Review – ITC Rajputana Thikana Suite

Introduction

There are very few ITC hotels that haven’t been graced by yours truly. I just happen to be a huge fan of their luxury collection chain.

So when I saw the room prices discounted to a mere Rs 4050  for a day’s stay, I instantly understood where my pretty ass needed to be. The points I would accumulate (FYI, more than the cost of my entire stay) for this stay  were  merely the cherry on top
Like all ITC hotels, the vibe here is along the Rajasthani Rajputana theme. I am not sure whether it’s Mewar or Marwar because I seriously cannot be expected to make the distinction. This being the only ITC Luxury Collection property in a state of Rajasthan, I believe it is a mix of both.

Check-In

As I walked into the hotel, a staff member came to me with a  traditional Indian welcome. They put tikka on my forehead and welcomed me inside. They asked me to sit on the couch while they got my reservation done.Meanwhile, I was treated to a Kokum Sherbet for my welcome drink.

As I looked around, it was a pretty expansive lobby, with a mesmerizing chandelier. There was very nice Indian candle decoration in the lobby which caught my eye. They were so adorable that I went and struck up a  conversation with the person arranging them. Turns out her name was Ms. Varsha who happily informed i.e. where I could find those in the market.

Room

I was told I had been upgraded to the Thikana Suite, room number  1573. Ms. Khushnuma Qureshi came along and escorted me to the room.

Upon entering, there is a  small round table with 4  dining chairs.

After that, there was a couch set for four. The couch had an exquisite love seat for two and two other single units were placed on each side.  I found the love seat couch too small and frankly not designed to accommodate two humans of any reasonable proportions..lol. I had to ask people to use the other couch.


They had some cake and fruits present as Welcome amenities and offered complimentary sprite and Coke.



Right next to the couch was a study table which again was on the short side of things. I found the table too small. I couldn’t imagine working or lounging there comfortably.
Funnily enough, the room had two television sets, almost next to each other.Maybe two people who truly detest each other yet chose to book the same room would be happy here. They’d have a great time annoying each other with two TV’s turned on simultaneously I guess.



This room would qualify as a club room usually or maybe a Junior suite as it has a couch. However, there is no partition between the living room and the bedroom.


As is standard with ITC, the bed was again on the smaller side. Although they call it a  full king size bed but two, let’s just say decently proportioned people would have a problem doing anything together on those beds. However, the mattress is comfortable and you can get a good night sleep on that.


At this ITC, there were no sleeping kits or sleeping menus like other ITC Luxury Collection hotels in south India or Mumbai.

I found the room decor and color scheme decent enough.

The room has a central remote control to control lightings and everything else. That got me a bit excited. Although it was a little clunky, I like new things. I do prefer an ITC Maurya style Ipad in the room.


The minibar is right outside the washroom door for some reason.


The view outside was of Metro and Railway station.

Toiletries

As usual, ITC toiletries were provided by DJ Fiamas which I love. I prefer the Black colored ones over the Golden one. You can order either one.

Fitness Center

Fitness center is located in the basement along with the spa.

The fitness center was one small room with some machines and cardio equipment.

There isn’t enough space to do a crazy workout. Just enough to get your groove on.


The cardio machine are the latest with TV inbuilt in them. You can get decent cardio work done on them. Though they just had a cycle and two trade mills.


The pool outside is massive and is fun for people to swim in.

Food and Beverage

This is the part which I love about ITC. They have best chefs ever, willing to cook you according to your most decadent desires. I can safely say that I felt the same at this property. The food here was mind-blowing and I loved every bit of it.

Evening Lounge

Evening lounge has two areas.  The snacks are located indoors. As the bar was little dark, we couldn’t find the buffet spread.  One of the waiters had to point it out to us that there is a buffet area at the corner of the room.


Evening lounge is easily hit or miss with ITC. Fortunately, ITC Rajputana has great evening hours.


On the buffet table, they had some canapes, cheese, dessert and salad.
There was a Paneer hot dish too which you had to order. I loved it.  Ofcourse, they had a bar where we were allowed to sample some of it.

Breakfast

You can see from the photos about size and variety of buffet. If you have a special Indian dish in mind, the chef would make it for you.


They even had those ITC signatures which is what I usually order from.

Service

On service end, I think this hotel stands out exceptionally. I was treated so well here.  When I entered the room, I got a call from the duty manager, Mr. Saurabh Bhatia, as soon as I got comfortable in the room.  


Ms. Khushnuma Qureshi was more than helpful to me. If I needed anything during my stay, she would proactively come over and help me.  I wish I had enough time to thank her for all she did. At end of her shift, she delivered some flowers and a cake to my room. I know everyone was involved in making this happen. However, she was the person that all went through.

My Observations

This property is unlike all other business properties out there. They have a smaller version of evening cultural activity that starts at 7 PM to 7 45 PM. There are so many activities for kids including a puppet show and other stuff.


There is a market below where you can buy some local items. In that area, they have an astrologer and few other activities for the kid. I was impressed by the resort like feeling of this hotel. If you don’t want to get out for a day and just enjoy the hotel, you easily have a lot to do here.

Jaipur does have remarkable Palaces but this did feel like I was staying in one.

Bottomline

For the price, I am really satisfied that I got to review this property. I am happy that I spent some time here. I wish the rooms were better but I don’t mind coming back here. I loved the food and would return. I would love to say hello to all the people who made sure the stay was comfortable enough.

I would definitely recommend this property to everyone.