Several people have been in touch asking about the construction progress of the area's new luxury hotel, Sparsa Tiruvannamalai. I was wondering about that myself, so yesterday, Wednesday, June 13th, decided to check out work at the new hotel.
At the site, one of the supervisors mentioned that construction of the Hotel complex would be finished within a month. If you would like to look at the interior of the Hotel's rooms, click here. For earlier postings following Sparsa Tiruvannamalai's progress, visit 5th February posting, and 24th April posting.
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Anyhow, first off on the current trip is a photograph of the administrative and shop area. Shops in the Hotel Compound will include a flower shop, coffee shop, internet facility and a gift shop. Other facilities at the complex will also include an ayurvedic health centre and a health club.
In the next photograph, workers are finishing the thatching on one of the shop's roofs. As well as for purely aesthetic reasons, the roof thatch is also functional in helping buildings maintain a constant temperature. However the lovely straw roof is not actually structurally relevant to the building, as it is only a facade covering of a regular style roof; so no need to worry about drips coming through the roof in the middle of a storm!
Here is a photograph of a recently completed thatch roof. I was told by the roofing master, that these roofs will last up to 7 years before they need to be replaced.
Quite different from the style inside the accommodation rooms, in the below photograph, is an example of floor tiling of shops and administrative offices.
In the next photograph is a row of accommodation cottages. Each cottage has two rooms upstairs and two downstairs, all with a view of Arunachala. All that remains to be done in this area is the pathways (which I've been told will in most cases be made of flagstones) and the garden landscaping.
The below is of two mandapams (halls) which will be utilised for meetings, retreats, talks, meditation or group meetings.
One essential in any comfortable hotel is the swimming pool; which in this case is facing Arunachala. The various buildings around the pool comprise, changing area and showers, a restaurant, upstairs viewing platform and outdoor restaurant, and to the right (and out of the picture) a large two storey conference hall and kitchen.
Even in the building of such a sophisticated project, most of the work is done in the traditional Tamil way i.e. by hand.
The below is of the inside of the conference room.
The next photograph is taken from the upstairs roof on top of the rooms around the pool, including changing rooms and showers, restaurant, conference room and kitchen. The roof which faces Arunachala will be transformed into an outdoor restaurant.
Looking down from the roof we can see progress on the Hotel's swimming pool. As well as this public pool, one of the accommodation villa's has its own small private swimming pool.
Looking from the roof into another direction, I can see sheafs of hay lined up drying in the sun and waiting to be used by roofers to thatch the rest of the office buildings. In the background, behind the bushes and small trees, is Arunachala.
The Hotel is situated in a quiet, undeveloped area and this is one of the views of the outlying countryside.
In another direction and outside the Hotel compound, is a very beautiful recently constructed local Temple.
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Opening Day of Sparsa, Tiruvannamalai, is set for the first week of August. Room rates are as follows:
Per day single occupancy U.S.$75, double occupancy U.S.$90, each additional bed in room U.S.$10. Deluxe room with private pool U.S.$115. There is an additional 12.5% luxury tax on the above prices.
If you would like additional information or assistance to make a reservation, please contact us at:
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The eco-sensitive design group responsible for Sparsa, Tiruvannamalai, is 'Inspiration', Architects, Engineers, Designers and Craftspersons from Kerala. The below photographs are from a recent architectural Indian magazine including some of the Company's recently completed projects.
'Inspiration' is a design group associated with the eco-sensitive concepts of the renowned Laurie Baker.
