JW Marriott Kolkata, the renowned global hospitality player vows travellers with luxury rooms, great food, comfortable stay, and unmatched hospitality.
Swaati Chaudhury
For high-end luxury travellers looking for an ideal rejuvenation break in the eastern zone of India, there is nothing better than JW Marriott Kolkata which forms one of the most iconic luxury hotels in the region. Sprawling over 3.56 acres of land area, the 23-storied luxury set-up is conveniently located on Haldane Avenue off Eastern Metropolitan Bypass and opened its doors back in November 2016—the upper floors of the property command unforgettable views of Maa flyover.
The hotel is a 16 km drive from Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport and has become a distinct luxury landmark in the city. If you’re heading to the property, take some time to soak in the luxury ambiance. The five-star property flaunts glitzy interiors and enjoys the distinction of having 281 spacious, comfy, and luxurious rooms. The rooms are categorized into deluxe, executive rooms, and suites that pride in state-of-the-art technology. The Presidential suite has the largest room. The curtains open once the occupant enters the room and the air-conditioning system is automatic based on touch and control mode. Even the electronic card has been designed on a touch model. There is the swimming pool or Infinite Pool on the second floor that appears of infinite length and the pillarless banquet on the ground floor spread over an area of 13,500 sq. ft form the chief standout features of the property. The banquet is one of the largest in the city and is popularly known as the Grand Ballroom or Sangam.
JW Kitchen, the all-day dining, the residential-styled kitchen is the perfect destination for gourmet lovers where dishes are curated based on the preferences of the guests. There are four live stations for lunch during weekdays including chaat, noodles, pasta, and ice cream with toppings. The food outlet has more than five live counters during weekends. The lunch buffet has an elaborate menu. The 180-seater outlet occupying 6,535 sq. ft on the ground floor has a number of counters like the salad bar, Asian, Lebanese, Indian, Biryani, Continental, fruits, and dessert. Start off with a drink like Earth Splash made of orange juice, mint leaves, mint syrup, and a dash of Tabasco sauce. One can also feast on 14-course Bengali thali rustled up by Junior Sous Chef, Deep Kumar Paul who churns out culinary magic. The platter comprises Ghee rice, Poori, Papad, Shukto (a bitter stew made of a medley of vegetables cooked in mustard and poppy seeds), Aloo Bhaji, Baingan Bhaji, Parwal Bhaji, Chholar Dal, Aloo Posta, Jhinga (Ridge gourd) Bari, Chhanar Dalna, Raw Mango Chutney, Tomato Chutney, Pine Apple chutney and Rasgulla. Savouring a grand lunch in grand style is an extraordinary experience for taste buds.
Desserts and bakery goodies are the buzzwords at JW Kitchen which has a mind-boggling array of Continental delights including baked yogurt, Berry tart, Apple tart, Hazelnut cookies, Pistachio financier, Coconut passion, White chocolate strawberry, Raspberry eclairs, sugar-free Panna Cotta and Tropical verinne et al. If Indian desserts melt your heart, there is a wide array of sweet bites. The unmissable food and stunning dishes on offer at JW Kitchen will leave culinary connoisseurs asking for more.
The weekday buffet lunch is on from 12.00 PM to 3.00 PM while weekend lunch timings are from 12.00 PM to 3.30 PM. Dinner is on from 7.00 PM to 11.00 PM. The buffet lunch is tagged at Rs 1,850 inclusive of taxes per person on weekdays while Sunday lunch is priced at Rs 2,550 with taxes for a single person.
Morning breakfast begins at 6.30 AM and goes on till 10.30 AM during weekdays while the weekend timings are from 6.30 AM to 11.00 AM. The outlet has live stations for making egg dishes, dosas, parathas, pancakes, and waffles. The bakery counter has options for gluten-free eggless Chocolate Muffins.
