We decided (well I did) that it would be best to gently ease ourself into India by spending our first few nights in a posher hotel than we’d usually stay in at home. The Hyatt Regency Channai is a haven from the moment you step off the traffic clogged  Anna Salai main Road, the calm washes over you. The driveway is planted with tropical palms and other exotics. 

At the entrance you’re greeted by security checks, all bags go through x-Ray machines and visitors go through metal detectors. We asked Vaishakh why the security was so tight and he said all big hotels introduced it following the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel terrorist attack in Mumbai in 2008. It had echos of the Northern Ireland troubles when the security guard at the gate used a mirror device on rollers to check under Vaishakh’s car when he dropped us off yesterday to make sure there were no bombs underneath!

As soon as you are through security there are staff everywhere. There’s the main door greeter, then the lift greeter in the lower lobby, and the main lobby greeter. This is all before you get to reception. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to someone carrying my bags and opening every door, but the cool air conditioning is a welcome relief from the Chennai heat.

The reception lobby is vast with rooms arranged over 9 floors in a triangle with a huge atrium in the middle. The lobby lounge has a beautiful water feature – a canal that aligns with the outdoor pool and is flanked by an avenue of fig trees. There are five restaurants, an Italian, a cafe/bistro, a noodle one, a world fusion one and a cocktail bar/diner. Then there is the lobby lounge itself where you can have tea and light snacks.

The gym on the first floor is very well equipped. I’ve used it a few times to do my RED (run every day) January challenge. Although treadmills are a bit boring, they are preferable to running in the heat and polluted streets of Chennai (I’m hoping the air will be clearer when we get away from the big cities). 

Our taste of the high life comes to an end today as we check out and hit the road for our first big drive to Bangalore. Farewell Hyatt Regency, it’s been fun – but it’s a good job I don’t get accustomed to it as when the holiday is over it’ll be back to the charity world budgets of Travelodge!