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The Hindu
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Explore the culinary heritage of the Chettinad region with The Suvai festival by The Lotus Palace Chettinad
The Lotus Palace Chettinad, by the Park Hotels, is a heritage property housed in a restored mansion that dates back to the 17th Century. Located in Kanadukathan, near Karaikudi in Tamil Nadu, the hotel is joining hands with other heritage properties in the area for Suvai — a three-day festival celebrating the cuisine of Chettinad. Iconic properties such as The Bangala, Visalam, Chidambara Vilas, and Chettinad Mansion, are also part of the festival that begins on the evening of July 18. On the first day, guests can indulge in Chettinad-inspired small plates and a seven-course progressive dinner at The Lotus Palace Chettinad, by Chef Niyati Rao of Ekaa Mumbai. On the second day, they can explore the region with visits to an 80-year-old nannari sherbet shop, traditional pickle and vatthal makers, snack making artisanal shop and have a wedding-style banana leaf feast at The Bangala. The day ends with dinner at Chidambara Vilas. On the last day, guests will stroll through the local market. And the festival will end with a Burmese-inspired farewell lunch at Visalam, as an ode to the trade and historic ties between the two regions. The region also holds the Chettinad Heritage Festival annually, but Suvai is distinct. Priya Paul, the chairperson of the Apeejay Surrendra Park Hotels, who is spearheading the project, says, 'Suvai is our way of celebrating Chettinad's rich culinary heritage through an intimate, immersive journey. The Chettinad Heritage Festival is a broader cultural showcase while Suvai, also a collaboration with hotels across the region, stays entirely food-focussed: a layered, curated culinary exploration of heirloom recipes, traditional techniques, and local flavours that go beyond the palate. Suvai isn't just a festival — it's a living narrative of Chettinad told on a plate'. The Lotus Palace says they want to make the Suvai festival an annual event. ₹59,999 upwards for the two nights and three days (includes accommodation and curated experiences). At The Lotus Palace, Chettinad, Karaikudi. For more details, call: 9884750601
Bloomberg
04-07-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Paul: Indian Wealthy Class is Growing Travel Market
The luxury travel category is booming, with hotels, airlines and the industry chasing so-called aspirational holidaymakers, who're prepared to splurge on vacations. Demand is being driven by increasing wealth in emerging markets, especially in India. Priya Paul, chairperson of Apeejay Surrendra Park Hotels, which operates a chain of luxury boutique hotels in India, is hoping to capitalise on this trend, saying that she plans to 'double' the number of properties offered by the company over the next five years. Paul spoke to Bloomberg's Francine Lacqua. (Source: Bloomberg)
Time Out
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
We checked into Punjab's first luxury palace hotel – here's what we thought
Around two hundred years ago, Ran Baas Patiala was the ladies' guest house of the Maharaja, occupying a wing of what was once Asia's largest royal residence, the Qila Mubarak. And only four years ago, it was in ruins, infested with rats and snakes and uninhabited for the past six decades. Enter 'hotel revolutionary' Priya Paul, who, along with conservation architect Abha Narain Lambah, has dragged the once-endangered building out of disrepair with a gargantuan, visionary restoration project. Only open since January, the heritage hotel is already one of India's most sought-after stays, hosting Bollywood actors and prominent Indian designers. Now, Ran Baas The Palace is primed to welcome international travellers through its gates. I checked in and experienced a masterclass in heritage restoration – and a joyful celebration of Punjabi culture and heritage. These are my highlights. First impressions: A very royal welcome A labyrinthine street bazaar makes up the immediate surroundings of the Qila Mubarak fortress. The palace's walls loom above jewellery shops and hardware stores; some hotel terraces protrude over the shopfronts. Yet once you're through the huge wooden gates and have crossed the threshold into the central courtyard, all that external clamour is extinguished, replaced by soothing sitar music that plays in an everlasting loop in all outdoor areas (consider it the soundtrack to your stay). I'm told, later on, that the palace's walls are designed to absorb noise, so you're always in this vacuum of quiet, despite being just a few feet away from the cacophony of honking rickshaws and market sellers. But first, an exuberant welcome, with dhol drums and Punjabi dancing, followed by a welcome cocktail at sleek hotel bar The Patiala. It's here I get my first proper glimpse of Paul and Lambah's modern overhauls – Rajput arches, painted charcoal-black, frame the main bar; we work our way through a menu of specialty cocktails on plush pink armchairs under a tassled pink chandelier. It's gloriously indulgent and very, very easy to lose track of time. The rooms: Palatial suites, each its own treasure No two suites are the same at Ran Baas the Palace – their differing sizes and features, at one time, would depend on the status of the person living there – but each is extraordinary. On the upper end, there's the hexagonal Presidential Suite, white and royal blue with a large private terrace, and the Princess Suite, adorned from floor to ceiling with over 200 hand-painted murals in the style of Mughal miniatures. Rooms are themed around a royal gemstone, each with accents of topaz, pearl, coral or sapphire, a nod to the former occupants' vast jewel collection. I stayed in one of the Pearl Suites, a dizzyingly spacious cream-hued room of marble floors and ornate archways, complete with a freestanding tub and a mat for meditation. The suite was one of a handful surrounding a serene courtyard garden (with a resident bunny rabbit, of course); others might overlook the market or the central courtyard, or – most enviably of all – the stuccowork facade of the main palace and darbar hall, once of the most outstanding examples of Sikh architecture you can find. The rest: Outstandingly preserved heritage and the best of Punjabi hospitality On its own, Ran Baas is a cultural treasure trove. Take the Rang Mahal, with its mirrored Belgian glass ceilings, gilded arches and delicately crafted frescoes. Used for private dinners at night, during the day guests are free to visit and pore over the artworks covering its walls, some dating back 600 years. The Lassi Khana spa, formerly the royal kitchen, has a Mediterranean-style pool courtyard with one of the hotel's most arresting views: the fortress's weathered, garlic-shaped dome peering out over blush-pink walls spilling with bougainvillea. Much of the hotel's charm is in this playful harmony between heritage preservation, thoughtful restoration and contemporary, sometimes avant-garde, design. Alongside preserved artworks in halls and bedrooms, hand-painted de Gournay wallpaper is splashed across the staircase hall, while whimsical handblown chandeliers from local design studio Klove hang from above. Contrast these modern updates with the many skilful touch-ups of the palace's existing architecture – the slightly faded, surkhi-plastered entranceway, for example, or the suite's chinikhanas repurposed as alcoves – and you have a masterclass in honouring legacy with thoughtful reinvention. Guest experiences range from history tours and tandoor barbecues to cooking classes and sunset afternoon tea, accompanied by live classical music. Traditional thalis, with flavour-packed curries and rich dhals from eight different princely states, are served up in light-filled, equestrian-inspired restaurant Neel (don't miss the sage green and gold private dining room). Breakfast is a similar feast of Punjabi classics, and there are your benedicts and muesli bowls, for a milder start to the day. The people who keep this vast complex running, led by gregarious General Manager Deep Mohan Singh, are as warm and attentive as you'll find. The hotel, of course, forms only part of the entire Qila Mubarak fortress. The floral facade of the dilapidated Qila Androon, another of the complex's buildings, is astonishing; head inside and you'll find further mirrored halls and miniature frescoes, and an eternally-burning sacred flame. Inside the darbar hall is a prized collection of chariots, vintage cars, magnificent cutglass chandeliers and (sadly bubble-wrapped) life-sized royal portraits.
