More often than not, luxury hotels choose parts of the city or spaces that are aesthetically pleasing and eyecatching. Apart from great hospitality and finger-licking food, they aim to provide their customers an overall good experience. Therefore, it is not a surprise that Renaissance Bengaluru Race Course Hotel, which is just beside the Bangalore Turf Club Ltd, makes it an ideal space for a relaxing weekend. The purpose of our staycation at Renaissance was also exactly the same. Getting a much-needed break from the chaos of Namma Bengaluru.
We made our way to the hotel on a Saturday afternoon amidst the unforgiving traffic. But all that chaos was worth it once we stepped into the calming environs of the hotel . A homely feeling took over us as we were warmly welcomed at the lobby. The lobby itself was a marvelous sight with wall paintings, hangings
and different hues of brown all over the place.
After a quick and easy checkin, we were escorted to our room, which we must say was the highlight of our stay. The first sight that we got to see was this huge window overlooking the Race Course. We don’t think we could have asked for anything better. Now, when the hotel itself has the word ‘Race Course’ in it, everything surrounds it. Our spacious room had wall paintings of horses, which added to the contextual charm. We also enjoyed the occasional train horns, as the KSR Bengaluru City Junction is very close.
We then decided to take in the room and after almost half an hour of scrolling through our phones aimlessly, we decided to head to Cinnamon, their chic, gourmet snack bar for a coffee and some small bites. Situated in one of the corners of the lobby, it’s a perfect place for guests and visitors alike. We made ourselves comfortable at one of the tables right in front of Cinnamon and ordered two cappuccinos. As for the small eats, we decided to order a couple of chicken puffs and an almond croissant. The coffee shook us out of the laziness that was setting in and we were now all set for the evening.
We headed back to our room and were drawn towards the large window again, mesmerised by the beauty of the cityscape and the race course. And time just flew by. It was seven when we checked the clock again and we were all set to head to R bar, the hotel’s equestrian-themed bar and restaurant, for an evening of
cocktails. As per the daily ritual, at around seven, the bartender gathers all the guests present at R bar to make them taste a new cocktail. We were just in time to witness this. For the day, the cocktail was Kappi Negroni (Greater Than Gin, aperol, martini rosso and kaapi brew). We also tried a tested classic — Bloody Marry (Absolut Vodka, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco and lime juice); and Bees Knees (beefeater, lime juice and honey syrup).
After being part of this interesting ritual, we headed to Lush, their all-day restaurant and bar for dinner. The space has an outdoor cabana with views of the garden. It was a buffet, so we were spoilt with choice. We decided to pick up a couple of garlic naans, some steamed rice, Pili Dal Tadka, Paneer Papad Ki Subzi, Murgh Makhani Khatta Pyaz, curd and papad. The desserts were also aplenty. After putting in some thought, we decided to try the Cheese Cake, Gajar Ka Halwa and Kesar Phirni. Stuffed to the hilt, we wished we could have been carried to our room, but alas! The walk back to our room on the eighth floor was a great idea and we were ready to crash by the time we were there. Next morning, we woke hoping to see our four-legged friends in action on the turf but we weren’t that lucky.There was, however, a bright side — getting up early and enjoying the beauty of a Bengaluru morning. We got ready and headed downstairs to Lush for breakfast. We started off with two cappuccinos, a Classic French Toast, a Paneer Paratha, which was served with yoghurt, butter and pickle and we enjoyed breakfast to the fullest. All that
was left to do now, was check out. Post a leisurely breakfast, we packed our bags and bid adieu to this wonderful property that reminded us why breaks between crazy work schedules should be a compulsory thing!
INR 9,996 onwards. At Race Course Road.
Email: alwin@newindianexpress.com
Twitter: @al_ben_so