AMRITSAR HOTEL
OMG, the hotel is amazing. Then again, at $400 per night, it
better be, right? Wow!, I was blown away. It was so different than the standard
5 star, lots of servants type of commerical hotels that I was used to. The
architecture was different, the feel was different, the view was amazing. I'm
sure that the employees there thought that the hotel was yet another
money-grabbing pain in the ass commercial enterprise built by the rich, operated
by the rich, visited the rich, and profited by the rich. Doesn't matter to me,
cause it was still an experience I wouldn't normally have. The shades of blue on
the ground and decorated around the hotel was really nice. I would have gone
swimming, but my eyes were sore from doing it previously in the hotel in Mumbai.
Damn you, Mumbai water!
The hotel had 120 rooms, but only 10-15 of them were occupied. Felt like we had
the entire hotel to ourselves. Definitely a great romantic spot for the
involved. The entire second floor had the lights off. I know cause I went there
by mistake. Very funny to walk into a hotel floor and see it turned off. All the
rooms faced the Taj Mahal. We got a room with a balcony. That was really neat.
For dinner, we went to the main floor and bumped into the person in charge of
the restaurants and food. What a great coincidence. She walked us to the
restaurant and got us great seats. Too bad she didn't join us. She was cute, but
married. :( The food was amazing. I even dared to ask for the recipe for the
mushroom soup and to my surprise, they agreed to give it to me. They provided it
to me at the end of the meal in a sealed envelope that I guarded in my personal
possession till I got home (Toronto). If you ever want to live in mushroom soup
ecstasy, give me a couple of days warning before you come to Toronto and I will
make you a bowl. Actually, I will make an entire pot of it, but all you get is
the bowl. The rest of it is mine, all mine. You can't have a second bowl! I
wonder if I can use the mushroom soup to get a second date? LOL
The fountain was never on, but it still looked really impressive. It was
pretty much the first thing I saw when we got to the hotel. The water was so
still that it looked solid. I was just amazed to see clean water. I could
actually see the bottom of the pool, even though it was only one or two feet
deep. Still amazing for India nonetheless. :)
This is the entrance into the hotel. The elephants add a really nice subtle
touch to the entrance. Best part was that it was white and not overly colorful.
Very tasteful. Unfortunately, at the same time, we saw a monkey/chimpanzee in a
leash walking around the hotel. Always sobering to see animals in captivity. No,
my dog does not count. He likes living with me. :)
This is the courtyard in front of the hotel lobby and just after the hotel
entrance. The blue color in the fountain floors and on the walkways is really
nice. Yet again, the fountains were not on, but then we were there during the
off-season, so I couldn't complain. Well, I can complain, but I was impressed
enough to forget to do so.
There's my dad in foreground of the hotel lobby entrance. I just thought I'd
sneak in the picture of the guy that would be eventually paying for the hotel
bill. :P
Woot! Me and my dad in front of the hotel lobby. Damn, that pic didn't come
out well, but its the only one I have of both me and my dad in the hotel. :(
This is the pool view from the room balcony during the day. The pool looks
so refreshing in that summer heat. Unfortunately, I spent too much time in the
pool in Mumbai and my eyes were hurting, probably from the chlorine. Still, I
desperately wanted to jump in.
Same pool pic, but at night. Actually, it was the night before. The lights
were really cool in person, but I guess they didn't come out well in the
picture. The lights on the roof of the building to the left were actually fires
on torches. Really nice touch for the viewers and swimmers.