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Trident, Nariman Point, Mumbai
Trident Meetings are ideal for small to medium-sized meetings. The rooms at Trident Meetings are ideal venues for meetings of 3-14 people. Trident Meetings offers nine meeting rooms and two offices, spread over two floors, in addition to computer workstations, each with a panoramic view of the sea. The soundproof meeting rooms are equipped with state-of-the-art business tools and are located on the 35th floor of Trident, Nariman Point, Mumbai. According to the hotel authorities, Trident Meetings is the highest meeting space in India at a height of 350 feet from ground level. The nine meeting rooms comprises of two 14-seater, one 8-seater and one 6-seater room at the upper level and two 14-seater, one 8-seater, one 7-seater and one 6-seater room at the lower level. There are two office spaces. There is a separate foyer and waiting area for the lower level meeting rooms. There is a blackout curtain wall, high resolution plasma TVs or large screens with drop down projectors in each meeting room with speakers and remote facilities. Meeting rooms 3 and 7, which can each accommodate 8 persons have a tariff of Rs.3,500 per hour while the full day (9 hours) charge is Rs.14,000. For meeting rooms 4 and 8, which can each accommodate 6 persons, the rate is Rs.3,000 per hour. Office 1 and 2, which can accommodate 3 persons each, can be booked at an hourly rate of Rs.1,500. The full day tariff is Rs.6,500. These rates are exclusive of taxes.

Trident Club
The Trident Club is meant for a privileged few, with a host of special services and offers. For the business traveler, the Trident Club services are on offer on the 28th, 29th 30th and 31st floors of Trident, Nariman Point, Mumbai. The Trident Club Lounge, open only for resident guests of the Trident Club, is an ideal meeting space. Conveniently located on the 28th floor, it offers express check-in and check-out facilities, complimentary breakfast, canapés, tea, coffee and light snacks through the day, a bar, secretarial support and complimentary Internet facilities.

Taj Palace Hotel, New Delhi
Located on Sardar Patel Marg in New Delhi’s Diplomatic Enclave, the Taj Palace has 10 halls and 2 open spaces which serve as the venues for banquets and conferences. Located on the main road with an exclusive approach to the convention area and ample parking space, the Taj Palace is ready for any conference, meeting or special event, from an intimate party for 20 or a seminar for 700 guests. For the entrepreneurs, the hotel designs several combinations and possibilities of space and seating arrangements, accessibility to good quality audio-visual equipment, simultaneous translation facilities, creative menu options and even special themes to make the meetings unique.

The Oberoi, Bangalore
This is one of your best bets when business calls you to Bengaluru. The hotel has state-of-the-art facilities at its 24-hour Business Center and the meeting rooms are also convenient, with a host of options to help you conduct your business smoothly. Meeting Rooms 1, 2 and 3 can accommodate up to 6 people. The tariff is Rs.1,200 plus taxes per hour, while if you choose to hire any of the meeting rooms for the full day, you will have to pay Rs.8,000 plus taxes. The hotel’s boardroom can accommodate up to 12 persons. The tariff ranges from Rs.1,500 per hour to Rs.10,000 if you hire it for the full day.

The Business Center also offers certain facilities at a charge. For example, you can hire a LCD projector for Rs.4,070, a polycom for Rs.2,500, a mike for Rs.900 and collar mike for Rs.1,200.

An interesting service that the hotel offers is that it has a centralized databank to store guest and company profile, enabling sharing of guest data between different properties.

Hyatt Regency Pune
This hotel is fast becoming a hub for entrepreneurs. It has over 1,900 sq m of conference and meeting facilities featuring state-of-the-art technology and facilities. There is a feeling of openness and grandeur from the moment you step into the hotel, and this feeling persists throughout your stay here. There is an impressive open-style bridge overlooking the hotel’s facade and innovative water features form part of the entrance to the hotel. Apart from the Regency Ballroom, there are seven meeting rooms of various sizes, as well as open-air terrace options, provide flexibility for private or breakout sessions. The conference and meeting rooms enjoy natural daylight, and are equipped with state-of-the-art audiovisual and high-speed communication connections. The conference and meeting rooms open onto a large pre-function area that is ideal for coffee breaks, pre-dinner cocktails and bar set-ups. The Business Center offers additional meeting rooms, workstations, video, teleconferencing and secretarial facilities and equipment rental. Business spaces like Sycamore, Rosewood and Mahagony accommodates between 10 and 75 persons.

The Oberoi, Mumbai
This is one of the most noted hotels in the business capital of India. The hotel’s Business Center also sports a reference library which includes telephone directories, yellow pages, dictionaries, corporate information, commercial and industrial guides, to name a few. If you wish to hire meeting rooms 1, 5 and 7, which can each accommodate 6 persons, the tariff is Rs.3,000 for one hour, while the day charge is Rs.12,000. Office space 8 and 9 seats 3 persons and the tariff is Rs.1,500 per hour, while the full day charge is Rs.6,000. This tariff excludes taxes.

