The Hindu Business Line : French leave

The huge wooden gates open and as you enter Le Waterina, the resort opposite the Nokia factory at Sriperumbudur, near Chennai, you find yourself in pristine land — colonies of neatly-lined white villas set against the backdrop of the blue, calm Sriperumbudur lake and surrounded by blooming lilies in the lush green gardens.

For Sanjay Jalan, who owns and runs the place, it was “my visit to Monte Carlo that stirred my imagination and I wanted to create a similar landscape”. Closer home the place feels a lot like the picturesque French quarter in Puducherry.

With 36 aesthetically designed villas, the 140-room resort promises to be a place that “combines business and pleasure”. So while there are well-equipped boardrooms that can each seat 20 people, there is also a bar and discotheque at the other end. Spread over three acres, in the same property you can host a poolside barbeque party or sweat it out at the fully-equipped gym and indulge in a massage at the Ayurvedic centre. The serenity will force you to leave work behind, but the Wi-fi connectivity ensures urgent matters can be attended to.

Sriperumbudur first became widely known as the place where former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated, but in recent times it is fast emerging as an important industrial belt and global manufacturing base. “There are major corporates such as Nokia, Motorola, Dell, Saint Gobain and Hyundai, and there are about 200 subsidiaries in and around Sriperumbudur. There is no housing in this area and people have to travel nearly 70 km back to the city every day”. This seemed to offer a lucrative business opportunity for Jalan, who bought the land in December 2006 and built the resort “in record time of 11 months”.

The place is intended to recreate the French theme and style of living. As he explains, “The ceiling is high, wall abnormally thick, large windows for a lot of light to come in”; elements that ensure the setting is open, uncluttered and relaxing. “And, basically, white! The flooring, ceiling, interiors and exteriors are all white.”

Why? “White was chosen in order to emphasise the characteristics of the design with a play of light and shade. The colour also helps to enhance the landscape around,” says Sajith of the architect firm Sajith & Vivek, who are the designers for the resort. “The design approach was simple, straight-line buildings with deep balconies, tiled roof and flat arches,” he explains.

Le Waterina primarily aims to cater to expats. The four-star resort boasts “an occupancy rate of 40 per cent, with foreigners accounting for a major portion during the weekdays”. However, Jalan sees more scope for it as Chennai “has a dearth of resorts. Apart from ECR, Chennai has no other alternative and people are looking for a change.” So, the place is positioning itself as an ideal weekend getaway. The indoor and outdoor activities will keep kids occupied, while one can rejuvenate in the tranquil setting. Apart from off-site business conferences, “you can even have a wedding on the lakeside. We have a beautiful garden attached to the banquet hall and one can book the resort for the guests,” he suggests.

Room tariffs currently range between Rs 2,500 (single – superior) and Rs 5,000 (deluxe suite – double). Butthe prices are scheduled for an upward revision in September 2008.

So, get there now!

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