Haute & Suite

High-end suites are getting increasingly popular with corporate travellers, andhotels are lapping it up.

- Manu Kaushik

HOSPITALITY IS A SERIOUS BUSINESS, and with the emergence of high-spending corporate travellers, the stakes at plush hotels have gone up further. Hotels have been offering suites for decades but changes in people’s tastes and preferences are prompting them to take a relook.

Oberoi Hotels & Resorts launched Suite Experiences in 2014. This is a product designed for guests who want to experience bespoke stays. At Deluxe Suite at The Oberoi, New Delhi, there is a large living area with a powder room, a state-of-the-art pantry, a king-size bed and a bathroom with top-end Italian marble. The suites’ private balconies give sweeping views of Delhi Golf Course and Humayun’s Tomb, and room dining service is provided by an immaculately turned out butler (there is 24-hour butler service for each suite). The living area — which can primarily be used to conduct work meetings or entertain guests — has Lutyens’ style furnishings and an oak wood writing desk. A number of suites also have Victorian or Art Deco theme. The Oberoi says its suite occupancy has been seeing a growth of 15 per cent a year over the past four years.