The Taj Blue Diamond Pune– IHCL Seleqtions – A Review By Punam Mohandas
Surrounded by some lush foliage, the Taj Blue Diamond has never, in all its history, been called as such! It’s always just been the ‘Blue Diamond’ for Poona-ites/Punekars, ever since its inception back in the 70’s as the city’s first five-star hotel. Indeed, we feel such a sense of appropriation towards this grand old lady, that the name has been further shortened affectionately to the ‘Blue D’. If walls could talk, this hotel has seen many a family celebration and many joyous moments that have been enriched within its cosy confines. For me, it was a sheer privilege to review a property that’s fairly dominated my growing up years.
The lobby is a long and somewhat narrow space, with an overwhelming smell of jasmine room freshener (which can be toned down). The Blue D has surprisingly small lifts; this is something the hotel management can definitely look into, without disturbing any of the old charm. The floor corridors though, are wide and neatly carpeted.
The Taj Blue Diamond consists of 110-keys, categorized as follows: Superior (22sqm); Premium (22sqm); Executive Suite (55sqm); Seleqtion Suite (55sqm) and the Presidential Suite (77sqm). Yes, compared to international chain hotels where a suite is equivalent to a flat area in Mumbai (!), the Blue Diamond remains true to its spirit, stubbornly small and contained, nonetheless, it doesn’t lack for any amenities.
One is faced with the bar area immediately on entering the Presidential Suite. This room also has a round dining table as well as a study desk. Overall, the colour theme here is fawn coloured seating accentuated by drapes in dull gold. The bedroom has a similar colour palette, complemented by a couple of bed pillows in striking fuchsia. The bathroom has a bathtub as well as shower cubicle.
The Executive Suite has a more user-friendly layout insofar as the wardrobe and luggage area is concerned. The colour palette here is a more subdued fawn, compared to the Presidential Suite. The Superior and Premium rooms are tastefully furnished, in a simple elegance that calms the weary traveller.
The Seleqtion Suites have been recently refurbished and have beige drapes with a mango motif and cream wall panelling. Emerald green sofas are complemented by startlingly colourful flowered cushions; there’s also an armchair and footstool in the same flowered fabric. The whole effect is somewhat old Victorian. Faux wooden doors with mirrored panels conceal the wardrobe and electronic safe. Unfortunately, while these suites have spacious shower areas, there are no bathtubs. Further, although there is a double washbasin concept, there is very little space for guests to place their personal toiletries; I’d suggest having a tall table stand or stool in one corner. Also, the towel hook is on the wall furthest from the shower; it’s a simple design flaw that can easily be rectified.
All rooms come equipped with tea/coffee maker (including Tetley masala chai bags); eight bottles of water replenished daily; large screen televisions; electronic safe and magnifying mirror in the bathrooms. A quaint touch is a wooden newspaper holder outside each door. There is free wifi across the hotel. Much to my surprise, this is also a pet-friendly property.
Being the Taj, it is but to be expected that single lady travellers can be assured of their safety. The Blue Diamond has special rooms that are strategically placed near the lifts, and which have cameras so that the lady guest can check who the visitor is. Moreover, special female toiletries and amenities are placed in these rooms. Apart from this, the hotel also has one room exclusively for physically challenged guests.
There are several F&B options at the Blue Diamond. Latitude is the well-lit coffee shop overlooking the swimming pool, done up in fawn seating with turquoise blue cushions. The restaurant has 45-covers inside and a further 25-covers as alfresco dining beside the pool, as well as a PDR that can accommodate 10-12 pax. The menu here has been recently revamped under the able aegis of Executive Chef Sachin Joshi; I must confess I was surprised at the variety in breakfast that this relatively small space caters to, from Indian, to south Asian, to European dishes and a lot of live counters as well, including fresh juices.
