What's your idea of a perfect staycation in Bengaluru? The garden city has some of the best hotels in the country. However, the thought of staying in a room with a view of the Bengaluru Turf Club and watching horses going on their morning rounds, lured us to the Renaissance Bengaluru Race Course Hotel for a two-night stay. The entire property that has been designed with horses as the key motif, is set in one of the most verdurous locations of the IT City. We checked in on a Wednesday evening and were welcomed in the traditional South Indian way — with a vermilion tika on our forehead and a silk scarf. After a sumptuous South Indian thali we retired for the night.
The Renaissance Navigator Tours team had curated an itinerary to showcase the culture and local flavour of Bengaluru. So day one began with a breakfast of idli, dosa and kesari bhaat at Konark Vegetarian Restaurant on Residency Road and this was followed by a visit to the HAL Museum and the Bangalore Palace. An elaborate pan-Asian lunch at High Ultra Lounge followed the museum and palace visit. But the most exciting part of the day was a visit to the helipad at the World Trade Center. Looking at Bengaluru from atop one of the tallest buildings was a sight to behold, particularly at sunset. Later, the evening began with the ‘Evening Bar Ritual’ at the hotel’s R Bar. Guests were encouraged to participate in a community cocktail mixing session using a local ingredient.
We tried our hands at the Coffee Martini and this session was just the beginning of an exciting evening that concluded with a sit-down sevencourse dinner. However, the highlight of our staycation was the breakfast next morning.
Chef Sandeep Kumar and his team had set up a long table in the midst of the race course. We were sitting right in the middle of the green turf, with the morning wind blowing through our hair and with a closer view of the horses. From Indian millet idlis, Danish pastries, croissants, muffins and Eggs Benedict to yogurt and fresh juices, the breakfast was an unforgettable one.
After the elaborate morning meal, we walked back to the hotel and took a tour of the property. What caught our attention was a selfie wall that showcases slang words used in the city like ‘won and oaf’ (one-and-a-half, a phrase used by auto drivers). This discovery called for a quick selfie before we packed our bags to check out.
Rooms Rs 9,000 ++ upwards. (The writer was at Renaissance Bengaluru Race Course Hotel by invitation).
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