MUMBAI: Bengaluru based Royal Orchid Hotel was recoginsed as ?Bangalore Hot 50 Brands? during the recently concluded Bangalore Brand Summit 2015. The property has 28 businesses and leisure hotels in 20 popular destinations across India.

Royal Orchid Hotels managing director Chander Kamal Bajlee said, ?This is very encouraging for all who work with the brand and for people who have worked so hard to create such strong home grown identities. This is also in line with the Prime Minister?s vision of ?Make in India? so we are definitely headed in the right direction with our vision and the initiatives that follow.?

Royal Orchid Hotels primarily operates 5 and 4 star hotels, enabling it to target the discerning business and leisure traveller. It currently operates 28 hotels across India in Bengaluru, Mysore, Hospet, Shimoga, Mumbai, Pune, Mahabaleshwar, Goa, Chandigarh, Jaipur, Mussoorie, Gurgoan- Delhi, Bharuch, Bhuj, Baroda, Rajkot, Ahmedabad, Haridwar and one on Lake Victoria, Tanzania and one in Nairobi.

Its other accolades include: National Tourism Award 2008-09 organised by the Ministry of Tourism, ?Hotel of the Year? in the First Class Business Hotel category at the Golden Star Awards 2010 and Pegas Awards for Excellence amongst others.

By Papri Das

When Seeksherpa co-founder Dhruv Raj Gupta began his career with Google, he had no idea that wanderlust would take his professional life to a completely different arena. Both keen travellers, Dhruv and his partner Sukhmani noticed how eagerly they interacted with the locals on their college trips. ?It gave us an insight in their lives and allowed us to understand a new city better than any travelogue or guide,? says Gupta. 

 Moreover, the touch of familiarity that comes from knowing a local is something that a concierge at a five star can?t provide. ?When we visit a restaurant and the chef would come to speak with us or when the locals guided us on what to order, it was a whole new experience altogether,? he adds.

It was on trek to Triund when the duo finally woke up to the idea of launching a start-up travel site that is based off the same concept. ?We lost our way during the trip, until a dog guided us to the hilltop. This incident motivated us to create a platform where locals would get an opportunity to offer their skills and knowledge and travellers a chance to utilise these skills to have a better time,? Gupta informs. An avid traveller, so far Gupta has travelled extensively across northern India, Egypt, California, Nevada, Florida and New York. Speaking about this most memorable trip out of these, Gupta says, ?I spent three months in California. I mostly travelled by bus and train along the west coast. There, I met a variety of people, some of whom were complete strangers, some of whom I bonded with over conversations on cultures and traditions, which has inspired me greatly in customising Seeksherpa.?

 The one year old company Seeksherpa has already garnered positive reviews, and has expanded itself to different digital platforms as well. While that's good news for Gupta as an entrepreneur, the traveller inside him has taken a toll, unfortunately.?I don't think I've taken a long trip since I started SeekSherpa so whatever I've done before has been an effort to get to the SeekSherpa way of travelling,? he says. 

However, he's not complaining as he relives the travel experiences of all those who share their stories in Seeksherpa. ?We really like when travellers come out of their cocoon and talk about how the micro tour showed them places they would have never seen or about how they have been living in their city for 30 years, passed by the same things every day, until SeekSherpa came in and brought alive everyday moments,? quips the young entrepreneur.  

And that's not the only way Gupta satiates his wanderlust. ?These days, I have become a traveller in my own city. I have learnt and understood so much about Delhi alone that the traveller in me wonders whether travel is really about transporting oneself or about exploring one's surroundings,? he adds in parting.

Exec Lifestyle?s Weekend Watch recommends and previews television shows, films and live events that you simply cannot miss! Check out our recommendations for this weekend (3 - 5 April, 2015).

Movies

Those who like to titillate their brains with a healthy dose of jasoosigiri have the much awaited Detective Byomkesh Bakshy! to watch out for on the big screen this weekend, with Sushant Singh Rajput starring as the iconic titular character. Adapting it from the popular Bengali detective novel series by Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay, Dibakar Bannerjee has added his own special touch to the story, which will surely keep your at the edge of your seats.

Television:

Star Sports 4: Football fanatics have a very busy weekend line up, with a series of exciting matches scheduled. Start your weekend with the Barclays Premier League where Arsenal plays Liverpool at 5.30 pm on 4 April. This will be followed by Chelsea vs Stoke City at 10 pm.

NEO Sports: With a few matches to go, all the teams will try to swap spots with higher placed teams. Bundesliga will see rivals coming together as Dortmund hosts league leader Bayern Munich at 10 pm on Saturday, 4 April.

MUMBAI: The Ritz-Carlton, Bali opened on 2 February 2015, marking the brand?s grand return to the idyllic island as a unique, luxurious and locally-inspired resort, set amidst the dramatic cliffs and pristine beaches of southern Bali.

