by It was meant to be a weekend stay and it turned out to be a short and sweet stay giving glimpses of the hospitality industry understanding the woman traveller better.
(Entrance at the Hotel Holiday Inn Express, Yeshwantpur) ( Photograph by Mums and Stories)
With women opting to work from home, work in corporates, working in different life phases, the travel and hospitality industry too has geared up to address the needs of the woman traveller. She travels within the city, outside the city for work, for a holiday, a break with friends, a break with kids or being alone. If you ask me the last one is a much needed option for all women.
Recently we were at the Holiday Inn Express, a boutique hotel from International Hotels Group (IHG) that is geared towards frequent leisure or business travelers who are looking for a smart stay option.
( Cozy, compact double bed room at Holiday Inn Express)
From a woman’s perspective I would say I look for safety, cleanliness and easy access to facilities when I choose a property stay. Of course it does matter when it comes to the right price point too and at Holiday Inn Express at Yeshwanthpur, we were able to tick mark on most boxes.
( An open area seating extending the restaurant space)
So our Saturday check in was greeted by a courteous team at the hotel. This was after we alighted from the metro station, which is around 800 metres from the Hotel. With close to 118 rooms perched on four floors, the rooms give a different view of seeing the metro in Bangalore.
(Photograph by Mums and Stories at Holiday Inn Express, Yeshwantpur)
If you are a woman traveller coming to the city alone on work or as a holiday, this is a hotel you should consider as it is new, clean and safe. Also you can easily reach the central parts of the city like M.G Road or Brigade or move around to look for sight seeing like Vidhana Soudha, Lalbagh, Cubbon Park, all are accessible by metro connectivity and this property is right next to a metro station. That gives the advantage on accessibility and commute. Even the iconic Bull Temple isn’t too faraway from Lalbagh in case you plan to visit these spaces when in Bangalore.
Again there were lot of facilities in the hotel, that I found interesting.
You have access to laundry room nicely termed Laundromat, for free where you can do your own laundry, iron and dry it on your own. Yes, its equipped with a washer, dryer and ironing station and you can even watch TV in the room while your clothes are getting washed.
Also in case you have forgotten or need certain toiletries like sanitary napkins, comb, dental kit or for men shaving kit , you will be given at the hotel.
You also have a digital locker in the room and unlike Express hotels they do have the facility of room cleaning service everyday if required. This is a huge plus point for a traveller like me when I want to go back to any room that I have booked to be spruced up and kept neat after a long day outside. There is also the strict ‘No smoking policy’ in the rooms and that is a huge plus point.
It does matter on staying in a secure space. Like for example in Holiday Inn Express, Yeshwanthpur, you can access your room floor and room only if you are the house guest with a smart room card. This is given to every guest. So no one else can come to the floor apart from the guests.
( Lobby extending to the restaurant space at Holiday Inn Express, Yeshwantpur).
Just in case you are in a hurry for a elaborate buffet breakfast and have to rush for a meeting in the city, you can pick up the menu items through the Grab and Go option where you can pack and go in case you have to start early in the day.
The boutique hotel is catering to the needs of solo travellers and of course women do comprise of this audience. Of course colleagues and family can stay in the hotel. Particularly for families we suggest taking two rooms that are inter connected. That gives enough space and it’s fun for the kids to run from one good room to another.
( A gymnasium on the fourth floor overlooking the metro line)
There are options of twin beds in a room or double bed room and we recommend the double bed one in case you are travelling. It looks slightly more spacious and has a desk for work to be done. There are certain new features that may surprise or even alarm the Indian traveller like a wash basin outside the shower area or the shower area door being a little transparent.
However if you are travelling alone this shouldn’t be of a concern. The rooms are a bit tiny, yet they score high on cleanliness, compact in nature and utility of space. Most of all after a hard day of work or a stay as a transit point, Holiday Inn Express works out brilliant.
There is a small restaurant area with limited menu options but it does do well with a buffet breakfast offered or room dining service offered. The space also has a charming outdoor seating area in case you want to enjoy the meal in a garden
You can have more details on the hotel here- https://www.ihg.com/holidayinnexpress/hotels/us/en/bengaluru/blrby/hoteldetail
(Reshma Krishnamurthy from Mums and Stories was invited to experience Holiday Inn Express in March 2019)
(All photographs and videos are subject to copyright)
