Posted on Jan 20, 2016 at 01:50 PM

The Ritz Carlton hotel made its foray into India in association with Bengaluru’s most reputed real estate company – Nitesh Land . This luxury chain of hotels which has made its name throughout the world has its first and only hotel in India, in the heart of Bengaluru – Residency Road.

Let’s take you on a guided tour of the hotel to give you all a sneak preview of what you can expect from this five-star palace of luxury.

The grand association between The Ritz-Carlton, Bangalore and Nitesh Land gives rise to a lot of expectations. The Ritz-Carlton,Bangalore, exceeds those and lives up to its reputation of going big while at the same time paying attention to the minutest details. The whole hotel has been built to meet up to the most discerning of tastes and international standards while at the same time retaining the Indian charm. The signature ‘jaali’ design can be spotted throughout the hotel which weaves an Indian touch into this otherwise global hotel chain.

You will be awestruck the moment you enter the grand gates outside the hotel. The impeccable landscaping, the beautiful exteriors, the glimmering glass covered ‘L’ shaped building of 16 floors and the unnervingly lifelike bronze sculpture of Pablo Picasso will entice you.

LUXURY ROOMS

It has 277 rooms and suites with world class amenities to pleasure and pamper you. The floor-to-ceiling windows provide a view of the beautiful city. You will be tempted to slide under the covers of the inviting beds, lounge around on the plush furniture with a beverage from the mini bar enjoying the view of the city and adjust the room to your tastes with the sophistication and control granted by a touch panel. But mostly you will be bowled over by the opulence of the bathroom with its world-class bath amenities by Asprey of London.

No stone has been left unturned to cater to the residents’ beauty and wellness desires here at The Ritz-Carlton, Bangalore owned and developed by Nitesh Land.  An entire floor is dedicated to wellness.

GET PAMPERED IN THE lUXURIOUS SPA

The world class spa operated by Espa welcomes you with its soothing music and de-stressing ambience. Just like Nitesh Land and The Ritz-Carlton, the brand Espa comes with a reputation for providing the best spa experiences with its amazing amenities, signature treatments and relaxing ambience. The spa uses only ESPA products and is equipped with a dedicated thermal suite, steam and sauna for relaxation and rejuvenation. This high-end spa is a heaven for those looking for some lavish pampering!

HAIR SPA

The world renowned Rossano Ferreti hair salon beckons you to let the finest professionals care for your hair, from root to tip. This hair spa offers the best beauty services including its world-class signature method of hair designing. Personalized attention is the specialty of this acclaimed hair salon.

Fitness Studio

The fitness studio with its view of the city of Bangalore will make the laziest of people want to run on the treadmill. Open 24 hours, this fitness studio is equipped with Techno gym equipment to suit all your fitness needs. With personal trainers to guide you, one does not need to take a break from the fitness routine even when away from home!

The Pool Bar

And to cool off from it all, you can head to the pool bar! With an outdoor swimming pool, private cabanas and refreshments, this pool bar’s location is very conveniently located in the wellness floor. Whether you want to grab a fresh fruit juice after a heavy workout or take a dip in the pool, you can head here. And if you are just out from a relaxing session at one of the spas, then you can give into the temptation and lounge on the daybeds with a cocktail.

CUISINES TO PLEASE EVERY PALETTE!

The Ritz Carlton, Bangalore has varied restaurants for every taste! One can dabble in different cuisines throughout the stay with seven fine dining establishments which add to the city’s emerging culinary scene, available within the hotel.

The Lantern

The Lantern , invites you with its sensual blend of lights and colours, creating a visual experience unmatched by another. This three floored restaurant is a delight to visit at night with two levels of indoor seating, outdoor seating surrounded by lush foliage, cleverly incorporated lighting and a gorgeous Lantern Bar on the third floor. It comes as no surprise that this restaurant, which resembles a Chinese lantern, is designed by international avant garde designers Super Potato.

The moment you enter, the pleasant music, the dim lighting and the Chinese flavours lull and entice you. The intimate seating, the interesting decor, the heavenly dim sums, the mouth-watering food… it is no wonder that it has already won an award for being the best Chinese restaurant in the city.

Riwaz

To check out their Indian cuisine, you can step into Riwaz. Delicious North Indian food within an Indian ambience, it is experiential dining at its finest. The ultra-clean open kitchen invites you to watch as your food is prepared with much care and precision. With its spice display and intimate seating, it is authentic Indian food garnished with royal flavors and luxury. The Whisky table and the wine enoteca entice and enthral you. The food with, its smoky robust flavours, is to be relished!

