With cocktail making sessions and art workshops, the Weekends at Marriott package is the perfect staycation

The luxury hotel group offers a great mini-break before you get back to reality on Monday morning
A room at Renaissance Bengaluru Race Course Hotel
A room at Renaissance Bengaluru Race Course Hotel

It was the end of a long week, and as we drew our curtains in our room at the Bengaluru Marriott Whitefield Hotel, the sight of the pool, and the poolside grill restaurant, was like a balm to our tired eyes. Sinking back into the bed and aimlessly switching channels on the TV, we realised that a staycation can be more fun than you realise. The Weekends at Marriott package by the luxury hotel group is a great way to take a break before you get back to reality on Monday morning. Over three days, we stayed in three properties by the hotel that each offer their own style of rest and relaxation.

Thank God it’s Friday
We checked into Bengaluru Marriott Whitefield Hotel on a Friday afternoon. The drive to the hotel did feel like a road trip in itself, but the warm welcome we received made us feel right at home. We checked into our luxurious room, but soon it was time for our cocktail-making session at the Whitefield Bar and Grill restaurant. The bartender helped us whip up a boozy slushie and another fruity number, that we sipped on by the pool with some signature appetisers. 

After spending some time unwinding in the room (read: soaking in the bathtub), a classical Italian dinner at Alto Vino beckoned us. The restaurant has live music and an array of wines that makes for a romantic setting. Our meal featured ingredients such as soft burrata, truffles and fresh produce.

The next morning, we dined on the abundant breakfast buffet, and  then it was time to check out. Although we were just a little sad to be bidding goodbye to our plush room, the weekend had only begun as our next pit stop was the Renaissance Bengaluru Race Course Hotel.

Hold your horses
Designed around the theme of horse racing, the Renaissance Bengaluru Race Course Hotel has rooms that boast a view of the Bangalore Turf Club. We began our stay with a lunch buffet at Lush. Every Saturday, the buffet at the hotel is fully vegetarian and offers global dishes from Scotch Bonnet Soup to Beans Poriyal and everything in between. 

Evenings at R Bar are famous for its ‘bar ritual’, that we partook in. The ritual is an activity where guests are invited to get behind the bar and mix a giant punch-style cocktail. As part of our ritual, we mixed gin with some local spices. Our day ended with dinner in the comfort of our room. The next morning saw us take a quick dip into the rooftop pool with a view of the city. Refreshed, we moved on to the final leg of our holiday.

Rise and shine
Our last day was filled with activities and sessions. At Sheraton Grand Brigade Gateway Hotel, we checked in right after breakfast and headed straight to Shine Spa for their weekend special package, that includes a nourishing apple oil head massage. Before our lunch, we also couldn’t resist a swim in 
the pool. The infinity pool has a view of the skyline and the metro going by! 

All pampered, we made our way to lunch at Feast, that consisted of the longest brunch spread in town. The brunch left us spoilt for choice with its dishes and if that wasn’t enough, a magician stopped by our table and entertained us with some card tricks and mind games! Our sundowner for the day was at the charming Art Cafe in the skywalk. Basking in the setting sun, we learnt the art of woodcut painting in a workshop.

Bird call
As dusk set in, we had another fun activity laid out for us – parrot watching from the al fresco restaurant, Persian Terrace. Throngs of parrots fly back to their nests and they make for a majestic sight! 

This fun-filled day ended with a Middle-Eastern dinner at the restaurant. The familiar, yet exotic 
dinner was the right way to wrap up our day.  But our stay wasn’t over yet. The next morning, we squeezed in a quick bootcamp session at the gym, before the breakfast buffet – which was elaborate to say the least. We packed our bags and headed back to our daily grind, but we weren’t complaining because the mini-break had us rejuvenated for the week ahead.

The author was at the properties by invitation. 
Sheraton Grand Bangalore Hotel at Brigade Gateway, Rs. 11,000 ++ upwards. Renaissance Bengaluru Race Course Hotel Rs. 16,000 ++ upwards. Bengaluru Marriott Hotel Whitefield. Rs. 9,975 ++ upwards. 

 anagha@newindianexpress.com 
@anaghzzz

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