Welcomhotel By ITC Hotels Cathedral Road -A tranquil stay in the heart of the city

The gentle morning rays had begun trickling down around the poolside parasol as we serenely flipped the pages of a hardbound booklet comprising the works of the Post-Impressionist painter Vincent van Gogh. We were basking in the sweetness of doing nothing, or, like the Italians say, Dolce Far Niente, at the newly relaunched Welcomhotel by ITC Hotels on Cathedral Road, Chennai.

It seemed like a perfect way to unwind after a frenzied week. We had checked into the hotel the previous day at around 11 am. After a formal welcome ritual, we headed straight to the Sunbean Café, where the aroma of roasted coffee wafted in the air. We helped ourselves to a strong cuppa of freshly brewed filter kaapi and oatmeal cookies. For javaphiles like us, the day couldn’t have started on a better note. And then, a map featuring the journey of coffee in India caught our attention. As we pored over the map, we also observed the ceiling fans that retained the splendour of the days of yore.

The hotel tour began on a divine note with the first stop at the Nataraja statue. The relic, we were told, remained untouched even during the renovation of the hotel, which was hitherto known as Chola Sheraton. We then had a glance of the refurbished rooms — Executive Suites, Club Rooms and Superior Rooms — 90 in total.

The one prevalent factor we noticed across the hotel, be it the lobby, banquet halls — Mandapam (capacity of 375 people), Saagri on the rooftop (capacity of 70 - 80 people) — or the rooms, was the integration of South Indian architecture and contemporary designs. Be it the ornate Chettinadu patterns on the roof of Saagri, intricate kolam designs at the lobby, or the antique shops that vied for our attention — they were an embodiment of Southern Indian magnificence.

We then decided to break off for lunch at Welcomcafe Marina, an all-day dining restaurant that offers Indian and global cuisine. We began our elaborate meal with the Marina Bhaaji, raw banana and salan chilli fritters served with dips and chutney. And then came the enticing Thattu idli with curry leaf shrimp, fluffy rice cake topped with ghee, gun powder and gassi gravy. This was followed by Kozhi kothu parotta with salna, fried egg and raw dosa crisp, and Pepper lamb brain toast — a delectable combination of puff pastry, lamb brain mixture, picked shallots and mayo drizzle. We washed it all down with a delectable mocktail. We ended the meal with Coffee-flavoured Tiramisu and Semiya payasam — south Indian dessert made of vermicelli in thick, sweetened milk garnished with nuts.

After a siesta in our cosy room, we headed to K By Kaya Kalp. We opted for a full body massage that would unknot sore muscles, and boy, did we feel better after that! As the warm herbal oils touched our skin and the masseuse kneaded her fingers on our bodies, we could feel the tautness melting away. After a steaming sauna and a cup of piping hot ginger tea, next to a fully functional fitness centre,we freshened up in our room.

As the evening wore on, we headed to the aesthetically done-up Durrant’s Bar and gave their organic cocktails a shot along with some savoury snacks. The final destination for the evening was Mahjong Room, which offers the culinary richness of Sichuan, Hunan and Cantonese kitchens.

Some of the delicacies in our sumptuous dinner comprised Crispy fried Szechwan vegetable spring rolls, Wok-tossed crispy mushroom, Crackling spinach, Crispy fried sliced fish with fried chilli and Szechwan pepper, Crispy fried chicken with peppers, Chicken spring rolls, Manchow soup, spinach and cottage cheese dim sums, sauteed diced chicken with chilli black bean sauce, wok and pan-fried noodles, American chopsuey, Darsan with ice cream, date and coconut pancake with vanilla ice cream and Chocolate mousse!

The morning breakfast was at Welcomcafe Marina, where we had a South Indian breakfast comprising seasonal cut fruits, Masala rolled omelette, Idli, Medhu Vada, and Dosa. We were also informed about how the hotel stays ahead of the sustainability curve with the utilisation of renewable energy, conservation and recycling of water, and the concrete measures to preserve the ecosystem by the hotel chain.

After a quick visit to the Fabelle Chocolate takeaway counter, we had a look at the inscription in front of the hotel, which was earlier known as Tilak Bhavan. The Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, had stayed there as C Rajagopalachari’s guest. We culminated the visit on that historic note.

Approx Rs 8,000 onwards per night

You can contact the writer over email at sangeetha.p@newindianexpress.com and follow her on X @psangeetha2112