Only a handful of establishments can look back with contentment – of having imbibed - and contributed to the rapidly evolving culture of Bengaluru, one of the world's most dynamic cities. The Oberoi Bengaluru undoubtedly falls in these ranks. What started out as a chance project in the army cantonment area on MG Road in the year 1992, in the hope of being a part of the city's luxury hospitality landscape, has traversed through a testing multi-dimensional 25 years. Today, it is a pioneer, the hotel that attempted to celebrate the verdance of the Garden City, by balancing the nuances of a plush hotel with a verdant and tranquil oasis. What started with open corridors in 1992, has moved to glass installations and presidential suites. The 25-year mark brings with it a gamut of interesting tales. Visheshwar Raj Singh, vice-president and general manager, The Oberoi, Bengaluru, tells Pooja Prabhan the story.
The Oberoi was the only hotel built specifically with the garden in mind. Can you tell us how this came about?
Yes, it is the only hotel of its kind – 60% of the plot is garden, even today! The land was owned by a local gentleman and it caught the fancy of Rai Bahadur Mohan Singh Oberoi, who became the founding Chairman. He obtained a 99-year-lease and all of a sudden, rose a project nobody had envisioned before – a garden hotel in the midst of the fast-changing Garden City. P.R.S. Oberoi never let us cut any of the trees in the area, irrespective of how lucrative it seemed from a commercial point of view.
How does the architecture of the space fit in with the emphasis on gardens?
The hotel is strategically designed to ensure that every room comes with an inward facing balcony, all guests are offered the opportunity to the front view of garden. Unlike most hotels, The Oberoi is constructed with single-loaded corridors, hence offering just one view – of the garden. The sanctum sanctorum, their Rain Tree, occupies the centremost space of the establishment and the hotel was built around it – we will never compromise that. It used to be about as tall as the third storey, but is now higher than the fifth.
Tell us a little about the landscaping style...
The space was designed by landscapist Richard Tan, a pioneer in the landscape industry, in keeping with the Singaporean gardening traditions. Still, the whole thing was very serendipitous. The city’s weather proved very conducive for the set up, too. Things have a way of falling into place and it was no different here. When we started, the hotel had less than 130 rooms. We didn’t even require air-conditioning in those days!
The hotel has evolved a great deal over the years. Please tell us a little about this journey...
A host of bespoke experiences await the business traveller on the go, here in Bengaluru. We have also conjured up the Oberoi E’nhance (interface customised) through which customers can avail of any service with a single tap on the iPad placed in every room. Bengaluru is the IT hub of the country, so the Oberoi decided to introduce the concept here, to keep pace with the city’s technological advancements. It is the only city to avail the facility.
What are occupancy rates like? What kind of travellers does the Oberoi cater to?
Well over 90% on weekdays! It ranges between 90 and 95 percent between Monday and Thursday. From Friday to Sunday, occupancy is somewhere between 60 to 70%. Around 80% of our guests are corporate, the remainder are here for leisure. The scales are tipped slightly in favour of foreigners, who make up about 60% of our clients.
