We escaped the city’s chaos at this Whitefield, Bengaluru property, offering a slice of Malnad serenity

Outside, Bengaluru’s tech corridor is barely moving. Cars inch forward, horns punctuate the mid-morning and traffic stretches endlessly in every direction… on a Sunday. But step into the doors of Slohh by Roach, Curio Collection by Hilton and the city seems to slow down. The irony is hard to miss: on one of Bengaluru’s busiest business park stretches, where everyone is in a hurry to get somewhere — Slohh, a newly-opened 221-key property in Whitefield, invites you to do just the opposite. And so our Sunday begins with a warm and traditional welcome of Harvest Heritage, a coconut-based drink along with some traditional jasmine maaleys (garlands). This welcome and a seamless check-in set the tone of the hotel where nothing is meant to feel rushed.

But first… we soak in the sun in the balconies of the ante-room and master room to warm up an appetite — while also taking a quick room tour. We feel the transition as the pace changes indoors from the noise and bustling energy on the outside. Leisurely, we go down for lunch, sauntering through the property along the way and making a pitstop at Nana’s, their all-day restaurant. On the table a thali comprising kosambari, sundal, bitter gourd salad (quite tasty unlike popular misconceptions), nuggekai soup and pulao all make their way to the table. Fellow diners who try the non-vegetarian course are offered a typical Karnataka meal — mutton saaru, naati koli saaru and pepper fry. Although we’ve had the holige (obbattu), dharwad peda and semiya payasa several times, the dessert closes the lunch on a sweet note.

A siesta is only in order — perfect after the heavy meal and just what a Sunday should look like. A longer-than-usual nap later, it’s time to check out their in-house spa, Meloe. Between the Balinese and Slohh signature massage, we opt for the latter. Good choice! Some niggles from earlier in the week reduce to a great extent with the stretches, hot towel treatment and a generally soothing time. Tempted to going back to bed, we instead go to check out Arthur’s Music Bar on the 6th floor, soaking in the skyline views as the sun dips below the horizon. A walk-around later, a chef’s choice dinner of Middle-Eastern delicacies is waiting for us at Nana’s. Hummus, beetroot labneh, a Turkish mixed grill platter — the dishes are almost all new to our palates (and pronunciation!) and probably an acquired taste. We call it a night and rightly so, after an eventful yet slowish Sunday.

With the sharp sun rays peeking into the room, it’s a gorgeous Monday and the pool that overlooks the balcony beckons us. Unaware of the sights and sounds of the outside, we opt for an easy swim, repeatedly thinking what a true luxury on a Monday morning. A sumptuous breakfast has been whipped up right next door to the pool. From pancakes to pooris, the feast is seemingly endless. A glass or two of orange juice to hydrate after the activity, we also indulge (with some guilt) in American sweet treats on offer.

We want to linger on but the reality of a work day and long week ahead hits us. On our way out, we have a quick interaction with Christina Roach, Managing Director of Roach Lifescapes and founder of Slohh by Roach Bengaluru. Growing up around Malnad, some of her strongest memories are connected to the feeling of being in her estate home, surrounded by nature, food, family and a certain unhurried way of life. And when she began conceptualising Slohh, she realised that what she was trying to recreate wasn’t a particular place, but that ‘feeling.’ “We brought in elements of our family history, Malnad’s landscape and architecture, the food memories and the warmth of coming home. Slohh isn’t meant to replicate Malnad, but it carries a little piece of that feeling into Bengaluru,” she says, adding, “we didn’t want to take people away from the city. We wanted to create a little pause within it. The idea was that you could experience the best of Bengaluru and still have somewhere to come back to where things feel quieter and more grounded.” For Roach, slow living isn’t about doing nothing. “Our challenge was making Slohh feel connected to the city while also giving you a sense of being away from it. We didn’t want to create something that felt disconnected or artificial,” she concludes.