My husband recently traveled from Manila, Philippines, to Pune, India, for a week-long training. It was his first time visiting India and his first stay at a Conrad hotel.
The journey from Manila to Pune was long. He took two international flights and one domestic flight before finally arriving in Pune. Although the trip involved several flights and many hours of travel, it also allowed him to experience a new country while attending his training.
The journey from Manila to Pune was long. He took two international flights and one domestic flight before finally arriving in Pune. Although the trip involved several flights and many hours of travel, it also allowed him to experience a new country while attending his training.
For the entire week, Conrad Pune became his home away from home, a place where he could rest, relax, and recharge after his busy training days.
Although I wasn’t part of the trip, I wanted to share his experience here on my blog. Through his stories and the photos he took during his stay, I got a glimpse of what his week in Pune was like, from the hotel and its hospitality to the room, food, facilities, and little details that made his stay memorable.
So, here’s a look at my husband’s first experience at Conrad Pune, a luxury hotel located in the Central Business District of Pune, India.
Getting to Conrad Pune
Conrad Pune is approximately 9 kilometers from Pune Airport. Fortunately, my husband had an airport transfer arranged by the hotel, which made getting from the airport to the hotel convenient and hassle-free after his long journey. After traveling through multiple flights, having a hotel transfer waiting for him was certainly a welcome convenience.
Arrival at Conrad Pune
After the long journey from Manila to Pune, my husband finally arrived at Conrad Pune.
One of the first things he noticed was the hotel’s tight security. While this made the arrival feel a little more formal, it also gave him the impression that the hotel takes security and guest safety seriously.
Once inside, the check-in process was quick and smooth. The staff were welcoming and made the arrival experience comfortable, which was especially appreciated after such a long trip.
King Deluxe Room
My husband stayed in a King Deluxe Room, which features a contemporary and modern design.
After traveling for many hours, one of the most important things was having a comfortable place to rest, and thankfully, the bed did not disappoint. He found it comfortable, making it easy to relax after his long journey and busy training days.
The room also features a bedside sensor touch panel that allows guests to conveniently control the lights and curtains without having to get out of bed. It’s a small feature, but one that adds a nice touch of convenience.
The floor-to-ceiling windows let in plenty of natural light and offered a view of the surrounding area. From his room, he could see trees, buildings, and quite a few birds flying around outside.
Bathroom
The bathroom comes with both a walk-in shower and a separate bathtub.
One interesting feature I noticed from his photos was the remote control in the bathroom. He later discovered that the bathroom also has an in-mirror television. At first, there is simply a semi-black rectangle on the mirror, but that is actually where the television screen is located.
It’s one of those small luxury touches that makes the room feel a little more special. I thought it was a pretty interesting feature, especially since you wouldn’t immediately realize that there was a television hidden in the mirror.
Other Room Amenities
The room also comes with several amenities designed to make the stay more comfortable, including:
· Wi-Fi connectivity
· Bluetooth audio player
· Alarm clock
· Satellite channels
· Minibar
· In-room safe
· Iron and ironing board
· Individually controlled air-conditioning
Another detail my husband noticed was the housekeeping service. Conrad Pune serviced his room twice a day during his stay. This stood out to him because, in many hotels, housekeeping typically comes once a day.
Even the room key had an interesting touch. The key card was made of wood, with an engraved message on the back: “This is expensive technology. Please return this card upon checkout.” It was a fun little detail that he noticed during his stay.
Dining at Conrad Pune
There are several restaurants and bars at Conrad Pune, giving guests plenty of dining options during their stay. These include Al Di La – The Italian Rooftop, Coriander Kitchen, Kabana, Koji, Masu, Pune Sugar Box, and Zeera.
Because my husband was busy with his training, he mostly had his breakfast, lunch, and dinner at Coriander Kitchen. He also had dinner at Al Di La – The Italian Rooftop and Kabana.
With a busy training schedule, having several dining options within the hotel was convenient since he didn’t have much time to go elsewhere for meals.
Buffet Breakfast at Coriander Kitchen
Coriander Kitchen offers flavors from India, across Asia, and Mediterranean-inspired street food.
Since this was his first time in India, many of the dishes were unfamiliar to him. There was a wide variety of food, with a strong selection of Indian cuisine.
He tried some of the local dishes, but he also found himself looking for something familiar from home. Interestingly, one of his favorite dishes during his stay was poori, an Indian fried bread that he really enjoyed. So, even though he was initially looking for familiar food, he ended up finding a new favorite in Indian cuisine.
I guess that’s one of the fun parts of traveling; you never know which local dish might surprise you!
Dinner at Kabana
Although he also ate at some of the other restaurants during his stay, he only managed to take photos of his dinner at Kabana. For dinner, he had pizza along with a chicken dish.
What He Didn’t Get to Experience
Because the main purpose of his trip was training, my husband didn’t have much free time to enjoy all of the hotel’s facilities. He didn’t get the chance to use the outdoor swimming pool, fitness center, or spa during his week-long stay.
It would have been nice to experience these facilities, but with such a busy training schedule, there simply wasn’t enough time.
This is probably one of the downsides of staying at a beautiful hotel for work: you may have access to plenty of facilities, but not enough free time to actually enjoy them!
Final Thoughts
Overall, Conrad Pune gave him a comfortable place to stay throughout his trip and made his first visit to India a memorable one.
For now, I’m happy that his first trip to India gave him a good experience, and that he came home with plenty of stories and photos for me to share.
