This was my maiden trip to Nagpur. And without a doubt, all I could think of was Nagpur oranges and heat. With the little knowledge that I had, I did a light research. But for some reason I couldn't get past the dull but gnawing feeling of why am I was I even going there. Little did I know that I was in for a world that kept itself hidden for so longat Le Mridien Nagpur, the city unraveled itself, one layer at a time.
Located a mere 6.5km away from Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport, the 15-minute-ride was the first plus point I gave to the property. The very short drive took me to a trail away from the main road, cutting off all kinds of city-noise one can think of. For someone who has just flown in from a metro, this can be a great thing. All of a sudden there it stood, Hotel Le Mridien Nagpur in all its glorya classy oasis in the middle of nowhere. Le Mridien Nagpur agreed with Marcel Proust when he said "Discovery consists not in seeking new lands, but in seeing with new eyes"
The chandelier in the front lobby was a stunner. You stand in the middle of the room and on your left you have their three dining placesLatest Recipe, the all-day-dining multicuisine restaurant, Kabab Hut their north Indian specialty restaurant, and Longitude, a lounge setting with sober dcor. Before I retired for the day, I decided to have a quick chat with Executive Chef Vinod S. Dhawle. It was then I came to know what I didn't know about Nagpurwhich was quite a lot. It was my first experience of the spicy Saoji cuisine. During my simple dinner of jowar roti, daal and baingan ka bharta, we discussed elaborately the Saoji starsmatka roti and kadaknath chicken.
Why should you stay at Le Mridien Nagpur With 132 well-appointed guest rooms, 7300 sq ft of conference space, 30,000sq ft lawn for outdoor activities, and these are not just numbers. In fact, the hotel is big enough to host two events at one time, without disturbing other gueststhanks to the facility of separate entrances for halls and lobby. I stayed in their 410-430 sq ft Executive Club Room. The outdoor facing glass wall gives you a stunning view of the vast forest cover. And away from the main road, the hotel comes with a promise of a peaceful stay. After a night of quiet sleep in the luxurious Le Mridien signature bed, I was starting to hope my reverie to stay undisturbed...for as long as it was possible.
Whatever assumptions I had about Nagpur, changed after I was taken on a safari to the nearby Pench Tiger Reserve (Maharashtra). Just an hour and a half away from the hotel, lies the forest of Pench. At Le Mridien Nagpur, you get jungle safari as an option for sightseeing, apart from the city and food tour (on request). With Pench Tiger Reserve (1 hr 15 min), Bor Tiger Reserve (1 hr), Umred Karhandla (1hr) and Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve (2hr) around, it makes sense to opt for day or evening safaris. I was not lucky enough to actually see a tiger (unlike other jeep co-passengers). I had made myself accept the fact that a safari is not always about sighting a tiger, there were other aspects of forest that added a whole new dimension to the jungle experience. Maybe next time I could be more trained to look for signs of life in the forest But I did have a "brush" with the striped star of Pench. After three hours of chasing the call of sambars and langurs, just before I was going to give up hopes of sighting a tiger, I was rewarded with a roar. Just that and I knew I had to come back. What made my jungle experience great, apart from the whole excitement of chasing the call of wild, was the company of friendly hotel staff. To say the least, they made the experience personal. I came as a hotel guest and left with new friends made and experiences like these to share.
The Information
Where Le Mridien Nagpur, Maharashtra
Accommodation 132 well-appointed guest rooms. Deluxe Room 69 Club Room 59 Suite 3 Presidential Suite-1
Tariff From 6, 924
Contact 91- 7103- 663333