Being At Two Hotels At The Same Time! An Ideal Staycation @ Courtyard by Marriott and Fairfield by Marriott, Bangalore

Marriott International has been in the news the last couple of weeks and all for good reason. Marriott International acquired Starwood Hotels & Resorts on Sept. 23 2016. As luck has it, I had my  weekend getaway at the Courtyard by Marriott, Bengaluru scheduled the next day.

Marriott International with its SPG merger, now inherits 11 new brands to add to its existing 19. To add Marriott International took over Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces the following week. To become India’s largest hotel company with 79 operating hotels.

Did you know ? The Courtyard by Marriott and Fairfield by Marriott in Bangalore is the first in Asia. A dual branded property that shares facilities like fitness center, board rooms, the pool, spa and restaurants.

As you can see, I was at two hotels at the same time. Just showing off here.

– Getting There –

The Courtyard by Marriott and Fairfield by Marriott is located at Outer Ring Road Marathahalli Sarjapur Road, Bellandur, Bengaluru. It is close to some of the top IT Business Parks around like RMZ Eco space and RMZ Eco world. Making it ideal for the short and long term stay for business traveller and the likes. The distance from the airport is about 34kms.

My drive – I live close to MG road, so driving across town was a cinch, that too on a Saturday morning! I reached the venue in under 30mins.

– The Hotel –

The Courtyard by Marriott is a chic yet a modern hotel. It is contemporary and ideal for the business traveler with added luxury and comfort. Especially for those seeking a touch of luxury and convenience during their stay. There are 8 floors, with 158 rooms and 12 suites. Being a business hotel, it has 7 meeting rooms about 6,770 sq ft of total meeting space.

The hotel has two restaurants. “Momo Cafe” – an all day dining restaurant, serving buffet style breakfast, lunch and dinner. Ala carte menu is also available. My favorite spot was the coffee lounge. I loved the fresh croissants, for once, I found them fresh and crispy on the outside. The cupcakes were divine. There is something to fulfill every demanding palate. This restaurant, serves various South Indian dishes.

The other restaurant is a Mediterranean restaurant “BG’s” by the pool, serving up some lip smacking small size bites and main dishes. It is a lounge and a bar. The mixologist Krishna was just as excited as I was and he just blew me off by conjuring some fancy and delicious cocktails.

To give you a some idea of Fairfield by Marriott Bengaluru Outer Ring Road has a 169 guest rooms including 115 deluxe rooms and 54 deluxe pool view rooms. The specialty restaurant at Fairfield by Marriott is “Kava” an all-day dining restaurant that offers sumptuous Indian and International cuisine with a three-meal-a-day facility (buffet and a la carte options). Those who prefer a drink can visit Kava the Bar, a modern retro bar and lounge.

Both the hotel’s share the gym and the pool. Every nook and cranny of the hotels has been decorated with Channapatna craft work. Channapatna is a form of wooden toys/ dolls/ art work that are manufactured in the town of Channapatna in rural district of Karnataka. Channapatna is known as Gombegala Ooru (toy-town) of Karnataka and this traditional craft is protected as a geographical indication (GI) under the World Trade Organization, administered by the Government of Karnataka.

My pickup got arranged to ensure I had a 11am check-in. I stayed at the Courtyard by Marriott. I was impressed with the elegant, comfortable interiors of the lobby. The staff was quick to attend and get my baggage for me. I was early by 40mins so decided to just laze at Momo Café. I ordered a Cappuccino and ended up walking around clicking some images. And soaking the atmosphere.

– The Room  –

There are four types of room at the Courtyard by Marriott – Deluxe room, Deluxe Pool view, Executive room, and Executive Suite.

I had checked into the Deluxe Pool View room on the 7th Floor. It is quite spacious and well laid out, and exudes freshness. The rooms have first class amenities and are versatile ensuring a comfortable stay. The interiors are up tempo. The dark curtains helped keep the light out ensuring a good nights rest.

Post lunch I was at luck, I got upgraded to the Executive Suite for the night. I got  bowled over by the size of the suite. This suite is spacious, a separate living area, and study table. There is an office desk for the workaholics, love that you have the various plug points.

