I landed in Bengaluru today afternoon and checked-in at the ITC Gardenia at around 8 pm after attending a high tea get-together at a private house.

ITC Gardenia is considered a better property than ITC Windsor because of its modern amenities which includes a helipad and a man made green landscape which goes right up to the 12th floor of the hotel.

Also, much of the lighting needs during the day is met by allowing daylight to filter in creating an atrium effect.

I have always liked Windsor although it is a much older property than Gardenia. I have been staying at the ITC Windsor for the past twenty years whenever I visited Bengaluru. I have very fond memories of this property, especially its colonial-type architecture, since the time Suresh Kumar was the General Manager.

When I was based in Chennai, I used to fly to Bengaluru for the weekends. At that time, Windsor was my address. My fondness towards this property continued to grow over the years and it soon became my address in Bengaluru for most of the times.

However, this time I checked-in at the Gardenia because of the very unfriendly approach of the Windsor while making reservation. I was very disheartened and decided against putting up at the Windsor.

Honestly, it has nothing to do with the property. I think it is the individuals and their behaviour which make or mar things in the service industry.

Though it wasn’t my first stay at the Gardenia as I had stayed once before to experience its hospitality. Somehow, Windsor and Gardenia have a history of general managers who were posted one time or the other at the ITC Sonar in Kolkata.

Yesterday, in Kolkata, I went to Hotel Hyatt for the Holi festivities. It was much better organized than last year and so were the arrangements. In the morning, 250 tickets were sold and by the time it ended there were about 700 guests.

I am surprised and wonder how these hotels arrange for the logistics to cater to such large increase in the number of guest in a short time. I was there till the end and witnessed that there was no shortage of food in any of the food stalls, my compliments to Hyatt.

Like last year, this year too I went with a group of friends and enjoyed myself thoroughly. Although yesterday was a working day in Kolkata, I worked for the full day on the 5th and was very much at ease. I shall fly to Jaipur on the 9th by an early morning flight.

ess bee