Located in Sawangan, Nusa Dua, The Ritz-Carlton, Bali is set on 12.7 hectares of expansive and beautifully manicured beach-front and cliff-top land. With 313 hotel rooms, including 34 cliff top and ocean view villas, the luxury resort offers a dramatic location along the sweeping coastline of Nusa Dua?s southern tip.  Of its many memorable features, the 180-degree unobstructed views of the Indian Ocean are undeniably a highlight, with a 70 meter high glass elevator providing guests with access to the beach, ensuring views of the lush landscape and exquisite scenery are strikingly omnipresent.

The Ritz-Carlton, Bali embodies the brand?s dedication to iconic service, whilst combining the warmth and spirituality of true Indo-Balinese hospitality, set to attract global affluent travelers from couples, bridal parties and honeymooners, to group, meetings and conference guests. The hotel is located 30 minutes from Ngurah Rai International Airport and is just minutes away from the Jimbaran Bay, Pecatu and Uluwatu area, as well as cultural sites including Jatiluwih and Ubud.

The luxury resort reinforces The Ritz-Carlton?s commitment to inspiring life's most meaningful journeys, with authentic and harmonious experiences and indigenous design elements.  Embracing local symbolism, a central theme to the property is the Tree of Life, known to locals as ?Kalpataru?, which represents strength, wisdom, and beauty, and is prevalent throughout the resort and grounds, providing the fullest appreciation for the beauty of life.  D?cor is ?Anyaman? style, coupled with design influences from local craftsmen and the surrounding landscape, creating an exceptional environment that is as elegant as it is rustic.

Led by a highly skilled culinary team, The Ritz-Carlton, Bali features six restaurants and lounges, offering an authentic gastronomic journey, combining the finest local ingredients with international influences. Bejana, the property?s soon-to-open Indonesian restaurant, will offer the Culinary Cave ? a unique epicurean learning experience with programs personally tailored to suit groups and individuals. The Beach Grill, set along the shore, offers seafood and grill specialties alongside stunning views of the Indian Ocean. The innovative food and beverage portfolio is completed by Raku, a Japanese Lounge & Bar, The Ritz-Carlton Lounge & Bar, which serves the finest selections of premium tea, Senses, an all day dining restaurant, and Breezes Tapas Lounge which serves light snacks and Tapas by the pool.

The Ritz-Carlton Club Level includes a private pool and sun deck exclusively for club guests, whilst The Ritz-Carlton Spa, opening soon, will offer a distinctive wellness experience that is truly Balinese in nature. Surrounded by lush foliage, the spa will consist of 14 serene treatment rooms seamlessly incorporating indoor and outdoor spaces. A stunning oceanfront wedding chapel makes the property the venue of choice for island weddings, while meeting facilities for up to 200 guests provide for an endless variety of corporate and private events.

Every place has a story and it is always exciting to visit a new city, country or destination. We reached out to several of India?s top executives who revealed their favourite holiday spots!

A total of over Rs 1.6 billion invested, the park spread over an area of 62 acres features over 20 different rides and attractions, supplied by leading European manufacturers such as Intamin, Moser and Zamperla, who supply rides to Disney, Universal Studios and Six Flags. It is the Rohini, Delhi Adventure Island and Metro Walk by Unitech Amusement Parks Ltd. and International Amusement Ltd.

The Rohini Amusement Park combines the experiences of both retail and entertainment destination through its two distinct zones. The retail experience is called Metro Walk and the amusement park area Adventure Island. A separate zone in Adventure Island has been designed along with Turner Networks and is called Planet Pogo, which will house a MAD Theatre and Pogo Plazas for children. Adventure Island will also include a water park and a multimedia area, says managing director Rakesh Babbar.

Toronto-based leading architecture firm Forrec Limited, designed the layout of the park. Internationally renowned consultants such as City Design Group, Electrosonic, Management Resources and Cini Little have also been roped in to create a world-class amusement park and retail destination that promises to be a one-of-its-kind entertainment destination bigger that anything else in its catchment area.

The amusement park featuring 15 rides will be specific to children and teenagers and for the whole family.

Adventure Island comprises of a separate children's zone that will be themed around the popular children's entertainment channel Pogo. This zone will be called Planet Pogo and will house special attractions such as the MAD Theatre, H2O zone and HQ.

Another major attraction is the water park that will feature several long water slides, a large lazy river, fountains and a wave pool.

Metrowalk Mall

With a total area of 200,000 sq. ft., Metro Walk is one of the biggest malls retail, food and entertainment. An artificial lake spread across 3.5 acres provide refreshing backdrop to exclusive retail experience. Themed signages and extensive interiors in vibrant colours will line the central courtyard of the Metrowalk.

Water Management

The promoters have commissioned an environment-friendly water management system, sourced from 8 tube wells located along the site, will then be treated at the RO plants for water filtration before being used in the park. To counter the drawing of ground water, the park has outlined a plan to harvest water. Recharge pits will be constructed within the site that will absorb rainwater back in the ground. The park also plans to set up a water treatment plant in the future that would make it possible to recycle and reuse unclean water.