Union Minister Suresh Gopi Inaugurates Renovated Amritha Heritage

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:
Once known as the ‘Home of Movie Stars’, Amritha Hotel in the city was today relaunched as Amritha Heritage, after a tasteful makeover retaining the vintage charm of the original structure while adding spanking new hospitality features for a pleasant stay.

Union Minister of State for Petroleum, Natural Gas and Tourism Suresh Gopi inaugurated the renovated property, turning it into an occasion to reminisce his association with the hotel as a movie actor.

Adoor Prakash MP, Antony Raju MLA, Kadakampally Surendran MLA, V Joy MLA, film producer Suresh Kumar and actor Nandu were present during the function.

Suresh Gopi said his association with the hotel dated back to his early days an actor in the 1980s.

“It was in August 1986, I first stayed in Amritha for the movie Sayamsandhya and I was given the room next to the room in which legendary actor Prem Nazir used to stay,” recalled Gopi.

“In 1988, during the shoot of the movie Shanghunadam, I got the opportunity to stay in the same room in which Prem Nazir sir used stay,” he remembered. Suresh Gopi also recalled that the famous ‘interval sequence’ of his blockbuster movie ‘Commissioner’which was shot at the premises of Amrita Hotel.

“Reopening Hotel Amritha was our dream for a long time and it has materialised now. We will focus on quality and service to ensure utmost satisfaction for every visitor,” said Krishna Prasad, Managing Director, Amritha Heritage.

A beehive of film personalities including top actors half-a-century ago, Hotel Amritha was Essenden Bungalow when it was built 120 years back, as home of Portuguese citizen Eunice Gomez and her husband T. Shivaramasethu Pillai.

The bungalow, which distinctly houses both Travancore and Portuguese designs, had been a visual treat to the green surroundings of Thycaud, which went on to become as an upscale residential locality. While leaving the original scheme of the structure and ambience intact, renovation has added a lot of modern features to turn it into a premium hotel.

The single-storey building had in the 1950s became part of the Hotel Amritha, grabbing attention due to its unique incorporation of time-tested elements in design from the west and east of the globe.

Standing in the middle of a large property, the hotel, with its garden graced by grandpa trees and fresh shoots of flowering plants, has now undergone another reinvention while keeping intact its flair to highlight bygone glory.

As the management notes, Amritha Heritage offers visitors a nostalgic journey through time. This is complemented by the hotel’s famed Kohinoor Restaurant, the tastes of which still linger with old-timers. The aroma those days was supplemented by the sights of leading cine personalities, who made Amritha their virtual home in the 1970s. In fact, the regal interiors of Hotel Amrita featured in some of the movies of that decade.

Today, restored to its past glory with timely modifications, the mansion’s five key rooms have been styled with heritage furniture while adding modern features for a pleasant stay.

The interiors provide a throwback to history even as the facilities are state-of-the-art. It doesn’t require the guest to be a historian or long-time Thiruvananthapuram resident to enjoy the charm of the stay.

The kitchen will be headed by a team that combines decades of experience and the cuisine will be an eclectic mix of the old and new: the blends European with Indian foods. Also, there is a selection of oriental dishes, thanks to the staff trained by renowned Thai food consultant Pinagjai who was on a visit to India recently.

Amritha Heritage also brings back ‘dining on the lawn’, the first-ever experience in the city. Its location and precincts make the hotel a perfect arena for banquets.