|
 T Nagar in Chennai will soon have a new landmark - the imposing façade soaring skywards on Thyagaraya Road will be the home of a new luxury 4-Star hotel. Residency Towers, as the hotel is to be called, will have state-of-the-art facilities and is all set to attract a wide range of clientele.
Interestingly, it is hardly a stone's throw from another product from the same stable - Residency Hotel, on G N Chetty Road, which is a business and economy class establishment.
Residency Towers will house, besides a set of standard rooms, an Executive Floor as well as suites, says Roop Chadda, General Manager of the new project.
 Six banquet halls, a business centre, a fitness centre and a beauty parlour will be among the attractions of the new hotel, aside from three restaurants. There will be a specialty restaurant, a 'restobar' and a round-the-clock coffee shop.
So why did the company choose to locate their new project so close to the old one?
Firstly, because T.Nagar is the happening place for business now, according to K C Tharyan, Executive Director. Mount Road is moving, he says, and T.Nagar is coming into its own, in terms of proximity and accessibility, both from the railway station and the airport. It's a 'wanted' place as far as the business community is concerned, hence the decision to locate a second Residency product in this locality.
 Also, being close to a sister concern has immense operational advantages, says
Tharyan.
A further consideration was that the 11-year-old Hotel Residency is due for refurbishing. What better way to ensure continued patronage than to offer loyal clients alternate accommodation in the same locality?
The land for Residency Towers was acquired a long time ago, and construction began during the boom time for real estate, says Tharyan, The project is scheduled for completion within the next three months.
 Residency Towers will offer everything a luxury hotel does, only on better scales, says the Executive Director. He elaborates - thirty years ago, there was no concept of a business centre, or of a health club. The older luxury hotels in the city had to add on these features at a later stage - giving things rather a makeshift tone. Residency Towers has the advantage of being able to plan in these facilities, thus ensuring better appointment. Also, the 170-strong car parking facility is bound to be a big draw as far as prospects for the conference facilities are concerned, he says.
The clientele targeted by Residency Towers will be fairly composite, ranging from corporate houses to individual businessmen, and from the private sector to the government, according to Roop
Chadda.
 Meanwhile, Residency Hotel, Chennai, continues to attract good patronage from the Indian business traveller of the middle management level. It has rooms of the standard and suite varieties, and two conference halls, though they are of small proportions. One can seat 100 while the other can hold 30, says Ms Muneera, the Sales Manager.
The Chinese specialty hotel, Chin Chin, with delicate paintings and oriental figurines contributing to the ambience, is a favourite among Chennaivasis with a taste for the cuisine of the Far East. There is also a multi-cuisine restaurant, appropriately called Ahaar, which offers very reasonable lunch and dinner buffets.
The group also has a popular business class hotel of the same name at Coimbatore, and manages one in Bangalore, named Richmond Hotel.
Susan Philip
|
