WHAT’S IT LIKE? The Park, Chennai, is one of six luxury boutique hotels operated by The Park Hotels group across India. Like the others, design plays a large part in its concept and it is a member of the Design Hotels umbrella. Opened in 2002, it’s situated on the former premises of Gemini Studios, which was a key player in Chennai’s “Kollywood” film scene from the 1940s to the 1970s, and the movie theme is echoed in the hotel décor. Original posters of films made at the studios line the walls of the bedrooms and public areas, while big rugs with film-reel patterns are scattered around and animated shorts play on small screens in the silk-lined lifts.

The lobby area of the eight-floor property is stunning – you enter through two sets of double doors into a white, curving space with reception to your left and a raised seating area to the right fringed by tall pieces of bamboo, which sits at the bottom of a soaring atrium. Large curved red vases flank the entrance and beautiful flower arrangements decorate the reception desk. At night the lobby is flooded with purple lighting and films play on fabric screens that billow down from the atrium, while the bar buzzes next to it with an arty crowd.

WHERE IS IT? The hotel is in a great location in the centre of Chennai, just off Anna Salai (formerly Mount Road), the city’s main commercial thoroughfare and home to many of its shops and businesses. It’s 16km from Chennai airport and when I arrived early on a Saturday morning the drive took about half an hour, but at busy times – and be warned, the Chennai traffic can get very, very busy – you’d need to allow much more time.

ROOM FACILITIES There are 214 rooms and suites of varying categories. I stayed in a Deluxe suite on the fourth floor, which was stylishly decked out with lovely touches everywhere. There was a guest bathroom to the immediate left with the living room straight ahead. The pale wooden floor, cream walls and floor-to-ceiling windows created a great sense of space. A huge flatscreen TV was attached to the right-hand wall, under which was a large dark-wood chest with a DVD player, Indian carving and a basket filled with petals on top. Opposite was a plush green fabric sofa in an L-shape with pale-wood coffee and corner tables, a large blue rug and big prints of film stars on the wall. Under the window was a workdesk with two blue chairs (there weren’t many plug sockets), and outside was a balcony with green sun chairs, from where I could peruse the city below.

To the left of the living area was the bedroom, which had a comfortable queen-size bed with a 10-inch mattress, goose-down pillows and an olive-green silk headboard and base. Dark-wood panels were either side, with glass panels jutting out to form bedside tables and lamps hanging on each side from the ceiling. Another flatscreen TV was opposite the bed, sitting on a chest which held a DVD player and minibar (there was a second minibar in the living area). The TV played a large selection of Indian and international channels and a range of Hindi and English-language films could be ordered for free from reception. Noise was audible from the street outside but it wasn’t bad considering the amount of vehicles on the road.

Separated from the bathroom by floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors and sheer curtains was the large bathroom, which had a white marble floor, mood lighting, modern fittings, a large selection of Park-branded amenities, a glass hand basin, a bath and a walk-in shower with rain and massage showerheads (this looked great but leaked all over the floor when I took a shower). The toilet was behind a sliding opaque glass door and along the wall were two floor-to-ceiling wardrobes. A lotus flower was left on the bath and small blooms were also placed on the towels.

Other features in the room included tea and coffee-making facilities, turn-down service, free litre-bottles of mineral water, adjustable air conditioning in both the living room and bedroom (which was so hard to work out that I ended up turning it off), two sets of robes (cotton and towel), slippers, a laptop safe, a selection of newspapers and magazines (new papers were dropped off in the morning), chocolates and fresh fruit, wired internet access (charged at Rs 700/£9.50 for 24 hours) and board games available on request.

RESTAURANTS AND BARS There are three eating and drinking options on the ground floor. Six-O-One is a relaxed, airy 24-hour restaurant that offers international, Italian and Indian cuisine. It has a live cooking station and a wood-fired pizza oven (it’s the only place in Chennai that serves thin-crust pizza, I was told). The pasta dishes were particularly good. Lotus, the hotel’s Thai restaurant, is open for lunch and dinner and offers fragrant, beautifully presented food in a warm, inviting environment. The Leather bar, just inside the hotel entrance, is a dark space furnished in leather and suede that serves cocktails and light bites; a DJ plays here at weekends. There’s also Aqua, a Mediterranean-style café on the eighth floor, where you can dine inside or next to the pool under canopies – barbeques often take place out here – and Pasha, the hotel’s nightclub, open Wednesday to Sunday from 9pm to midnight (government rules prevent late-night opening in Chennai).

MEETING AND BUSINESS FACILITIES There are three function rooms on the lower ground floor – Sansara, the largest, which divides into two and can accommodate 300 guests for a reception; and Surya and Chandra, for smaller events. Gatherings of up to 150 can also be held by the pool, and there is a film screening room on the third floor for private viewings and meetings for up to 30 people. Those staying in Residence (Club) rooms also have access to a PC and boardroom in the Residence lounge.

LEISURE FACILITIES Aura, the hotel’s spa, is on the ninth floor. It has nine treatment rooms, all named after gemstones, and offers 36 different treatments – I had a Balinese massage, which was luxurious. It also has a beauty salon offering hair styling, threading, waxing and so on. There is a gym with cardiovascular, weights and yoga rooms, steam and sauna facilities and a spa bath. The 25-metre outdoor pool is on the eighth floor and is surrounded by sun loungers and beds with canopies. There’s also a shop next to reception selling gifts, home items and beauty products.

VERDICT This is an excellent choice if you’re doing business in the city – it’s an original, stylish property with great food and service.

Factfile

HOW MANY ROOMS? There are 214 – 127 Deluxe rooms, 31 Luxury rooms, 41 Residence rooms, six Studio suites, five Deluxe suites, three Premier suites and a Presidential suite.

ROOM HIGHLIGHTS The large amount of space, the film prints and the lovely touches everywhere.

PRICE Internet rates for a midweek stay in April started from Rs 6,900 (£95) for a Deluxe room.

CONTACT The Park, Chennai, 601 Anna Salai; tel +91 44 4267 6000; theparkhotels.com