VITS Bhubaneswar: A journey to remember

VITS Bhubaneswar is strategically located on the Cuttack-Puri main road at Laxmi Sagar square which is only 1 km from Bhubaneswar railway station, 4.5 km from the airport and just 2 km away from the N.H.-5 towards Cuttack which is a very important commercial city of Odisha. It is here that business and pleasure combine to pamper its guests. The staff is efficient and polite, our luggage was picked up from the main gate by the security staff, and they particularly looked after our personal needs and comforts from the moment we stepped into the hotel. And made the two nights stay comfortable and hassle-free.

Photo from Official Website

The hotel has 48 rooms spread over five floors. There are 38 executive rooms, five deluxe rooms, three superior rooms and two suites. The hotel is good with nice and spacious rooms and well maintained bathrooms. The decor of the rooms is contemporary and well designed. The hotel has two banqueting venues with all modern amenities and facilities which are well-designed and spacious, meeting every expectation. The inhouse state-of-art business centre will suit most business travellers. The Emerald room in the hotel can accommodate a conference of 150 people in theatre style, while the The Ruby can accommodate a conference of 100 people and the The Topaz room can accommodate 40 people. The hotel has varied themed restaurants. The Vithal Kamat Original Family Restaurant is a 22 cover AC and 20 cover outdoor seating restaurant. It serves all types of vegetarian snacks along with options of thali and a la carte lunch/dinner. Then there is Sizzle, a 24×7 multi-cuisine restaurant with a distinctive personality — young, quick & trendy. A rest-o-bar called Behind Bars is a very trendy outlet offering a wide range of beverage options.The wellness club with a well equipped fitness center and with steam and massage facility pampers its guests.

On the second day we ventured out to take a city tour run by OTDC on a daily basis except Mondays, covering the Nandankanan Zoo, Dhauli, the Lingaraj and Mukteswar temples, the State Museum and Udayagiri and Khandagiri Caves. Another tour goes to Pipli, Konark and Puri (non-AC/AC ` 180/250, daily). Both tours leave from Panthanivas Bhubaneswar hotel. Coming back to the hotel, it has other regular features to make the stay of its guests as comfortable as possible. It has a work station, direct dial telephone, wi-fi internet connectivity, wall mounted 32-inch LCD TV, laundry service, personalised safe deposit locker, and daily news paper. One can be sure that for the money you pay, you get to stay in a good hotel where the linen is clean, and the bathroom is clean as well. The food here is excellent — the delicious buffet is worth every rupee. The swimming pool and gardens are well maintained. Hospitality is excellent and the price will not burn a hole in your pocket. This hotel is recommended for business travellers as it is good value for money.

Photo by G.-U. Tolkiehn

GETTING THERE

By air: : The hotel is located 4 km from Bhubaneswar airport. By rail: Bhubaneswar railway station is 1.5 km away. By road: The hotel is located on the main Cuttack-Puri road just 2 km from the N.H.-5 towards Cuttack.

PRICE FACTOR

Single Executive: 5,500, double: 6,500 Single Deluxe: 6,500, double: 7,500 Superior rooms both single and double: 8,500 Suite both single and double: 11,000 ADDRESS: A/19, Cuttack-Puri Road, Near Jatri Niwas, Laxmi Sagar, Bhubaneswar-751006. Tel: (0674) 6601075, 6001755

WHAT TO DO

Ekamra Haat: A wide-ranging exposition of Orissan handicrafts (and snack stalls) can be found here, a permanent market.

Udayagiri & Khandagiri Caves: Six kilometres west of the city are two hills with rockcut shelters. Ornately carved and chiselled out in the 1st century BCE.

Raja Rani mandir: This temple, built around 1100, is famous for its ornate deul (temple sanctuary) and tower.

Mukteswar and Lingaraj temples: Mukteswar temple is Bhubaneswar’s smallest and probably prettiest temple. Lingraj temple complex a 11th-century shrine is considered the ultimate in Orissan temple architecture.prettiest temple. Lingraj temple complex a 11th-century shrine is considered the ultimate in Orissan temple architecture.