Cake Mixing Event at Grand Mercure Mysuru

Namaskara said a pretty lady with a smile as she opened the door of our car at the grand entrance of Grand Mercure Mysuru. As we tiptoed from our car and entered the reception, a resort staff welcomed us with wet towels and drinks.  Well, ya we finally managed to reach our destination – Mysore after a 4-hour drive from Bangalore, all thanks to the Bengaluru horrid traffic. The refreshing drink was a much-needed relief after a super long road trip with no pit stops.

As soon as we gulped down the drink while finishing the check-in formalities, we were introduced to the hotel’s marketing manager Khusbhu, a charming pretty lady, passionate about her work and in love with Mysore. As we sat down for a conversation over a quick refreshment at the La Uppu restaurant, she dwelled us with details about the property, on-going activities and the recent additions to the hotel.

Grand Mercure Mysuru was inaugurated on 28^th April 2016 by none other than the CM of Karnataka Siddaramaiah. The inauguration was quite an affair with media, bloggers and prominent personalities on the list. The hotel is a new addition to the Accor group of hotels and has been built by the famous Brigade group.

Mysore for me has always been the best day trip destination from Bangalore. Having stayed in the South of Bangalore, for us it a quick 3-hour drive with no planning as such. But of late most of the time, Mysore has been a great pit stop while visiting nearby destinations like Wayanad, Coorg, Mangalore and the list goes on and on. This was my seventh visit to the city and first time an overnight stay. When I was invited to the cake mixing event, I could not say no. Since it was first of a kind for me too, I was pretty excited to be part of the debut cake mixing event of the hotel, the first of many to come in the future.

The Hotel

Tucked right in the heart of the city and close to Mysore palace, this 5-star property is a recent addition to the list of the luxurious properties in Mysore or Mysuru.

Everything about the place is primed for satiating both the leisure as well as the business traveler. I like the way they have blended the culturally vibrant charm of Mysuru to the interiors of the hotels.

The lobby area is well-lit and the interior is the concoction of contemporary and traditional influence. Tastefully placed sofas, wide lamps, chandeliers, staff greeting you every time by saying “namaskara”  or framed silk saree pattern and painting of the Somnathpura temples that adorn the walls.

One can tell the attention has been paid to every detail and the cultural influx is clearly visible.

The hotel offers 146 rooms and suites to its guests. The rooms are tastefully done and are interconnected. Perfect for families and friends who visit the city in groups.  The hotel also has an exquisite viewing gallery on the sixth floor for Dussehra Procession.

Other amenities include a rooftop swimming pool, well-equipped gym, in-house bar, free WiFi, kids play area and a Spa.

At the end of the lobby, there is also a small souvenir shop stocked up with silk sarees, wooden toys, clay products and other artifacts.

Rooms :

I stayed in the Deluxe Room. The room was cozy with pops of colors and quirky patterns planking the queen size bed. The bedroom was well-appointed with a study table, well-stocked bathroom amenities, wall-sized mirror, couch, coffee maker, iron board and iron box.

But what made the cut was the way the local culture has been blended into the room décor in the form of Chennapatnama wooden toys and paintings of Mysore silk sarees patterns that adorn the walls.

Quite thoughtful I must say.

Food :

 The hotel has a total of three restaurants serving Indian to Japanese food to their guest.

Deli Shop, in the lobby, is perfect for quick bites and customized cakes and freshly baked pastries.

La UPPU or “The Salt”  is an all-day fine dining restaurant having both a la carte and buffet option. The nomenclature comes from the fact that salt is the first ingredient to be served during a meal. The buffet has a large continental and Indian spread, however, it was a bit run-of-the-mill during the lunchtime. But I really liked the mutton biryani and the Choco Mania for dessert.

By The Blue, the rooftop restaurant overlooks the pool and serves north Indian cuisine. It is perfect for dinner/lunch dates with friends and families. The food served is good and there is also a live band performance during the weekends. And not to forget, the Sunday Brunch menu is inviting and is sure to titillate your taste buds.