The Market

The market where one can savour the delicacies of the world. A combination of Indian, East Asian and European food, it is a feast fit for a king. With three interactive show kitchens for you to watch the magic happen and a variety of options to overwhelm you, it is perhaps the only market you will leave with a satisfied stomach and high, the kind you experience after a heavenly meal. You should definitely urge you to try their buffets, fresh sushi bar and the dessert studio after! The private dining rooms make for an intimate dining experience.

Ganache

Ganche will lure you in with its open windows and its display of layered, sugared & sprinkled goodies. The gourmet retail promenade is where one can indulge their hedonic side with its range of fresh bakes, fragrances, gourmet tea, coffee, scented candles and a range of skin care products. With the tempting display of Macaroons, Meringue and designer cakes, the aromas of freshly brewed coffees, teas, scented candles and fresh flowers, it is will charm you as soon as you enter. If you have a sweet tooth like we do, you might throw a tantrum too when they tell you it is closing time.

Bang

To top it off, literally, The Ritz-Carlton, Bangalore also has its very own rooftop bar – Bang! With creative cocktails, amazing views, heart thumping music and mouth-watering food, it is ‘The place to be’ in town! Find out why it is the hottest place in town.

Almost as impressive as the food they serve, is the fact that every restaurant has its own extensive wine collection. Wine enthusiasts should definitely give The Ritz-Carlton, Bangalore, a visit, for it not only boasts of the massive collection but has made it a part of the hotel by using wine bottles as an element of decor!

And if you are a tea person, we’d suggest you give The Ritz-Carlton, Bangalore’s legendary afternoon tea a try. With cosy seating, English tea and delicacies, it is as classy as it can be.

MIXING WORK & PLEASURE

It  has a range of boardrooms, conference rooms along with a ball room with excellent facilities where you can have your business meetings in style. The club lounge is yet another charm of this hotel where you can sip on your scotch and escape for a peaceful, quiet moment.

ART & AMBIENCE

What will impress you the most will be the little touches that make The Ritz-Carlton, Bangalore stand out from every other hotel. Stunning pieces of art are scattered all over the place for the guests to admire and get lost into. Paintings by Lim Khim Katy, Patrick Hoban, Truc, Agus YK Priyono , P J Redoute Pinx, Manuel Carbonell, Revati Sharma Singh, Bose Krishnamachari and the vermilion Sumo in the lobby, are a feast for the eyes. The hotel with its avant-garde crystal chandeliers and crafty lights hidden all over, bathes the guests in its glittering magnificence and splendour. The ambient music serenades your senses as you move around.

Step inside the gates, lose yourself in the opulence and artistic luxuries, you will only realize the existence of a world outside once you leave.

The post Tour de Ritz Carlton, Bangalore appeared first on Nitesh Land.

Posted on Dec 14, 2015 at 09:45 AM

Nature has given us a lot, and it keeps giving. It has bestowed upon us valuable gifts – air, nourishment, water, and sunshine. But for how long will it keep giving? Our sustenance is directly related to natural resources, yet we take them for granted. The environment, which is often at a risk because of this callous attitude, may just be saved with a little bit of awareness and small changes in behavior. What we must do is take steps to save our most precious natural resource, the one that is the manna of life – water.
What we must understand is that all it takes for us to make a difference is small measures. Small measures that go a really long way. Simple water conservation techniques can help in cutting the water usage by half. Water conservation is now not an option but a necessity. Statistics reveal that fresh water supply is practically nonexistent these days. Only about 1% of the water available on earth is usable, with the rest being either frozen or saline.
It is not only critical to reduce our own water consumption but to also be aware of the imminent global water crisis. “Reduce, reuse, recycle” has to be our motto. Another ‘R’ of ‘rethink’ can be added to it to assess what water consumption and its repercussions on our future. At Nitesh Land, we are committed to conserving water and the environment, and restoring the former glory of Bangalore. We aim to make Bangalore an environmentally-conscious city. To achieve the same we have created ‘I am that change’ – a social initiative of Nitesh Land. It is a step taken by us to make Bangalore environment-friendly. Here are some of the measures that we have put in place to ensure the conservation of water, to make ‘Every drop count’.
1) Rainwater harvesting is a technique of collection and storage of rainwater into natural reservoirs or tanks, or the infiltration of surface water into subsurface aquifers (before it is lost as surface runoff). We at Nitesh Land provide rainwater harvesting to capture at least 50% of the run off harvested from roofs at our projects.
2) We use treated waste water for landscaping, flushing, and car washes.
3) We have planted drought-tolerant species of plants and also local varieties of flora at our projects as they need less water for survival.
4) We use Segways at Nitesh Napa Valley as they don’t run on fuel. This supports green transportation for us.
5) We have proposed the usage of and are planning to use double-glazed unit glasses at Nitesh Park Avenue. This will help us to keep our homes cooler in the summer naturally as opposed to cooling via air conditioners.
6) We use drip irrigation systems that ensure effective conservation of water with minimal wastage.
7) It is planned that 100% of flushing requirements will be met through treated waste water.
8) We will install efficient water fixtures and fittings like low flow water fixtures with sink faucets, shower heads, and toilets that use less water per minute than older, traditional models. Low-flow water fixtures conserve water by using a high-pressure technique to produce a strong or equal flow of water with less water consumption.
9) We have Dual STP in some of our projects and complete STP in all our projects.
11) In all our green buildings we have planned an effective garbage disposal – 3 separate bins at individual housing levels – organic waste, paper and plastic, and a common collection area for metals, lamps, batteries, and e-waste.
We at Nitesh Land strongly believe in these measures and are continuously working toward them being applied across all Nitesh projects.