The Oberoi Grand, Kolkata
The Oberoi Grand, Kolkata is one of the most beautiful properties in the city. It is located in the heart of the city’s business center and is a landmark building, thanks to its imposing façade. All the amenities which you would expect in a five-star property are to be found inside the hotel, making it popular with entrepreneurs and corporates alike. You can hire the Business Center conference room for Rs.2,200 (all inclusive) for one hour. The half day (4 hours) rate is Rs.5,500, which includes one round of tea/coffee with cookies; while the full day charges are Rs.10,000, which includes two rounds of tea/coffee with cookies. Conference Room 109’s tariff for half day is Rs.8,000 (includes one round of tea/coffee with cookies), while the full day charge is Rs.13,000 (includes two rounds of tea/coffee with cookies). You can also hire the board room for Rs.12,000 plus taxes per session, which include one round of tea/coffee with cookies.

Taj Coromandel, Chennai
The Chambers has always spelt power and grandeur at Taj hotels across the country, and the one at Chennai is no exception. The lavish spaces and central location of the Taj Coromandel has made it one of the most sought-after banquet venues in the city. Taj Coromandel’s ballroom can seat between 20 to 500 people in an auditorium-style and host 25 to 1,000 people for cocktails and receptions. The exclusive by-invitation-only soon-to-be-launched Chambers lounge is for the swish and high-flying set. It offers lounge facilities for more casual tête-à-têtes, as well as meeting rooms for a more formal setting.

Vivanta by Taj –Fisherman’s Cove
Tango at Vivanta by Taj – Fisherman’s Cove is another meeting place worth checking out in Chennai. This beach resort has a new deluxe wing that provides business and meetings with a whole new dimension. With a great view of the sea and new-age wired banqueting facilities, it is a perfect blend of work and leisure. All four banqueting halls in the new deluxe wing have special new-age technology, including drop-down screens, high-speed wireless internet communication through the entire banquet area and plug-in video conferencing facilities. A handheld remote control unit (used by staff) to operate the audio-visual and lighting, lighting levels from standard incandescent lighting to RGB lighting for multiple hues to suit various occasions, latest projection system and built-in screens, all AV with round-the-clock assistance, video conferencing facility and more make this space the new-age businessman’s favorite haunt. Tariff is Rs.1,200 plus taxes onwards per person. When in Chennai, you can also check out Vivanta by Taj Connemara. It has over 7,850 sq feet of contemporary spaces available for power meetings, brand launches and other business events.

Swissotel Kolkata
The hotel scores firstly thanks to its perfect location in New Town. A few minutes drive from the city airport, this deluxe 5-star hotel is also close to the city’s IT hub. Offering business solutions in 17,023 square feet of meeting and banquet space, the hotel boasts state-of-the-art conference technology, customized menus and creative coffee breaks. There is a dedicated Swiss Meeting Specialist to assist you in coordinating every stage of the event while a

Swiss Meeting
Concierge will be on hand during the event to ensure everything runs smoothly as planned. There are four conference halls which would be helpful for entrepreneurs, viz. Bern, Bern 1, Bern 2 and Bern 3. Zurich, Basel and Geneva are the function rooms which you can check out as ideal meeting spaces. The tariff starts at Rs.45,000 for each of the Bern conference halls, while the tariff for Zurich, Basel and Geneva is Rs.15,000 each. Ideally, you should check up with the hotel immediately prior to your meeting date to get the best rate. There are two boardrooms in the hotel, Arosa (which can accommodate 8 persons) and Lugano (which can accommodate 12 persons). The fully functional business center offers all the basic amenities required to make a business trip successful.

The Raintree Hotel, Anna Salai, Chennai
This business hotel opened its doors to entrepreneurs just a year ago, but has already gained immense popularity. Its meeting rooms are usually always booked and in fact the hotel seems quite crowded at all times of the week. The 24-hour business center at this Teynampet hotel has three workstations with free Internet. There’s video conferencing facility with IP/ISDN support. There are three meeting rooms, a 12-seater, an 8-seater and a 6-seater, with all the basic amenities on offer. The tariff is Rs.10,000 for hiring a meeting room. This includes two tea/coffee breaks, stationery at the table etc. The hotel can also provide secretarial support if needed, while Wi-Fi of 10 Mbps speed is available at extra cost. The coffee shop, The Kitchen, is also popular among the guests visiting the hotel or staying therein. The hotel is around 14 km from the airport.

