When I saw the facade of Balaji Sarovar Premiere at Solapur, I instantly said, “wow”. And it was this feeling of wow that stayed with me throughout my stay at the hotel. I confess I had my apprehensions before I left for Solapur. ‘Would the hotel be good? Will it live to its 5 star tag? What will I do in Solapur?’, I wondered. Well, Balaji Sarovar Premiere was not just good, it was superbly great. And yes its outstanding hospitality is at par with any 5 star of the metros or major cities, if not better. The luxurious hotel is not just Solapur’s only branded hotel (5 star no less), it has multiple delicious dining options and has the first spa of the city.
Berzin Master, General Manager, Balaji Sarovar Premiere adds, “Spread across 3 acres, the hotel boasts of 129 rooms and suites including a physically challenged room. While the Superior Rooms offer either the pool or city views and come equipped with a writing desk, electronic safe, mini bar, Wi-Fi and data port, the Junior Suites and Executive Suites include a bedroom, living room and a plush marble fitted bathroom. The Presidential Suite is elite and lavish and includes a bedroom and living room with dining space.” An elaborate fitness centre, doctor on call, business centre, travel desk and a souvenirs/gift shop are the other facilities of Balaji Sarovar Premiere. The entire hotel is wheel chair accessible. Maintenance is the high point of this hotel and it shows in its style, service and class.
The dining options of a hotel can make or break its guest loyalty. Balaji Sarovar Premiere confidently outshines in its F and B department. Courtyard is an all day dining restaurant offering multi cuisine buffet and a la carte. High Point is a lounge bar where guests can enjoy exotic beverages, mocktails and cocktails with snacks. It has separate smoking and non smoking seating areas. Tea lounge offers tea, coffee and mini bites. I recommend the cold coffee. My favourite dining venue was The Oriental Blossom, the fine dining Chinese restaurant that specialises in Szechwan and Cantonese recipes handed down through generations. The quality and portion sizes of the lip smacking, hearty and absolutely authentic Chinese dishes had me coming back for more. No short cuts are taken whatsoever and most of the produce is procured from Pune and Mumbai, while the sauces are imported.
For starters a must try is the Cantonese style chimney soup. It is subtle and filled to the brim with vegetables, tofu and noodles. For mains, Buddhas’s delight is the way to go with a delicious medley of black fungus and assorted vegetables. Prawns tossed with Peppers Szechwan style came in a close second. My stir fry tofu, water chestnut, baby corn, broccoli and shitake mushrooms was so delicious that I ordered it the next day as well. The restaurant serves duck, lobster and tiger prawns and has its own wine rack. The décor is classy with hand- made bronze tiles on one side of the wall while another has a gold leaf embossing effect. The lanterns blend with the Chinese theme.
The banquet and conference halls of Balaji Sarovar Premiere are named after the elements of nature with the latest audiovisual equipment, picture screens, overhead video and slide-projectors and advanced audio and microphone systems. Berzin Master explains, “The 8,000 sq. feet Prithvi is a pillarless banquet room, Vayu is where numerous state level conferences are held, Jal has conferences and corporate meetings while Akash is the venue for boardroom meetings. The wedding lawn has a waterfall and its own festivity desk.”
The spa called Urban Nirvana offers a variety of massages and scrubs. I opted for their Urban Nirvana Signature Massage where my therapist used a variety of body stretches followed by the massage which was done with their signature oil. I went from drab to fab in those 60 minutes. The swimming pool at Balaji Sarovar Premiere is sparkling and inviting. It is so clean that you can see the floor tiles. The cascading water on the adjoining wall adds to its beauty.
Religious tourism is the high point of Solapur. The hotel is strategically situated and is 3 kms from the airport and 5 kms from the railway station. The prominent religious places of Tuljapur, Pandharpur and Akkalkot are a short drive away. Tuljapur is known for goddess Tulja Bhawani. Pandharpur is famous for Lord Vitthal and Rukmini and is referred to as the southern Kashi of India. Akkalkot is associated with Shri Swami Samarth who is believed to be an incarnation of Lord Dattatreya. On the way back from Akkalkot drop in at the palace which has now been converted into an armoury museum which also displays the private dog and car models of royalty. The drive itself is a pleasant one with sugarcane fields and sunflower fields giving you company.
Sightseeing options within Solapur include the Siddeshwar Temple, Malikarjun Temple, Rupabhawani Temple, Bhuikot Fort, Dr Dwarkanath Kotnis Memorial and zoo. Solapuri Chadders still remind us why Solapur was referred to as the Manchester of India.
Balaji Sarovar Premiere, Solapur
Aasara Chowk, Hotgi Road
Solapur, Maharashtra – 413224
Tel : +91 217 2604 604, Fax: +91 217 2604 050
Email: bsp@sarovarhotels.com
Website- www.sarovarhotels.com
Khursheed Dinshaw
Seems like a lovely place to stay at Solapur.
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