The post Making every drop count appeared first on Nitesh Land.

Posted on Nov 7, 2015 at 07:47 PM

We strive to raise smart and successful children but are we also making an effort to raise an environmentally conscious generation? Teach your children the value of water and the importance of saving water at an early age to ensure that they grow up to be environmentally conscious adults. You can do that by answering these four questions for them before they ask you!

Why are we conserving water?

Children see water as an abundant resource which one can never run out of. The first step in educating your children about water conservation is to let them know how important water is. Pique their interest. Start by asking them simple questions (or even complex ones if your kids are much older) about water. Tell them interesting facts about water and present hypothetical situations about what could happen if we ran out of water. Explain in simple terms how we are running short of water due to overuse and wastage.

Activity:

Let your kids look up and list the places where water scarcity is a huge issue. Give them a list of questions like ‘How many people do you think do not have access to clean drinking water?’ to answer. This will make them think and realise the importance of saving water themselves.

What are we doing wrong in our daily lives?

Water is a resource that we unwittingly waste every day. Let your children know all the little ways in which we do that – leaving the taps and faucets running, taking long showers, flushing unnecessarily, etc. Let them know how much water they are wasting and point out how they can reduce their usage of water in their everyday lives. This small step will make them more conscious of their water usage and make them more responsible in their everyday lives. Do it yourself and show them that you practice what you preach.

Activity:

Have them write down 5 ways in which people are wasting water at home and school and ask them for suggestions to set it right. Try and implement those suggestions.

Where can we cut down on our water usage?

Once your children know the importance of conserving water, let them know of all the ways, big and small, that can minimize the usage. Encourage them to turn off the taps, water the plants during cooler times of the day, take bucket baths instead of showers, reuse water, water plants with a can instead of a hose, etc.

Activity:

Turn your children into ‘Water Police’ to monitor not just themselves but also the adults in the house to ensure that water is being used judiciously. You can make badges for them to wear too!

How can we help more?

Encourage your children to spread their learning and teach their friends about water conservation. Teach them about rainwater harvesting and ways to reuse water by implementing it in your homes.

Activity:

Sit with your children and make charts and models to display in their classrooms about water scarcity and water conservation.

Lastly, teach by example. If you are more prudent with your water usage in your daily lives, your children will automatically follow you. Don’t just teach them but show them how to conserve water. An environmentally conscious new generation will lead to a better tomorrow.

The post Your children should know the answers to these 4 questions on water conservation appeared first on Nitesh Land.

Posted on Nov 7, 2015 at 07:39 PM

Most of the major cities in India have in the past (and a few even currently are) experienced some level of water crisis. Fuelled by exponential increase in urban population and climate change, the shortage problems we are witnessing presently is just the beginning. Leading scientists have painted a dismal picture of the times to come. In this scenario therefore, wastage of water is, if not a legal, is a moral crime. Some very common everyday habits of people lead to a major wastage of the water band and the irony is that they are not aware of the exact action to be taken. Here are some situations where there is a scope for improvement.

Leaving water running

Let us begin with the one that is the easiest to avoid. Most of us leave the tap open in the bathroom while brushing our teeth or shaving, keep the shower on while we scrub and soap the body. This common habit may lead to a huge quantity of water going down the drain. Closing the tap when not in use is a prudent thing to do.

Car wash with a hose pipe

A hose pipe is commonly used to wash cars and other vehicles which leads to a lot of wastage of water. People may carelessly leave the hose running while they scrub stains off their car which may result in a wastage exceeding 500 litres! Washing your car with a bucket and sponge is a better idea. It is great exercise and saves a lot of water as well. So, drop that hose!

