International hotel chain Pullman comes to Chennai. Here’s a sneak peek

The lobby at the Pullman Chennai
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

A local favourite is now a global name. The Raintree Teynampet shut itself to the world in February last year. But beyond its calm facade, a lot was brewing. A year later, the hotel has unveiled itself with a new look, personality, and name. It is now a Pullman hotel — an international chain owned by Accor, a French group that has acquired numerous brands globally.

The first Pullman in India opened in New Delhi in 2014 in Aerocity. The one in Chennai — in partnership with the Ceebros group — marks the brand’s foray into South India. Spread over 45,456 square feet, the property has 232 rooms and 11 suites (including four Superior Suites, six Deluxe Suites and one Presidential Suite), a spa, outdoor pool, and fitness centre. Inspired by Korean and Japanese guests, who often like to cook their own meal, nine of the basic rooms also come with a kitchenette.

A snapshot of one of the rooms
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

“We found a great partner in Ceebros hospitality,” says Ronald Dooremalen, general manager, Pullman Chennai Anna Salai. Adding why they chose to make a footprint in Chennai ahead of Mumbai and other mega cities, he says, “Chennai is booming. It is significant for South India. This is the right move; it’ll get the brand awareness out. Delhi is already aware. Chennai already knows our other brands — Ibis, Mercure, and Novotel that are part of the Accor portfolio, now it’ll know our luxury brand,” he adds.

“We are thrilled that Pullman Chennai Anna Salai stands as a landmark for the Ceebros Group, epitomising our commitment to innovation and excellence in hospitality, ” says C Subba Reddy, managing director, Ceebros Group, and owner and developer of the hotel.

The property is designed by Jeffrey Wilkes, a Malaysia-based designer specialising in luxury hospitality. “The vision was to craft a space where modern sophistication meets the vibrant spirit of Chennai, seamlessly blending business, leisure, and culture. Every detail of the hotel has been thoughtfully curated, creating a design narrative that celebrates Nature, art, and modern design,” says Subba Reddy.

The old lobby used to be a duplex. “We have added an additional boardroom, and every guest room has been renovated,” says Ronald. A vibrant Nature theme runs throughout the property. A lot of spaces are lush with cheerful plants, artworks depicting tropical forests, flora and fauna, and in keeping with the theme, even the doors to the rooms are green.

There are two restaurants: Up North, on the rooftop, is making a comeback in a new avatar offering sweeping views of the city framed by the sea on one side, while Mercato on the lobby level draws influences from Mediterranean bazaars and Asian street markets. There is also the Mercato bar, which alongside concocting innovative cocktails, also doubles up as a coworking space.

The outdoor pool
| Photo Credit:
Johan Sathyadas

Both Accor and Ceebros advocate sustainability. Ronald adds, “We are planning to go paperless to minimise waste. We don’t use single-use plastic and have introduced toothbrushes made of bamboo.”

With the hotel just launching formally, there is excitement and frenzy in the air. “It is challenging but I thrive in this environment,” smiles Ronald who has been part of numerous hotel openings. “We had 43 hotel openings last year,” he adds. At the Pullman Chennai, where room testing has been on in full swing, Ronald says, “Everyday I go with toiletry and toothbrush to a new room to check. We have very detailed lists and we rectify things and check again. We test sleep rooms to see if there is any noise in the AC, check drainage, water seepage, etc. Only when you stand in the shower for 10 minutes do you actually know where water is splashing and that is how you truly test a room,” he laughs.