Taj Connemara
| Vivanta by Taj—Connemara | |
|---|---|
 Taj Connemara in 2007. | |
 | |
| Hotel chain | Taj Hotels |
| General information | |
| Location | Chennai, India |
| Address | 2, Binny Road, off Anna Salai Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600 002 |
| Coordinates | 13°03′46″N 80°15′41″E / 13.062809°N 80.261508°E |
| Opening | 1854 (as the Imperial Hotel) |
| Management | Taj Hotels |
| Other information | |
| Number of rooms | 150 |
| Number of suites | 5 |
| Website | |
| vivantabytaj.com | |
Vivanta by Taj—Connemara, Chennai is a five-star hotel in Chennai, India. It is a heritage hotel in Chennai.[1] Classified under the Taj Group's business hotels section, the hotel is considered the oldest hotel in the city.[2]
History
The property of Taj Connemara was originally a house bought by John Binny from The Nawab of Arcot in 1799.[3] The property was later bought by T. Somasundara Mudaly[3] and built as the Imperial Hotel in 1854 under the proprietorship of Triplicane Rathinavelu Mudaliar, renamed Albany in 1886 when it was leased to two other Mudaliar brothers, and re-established as The Connemara in 1890,[4] named after the then Madras Governor during 1881-1886, Robert Bourke, baron of Connemara, a rural area in Counties Galway and Mayo in the West of Ireland,[5] later becoming a Spencer's hotel. In 1891, Eugene Oakshott, owner of Spencer's, then a little shop near Anna Circle, bought the hotel and its nine acres to build a showroom. Oakshott wanted to give Spencer's a facelift, so he decided to build one of Asia's biggest departmental store. In the 1930s, James Stiven, director of Spencer's, modernised the hotel starting in 1934, and the modernisation was completed in 1937.[6] It sported an art deco look when it was reopened in 1937.[7][8] The tower block and linking pool was designed by architect Geoffrey Bawa in 1974. In 1984, the Taj Group of Hotels acquired the hotel.[9] The hotel was again renovated in 2005, when the hotel was re-designed with the launch of the loud Distil bar and chic pan Asian restaurant, Hip Asia.[3]
In 2008, historian S. Muthiah wrote a book on the heritage of the hotel, A Tradition of Madras that is Chennai—The Taj Connemara,[2] which reproduces an advertisement from 1880 that states the hotel, called The Imperial Hotel then, promises "extensive premises… cool and fitted with every convenience" and wines from the "celebrated house of Messrs. McDowell & Co."[9] The book gives a rare collection of photographs of old Madras roads, buildings, interiors of the hotels and the hotel's tariff since 1939.[6] According to Muthiah, the British rated Connemara as one of the best hotels in the world.[10]
In September 2010, the hotel was rebranded and renamed as Vivanta by Taj—Connemara, Chennai.[11]
In April 2016, the hotel announced a year-long close down from May 10 for a major makeover to re-create the theme of its early past and reopen as an intimate high-end luxury hotel. Aiming at recreating old menus and cuisines, the renovation would retain only the Verandah and Raintree restaurants, refurbishing all the rooms, lobby and banquet halls to look more like the hotels early years. The renovation would be made by the Mumbai-based engineering consultancy Structwel Designers and Consultants Private Limited.[3]
Location
Taj Connemara is located on the eastern banks of River Cooum on Binny Road, off Anna Salai, abutting the Spencer Plaza, one of the most prominent landmarks of Chennai.
The hotel
Built on a 4.2-acre land,[3] Taj Connemara has a total of 150 rooms, which include 141 double rooms and 9 suites. The hotel has 5 meeting rooms which include a ball room that can accommodate up to 400 people in a theatre style and up to 600 people for cocktails. The conference room of the hotel can accommodate up to 30 people in a theatre style. The restaurants in the hotel include The Verandah—a 24-hour coffee shop serving Indian, Continental, Chinese and Thai food, Distil—serving exotic cocktails, spirits, wines, beer and light snacks in a colonial ambiance, Raintree—an ethnic, open-air restaurant serving Chettinad cuisine from Tamil Nadu with South Indian cultural performances every night, and Grill at the Lounge—serving Continental lunches and dinner, including a special executive lunch.[12]
Greeneries in the hotel include a dramatic old raintree and two sturdy Nagavalli trees.[3]
Renovation
In 2004, the Taj Group renovated a total of 65 rooms in the hotel.[13]
See also
References
- ^ "Deluxe - India Hotels" (PDF). Worldwide Tours. Retrieved 6 Oct 2012.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ a b "Taj Connemara proud symbol of our tradition". The Hindu. Chennai: The Hindu. 26 August 2008. Retrieved 3 Dec 2011.
{{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ a b c d e f Muthalaly, Shonali (21 April 2016). "Taj Connemara to close down for a year". The Hindu. Chennai: The Hindu. Retrieved 13 Aug 2016.
{{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ Kataria, Dayanad. "Inaugural Session" (PDF). Seminar on Conservation of Heritage Buildings/Precincts in Chennai Metropolitan Area. Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority. Retrieved 6 Oct 2012.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ Chacko, Philip (January 2011). "Jewel in the Chennai crown". Tata. Retrieved 6 Oct 2012.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ a b Haripriya, V. (25 August 2008). "Tracing its roots". Ergo 360°. Retrieved 3 Dec 2011.
{{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ Sitalakshmi, K. R. (5 August 2006). "Art Deco buildings in Chennai". The Hindu. Chennai: The Hindu. Retrieved 6 Oct 2012.
{{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ "Do Chennai's art deco buildings have a future?". Madras Musings. XIX (6). 1–15 July 2009. Retrieved 23 Sep 2012.
{{cite journal}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ a b Ramanathan, Malathi (5 September 2008). "Not just smiles and style". Business Line. Chennai: The Hindu. Retrieved 3 Dec 2011.
{{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ "Chidambaram's bid to save Chennai's heritage". NDTV Travels Beta. Indo-Asian News Service. 25 August 2008. Retrieved 3 Dec 2011.
{{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ "19 Taj Hotels migrate to a new brand" (PDF). Introducing a brand new signature in hospitality: Vivanta Hotels & Resorts by Taj. Taj Hotels. Retrieved 6 Oct 2012.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ "Taj Connemara". The Finest Hotels of the World. Retrieved 12 Nov 2011.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ "Taj gives a facelift to Connemara". The Times of India. Chennai: The Times Group. 9 February 2004. Retrieved 3 Dec 2011.
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