#BloggerContest: Experiencing the Taj Way at Taj Gateway, Calicut

I tried catching a glimpse of the famous Calicut coastline as our plane descended through the clouds. However, I had no such luck and had to be content with seeing it later. I was going back to the City of Spices for a family wedding after more than a decade.

The cab ride from the airport to the hotel seemed like an eternity and by the time I reached Taj Gateway Beach Road, Calicut, I was ready to hit the bed. Imagine my surprise when dad, who had reached a while ago told me that we had been upgraded to two suites. As members of the Taj Inner circle, we have been privileged over the past few years to experience the Taj Way.

Never heard of the Taj Way or experienced it? For the past few years, the Taj Way is a much-discussed Harvard case study among B-schools around the world. If you get a chance, watch an incredible TEDx talk by Rohit Deshpande on ‘The ordinary heroes of the Taj hotel’.

As we entered our suite, I was blown over by the grandeur it offered. I didn’t know it then, but each of the suites in this hotel are based on different themes like colonial elegance, Scottish flavor or marine life. The suite was very spacious with a lounge area, two washrooms, two televisions and a huge king sized bed.

But nothing gave me more joy than seeing an array of traditional Keralan snacks like Eloonda and Moorkhu placed in the suite for us. After a disastrous breakfast at Bangalore airport, it was heartening to see delicious food that tasted just like how my granny used to make them.

On our way down to lunch I saw the gorgeous looking pool, I kicked myself for not carrying my swimsuit. I had not expected Calicut to be this hot and humid in November.

The staff were very friendly and courteous, a mark of excellent service standards set by all the employees at the Taj Gateway, Calicut. In the restaurant the chef was at the next table and he listened patiently as one of the guests explained to him how he’s like his savory pancake to be prepared.

Since all of us were vegetarians, we decided to go for the three course North Indian meal. The food was delicious and we decided to head back to the room for some much-needed rest.

I don’t know how time passed and for how long I slept on the couch. Soon it was time for us to go attend the pre-wedding celebrations and I grudgingly decided to leave my comfortable sofa.

Even though I was supposedly on a vacation, I had to connect to work after coming back and finish a couple of assignments. That is when the strong Wi-Fi connection at the hotel helped me. Every suite allows a maximum of 4 devices and I worked quite late into the night.
 
 On the day of the wedding, I had a new dilemma. I was supposed to reach the parlour at around 6:30 a.m. to get ready. My sister messaged me at 5 a.m. asking me to get breakfast for the entire bridal party coming to the parlour. Where was I to get breakfast so early in the morning in an unknown city?

That is when room service came to my rescue. I ordered few sandwiches and by the time I was done with my shower, freshly prepared and packed sandwiches were waiting for me. It was a life saver for all of us since that was the only thing we got to eat till lunch time many hours later. And the best part was that the hotel did not charge us a single dime for those sandwiches since it was included in the tariff.

We didn’t stay for long after the wedding since we had to rush to catch our flight back. As we were finishing the check-out procedures, the manager of the hotel came to have a chat with us. I was so impressed by the fact that he made it a point to collect feedback directly from us.

We have stayed in multiple Taj properties around India and we will continue to do so in the future, because there is nothing like experiencing the Taj Way first hand. 

Some additional tips to make your stay more comfortable:

• We did not have enough time but the beach is just a five minute walk from the property. Go early in the morning to catch a spectacular sunrise or in the evening to see a sunset.
• The hotels offers a range of Spa services and it is sacrilegious to go to Kerala and not have an Ayurveda massage.

Book Your Stay at Taj Gateway, Calicut!