When I landed in Bengaluru, I wanted something really different this time around. I wanted to experience a feeling of being away from the city and from all the traffic and chaos. I wanted it to be an experience that offered me more than one thing in a different sort of package. I chose the suburb called Whitefield and then I decided that since I was in Silicon City, VR Bengaluru would step in as that entertainment package I was indeed looking for.
One and a half hours drive from the Kempagowda Airport; the magnificent façade of the Waverly Hotel And Residences becomes visible as it looms in front of me in the guise of a large Blackbox. It is situated bang in the middle of the Business district, amidst 5 star and budget hotels. Then what’s different about it is the fact that VR Bengaluru actually offers a wonderful seamless community experience. Virtuous Retail has created its first flagship centre in Whitefield and called it VR Bengaluru.
It offers to us their luxurious boutique hotel & Residences (The Waverly) along with collaborative co -working space (the Hive) and a vast lifestyle space that houses an Imax theatre (9 screens), pubs, cafes and restaurants a complete multi level premium retail shopping arcade. The community event spaces extend themselves to public art, a state of the art fitness club, A Spa and Salon. I knew exactly now what would go into my three days of being in Bengaluru.
Having reached at the right hour, just in time to have lunch at the Whitefield Arms Café, all curated beautifully by Chef Baratan. The whole hotel consisting of 54 rooms is done up in true British contemporary style I noticed. There were the Waverly rooms (333 sq ft), the Studio rooms (487 sq ft) that were perfectly suited for extended stays, and the loft rooms (650 sq ft) as well.
I lapped up the luxury offered to me in the form of the Library suite (The Grand Room- 740 sq ft). Entering my suite I found that the entire curtained window in my living room opened out to the Whitefield skyline. I gasped as I drew it aside and lounged at my writing desk, satisfied that I had a working space that offered an introductory note laced with pastel macaroons. The Hospitality retained its style quotient as I wafted toward my comfortable looking bed, and placed my clothes into a large closet space. Comfort and luxury offered willingly.
Visibly rested after some evening tea I was all-eager to see what else VR Bengaluru had to offer. I sauntered off to see The Tribe fitness Club, and saw that it was indeed the first machine less club that I had ever seen, completely state of the art and specializing in Crossfit, Pilates, Zumba and Yoga etc. The Nutri shots bar also offered protein shakes, smoothies and fresh juices to help replenish energies lost in extensive workouts. Getting the feel of the place I promised myself a yoga class the very next day.
I felt that I was in a maze as I looked at the fabulous art collected by the hotel; some lined in its hallways itself as I found out further that they also had an Art Collective on display at the Mall. The Whitefield Art Collective is in its third edition and houses art from some of India’s premier art Institutions, Including MSU Baroda, JJ School of Art &the Delhi School of Art. This initiative connects communities and provides a national platform for established and emerging artists. I for one completely enjoyed viewing the installations, being an art buff.
Feeling all charged and looking forward to more sightings the next day I went ahead for dinner at one of the restaurants in the adjoining mall. That’s the thing about being all interconnected there’s so much more to catch and that much more to do. Nasi & Mee turned out to be the restaurant with Pan Asian street food. Completely up my street.
Yoga in the morning followed by breakfast at the all day dining, I actually savored the buffet, and stepped back into the Maze. I went to see how ‘The Hive’ worked. It turned out to be a melting pot of diverse cultures. Here people came to work together all under one roof, mixing their personal and professional lives. It is perhaps one of India’s largest collaborative workspaces (100,000 sq ft of shared and private offices and associated amenities). Truly impressive in my opinion.
A light lunch at The Salt serving Indian cuisine followed by an interestingly serene afternoon spent at The Bounce Spa and Salon progressed my day. Ably rested I retired to my room and enjoyed reading and browsing through the many books in my living room. After all it was the library Suite. Retail therapy was on my mind as I had passed the many branded stores on my way to the to the restaurants and back. I had actually saved an entire evening for that.
My evening passed in browsing the bookstores, major branded stores and the Kids Zone. VR Bangaluru had thought of everything for the Urban traveler with or without family. Later in the evening I spent time watching the sunset from the Sky Deck. The Waverly has its very own rooftop place for events. I basked in the sunset that allowed such a panoramic view of the City. I then decided to take a dip in the 20 m heated pool and settled down for a quick round of cocktails and some starters by the pool. I was then ready to call it an early night.
A day into Whitefield is a must though there are no historical places left to sight as such, but one can easily drive out to the 100 ft road at nearby Indra Nagar and explore Benguluru’s eateries and micro breweries. I preferred to come back to the Waverly, since I still hadn’t got enough of its offerings. The Toscano, their Italian eaterie is a quaint space that can be accessed from the mall and also directly from the lobby of the hotel. I enjoyed my multi course meal, with my usual Perrier. The meal turned out to be a great mix of old and new world Italian cuisine, but they still serve their gourmet pizza, thankfully.
The Sky deck is fully equipped with a state of the art 26×12 ft LED HD screen making it an open air venue for a movie screening like no other in Bengaluru. Lots of events happen here like Sports events, movie marathons, and live music shows, but I got to see Frida-The movie and I was mighty thrilled. Truly an event to remember as I walked along to the ALT, the signature open-air rooftop lounge bar.
A befitting close to my three-day stay, discovering the BlackBox, nicely nicknamed, but inside which I found events seamlessly consistent of shopping, hospitality, food, leisure and entertainment. For me the perfect mix in a holiday.
Previously published in FWD Life
Image Credits : VR Bengaluru, Maya Lalchandani
