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Situated right next to Bangalore city center, this stylish new 5 Star City Hotel (opened-mid 2006) suits both the business travelers, as well as others who’re on a short stopover on their leisure holiday across South India or Karnataka. IHHR Hospitality, its operators have used the smallish plot, right opposite The Taj Residency very well, and offer here - gorgeous, minimalist interiors, modern, albeit smallish (“cozy”) rooms, equipped with up-to-date facilities (bedside electronic controls…), beautiful views (inc. from the bathroom), quite good dining & lounging, long pool, basic, but v good spa, massages and state-of-the-art gym as well as 24 hours business center. Overall, truly amongst the best for business travel to Bangalore, inc. for long stays. The IHHR Group also run the renowned Ananda in the Himalayas (A Hill Spa & Yoga Resort nr. Rishikesh), and are coming up with many new, (aiming to be amongst the best) luxury business hotels across India, and one in Mauritius.
Opposite the Taj Residency, this Bangalore City Business Hotel is within walking distance of the central shopping, entertainment & pub areas (20-30 mnts walk, go via the prettier & relatively quieter Cubbon Rd., instead of MG Rd). You’ll find Ista’s (pinstriped) staff extremely courteous & efficient. The modern, classy interiors are a welcome relief for those who’ve ODed on Indian glitz, the beautiful spacey lobby setting the tone, here as in your room you’ll find super large windows which make the best of the lovely views available, of Ulsoor Lake & garden as also of the cityscape.
| Rooms : |
143 Rooms, & Suites, 11 floors, Premium Rooms, Deluxe Rooms, Luxury Rooms, Executive Suites, Non Smoking Rooms Available |
| Cuisine : |
Excellent dining and lounging is there to be enjoyed in Ista Hotel’s two eateries and one bar located on the 4th floor (somewhat away from the traffic noises), overlooking Bangalore’s mid-level cityscape. Lido: this 24/7 café opens onto a small pool and sun deck with greenery. The breakfast here is good, as is Table D'hôte Menu casual dining at lunch and dinner encompassing a large selection of modern eastern and western cuisines, inc. a range of desserts. Average Meal for Two, without liquor/wine: US $ 30. Lunch Buffet, Weekdays: US $ 15 per head, Weekends: US $ 25. Attached to Lido, Liquid is the city center’s only outdoor bar, with an outstanding Indian & International aperitifs & menu. It offers a pleasant alfresco lounge ambiance of a lush rooftop garden, good views and usually live music & pleasant breezes. Pint of Beer: US $ 2.50. Zaman is Ista’s fine-dining Indian specialty restaurant which offers one of Bangalore’s best restaurant’s selection from Awadhi and the Indian Subcontinent’s North West Frontier cuisines at good value. The former is known for slow cooking and elaborate mix of spices, while the latter for its tandoori (earthen oven) and grill. Zaman lies amidst formal, elegant interiors with an open kitchen, and even has a private dining room with great views. Best Picks: non-veg & veg kebabs, kormas meat stews, veg dishes, tawa ka parantha Indian, saffron flavored bread, and malpua rabdi dessert. Average Meal for Two, without liquor/wine: US $ 35-40. Another dining attraction of Ista is its huge temp controlled wine shelves, which stack a wide range of fine wines from across the world. The 24 hours Room Service has been rated as outstanding by guests |
| Category & Comments : |
A 5 Star City Business Hotel. Classy, Modern Chic, Open and Ambient. Suited for both Business as well as Leisure Travel to Bangalore. Good Restaurants, Bar and Wines. Smallish, but v well Equipped Rooms with Views. Rated 8/10 Overall and 7/10 for Value by a cross-section of Travelers. Opened mid-2006 |
| Access : |
(1/1) Swami Vivekananda Road, opposite Taj Residency, close to Trinity Church & Ulsoor Lake, just off the city’s main commercial artery, Mahatma Gandhi (MG) Road. Ista is located at the site of the old Lido Movie Theater, just besides (2 Kms) the central business, entertainment & shopping districts
8 Kms (20-30 minutes) – Bangalore City Airports
14 Kms (40 minutes) – Bangalore City Railway Station |
| Room Facilities : |
Air-con, 24 hours Room Service, LCD CCTV in all the Rooms, 2-line Telephones, Broadband Internet Dataport, Bedside Electronic Controls, Personal Bar, Coffee / Tea Maker, In-room Electronic Safe, Clothing Iron, Super-sized French Windows Overlooking the Cityscapes and many, the Ulsoor Lake & Gardens, Voltage 110-220, All Suites have a Small, Green Sit-out Balcony Area
The beds, with leather headboards are King sized, (taking up a large part of the room) and visitors corroborate that it’s amongst “Bangalore City’s most comfortable bed”. The linen is great too. The interiors include Wooden Flooring, see-through Blinds, a Window Seat, glass-toped Work Table and ergonomically-designed Swivel Chair of Herman Miller. Bathrooms are well equipped, using space effectively and come with views. House-keeping is excellent & non-intrusive |
| Hotel Facilities : |
Temperature controlled outdoor Swimming Pool; it lies amidst greenery with sundecks, offers good views and is long enough to properly exercise in, but its drawback is its closeness to Lido Café and Liquid Bar, so a morning swim is best; a Health Club & basic, but good Spa with a well-equipped Gym, Sauna, Steam, Jacuzzi and Massage Rooms; Ista also has some facilities for Kids Activities.
A 24 hours well equipped Business Center with Internet Access, workstations, a boardroom and a private meeting room, Executive Floor/Lounge, 2 Halls for Meetings, Seminars and Parties which can be combined into one Large Hall |
| Services : |
Concierge, Wi-fi Internet Access in common areas, E-mail, Fax, Lockers, Money Changer, Travel Desk, Car Rental, Airport/Station Transfers, Doctor on call, Valet Parking, Wheelchair Access |
| Meeting & Celebrations |
Ista’s two halls for business meetings and celebrations are Istana I and Istana II, each around 1100 sq ft./ 102 sq meters, which can be combined into one larger hall also. These multi-function rooms cater to meetings, small to mid sized theatre style seminars, promotions and exhibitions, along with sit down dinners and lunches. Complete, bleeding-edge audio and video conferencing facilities, along with party/dance floor equipment are available here. |
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Rooms : 8 out of 10 