Taking long showers

Long showers are something which most of us are used to. But can you imagine that spending more than 5 minutes under the shower consumes up to 38 Litres of water? Opt for a bucket bath instead; it helps speed up your morning routine and at the same time saves precious water.

Yards don’t need a bath

There are better ways to clean up your yard and patio than to shoot jets of water from a hose at the dirt. Doing this on a daily or weekly basis wastes thousands of litres of water which can be used for other purposes. Invest in a leaf blower if there are trees around your property and resort to a simple sweeping to clean the yard. You can save the hose for when you actually need water to do the job.

Ignoring leaks around the house

It is estimated that up to 30% of the water supplied to a city is wasted due to leakages. If you see or hear a tap drip, stop it. Those little drops of water add up and at the end of the day will amount to litres of water wasted. It is advisable to have a water meter installed to monitor the leakages. A change in the meter reading even when water is not being used lets you know about a leak.

By making these small changes in our everyday lives, not only can we save large amounts of water but also feel proud on being an aware and prudent citizen!

The post 5 ways we are wasting water appeared first on Nitesh Land.

Posted on Nov 7, 2015 at 07:31 PM

The world is just beginning to realize the value of natural resources and water is one such resource. While scientists have been talking about it for decades, an average common person like you and me has started taking about water conservation seriously only in the recent years. Apart from reducing our usage of water, there are other ways to conserve water – re-using and recycling. If you are someone who is willing to take that extra step and be an environmentally conscious citizen, here are certain things that will certainly make a difference in the long run.

Reusing water in daily life

This simple step is something each one of us can and should adopt in our daily lives. The water from household chores like washing clothes can be used it to fill up the flush tanks. Similarly, rather than throwing water stored in bottles for a long time could be used to water indoor plants. Water used to wash fruits, vegetables, rice, etc. in the kitchen can be reused for gardening purposes. These are small, innovative ways in which water can be re-used in the households. Keep a large drum or a bucket in your home to store excess water to be reused for your toilet tank and gardening needs instead of wasting fresh water for these purpose.

Grey water and how to use it

We use a lot of water for our washing and cleaning needs. This water which usually goes down the drain otherwise can be reused. ‘Grey Water’ is the term given to water used in showers, bathtubs, sinks, etc. which is not fit for human consumption but can be put to other uses like gardening. You can reroute your drainage pipes to a storage tank and use the grey water collected to water your plants. Water from sinks can be rerouted to flush your toilets.

Rainwater Harvesting

Rainwater is usually allowed to run off. It could be judiciously trapped and collected to be used for our daily needs. There are ways to purify it as well so that it can be made fit for consumption. This process is called rainwater harvesting. It can be as simple as putting a bucket under a downpipe to collect the water from the rooftop. As a community you can also work with your neighbours to create more effective harvesting techniques to conserve water.

Recycling Water

Just like plastic, water can also be recycled. Recycled or reclaimed water is former waste water which is treated to remove harmful impurities. While this water is still not safe for consumption, it can be used for irrigation and industrial purposes. Conservation of water, just like conservation of environment, is all about the three Rs – Reduce, Re-use & Recycle. Start small and make efforts to save water in your own little way. Each drop counts!

The post Reusing & recycling water – innovative water conseravtion appeared first on Nitesh Land.

Posted on Oct 23, 2015 at 10:24 AM

As a city, we find ourselves in a grave situation with too many factors causing a negative impact on our freshwater resources while the solutions proposed and acted upon are minimal. The Garden City, the Silicon Valley of India – Bengaluru, is situated at an altitude of 3000 feet above sea level which means that the water we use here has to be pumped up. This makes the water here the most expensive in all of India and Asia. Bengaluru’s water costs the government a whopping Rs. 82 per kilolitre while Delhi’s water on the other hand, costs its government only Rs. 28 per kilolitre.
But how safe is the water here? In the tests conducted by the Public Health Institute along with the Department of Mines and Geology of the Karnataka government, the results revealed that 52 per cent of the borewell water and 59 per cent of tap water in Bengaluru is not potable, and contains 8.4 per cent and 19 per cent Ecoli bacteria respectively.

DEPLETING LAKES

In 1790, Bengaluru was described as the land of a thousand lakes. Less than 200 of those 1000 lakes have managed to survive. If you are wondering what happened to the remaining 800-odd lakes, the answer is the biggest magic trick – they disappeared! Did you know that JP Nagar 4th Phase was in fact the Sarakki Agrahara Lake? Kanteerava stadium now stands on what was once the Sampangi Lake. Banakshankari 2nd stage replaced Kadirenahalli Lake. Kempegowda bus terminal took care of the Dharmabudhi Lake and the list goes on.