The hospitality set-up has a fine-dining Asian specialty food outlet on the first floor famed as Vintage Asia. The 80-seater restaurant came up in 2017 and serves exclusively Chinese, Thai, and Japanese dishes. The outlet with an elegant and Oriental décor is a favourite ground for candle-lit dinners and is replete with a bar and a private dining area. One can start off with a refreshing Thai drink like Bali High lemonade. There are munchies including Khimchi and Wanton and four kinds of appetizers including Forest Mushroom Dimsum and Crystal Dimsum to be savoured with condiments. Besides, one can feast on a bouquet of options with appetizers like Crispy Lotus Stem tossed in chilly basil sauce- a Thai delight and crispy fried Tofu tossed in Chinese rock salt. The main course has noodles Burnt Garlic and Edamame fried rice. Finally, round off your dinner with a quintessential Thai dessert, Tub Tim Krob made of jellied water chestnut, coconut milk, and coconut cream with crushed ice. The dishes are the creations of Chef, Sumit Das. A dinner for two would cost Rs 5,000 inclusive of taxes. The outlet serves lunch from 12.00 PM to 3.30 PM and dinner timings are from 7.00 PM to 11.00 PM.
JW Lounge and Bar on the ground floor has cocktails and non-alcoholic drinks on offer along with exotic desserts like scones, passion bonbon, and berry chocolate. For travellers halting in any Marriott property across the globe for as many as 50 times earn the tag of Elite members. JW Executive Lounge on the 23rd floor is exclusively open for Elite members and those visitors availing of executive rooms. The Executive Lounge remains open on all days from 10.00 AM to 10.00 PM and the cocktail hours are from 6.00 PM to 8.00 PM.
The second floor of the hotel is a wellness center comprising a Spa by JW, a gym, an Infinity Pool, and steam, and sauna facilities. The luxury spa spread over an area of 3,356 sq. ft is nestled in a tranquil setup and has a host of rejuvenating therapies to soothe your tired nerves. There are five treatment rooms including two couple therapy rooms. Stress relief (Swedish massage), Intense muscle relief, Hot stone massage, and Re-energize massage- a typical Balinese massage are some of the well-known therapies on offer at the spa.
One can pamper oneself with a 60-minute Ultimate Aromatherapy massage that will come for Rs 5,000 and is quite popular among guests. Signature Spa by JW and Exotic Spa Journey are the much-in-demand therapies. Those interested in having a three-hour full body massage with facials can go for Exotic Spa Journey which will cost you anything Rs 14,000. The hospitality group will soon launch a one-of-a-kind Indian Sports massage for men with backaches and sore muscles in order to rejuvenate them. There is the newly launched sandalwood body treatment priced at Rs 10,000 that calms down the senses.
The luxury property has fared better in terms of revenue and visibility in the realm of home delivery service in 2022. Sunil Kumar, General Manager, J W Marriott Kolkata commented, “Post Covid-19, our hotel switched over to Zomato and Marriott on Wheels for delivering signature dishes at the doorstep of foodies. Our set-up is the most on-brand hospitality provider in the country with spacious rooms, natural light coming into the coffee shop, and 24-hour gym that form the high points of our hotel. We have a roof-top Executive Lounge and we are anticipating kick-starting a roof-top restaurant serving either European or Indian delicacies at the year-end”
The post-pandemic era has been a learning phase for all luxury hospitality players. Sunil Kumar said, “Our visitors are comfortable with the QR code menu and all promotions are on social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook. We have realized that it is easier to attract visitors with the help of social media. Sanitization of rooms is our topmost priority and our rooms are sanitized for 40 minutes before offering to our guests. Consumption of plastic is at bay in our hotel. In the post-Covid world, visitors are switching to sustainability and the focus is on the use of organic vegetables. Our hotel offers visitors to change linen once in every alternate day.”
With generations X, Y, and Z travelling regularly, most luxury hotel chains are customizing the individual preferences of travellers. Sunil Kumar reiterated, “We make an attempt to understand the preferences of our visitors in terms of welcome amenities and cuisine. For corporate travellers, the focus is on healthy food while leisure travellers with kids prefer a sugar-free menu. Toys are provided in rooms for kids and there are bathrobes of kids’ size. The check-in and check-out formalities for MICE travellers take less time.”
In the current period, when business is picking up, the hospitality group is facing a shortage of skilled and trained manpower. Sunil Kumar added, “Our property is riding on sound revenue and occupancy this year. We have mostly domestic travellers and around 15 percent global travellers. As a luxury hospitality player, we want our visitors to travel back not only with experiences but also have bucketfuls of memories. We aspire to lead in the realm of beverages, cuisine, and weddings. We hope that our hotel becomes a preferred destination for weddings.” The property is planning to host an event-themed Sweven Village in October, this year with an aim to bring women entrepreneurs across the country to grow their business.
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