It’s hard for a building to make a big splash in Chandigarh, a city built with a certain architectural harmony where no one structure can rise like a garish behemoth dwarfing the rest. Le Corbusier would not have it so, and that’s the philosophy the city still lives by. Therefore, the JW Marriott Chandigarh looks quite deceptive from the outside, its grey-blue façade elegant but not particularly striking.
Inside, the hotel has upped the ante on luxury. There is some of the regulation beige in the lobby décor, but the feel is nothing like that of a bland business hotel, though that’s what this Marriott is for five days a week. Natural light from the floor-to-ceiling doors and windows along one long wall dispels the usual tedium of excessive indoor lighting found elsewhere.
An L-shaped section on the ground floor, wrapped around the lobby, has calming water features and inviting outdoor seating. When we arrived, Chandigarh greeted us with a cool breeze strong enough to erase memories of burning hot Delhi, only five hours away by road. On days like this, a cocktail and an outdoor table are all one needs for bliss.
When we tottered into our rooms, rather worn out by a long highway ride, the Marriott Chandigarh sprang a very happy surprise — the standard rooms at this hotel are huge or, at least, they appear huge, perhaps because of a clever layout. We shan’t nit-pick about the exact square footage, but if this is standard, it is a very high standard, indeed. Apart from a small accident involving my finger and the sliding door of the bathroom — be warned, families with young children — the guest room was a pleasure to spend time in. Not that you’d want to, once you discover the rooftop pool.
The pool is the high point of the hotel in every way. Its loungers placed on a submerged platform, the infinity pool ends in a glass barrier that allows for a panoramic view of the neat urban spread of Chandigarh. It is a strangely relaxing sight — or, perhaps, not so strange, as ‘the city beautiful’ is an orderly town, loyal to Le Corbusier’s vision of a development inspired by the human body, far more civilised than the rest of north India. No harsh sounds from the traffic below invade the peace of the rooftop, as it would in manic Delhi. It is possible to sit here, gaze at the mountains in the distance and imagine being in the Himalaya.
In the evenings, the air of serenity in the hotel gives way to a much livelier atmosphere, especially if it’s the wedding season. We don’t know whether Chandigarh has made it to the hot list of ‘destination wedding’ cities, but the Marriott does have its hands full with baraatis. We melted in with the guests at one of the ceremonies, sneaking in to watch a bhangra performance.
Should you, too, want to be serenaded, without the strings-attached stress of a romantic relationship, book a table at Oregano, the Italian-themed restaurant, where Chef Antonello Cancedda — when he is in the mood — strums the guitar and sings everything from ‘Volare’ to ‘Pani da rang’. Raise a toast with a glass of rosé and join in. Now you’re truly in the city beautiful.
The information
Location Plot No. 6, Sector 35-B, Dakshin Marg, Chandigarh. 20min drive from the airport.
Accommodation 164 rooms, including 4 suites and 1 presidential suite
Tariff Online rates start from Rs 9,000 a night for a deluxe (standard) room; Rs 10,800 for a spa package + room; Rs 19,900 for a luxury suite
Contact 0172-3955555, www.marriott.com