The Raintree Hotel, St.Mary’s Road, Chennai
This is the first Raintree property which opened in Chennai around six years ago. It is located just around 2 km away from the Anna Salai property. This boutique property has two meeting rooms, Conference I and Conference II, a 12-seater and an 8-seater respectively. The business center has two workstations which can be used for free. An unique spot in the hotel is its restaurant Above Sea Level, a 90-cover restaurant which is very popular for its kebabs and grills. There is also a Club Lounge for Club floor guests, long stays and VIP guests to the hotel. Here, business can be conducted in even greater privacy, with a host of other amenities thrown in.

Courtyard by Marriott Gurgaon
Most of the Courtyard by Marriott properties in different parts of India are ideal venues for your business meetings. The Courtyard in Gurgaon provide state-of-the-art audio-visual equipment, high speed wireless internet access and multimedia conferencing facilities along with 24 hour assistance. Other facilities include faxes, printers, computers, overhead projector, clip boards, 42-inch LCD, conference call butler and laser pointers are available on request.
The business room facilities include a total meeting space of 2,745 sq feet. The largest meeting space can seat up to 150 people. The meeting rooms have a seating capacity varying from 8 to 10 persons.

Many entrepreneurs and officials use the coffee shop of the hotel for their meetings. Located on the lobby level, MoMo 2 Go is well situated to cater to the needs of both residential guests as well as guests who would like to drop in for a quick bite over conversations.

Apart from meeting rooms and the Executive Lounge, the guest rooms and public spaces are also well equipped with wireless connectivity to ensure smooth transaction of work anywhere in the hotel.

The charges for hiring the hotel’s Business Center for the full day is Rs.8,000 plus taxes, while the half day (4 hours) tariff is Rs.5,000 plus taxes.

The Oberoi Rajvilas, Jaipur
Jaipur is fast turning out to be more than just a MICE destination. Many entrepreneurs find their business taking them to this beautiful Rajasthan city and the Oberoi property here is perhaps one of the best places to conduct your meetings in. The hotel offers the latest in executive meeting facilities and services. The meeting rooms each seat 22 people in boardroom style and up to 35 in a theater style.

Conference seating can be arranged as a hollow square for strategy sessions, boardroom style for board meetings, or horseshoe for board meetings (best for audiovisual presentations). Theater seating, banquet dining and classroom style seating can also be arranged.

There are various rental options for the meeting places in the hotel. The banquet hall rentals for resident guests (if they are not booked through the conference package) are Rs.10,000 for using the boardroom for nine hours; the conference room tariff is Rs.10,000 for nine hours. The hall rental includes two service of tea/coffee with cookies and water. Dinner/lunch/working lunch charges are in addition to the hall rentals. All AV equipment are charged extra.

Courtyard by Marriott City Center Pune
This newly-opened property is a business hotel worth checking out next time you are in Pune. Cosy and convenient, the thing that attracts you most to this hotel is that its very approach is to ensure ease of business of all its guests. In a move away from convention, the business center of the hotel is in an open area, just off the path to one of the hotel’s restaurants. There are fully equipped workstations here, but then, as Harinder J. Singh, the General Manager of the hotel explained: “Most guests nowadays prefer to work on their own iPads and laptops. They seldom require a dedicated workstation.”

There are four banquet rooms to choose from in the hotel. If you are looking for a meeting, you can always sit out at 96-covers MoMo Café, which is an all-day dining multicuisine restaurant. This is also a coveted meeting place in the hotel, where guests gather for impromptu business meetings.

It also overlooks the pool, which is a semi-covered area with a unique pool deck. Quite an ideal setting for a meeting when in Pune.

Aditya Park, Hyderabad
This hotel is ideal for entrepreneurs traveling to Hyderabad or those already based there. The boardroom is located at the B Level and can accommodate 4 persons for a tariff of Rs.4,500 plus taxes per day. The hotel also offers a training room on B floor which can accommodate 12 persons at a tariff of Rs.7,000 plus taxes per day. (This includes 10 persons in the package and each extra guest is charged Rs.450 plus taxes. The boardroom 2 can seat 18 persons. The tariff here is Rs.450 plus taxes per person, while board room 1, which can accommodate 8 persons has a tariff of Rs.7,000 plus taxes per day. The hotel also has a coffee shop Promenade, which is a multicuisine restaurant with 98 covers.

Hotel Sahara Star, Mumbai
This hotel offers a choice of many meeting rooms, state-of-the-art audio-visual facility, live broadcast & tele-video conferencing facilities, Wi-Fi internet connectivity etc. The hotel’s business center offers entrepreneurs all the basic amenities required to ensure a smooth meeting. The meeting rooms include Club, Spades, Hearts, Diamonds and Kings. You can also avail of secretarial services on demand. The hotel also has 10,000 sq feet of banquet space, viz. Oyster and Pearl, which are ideal for events, seminars and conferences. The restaurants of the hotel are also quite popular, and follow a flowing pattern, where one restaurant seems to merge into the other seamlessly. There is a beautiful indoor water body around which seat clusters are placed. This entire area is also a coveted space for a quick meeting.

