Cocooned inside the dark shell of the hotel is the bright sunny poolside

NOVOTEL KOLKATA Hotel & Residences

Where: New Town, Rajarhat, next to Axis Mall.

Rooms open: 100-plus.

Total room inventory: 347, which will make it the largest hotel in town (until ITC Sonar’s Phase II opens).

Service apartments: The first hotel in the east to have 48 serviced apartments for long-term stay.

For family: A kids’ corner in the lobby.

For business: A ballroom, four meeting rooms, a Mac workstation. Coming up? Le Jardin, landscaped terrace area.

For wellness: Spa, salon and (finally!) a 24-hour gym.

F&B: 24X7 restaurant The Square, patisserie Delice, lobby bar Sante and the poolside bar Cascades. Coming up? A Pan-Asian restaurant.

He knows exactly where the Mutton Biryani is in the long line of buffet dishes even before reaching the counter. He can take you to the quietest spot in the hotel. And when he’s not working on a Sunday, you’ll find him at the auction house on Russell Street. Meet Jai Kishan, the general manager of the city’s newest star hotel Novotel Kolkata Hotel & Residences.

This is your third time in Calcutta?

Yes, dad used to work for a bank so during his travels, I ended up in Calcutta where I did my XI and XII in KV Ballygunge. I have a lot of sweet memories of Calcutta. We used to live in the Lake Gardens area. Then, a year ago, I worked at The Oberoi Grand as the No. 2 in the hotel which was a fabulous experience.

What are the advantages of being a general manager with a Calcutta connect?

First, understanding the culture — in terms of art, literature and politics. Second, the food because food is the soul of Bengal. Third, my travel experiences. Calcuttans are well-travelled and my experience in Europe and Asia gives me that extra advantage to connect with them better. I also network in social circles… I used to go down to Tollygunge Club, The Saturday Club and Calcutta Swimming Club, the embassies and art galleries… so in that way I know who the people are and they know who I am. The new integration point is that now they associate me with Novotel.

What was your first impression of Novotel when you saw it?

It was wow! I’ve seen a few other Novotels in India right from its entry into the India market with Novotel Hyderabad Convention Centre in 2006. Yet, I feel the Calcutta Novotel stands out because of its design, architecture, utilisation of space and the offerings. It’s modern, futuristic, user-friendly, guest-friendly and family-friendly.

Do you have a favourite corner in the hotel yet?

The dessert corner of the buffet and the kids’ area, where I often leave my kids too! The other exclusive place is the poolside — it’s like a Zen zone, quiet and cut off from the traffic and you can hear the water from the cascading pool.

What do you think will be the hotel’s most popular spots?

The poolside and Le Jardin, the rooftop banquet area, in terms of public spaces. In terms of indoor spaces, the La Femme rooms and the apartments. We are the only hotel in eastern India to offer apartments (they’re on the second, third and fourth floors of the hotel) for long-term guests.

The first floor will be a mix of retail and office space. The other floors will house our rooms.

How many food trials have you done?

Thirty-six. It’s been 36 days and lunch and dinner have been at the hotel!

What are your menu favourites?

Kosha Mangsho, Macchher Jhol, Dal Makhni, Achari Murg Tikka, Dum Aloo, Luchi.

Mostly Bengali cuisine?

The expectation from a Novotel is that the food is all continental, European or Western. But we know the core business of whom we cater to in this size of a restaurant and local delicacies always stand out. Having said that, our buffet is a good mix of continental and Chinese or Pan Asian too. So you have your Vietnamese Rice Crackers, Thai Green Curry and Continental Lamb Steaks and French Chocolate Gateaux.

My dessert favourites are Kheer Kadam and then probably Chhanar Payesh…. all the milk delicacies. I can just gulp them down and be happy forever!

What are the French elements in the hotel?

The entire kids’ area is a concept from France with its Kabla (building blocks) and soft toys. Then there’s Delice the French delicatessen. As you know in France, you’ll find bistro-delicatessens offering cheese, macarons, espresso and baguettes. At The Square, you have a selection of the fare that’s French too. Like for breakfast, an espresso and croissant. Another concept is the pan-to-plate, a concept started in France.

What are your short and long-term goals for Novotel?

Short-term goal is to successfully launch the hotel in the market, which we’ve already done, and take it to a wider audience and establish it as a premier segment hotel in the market. Long-term goal would be to make it the best leisure and business hotel.

Are the other hotels cropping up in the city in the same segment threat or opportunity?

The more, the merrier! I look at it as opportunity. We are out of balance when compared to a China, Hong Kong or Singapore market. More rooms in the city will mean a better lifestyle and more choices. In total, in the five-star segment, we have close to 5,000 rooms in Calcutta and for larger conferences to happen here, on the scale of a Pragati Maidan in Delhi, we need 6,000-plus rooms. For example, if we truly want to take the Biswa Banga Sammelan in January to an international scale and get 10,000 guests into the city, there’s not enough room.

What do you do when you’re not working?

I love to watch a good movie; the last one I saw was Bang Bang. Or just travel to simple places like the Sunderbans. I’m just getting introduced to golf and I want to pick up my swimming and gymming as well.

Your favourite restaurants in town?

Baan Thai, Aaheli and Kusum Rolls.

Finally, tell us something we don’t know about you…

I have a huge collection of brass pieces. I love collecting anything antique, anything not available easily in the market. My favourite hangout place in Calcutta is The Russell Exchange, I usually visit every Sunday and everyone knows me by my first name! My steal deal is a sleeping Ganesha figurine with one leg in the air and weighing around 7kg. I got it for Rs 2,000 and I haven’t seen anything like it elsewhere.