Hotel review: Crowne Plaza, Gurgaon

Last week, I had a great opportunity to visit the Crowne Plaza, Gurgaon, and spend a couple of nights there. I've been to some dinner gatherings / banquets here a couple of times, but this is a hotel I've always wanted to stay at, ever since one of my colleagues mentioned, way back in 2008, that his room was a virtual football field. However, logistics and other administrative (and cost) factors have always meant that I've had to stay at other hotels (mostly good, and you can read about some of those reviews here, here and here). So when this opportunity came up, I couldn't say no.

The hotel is located just off the main highway that runs from Delhi, through Gurgaon, through to Jaipur. After the mandatory security checks of the car, I was led into the rather nice looking lobby area.

After I presented my booking confirmation, I was taken to a separate priority desk for IHG Platinum members,

and was handed this card as part of my check-in pack.

The agent then informed me that as a Platinum member, I had been upgraded to one of their business suites, even though my booking was for a base category room. Given the amount of travel that I do, and also given how unfriendly my housekeeping habits are, I really appreciate the opportunity to have a larger room with more space to spread out my things, so I was grateful for the upgrade. Check in done, another agent escorted me to my room and on the way, explained the hotel's facilities.

Bar exterior

Bar

Lobby - bar, elevator banks, cake shop, coffee shop

Cake shop

Coffee shop

Speciality Brazilian restaurant

The hotel is inverted-L-shaped, and I believe I had the last room on the long arm of the L, on the second floor.

Lift lobby

Corridor

My room - 2000

The doors opened into a small vestibule, which led to a reasonably large drawing room, with a comfortable sofa, flatscreen TV, and a work desk, besides a wooden panel housing the coffee maker and also the minibar.

There was also lots of storage space on the shelf.

And the minibar.

Moving on to the bedroom, it was indeed a rather large one, compared to many of the studio rooms I've stayed at (and not counting my room at the Westin, Mumbai). The windows looked out on to the pool and health club, though I didn't quite get any good pictures of that view. Here are some pictures of the bedroom.

On the other side of the bedroom was the bath, and a sort of walk-in wardrobe and a separate dresser.

Wardrobe

Bathroom

Tub

Bathroom

Shower cubicle

Shower with massagers

Dresser

In particular, I liked the tag hanging off the hanger with the bath robe.

Sure is a lot of different when compared with the one I saw at the ITC Grand Central, Mumbai, some months ago.

Facing the bed was a large (maybe 42-inch) flatscreen TV, and a Bose music system just beneath the TV. Now, I'm not entirely sure as to the objective of the music system - as much as I'm not sure how many people travel with CDs. It's good for the radio, though.

On the night I arrived, there was a wedding function at the hotel, and as my room was at one end of the premises, I had a horrible couple of hours with all the music, fireworks and noise. Have a look, though I must apologise for picture quality.

At this point in time, I had a bit of a run in with the duty manager. The noise was a terrible disturbance, and when I rang him up, he said he'd get my room changed. This happened a few minutes after I had got to the room, and so I didn't unpack, waiting for a call to confirm the room change. However, no call came. After repeated attempts at reaching him, I finally got through, only to be told to "put up with the noise" for some more time. Now, I agree that the hotel really can't control such external disturbances (even if it is on their property), particularly in a place like Delhi / Gurgaon, with its extreme DYKWIA culture. What I felt wasn't right, was the way (a) I was promised a different room but didn't get it, and (b) the whole situation was handled.

Breakfast the next morning was at the coffee shop. Consistent with what I've heard, the spread was quite large, very tasty, and in particular, I thought I really liked the colours. The buffet had the usual spread of continental, north Indian, south Indian, and Asian cuisines, as also a large selection of breads, juices, fruit, yoghurt, and eggs to order.

Coming back from work that evening, there was a small surprise in the room. The Platinum guest welcome card I was handed at check in indicated Indian sweets. Here they were, along with some salted cashews...a small but significant platinum benefit, methinks! The peanuts go well with a drink or two!

The next morning, I hit the gym, and on the way back, noticed that the executive lounge was open. I hadn't used it before (and didn't use it on that visit), but it was empty, and so afforded a great opportunity for photographs. There was reasonably large seating capacity, and a small business centre too. The buffet here was quite limited in its offering, but would've been more than sufficient for me, is what I think, except that they didn't have eggs to order.

Later that morning, at breakfast time, I met with the hotel general manager - Mr Arindam Kunar - a very genial gentleman. We spoke on a variety of issues, and he profusely apologised on behalf of the hotel, for the noise / incident 2 nights before, which I thought was very generous of him to do.

I'll leave you with this picture of a promotion they're running at their bar - targeted at youngsters with a penchant for tequila shots!

If that isn't risqué, I'm not sure what is !

[Update - March 2014]

• What's good: elite benefits, F&B, executive lounge
• What could be better: staff service attitude, room prices!