The bedroom is tasteful and well decorated. What is more appealing is the large bedroom which is half the size of the actual room. The built in closet and luggage space in the bathroom is great. My favourite is the his and hers sink. The toilet and the bath area are separate which is a plus point. I loved the bathtub and just enjoyed soaking myself in it with the lovely scented bath salts.

There is complimentary wifi, and is accessible throughout the hotel. This room features Executive lounge access. Happy hours from 6pm to 9pm. The mini bar is well stocked with beer and other soft drinks. The tea/coffee and water gets replenished daily.

Shame I had to walk up early the next day. I was keen to check the buffet counter and click good images before anyone did. I wanted to capture the presentation and layout. But there was a group staying in that day, and the beat me to it. Anyhow, I manged to get some good clicks. I was too famished and decided to enjoy my breakfast at my own pace.

– The Pool –

The pool was as tempting as ever. It is just perfect to unwind and soak up the sun when on a holiday! As its the monsoon, I didn’t have much luck with enjoying the sun beds by the pool. The afternoon, was cloudy, the pool glistened and the bright blue hue was just too tempting to resist. The water was a bit chilly to start, but I got used to it and just did not want to get out.

– Food & Drinks –

For the most part of my stay I was at Momo Cafe the buffet styled dining is great as you get to taste a variety of food at one go. Each of the dishes were outstanding and so tasty. If I have to pick a favorite I would say the butter chicken and the Mysore masala dosa I had for breakfast.

The bonus of dining here is the pool view and the gentle breeze that blows across. They serve a la carte during the week, and brunch over the weekends. The hype around the city off late has been the BG’s Sunday Brunch. Chef Somu Sundaram ensures that each day the menu is carefully curated and quality along with the dining experiences for guests is maintained. I was there for two days and having eaten a wide selection from the buffet. I would have to agree. Each dish was delectable and left me craving for a second.

I leave you with some images of the feast I had including the Sunday Brunch extravagant spread.

– The Spa –

A weekend retreat can never be complete without an invigorating Spa. The Scent Spa is a premium boutique salon, in the city. They have the in-house Spa located at all the Marriott Hotels in Bangalore.

The Scent Spa provides a range of treatments and services. You can take your pick from various types of massages, body wraps and facials. I chose the hot stone body massage. It was just want I needed after that chilly swim in the pool.

Hot stone massage is therapeutic and helps calms the system. I was just relaxed and enjoyed the pressure and the heat applied to my body. The Hot Stone Massage uses hot basalt stones. This encourages your body to relax. The complete treatment balances your body, your energy and your mind. A special hot massage oil gets applied and the masseurs uses these hot stones in tandem to massage the body. And post this  the hot stones get placed at certain pressure points on the body to help release the stress. And to build that synergy, candles and relaxing music helps. I felt rejuvenated and all set for the evening to follow.

Ester the spa manager was kind enough to click a picture. It was sort of hilarious that entire shoot, I giggled all the way, and the stones kept sliding off. But we managed to get a lovely shot for reference.

– My Final Thoughts –

The hospitality was exemplary. Each of the staff member was super friendly and we had a great time, especially the Sunday Brunch. I had to gather all for a group picture. A lovely place for  families who want to unwind over the weekend. They have special kids menu a the brunch. I had a chance to mingle with some of the guests. Each of them had only good feedback about the service and the quality of the food and their stay. A guest staying for a good couple of months, had shifted to this venue after hearing about the hospitality, from one of the Hotels near by.

About the Courtyard by Marriott is about 33 years old, which started in 1983 as part of the Marriott brand. The ability to adapt to the marketplace has helped it to stay a cut above the other business hotels, offering business travellers moderate-priced hotel segment. Sources have it that nights were spent siting in competitors’ hotel rooms taking a lot of notes about the furniture, the layout and service.  All this went into the design of Courtyard by Marriott.

To reserve or book your stay “Click Here”

I had a lot of fun, and by the time I left the entire staff gave me a fitting farewell. It was touching. Hope you liked my review, if you have stayed here feel free to leave your comments below. Would love to get your feedback.

I had the entire brunch recorded live via FB Live. You can watch the uncut, unedited and uncensored video

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xoxo
Deena Pinto
(SkinnyGirlDiariez)
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**Disclaimer: Even though the invite was complimentary, all views expressed are my own.