On our recent weekend escapade to discover the western states of India's, we drove to Ahmedabad - the largest city in Gujrat. Owing to it's name - "Manchester of the east", we found the city sprawling with textiles of vivid colors and architecture. For our pit-stop, we chose to stay at one of our favorite hospitality chains - Crowne Plaza. Being awed by their luxurious service in and around Delhi, we had another lifetime experience here in Ahmedabad.
Located at the central business district of Ahmedabad and close to the airport, the hotel is easily accessible to business districts of SG Highway and Sanand. Be it for business or leisure, Crowne Plaza Ahmedabad provides a lush mélange of traditional Indian hospitality and contemporary staying preparations. The accommodation here is close to 200 rooms and suites which offer wide range of services which are profuse in hospitality. They also offer 16,644 square feet of meeting space featured in distinct areas of the hotel including outdoor event space.
Other than rooms, the property also provides outdoor pool and wellness therapies at the in house spa - Dravya to rejuvenate the mind and body. They also have modern fitness gyms and other sports like badminton, baseball, table tennis etc. All in all it is a complete package to stay and enjoy the vacation.
Moving on to the dining options they provide a variety of food and drink options throughout the day, from fine dining to lighter meals at our full-service, on-site restaurant and lounge. We checked in early to enjoy a complete day with their hospitality. We chose to stay in one of their Club Rooms situated at the 9th floor of the building. Ohh! What a view the room offers. Along with such a great room, they also offer a complimentary club access to all the club and IHG members. And not to forget, they sent a dessert platter as a welcome and a welcome card. This gesture literally made our day.
After getting recharged with such a pleasant view, we went for lunch at their in house restaurant - Essence. We chose to feast upon their buffet so that we could relish a lot of their dishes. We started off with poached fish, thai chilli chicken and tomato chicken. The fish was completely tender and if had soaked the flavours of the light marinade it was cooked in. I can still feel the fish gently melting in my mouth. Thai Chilli Chicken was well balanced between the spicy and sweet flavours. It was cooked perfectly so that no flavour overpowered the another. Moving on to the mains, we polished Macchi Masala, Roasted Chicken in thyme juice and Lamb biryani accompanied with some salad. The fish was delectable, all rolled up in the spicy condiments and gravy. The texture was super smooth with tinge of spices tickling the taste buds. The roasted chicken was equally good, covered in the tangy lime and thyme base. The meat wasn't dry at all as the tangy flavours had all seeped in. Biryani filled us to the top, colored rice with well done lamb meat pieces. The aroma of the spices and condiments used was itself so satisfying.
Completely filled with such a appetizing meal, we crawled to our room to take a little break. We went for a tour of the hotel in the evening just to have a glimpse of what all the property offers. We were stunned by the majestic banquets and conference rooms. We went through their signature Gujrati cuisine restaurant - Rang. We were informed that the food here is served in Silver plates to keep up with the traditional setting of Gujrat. As the Gujrati's like a lot of sweetness in their extensive culinary culture, the place even has a buffet just for desserts.
As the sun set, our appetite rose for some more of their excellent food and we went to Skygrill - a pool side tapas place. We were told that it opens only in the evening. We feasted upon Keema Kulcha. The dish itself was another beauty - overloaded with Keema and seasoned so well.
Afterwards we again chose to dine at Essence for supper. We gorged on the fantastic Kashmiri Mutton Curry with breads. Such a palatable dish with intense flavours of dry spices infused with well marinated meat. The meat was tender, juicy and could be relished without any breads itself.
With our stomach aching with food but our hearts aching for more of it, we chose to call it a day and slept stomach-fully.
Woke up to the bright sunlight we were ready to move on to our next destination of the tour. However, how could we leave without feasting upon their large breakfast buffet. Our eyes shined at the glimpse of smoked salmon and bacon. Perfect English breakfast paired with some grilled tomatoes and sausages.
Soon we checked out. The place deserves all the praises for treating us with such royalty. I couldn't find a speck of dislike for anything they offered. The view, the hospitality, the food - each was cent percent. So looking forward to come back again.
