What Makes The Sheraton Hyderabad Different From Other Hotels

It is always hard for me to review a hotel. Believe it or not I have rejected a few invitations because straight off the bat I know those will be generic clones with nothing new to offer. When the invitation to review the Sheraton Hyderabad property came my way I said yes based on the fact that Sheraton as a brand has a good reputation when it comes to comfort and service (something that is extremely important to me) and more so because I personally have not had any experience with a Sheraton property anywhere in the world. I haven’t even walked in for a meal or a spa treatment let alone stay there. Interestingly Sheraton is the largest brand for Starwood Hotels with 440 properties so clearly they’re doing something right.

The hotel is located in Gachibowli which is near hi tech city and considered a business hub so a lot of clientele are business travelers. The hotel is beautiful and has it’s pool, spa, gym and various other amenities but there are some things that set it apart from other hotels in the area. These are my reasons for choosing to stay at the Sheraton Hyderabad when I’m in the city.

Beds and Rooms – The hotel has beautifully comfortable rooms and to be honest I expect no less. My favourite parts were the gorgeous black and white photographs on the wall from various structures and monuments in the city, the adorable welcome on my Sweet Sleeper Bed ( a little cheese platter ) and of course the most comfortable I have come across in ages. I’m told the Sweet Sleeper Bed is actually specially designed in such a way to extract maximum comfort and even if the person next to you moves in their sleep, you don’t feel any movement or discomfort. None of that bed sinking slightly when your partner climbs into bed with you which is quite incredible and I’m told there is some science to it. I couldn’t really test out much since I slept alone but I will say this, I had some blissful sleep and cannot complain!

The Food – The biggest highlight for me at this hotel is their food. Usually hotels churn out great food at their specialty restaurants and their 24 hour cafes tend to be average at best. At the Sheraton Hyderabad, I had a phenomenal meal at their Thai and Pan Asian restaurant InAzia but their signature restaurant The Feast was just as good. The hyderabadi dishes of course are far superior to everything else but that is to be expected. From pasta, to Chinese style stir fry and of course lots of biryani, the food at this hotel pleased me the most.

 

 

Wine Pairing ( The Paired Menu ) – The hotel has an interesting concept of enjoying selected wines that have been paired with different dishes. There is always a lot of snootyness associated with wine and many do’s and don’ts when it comes to pairing in general but this hotel has decided to break or shall we say bend the rules slightly. The Paired Menu is  unconventional and the idea is to enjoy good food with good wine. Knowing the right beverages can enhance any food and the team at Sheraton Hyderabad carefully handpicks premium wines and craft beers to complement each unique small plate and accentuate its rich flavors.If you’re not in the frame of mind for a sit down meal or would just like to unwind at their bar called Link @ Sheraton and listen to some live music, this wine pairing menu works perfectly.

One Hour Gem Tour –The One Hour Gem is an experience designed for our guests to get a flavour of the destination.A service the hotel offers that is specially curated for people that don’t have enough time to spend exploring the city is what they call a one hour gem tour that highlights a few local gems. The name is slightly misleading as there are no actual gems or precious stones but infact a rare insight into how local craftsmen and women work. From traditional badri work to beautiful fabrics being stitched on hand operated looms to even some delectable local treats it is an hour of your time exploring a side of Hyderabad you wouldn’t see otherwise.

Chime– I would never have imagined that a hotel that is at a considerable distance from the main city hub would have a bar that turns into one pretty popular night spot on the weekends! Chime is a tastefully decorated bar at the hotel located on the 10th floor and apart from the interesting cocktails ( try their vodka bell pepper one ) they have wonderful bands coming in to perform along with a very enthusiastic DJ. I wouldn’t have believe it till I witnessed the madness myself. After staggering into bed at 2am well plied with plenty of bell pepper drinks I must agree Chimes is definitely one of their highlights at the hotel.

The Secret Ninja – One of their best secrets is their very own in house ninja! Chef Ninja is the genius behind the Thai and Asian kitchen at InAzia. I had an elaborate dinner there but her Thail Basil Chicken and her green Thai curry were absolutely phenominal and if I could I would have parceled some back to Mumbai. All the recipes are her secret ones and the curry paste she makes from scratch which is her mum’s secret recipe. I was lucky enough to get a sample and I made some fantastic curry at home.

Market Style Brunch – All hotels do a Sunday brunch. It is hardly a new phenomenon nor one that gets people excited. The brunch at the Sheraton Hyderabad is a little different. Apart from a large spread of wonderful food, live musical entertainment and even a small area for kids to go bananas, they have what they call the Feast Market Brunch where they set up various food like fruit, vegetables, cold cuts, wines etc just like a local market and encourage people to come and buy from them should they need to do their grocery shopping. It seemed a little strange at first but it’s really interesting to see people pop in for lunch and go back with their week’s worth of grocery shopping done.

Disclaimer :This was a sponsored trip by the Sheraton Hyderabad. All thoughts and opinions are my own 🙂