I can sum up my weekend as having lived in a fantasy where I was in my absolute element. Each and every aspect of the hotel was filled with such intricate details and splashes of gorgeous colours. Detail...it's always the little details in life that mean so much to me so as you can imagine I was in my element. The pieces of furniture chosen,the art-work,the elaborate however tasteful staff uniforms, the ornaments,the fabrics was such a feast for my eyes. Each restaurant or public space of this monstrosity would take you to a different and unique experience completely. I felt as if I could have been in one of my fave quirky Johnny Depp movies where ones imagination runs wild and behind every door handle you never knew what you were in store for!
On our first night we dined at "Voi" which is a Vietnamese restaurant with a French twist. This dining experience took me back to the Far East. The explosion of fresh and interesting flavors in every morsel was phenomenal and this was topped off with exceptional service from "Octavian." This gent knew his dishes really really well,spoke with a deep passion for food and added his personality to it all.
The next day was spent exploring what this gem of a Saraya had to offer it's guests. The spa was somewhat surreal sweeping us off our feet with it's gorgeous Turkish theme and inviting jacuzzis. Here I felt as if I really had done some time traveling back into another era. Much time was spent relaxing in a massive jacuzzi surrounded by private booth areas, gorgeous interiors and my absolute highlight...'peace and quiet.'I got to sit and reflect on the awesome week I had had and I had the space to think about the great transformation that I am having within.
That evening we dined at "Amala" an Indian themed restaurant. Here again the decor was tasteful and I loved the open plan kitchen. Our waiter "Deepak" initially arrived very poker face styled in his service however then gently opened up in his warmth around his great service and before you know it he was rather humorous with us. Great recommendations from his end and agreement on our choices. The food was sooooo good however I must single out the "lamb chops." (Yes,yes for those of you who know me well and can't imagine me ordering chops in a restaurant of that calibre yes I did have not one but two!) The lamb chops were recommended by a random someone on a twitter feed as well as the kulfi. Let me tell you that they were both absolute winners. When I bit into that succulent lamb chop I think all my senses shut down! I had to tell Lecia to stop talking as I was busy savouring it. Ha ha ha.
After dinner we popped in at the Voda Bar to have a celebratory drink in honor of Lecia's recent promotion and of course a drink to celebrate life and ALL it's beauty. It was a great end to a day of having felt like I was continuously moving between magical worlds.
This morning we were up at 7am ready to take in the morning beauty of the outdoors and to get a morning swim in. I managed to get a good few laps in and continued to feel in a state of absolute bliss.(The hotel has a decent length pool which is ideal for the lap swimmer) Post the refreshing start to the day it was onto brekkies at "The Imperium" where I was most impressed with the hostess "Joanne". She recalled me from the day before and was really engaging. She made up for the lack of service we about to experience. Despite the restaurant not being busy our waitrons were not around when you needed them and an untidy waiter station near our table was not welcoming. Thankfully the fantastic weekend I had just had didn't allow for this to spoil the experience. I kept my hospitality cap at bay, addressed the concerns gently and next thing you know we had over attentive service. Breakfast was like the morning before fantastic and relaxing.
It was then time to pack up and bid the luxurious Saraya farewell.
Check-out wasn't as polished as it should have been however thanks to "Ishaan" who was engaging and assisted with our bags prior to the actual check-out I didn't allow the lack of professional service here spoil the last service "moments of truth".
I then popped my bubble of my fantasy world I had been living in and I was happy to return to my reality and felt grateful for yet another awesome life experience. I will be back there for sure!
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