A GRAND AFFAIR
Located in the heart of Vadodara in Gujarat, Grand Mercure Vadodara Surya Palace embraces the cultural heritage of the city in its own unique way.
THE UPSCALE HOSPITALITY chain of Grand Mercure Hotels & Resorts made its entry in the state of Gujarat in 2017 by rebranding the heritage property of Surya Palace as its flagship hotel in Vadodara. With its strategic location and 146 well-appointed rooms and suites, Grand Mercure Vadodara Surya Palace is the most soughtafter venue in the city today.
A splendid sculpture of Panchadhatu, which signifies the five elements of the universe, greets you at the entrance. It has been designed by the well-known Japanese artist Mia Uchi. The lobby of the hotel presents evident Art Deco influences. The interiors blend an old-world charm with a contemporary aesthetic, including a vivacious colour palette. The property also displays a plethora of artworks by renowned artists such as Nagji Patel, Jyoti Bhatt, P R Daroz, and K G Subramanyan.
Global flavours, dedicated service, and artistic ambience come together to make all your dining experiences memorable. Azure, the hotel’s ‘International Food Theatre’, dishes out 11 different cuisines and features huge paintings
The bedroom of the Presidential Suite; Azure is the all-day dining restaurant at the property; the lobby of Grand Mercure Vadodara Surya Palace; the hotel is an ideal choice for travellers seeking upscale accommodation for business and leisure alike.
representing Vadodara’s cultural heritage. Vanilla-The Bake Shop is famous for its melt-in-your-mouth desserts. The hotel also organises a number of food festivals to celebrate gourmet food, culinary skills, traditional recipes, and the freshest of ingredients.
The 10 banquet spaces and conference halls at Grand Mercure Vadodara Surya Palace make sure that every event is a success story. And if you have a workation or staycation on your mind, the outdoor pool, Zivaya Spa, a 10-hole golf course nearby, and a range of shopping centres and multiplexes in close proximity offer enough opportunities for leisure. The hotel can also arrange for a heritage tour of the city which introduces you to all the hidden gems of Vadodara. all.accor.com
When I first landed in Delhi, I was a young and ignorant tourist, so the whole bazaar experience was a bit rich from a sensory point of view. Delhi wasn’t as modern then, and there was no internet or GPS, so I kept getting lost. And, of course, June was and is a very hot month in North India. But then I travelled to rural India just as monsoon started, and to the
Himalayas, and it was much less stressful. In the end, when I flew back to Sweden, I went on missing everything about India—the food, the chaotic but laidback lifestyle, the hospitable owners of small lodges who treat a visitor more like a distant relative dropping in than a customer, and those old-style Indian bookshops. So, I returned. Again, and again. And then at some point, it started to seem pointless to leave India, so I made it my home.
You were a designer and a musician before you became a writer. Do you give India credit for bringing out the mystery writer in you?
Yeah, I’d agree to that. I used to work in the Swedish music industry and also did design work for theatres, which was fun but ultimately ephemeral. In comparison, books are solid objects. In typical Indian bookshops, you’ll often find books that may have been printed 10 or 20 years ago. In the West, a book is outdated after six