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From a Mumbai masterpiece to a Bahamian rhapsody |
| Over a chilled flute of Veuve Clicquot and a couple of exquisite light bites delivered to us personally by the Chef, I perused the menus. The cuisine featured a classic Khandvi platter with more twists than Elvis Presley in his prime. |
INDIA. The GVK Lounge at Chhatrapati Shivaji International in Mumbai has been named as Asia’s leading airport lounge.
Built and operated by Travel Food Services (TFS) and Performa, it was awarded Asia’s Leading Airport Lounge trophy in the World Travel Awards 2015.
Spread across a30,000sq ft across two levels, the GVK Lounge is located in Terminal 2 and was inaugurated in November 2014. It is said to be the first-ever common luxury lounge in the country and offers concierge services, a smoking zone, food & drinks, a bar, a luxury spa, a shower area, a relaxation area, a library and a business centre.
Instilling a sense of Indian grandeur , the lounge was designed by fashion designer Sandeep Khosla and Mumbai architect Alfaz Miller based on a concept from Softroom Architects.
TFS Chief Operating Officer Gaurav Dewan said the award validated the company’s “commitment to offer our premium international guests a truly world-class lounge concept which is unsurpassed”.
He continued: “This award provides the impetus to keep challenging boundaries as we have done with the GVK Lounge by TFS Performa, which is the first common luxury lounge in India, thus also bringing in a breakthrough change in the model of lounge operations in India. The lounge continues to receive a lot appreciation from global passengers with discerning preferences for its bespoke ambiance, service and culinary delights.”
The World Travel Awards was held in Hong Kong and is now in its 22nd edition, with about 500,000 unique votes cast by travel professionals and high-end tourism consumers this year.
Other nominees were Cathay Pacific’s “˜The Wing’ First Class Lounge at Hong Kong International Airport; the Japan Airlines First Class Lounge; the Korean Air KAL Lounge at Incheon International Airport; the Malaysian Airlines Golden Lounge; the Singapore Airlines Silver Kris Lounge; and the Thai Airways Royal First Lounge at Suvarnabhumi Airport.
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Breakthrough change: The common usage concept means that airlines can offer the lounge experience to their premium passengers on a “˜pay per use’ basis |
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Lounge luxury: The 30,000sq ft lounge is spread across two levels and can hold up to 440 guests at a time |
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Sense of Place: The interior captures a notion of Indian grandeur |
