What was the inspiration for the design?
Though I have never lived in Hyderabad, I have always associated it with jewels and spicy food. That was my brief to everyone working on the project — to take these as the starting point and do their own take, according to their sensibility.
What was your idea in terms of structural impact?
Because of the hotel’s location by the Husain Sagar lake — central to the city and so visible — I wanted the architecture to be iconic. Also, this is the first hotel that I have really built. Though we have been on this (design) journey over the last five years, all the other hotels were either owned by the family or bought as existing structures.
You brought in many different designers...
It was a deliberate strategy. I wanted the hotel to be a sort of modern maharaja’s palace and palaces usually have rooms and spaces dating back different centuries and periods. Obviously, this is a commercial hotel. The rooms, for instance, have been done by a solid ‘hotel’ designer, but we had him think afresh.
The hotel showcases a lot of Indian design.
Yes, Indian design has come of age. We have special pieces by Gunjan Gupta and Viya Home; Preksha Baid has created a beautiful jewel-like piece in the Ruby Lounge. The entire roof was painted in Kalamkari style by a master craftsman — but it is not in the traditional style. It’s contemporary, edgy and contextual at the same time.
