Opening Of Combo NOVOTEL & ibis Chennai, OMR
Chennai is always hot I am told as far as seasons go, but Chennai is also the hot destination for IT -BPO and automobile majors opening up their offices, factories etc. in India. Where there are businesses there are travelers and where there are travelers we have hotels catering to them. What starts as simple factory or IT/ Back-office, soon leads to transformation of a community, job generation and overall development in infrastructure. Anyways a couple of weeks back your friendly neighborhood desi Traveler was in Chennai on a special invitation by AccorHotels to attend the opening ceremony of the combo Hotels Novotel & ibis Chennai, OMR.
French hospitality major AccorHotels has one of the largest range of brands under its belt for every single budget and travel style from a business hotel like an ibis and Novotel to luxury brands like Grand Mercure & Sofitel. As I have stayed in various Accor properties both in India and abroad I was keen to try out the new Novotel & ibis Chennai, OMR. So here I was in the window seat of my flight looking with wide eyes at the luxuriant colors of Chennai, as tall coconut palms swayed to the rhythms of North Eastern Monsoons that have caused havoc to the city just a couple of weeks ago.
Before we delve into the opening ceremony and the review of the Novotel Chennai OMR, let us understand the concept of Combo Hotel
Hotels are essentially a big investment with land and construction being the biggest initial investment for a hotel, and then it is many years before the construction is completed and the hotel becomes operational. Besides large investment, another major challenge for a hotel is that it can not provide ” ONE SIZE FITS ALL” solution to the guests as everybody has different needs and budget. In comes the concept of a combo hotel in same premises where each of the stand-alone brands caters to its own guests while sharing some of the costs and employees to benefit from economies of scale. Kind of a win-win situation for all. But as I stayed only in the Novotel Chennai OMR, I will keep this post about the same.
The Opening Ceremony of Combo Novotel & ibis Chennai, OMR
We reached the hotel late in the evening when the official opening ceremony was about to begin and I was just in time to have a glimpse of the glittering ceremony attended by the top management of Accor Hotels including Mr. Jean-Michel Cassé, Chief Operating Officer, India & South Asia, AccorHotels. Besides the regular speeches/business vision declaration etc. there was also some entertainment elements to the opening ceremony that ranged from a magician, juggler and above all a Bollywood Themed song and dance show. What I enjoyed the most was the lucky draw where some of the guests present during the ceremony got complimentary stay in some of the AccorHotels properties in India. No, I did not win anything but to see the joy of winning on the faces of the winners was something to be watched for.
The opening ceremony of the Novotel Chennai OMR was followed by some great dinner and photo ops after which I retired to my room. I think this was the first time when I was the very first guest staying in the room as it was the very first night of the hotel opening with the full-fledged commercial operations still 2 days away. I must say I really liked being one of the first few guests in Novotel Chennai OMR and the very first person to stay in my room.
Before we proceed further let me share 2 other posts about other properties of AccorHotels I have written about on desi Traveler blog
ibis New Delhi Aerocity Review
ibis Bencoolen Hotel Singapore
Most of the images of the room you see here are from my Cheap Chinese Cellphone that cost less than INR 9000/- while the other images you see of the hotel premises are from my new toy the Rokinon 8 mm fisheye manual lens, that I am still learning to use.
Overall I liked the room a lot it had all the amenities a traveler can ask for. A comfortable bed, a luxurious bathroom with a glass wall that can be covered with a vanity curtain at the press of a button, an adequate supply of toiletries that included everything from Shaving & dental kit to all kind of gels, soaps, shampoos etc. In the room, there is a small minibar a tea./ coffee maker an ironing board. But above all I liked the smell of fresh paint and brand new linen, it is fun to smell.
I do remember when I was a kid, enamored by the inviting fragrance of a freshly painted wall in our home, I licked the wall only to realize that while fresh paint smells good, it tastes horrible. Hence thanks to that early life lesson about the olfactory and gustatory system, I gave it a pass this time.
Some of the facilities at the Novotel Chennai OMR
The Novotel Chennai OMR Hotel has large conference rooms and banquet halls that can be used for business as well as leisure functions. The 153 room Novotel and 189 room ibis Chennai OMR combo have a joint capacity of 342 rooms and are right in the heart of IT corridor on the OMR or Old Mahabalipuram Road. The Novotel also has a pool that was yet not functional a multi-cuisine restaurant The Square that serves breakfast, lunch & dinner a soon to be opened bar that at the moment serves finger foods, mocktails & other beverages.
Food at Novotel Chennai OMR
The topic of food brings me to the special dinner table that Executive Chef G. Muthukumar hosted for us the next day. While we have enjoyed our dinner and breakfast at The Square, nothing has prepared us for the special 7-course dinner menu that Chef Muthu & team has prepared for us. The menu encompassed local ingredients with a global twist and eye-catching presentation to tickle your taste buds. I am just sharing some images here as like always I was too keen to try the dishes and too lazy to note down there names. No wonder I have not been able to make a mark as a Food Blogger 🙁 🙁 🙁 But I am fine with it as long as l am enjoying the food 🙂
Overall I was pleased with my stay at Novotel Chennai OMR & I will say that Novotel Chennai OMR, is the hotel you may want to check out if you are in Chennai as it is conveniently located to the main IT hub has good rooms & some good dine in options.
For bookings & inquiries you can visit the website of Novotel Chennai OMR or contact by phone > Tel: (+91)44/66444777
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That’s an amazing article Prasad, As a business traveller manager, I felt that Novotel OMR will be a right choice for my employees. Thanks for the amazing photos you have compiled with this article. Really helped a lot. And I do like your other articles, keep up the good work.
Love those red and white toss pillows!! ( and the brown and yellow pillows too). So attractive!
Awesome food photos here, Prasad. 🙂
thanks…:) they do have very vibrant colors
Missed the launch but not the rains as I was there during the first bout. Madras is always hot for all the good reasons too. .welcome to my city 🙂
We had our brush with Chennai Rains on the second day on a visit to Mahabalipuram
Nice meeting you at the launch
Likewise 🙂
It is a pity that I missed it, but then I was staying in another Novotel in another corner of the world. I am now looking for them on my personal vacations too!
🙂 yes I like them too