The 850 km of storm water drains which should ideally be carrying surplus water from higher elevation lakes to lower levels in a system of natural rainwater harvesting are now polluting the few lakes left with the city’s sewage.

Considering that only 30% of the city’s sewage is treated before releasing, 70% of untreated sewage from the city is being dumped into what is left of our lakes.

RISING DEMAND BUT FALLING SUPPLY

Adding to the ‘dirty picture’, in just a decade, the city’s population rose from 53 lakhs in 2001 to 87 lakhs in 2011. The figures are projected to reach one crore by 2016. Sadly, the amount of water provided by Cauvery River hasn’t increased at the same pace. The sewage water contaminates the ground water and percolates into the borewells.

WHAT CAN WE DO?

As freaky as all this might sound, we still have a sliver of a chance to change things for good.
We have to be aware of this situation and accept that Bangalore is facing a severe crisis. Each one of the informed citizen should try to bring about the change. If we decide not to waste water, the intended impact is bound to follow. All that is required is taking small steps towards the restoration of the green grandeur of our city.

Estimates show that 35% of water pumped to the city is wasted. Reporting leakages and avoiding wastages can go a long way in saving some of that and reducing the percentage of wasted water.

Rain Water Harvesting along with conservation efforts could vastly improve the availability of freshwater. If communities of independent homes could come together and set up rainwater harvesting systems, it could make a huge difference!

Let us all pledge to do our part in helping the city overcome its water crisis.

The post Bengaluru: Staring at the water crisis appeared first on Nitesh Land.

Posted on Oct 23, 2015 at 10:14 AM

In the last few decades, Earth’s climate has been changing at an unforeseen pace as a result of anthropogenic activity. Scientific evidence shows that it all began with the industrial revolution and was driven by the ever increasing consumption of fossil fuels. When temperatures started rising globally and extreme weather events began to occur at greater frequencies, scientists and environmentalists around the world scrambled to figure a way to measure the human impact on the environment.
The concepts of carbon and water footprints were brought to light about a decade ago. The term ‘carbon footprint’ has gained popularity over the decade. Widely accepted and used by the public and media, it describes greenhouse gas emission measurement using various calculation methods and approaches. The birth of the term ‘water footprint’ can be traced back to 2008, but is fast gaining importance and popularity among the media and public now.

Carbon Footprint:

The ‘carbon footprint’ (CF) has evolved into a popular tool used to estimate the effects of Green House Gas (GHG) emissions from human activities. With the increasing concern about climate change and global warming – governments, businesses and consumers alike, are looking at ways to reduce the impact. The two commonly used response strategies are reduction and offsetting. Reduction covers the undertaking of activities in a less carbon-intensive way whereas offsetting refers to taking external actions to compensate.

Water Footprint:

Around the world today, there are increasing mentions of the term ‘water crises’ and the eventual impact of it on all sectors of the economy. Water crises pose an immense threat to food security. Freshwater of good quality and quantity is prerequisite for human development as well as the balance of natural ecosystems. The unsustainable use and exploitation of freshwater resources is gradually leading to the depletion of ground water, rivers running dry, and water quality deterioration. The strategies of ‘reduction’ and ‘offsetting’ apply to water footprint as well.

TOWARDS A GREENER REAL ESTATE:

Both the concepts have been greatly accepted by various industries to varying degrees. The biggest driving force however, has been the real estate sector with increasing numbers of Green buildings cropping up in urban India. The goal of Green Buildings is to leave behind smaller carbon and water footprints without compromising on utility and comfort. A green building is designed for efficiency not only during its operation and maintenance but also during other stages of its lifecycle, such as construction, redevelopment and even demolition.
Initiatives are being driven by public demand and responsible developers with support from reforms in government policies. Both regional and national developers in India have responded with a wide range of new projects. Constructions of new green spaces for office buildings, residential projects and retail malls is currently underway in urban areas throughout the country.
Many real estate companies are committing to make all new projects with a more sustainable footprint. This is commonly achieved through effective use of solar energy in common areas, rain water harvesting, used water filtration systems and to a great extent, through innovation in design and architecture. Most green buildings optimize natural lighting and ventilation to create a comfortable environment without having to use great amounts on energy in creating the ambience.
The government has also shown their support at various levels with The Government of India’s proposition to develop all new Government buildings as energy efficient spaces. These initiatives breathe fresh motivation to work towards a greener way, towards integrated sustainable development.

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