Inner Circle (Business Hotel)

The bustling Somajiguda area leading on to the Raj Bhavan road has not only been the enroute stop of the who's who of state politics, but is also a business hub in pipeline with companies like ADP and Ramky choosing the conveniences of the centrally-located area to host their offices. It was, thus, a good business move by the Saboo RKS Motor group to establish its business hotel Inner Circle here, cashing in on the commercial and business benefits of the location.

The minimal exteriors and lobby of the hotel are testimonies to the hotel's steering away from the bells and whistles that inflate the tariffs, but that does not make it score low on the comfort-meter.

There is a wide range of rooms that the guests can select according to their needs and budgets, and the rooms vary in their sizes and the facilities offered. The Standard rooms are the most basic of the lot, at Rs. 3,500 for a single room, and Rs. 3,900 for a double room (in November 2010). The moderately sized rooms, tastefully done in shades of beige and brown, come with facilities including a frigidaire, safe electronic lockers, Wi-Fi connectivity and spacious bathrooms. The frigidaires are replenished with beverages of your choice on request, though with that of the non-alcoholic kind, as alcohol is strictly prohibited inside the hotel.

The next category of rooms in gradation is Executive - bigger than the Standard rooms, with the added facilities of a relaxing chair, an LCD TV (the TVs in Standard rooms do not have LCD screens) and a tea/coffee maker. Executive rooms come at Rs. 3,900 for a single room, and at Rs. 4,500 for a double room.

The Executive rooms give way to the wooden-flooored Deluxe rooms which are bigger with more bathroom space, and come at Rs. 4,900 for a single room, and Rs. 5,500 for a double room.

The suites also come in 2 avatars - Deluxe and Presidential. The Deluxe suites make for a commodious stay with a living room and a bedroom, each fitted with LCD TVs and frigidaires, and the single bathroom is even provided with a steam chamber. The Presidential suite can certainly accommodate the President, along with his entourage, in its sprawling space that makes up 2 bedrooms, 1 living room and 3 bathrooms. The living room, done in an alluring combination of black and red against the off-white walls, is roomy with separate dining and lounging space. Needless to say, the suites encompass all the facilities offered by the hotel, and are also provided with emergency exits.

The vegetarian coffee shop, Ice 'n' Spice, reminds you of the inner courtyards of village houses because of its location surrounded by the corridors of the hotel on all the sides. Betraying its name, the shop offers not only coffee, but also Indian, Chinese, Thai and Continental dishes. There are 2 private dining rooms, too, to host private parties.

Inner Circle has 2 conference halls - Influence and Influence Annexe - which can hold upto 60 and 45 people respectively. The helpful manager reveals that they have other rooms which can be tweaked and converted into halls to accommodate more people depending on the requirement of the guests. The halls are fitted with all amenities like LCD projectors, conference tables and good sound systems that can take care of the requirements of a business client.

The gym, In'oigon, though not very state-of-the-art, has the basic treadmills and cycles to do justice to a time-bound business guest's athletic aptitude.

Inner Circle might not figure in a list of luxury hotels, but for people looking for the modern props of conducting business in a comfortable setting, it's a good deal.