Gokulam Park, Kochi
If you find your business taking you to this beautiful city in the southern part of India, you can try out the facilities offered at Gokulam Park. It has three conference halls and two boardrooms along with a private dining area in the restaurant. These halls can be used for various types of meeting and banquet functions and are equipped with all conference facilities like projectors, laptops, DVD players and P.A. system. While Emerald I and II and Sapphire Lounge can be used for bigger conferences and meetings, what works well for small and medium enterprises are the board rooms. Crystal (202 sq feet) can accommodate 18 persons. The tariff for a full day hire is Rs.8,000 plus taxes. Pearl, which is a 96 sq feet board room, can accommodate 8 persons and the rate applicable for a full day conference here is Rs.6,000 plus taxes. The hotel also has a multicuisine restaurant Periyar, which has a cover of 74.

Courtyard by Marriott Mumbai International Airport
Sahar Road, which leads on to Mumbai’s international airport, is home to a number of big hotel properties. The Courtyard by Marriott hotel is well-suited to the business traveler and has a number of meeting places, viz. Topaz, Sapphire, Amber, Jade and Pearl. These can accommodate between 12 persons in boardroom or classroom style and 300 in theater style. The hotel can also provide you with a specialized events team to help you plan your meeting perfectly. The amenities on offer include AV setup, video conferencing facilities, basic stationery during meetings etc. The standard rate for hiring the meeting rooms and business center is Rs.1,200 plus taxes. The hotel has eight meeting rooms, with a total of 12,000 sq feet of indoor and outdoor meeting space. Another meeting space which is popular in the hotel is the MoMo Café, the hotel’s all-day dining center. There are many quick meetings which take place here as well.

Park Plaza, Faridabad
The hotel has three fully air-conditioned conference rooms equipped with inbuilt LCD projector and screen, specific lighting system, a fully functional business center.

It also offers a private boardroom with all modem technologies and audio visual conference facilities, stationary provision and video conferencing facilities.

Wildflower Hall, Shimla in the Himalayas – An Oberoi Resort
This resort may be slightly off the beaten track for entrepreneurs, but if you have a team meeting, or prefer a different setting to your monthly brainstorming sessions, you can try out this property. It has five meeting rooms that offer a perfect setting for business meetings, brainstorming sessions and executive retreats.

The views from the meeting rooms are panoramic. The AV equipment on offer includes multimedia, overhead and slide projector, screen, white board and flip charts. The hotel’s Business Center offers facilities like secretarial service, dictaphone, photocopier, cellular phones, Internet and e-mail access, dedicated fax machine, PCs including laptops as well as color Inkjet printer.

Park Plaza, Ahmedabad
Gujarat is known for being a business hub and its commercial capital Ahmedabad has a large number of hotels which cater especially to the meeting spaces needs of entrepreneurs. Park Plaza is one of the hotels which you can check out here. The hotel has two board rooms, each of which can accommodate 15 persons in board room style. The tariff is Rs.7,500 plus taxes.

The board rooms and the hotel’s business center offer most of the basic amenities, while you can hire certain equipment at an extra cost.

Aloft, Chennai
This is a one-year-old property, located on the Old Mahabalipuram Road (OMR). The entire road is abuzz with a number of swanky offices of all the big IT companies and even automobile and banking sectors.
It is little wonder then that a hotel on the OMR will be hugely popular with entrepreneurs and the local business fraternity, though it is located almost 19 km from the airport.

The Aloft is a vibrant and youthful looking property. Its lobby is called Remix and, in a move away from tradition, has a pool table and board games at one end.

There are two workstations at the far end of the lobby, which can be used free of charge. There is a meeting room Tactic, which can accommodate 25-30 persons. The hotel’s coffee shop Dot.yum is open 24 hours and is also popular with the clients. It serves a variety of cuisines, though we found most guests trying the local fare, especially the seafood items on offer.

Another area worth noting in the hotel is its bar, wxyz, a 50-70 cover bar which is open between 11 am and 11 pm. Apart from a wide variety of alcoholic beverages to choose from, there is a variety of finger food available here.

The price points are suitable for most pockets, with a cocktail costing just Rs.300. No wonder, then, that we found this bar packed and almost overflowing on a Thursday evening. The music at the bar is slightly loud, but does not really hamper conversations. What works for Aloft ultimately is its vibrant and youthful appeal.

©Entrepreneur October 2011

Tags:
Aditya Park, Gokulam Park, GRAND, hotel, Hotel Sahara Star, hyatt regency, marriott, Nariman point, park plaza, Raintree Hotel, Swissotel, Taj Coromandel, Taj Palace Hotel, The Oberoi, trident, Vivanta, Wildflower Hall