A square patio with floor-level fountains leads to Whispering Bamboo, the 42-covers Chinese outlet that currently has a food celebration going, showcasing delicacies from Mumbai’s Lands End Ming Yang restaurant. The food was absolutely scrumptious, particularly so as I was enjoying Indian Chinese cuisine after quite a while.
The 40-covers Mystic Masala serves authentic Maharashtrian cuisine. This space is totally done up in the Puneri Peshwa style, with gorgeous sculptures, rich settees and silk cushioning in a shade between crimson and fuchsia. The restaurant seems quite popular among Punekars, judging by the lunch crowd on a weekday afternoon! Ghazal nights are organized bi-weekly here.
Apart from this, there is the Lobby Lounge, also with a Peshwa themed décor; the lobby bar called Easy; and Caramel, the cake/pastry outlet near the Reception Desk.
Recreational facilities include a small swimming pool, a very well-kitted out gym with plenty of equipment and separate steam/sauna rooms for men and women, and the Jiva Spa. The spa has three treatment rooms; two single and one for couples. Done up in restful blue lighting, all of them come with attached steam rooms, while the couple room also has a large bathtub. Lockers are available too, as the spa also caters to non-resident guests. There is also a relaxing lounge called Vishram, where guests can rest after the treatment and enjoy a glass of Vishudi chai made with jaggery, lemon and basil. The spa periodically offers promotions which can include up to 20% off on one-hour treatments, so do be sure to check.
Apart from this, there is an in-house (not outsourced, thank goodness, as is the new norm) Taj Salon offering haircuts, champi massage, facials, manicure/pedicure and the likes. There are also some shops on rent in this area, such as Abhinav Jain’s designer jewellery; the Audio Studio, and a travel agency.
Convention facilities include Tango, the well-lit but narrow and pillared ballroom that can accommodate 200-pax cocktail style; two smaller rooms Strategy (40-pax cocktail style) and Rhythm (30-pax cocktail style) that are good for intimate gatherings, and two rooms, Agenda and Debate, that can accommodate 10-pax each boardroom style. There is also the Wedding Studio, which is a small, discreet space for potential clients to come and discuss wedding packages and hampers, with mini set-ups for demonstration purposes to one corner of the room.
For such an old property, the air conditioning and boiler systems are surprisingly very effective; kudos to the Engineering team. Pest control can be improved upon. Housekeeping service is alert and extremely prompt. The Front Office and F&B teams are cheerful, friendly, attentive and, as is the Taj inherent culture, go that extra mile to please a guest. Indeed, much like any Taj property, here too at the Blue D the employees show a palpable sense of pride and ownership in the hotel.
The Blue Diamond is located in Pune’s prestigious Koregaon Park area that hardly needs an introduction as it’s quite popular on its own, filled with little cafes, shopping and home to the famous Osho ashram with its stunning gardens. About 20-minutes away is Main Street (Mahatma Gandhi road) in the Cantonment area, with more shops, some malls, Inox cineplex and iconic food landmarks such as Kayani Bakery and Dorabjee biryani restaurant.
Pune has its own small, international airport, which, however, comes under the jurisdiction of the Indian Air Force and so, just a select few airlines fly in here. The easiest way to get here would be to fly to Mumbai and then drive down. It’s Rs 3,200 for the whole cab; you also have the cab sharing option which is cheaper. You can also take a bus (approximately Rs 500). Travel time by road is approximately 4-5 hours; there’s awful congestion while exiting Mumbai and entering Pune; moreover, there’s work going on at one of the ghats, which entails a further delay. The train (Deccan Queen) takes about five hours. Alternatively, you can fly from Mumbai to Pune (approximately an hour).
THE TAJ BLUE DIAMOND – IHCL SELEQTIONS
TEL: +91 20 20 6602 5555
E-MAIL: [email protected]
WEBSITE: www.seleqtionshotels.com/en-in/blue-diamond-pune
Punam Mohandas
asserts her right to be identified as the author of this work. Any views or opinions expressed in this review is that of the author.
