Stepping into ITC Grand Chola’s Sleeep Boutique is a novel experience. For starters, there’s a ‘pillow menu’ that we are served upon entry. There are eight options with varying degrees of firmness and fillers to choose from. Expect to find names like the luxurious Down Feather (semi-firm and packed with goose feathers) which we imagine is much like laying your head on a cloud. This is entirely different from the Air Bath which is meant to provide neck support while you unwind at the end of the day in a warm, undisturbed soak in the tub. We touch and feel a bunch of the pillows and find the sensory process rather therapeutic in the middle of a bustling weekday in Chennai. The store interiors, if you’re wondering, resemble a lush five-star room with a king-size bed taking centre stage.
The evolution of this concept, however, as we come to learn through Zubin Songadwala, the General Manager of ITC Grand Chola and area manager, ITC Hotels, South was anything but ‘overnight.’ “Over the last two decades, we have conducted an in-depth analysis into the Science of Sleeep®, keeping with the ethos of Responsible Luxury,” he says. Then, adds thoughtfully, “Probably never before in the history of the world, has sleep been such a luxury. With the pandemic upending normal life, and affecting the quality of sleep, a sleep boutique is a go-to answer for all anxieties.”
What started with one store at the ITC Maurya, New Delhi last November has within a short time now expanded to seven boutiques across the country. And pillows apart, expect to find bed linen, mattress protectors, down feather duvets and duvet covers. Zubin tells us that mattresses aren’t available just yet but are certainly on the cards. Meanwhile, we are curious about what is currently under R&D. And he responds, “The Sleeep Boutique is planning on fragrances and aroma oils that help in relaxation of the body and mind and induce good sleep. We are collaborating with the ITC Life Sciences and Technology Centre in Bengaluru to develop these indigenous offerings.” As for new products to be rolled out, we’re told that new parents can look forward to a range of ‘crib linen’ which will be available soon.
Open from 10 am to 10 pm, Pillows between INR 1,200 to INR 6,500. Duvets between INR 7,500 to
INR 11,500.