Daily Front Row

2009 April 3

Indian Dreaming

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An exterior shot of the Dream Cochin
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(NEW YORK) Just as Lakme Fashion Week winds down, Vikram Chatwal gives aesthetes another reason to stick around in India. The hotelier behind the Dream Hotel concept is opening his newest property, Dream Cochin, this weekend in Cochin, India. The Bent Severin-designed property boasts 151 guest rooms, a 24-hour concierge, personal training, 3 restuarants, 2 lounges and all the bells and whistles one would expect. The inaugural Dream in India has already been accredited as a 5-star property by the Indian Ministry of Tourism. “As a continuation of the Dream brand, it was vital to stay in tune with the concept born in New York but simultaneously blend in the mysterious, exotic and relaxed personality that is Kerala,” said Vikram Chatwal, president of Vikram Chatwal Hotels, in a statement. “What we plan to bring to India is the idea that a hotel can provide luxurious accommodations and unparalleled service while surprising the guest at every turn.”

Vikram Chatwal Hotels has expanded the Dream Hotel portfolio to include the Dream Bangkok, which opened in 2006 and the upcoming Dream South Beach in Fall 2009. The Dream Downtown will open in Manhattan’s Meat Packing district in 2010. Chatwal plans to expand the Dream brand to more cities in India such as Chennai, Cochin, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Jaipur and New Delhi. Aside from the Dream Hotel brand, Vikram Chatwal Hotels will be the first hotelier to bring a seven-star hotel experience to Manhattan with the opening of The Chatwal in the historic Lamb’s Club building this summer.

Chatwal will celebrate the opening on Sunday, April 5 with a cocktail party on the roof, where the pool and a High Bar are located. Hundreds of Chatwal's closest friends like Jade Jagger, Fern Mallis and Billy Farrell will attend.
ASHLEY BAKER