Silk Bar – a cute little cozy bar with a dazzling range of liquors. The bar has a beautiful designer table and colorful sofas and wooden chess for their guest to hone their game while having their drink.

Spa :

Though I was not able to experience the spa, however, I had a quick glance through the menu. They have an array of therapies at a very reasonable price.

Service :

The entire team and staff are young and quite passionate about the property which clearly reflects on their service. They are cordial and happy to suggest the best on the menu. I think the trophy certainly goes to the housekeeping staff for the sweet handwritten goodnight message on a leaf and placed on the crisp well-made bed and towel art which keeps changing every night.

Though I was greeted by a towel Swan, I did find a cute little mermaid in another room while we were doing a property tour. I think such sweet thoughtful gestures makes the stay all the more memorable. 

Cake Mixing Event at Grand Mercure Mysuru

With Christmas lurking around the corner, cake mixing has been quite a trend of late. For me, it was the first time I was attending an event like this and believe me I was pretty excited.

If you are wondering what exactly is a cake mixing event? Let me quickly share a bit of history regarding this age-old tradition. It dates back to 17th century England, back then it was just a family event which later became a community event. It is mainly to spread happiness and goodwill among people from different walks of life. The cake mixing happens few months before Christmas. Loads of dry fruit is mixed with liquor especially rum and is kept for a few months so that it matures and absorbs all the goodness and is ready for the traditional plum cakes served during Christmas.

The cake mixing event at Grand Mercure was scheduled at 11:00 AM. As we reached the restaurant where the event was planned, we saw close to 100 kg of dry fruits (raisins, figs, cashew, tutti frutti, dried cherries, dried plums etc) placed on a table along different types of liquor starting from whiskey, rum, brandy, gin, vodka etc.

The ceremony kick started around 11:45 AM. The event was attended by local, corporates, in-house guests, staff, and their family members. A huge glass vessel was placed on the table and we all were handed gloves, aprons, and chef hats 🙂 :). We poured all the dry fruits inside the vessel, followed by a generous amount of liquor. Then came the best part – THE MIXING time. We all had so much fun mixing all the dry fruits and the liquor and while we were busy doing that, the Chef peppered the mix with cinnamon, nutmeg powder, and other spices to add a dash of flavor. There was laughter, fun, and loads of posing for pictures as we winded the event and ring in the festive season. In fact special mention to the GM of the hotel for wholeheartedly getting involved in all the process, chefs in arranging everything and all the staff involved in making the event a grand success.

Once everything was mixed properly, it was covered by a thin transparent film. The mixture was then kept in a cool dry place so that all the flavor kicks in and it is all set to transform into plum cakes, puddings or cakes for the in-house guests.

The event was followed by lavish lunch spread at “La Uppu”. After filling our stomach to the brim and saying goodbye to the staff and the lovely people of Grand Mercure, it was time to head back home with wonderful memories of the event. We started for Bangalore around 5 pm and were back home by 9 pm.

Overall, my stay with Grand Mercure Mysuru was surprisingly pleasant and fun.

Hotel Address:

2203 60 New Sayyaji Rao Road – Nelson Mandela Circle – Karnataka

570021  MYSURU – INDIA

Tel : (+91) 821 4021212 – Fax : (+91) 821 4021250

Mail: h9306-re@accor.com

( Featured Image:  Grand Mercure Official site )

– Places To Visit in Mysore –

Mysore has so much to offer for seasoned travelers as well as the occasional traveler. Be it culture, history, food or shopping, you have all the boxes checked. We’ve shared some of the must-visit places that you should add to your list whilst your stay :

• Mysore Palace
• Somnathpura Temple
• Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary
• Mysore Zoo
• Chamundi Hills
• Brindavan Gardens
• Nanjanagudu
• R.K.narayan’s house/museum
• Sri Chamarajendra Zoological Garden

– How To Reach  –

Mysore is well-connected by rail from all major cities of India.

Buses ply daily from Bangalore/ Mangalore/ Ooty / Coorg on  daily basis.

Nearest airport – Bangalore International Airport

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PS: I was invited by Grand Mercure Mysore to be part of the Cake mixing event, opinion as always is my own.