A Dose of Vitamin Sea
A holiday in Pondicherry is elevated several notches higher when you stay at the heritage building that now houses one of the upmarket hospitality projects here – The Promenade.
One of my most favourite cities in India is Pondicherry and a destination that I am always happy to go back to this city. One of the reasons that this is a city that remains attractive is the fact that this was India’s largest French colony until 1954. In fact French is one of the languages spoken here and there is a French connection in everything from its architecture to food and even the road signage’s.
French Quarter
Located in the heart of White Town overlooking the Rock Beach is a pristine white hued property that was once the premises of the All India Radio and has been diligently converted to The Promenade. With a clean minimalist design, the exterior façade is colonial French and it never really stands out from the rest of the buildings and can easily pass off as a home in the vicinity. Designed by the renowned American architect and potter Ray Meeker, the façade of The Promenade hotel was kept in sync with the French colonial buildings that dot the entire stretch of Pondicherry’s promenade. The interiors of this modern hotel were designed by German architect, Niels Schoenfelder while Made Wijaya the Australian landscape specialist from Bali has designed the rooftop, garden and lounge pool. As I got off my car at the entrance was a whiff of the sea as well as the sound of the crashing waves that gave me a strong sense of déjà vu. After completing the check-in formalities, I am led into my room on the second floor. Done up in hues white with pops of tan and turquoise, the room is spacious and inviting. There were three large wooden shutters for the windows that opened to stunning views of the ocean and the promenade and being a Sunday the entire road is closed to vehicular movement as well. The stunning view and the comfortable room made me relax and forget the fatigue of the trip immediately. The room came with an attached bathroom and was equipped with all modern amenities. A set of chocolates and some croissants were also part of the welcome amenities in the room.
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