Playing House

Sumeet Keswani opts for an ironically short stay in an apartment of Citadines OMR Chennai

- Sumeet Keswani

As my drive along the Old Mahabalipuram Road (OMR) comes to a lazy halt, I begrudgingly take my eyes off the sea and take in my first glimpse of the eight-storey Citadines OMR Chennai. The plaque at the entrance describes it as an Apart’Hotel. This dichotomy only gets amplified as I claim my studio executive room and lingers on throughout my day-long stay.

Personally, I’ve never had the use for a serviced apartment in India. I’ve never stayed at a destination for that awkward amount of time that rules out the cost (and transitory aura) of a hotel and the permanence of a house lease. But it’s not difficult to imagine the market gap that Citadines seeks to fill. Surrounded by IT parks, office complexes, banks et al., the apart’hotel caters to extended-stay needs of visitors to the city. The two sectors that bring the most customers are IT and medical tourism. With Global Hospitals (5 min.), Apollo Speciality Hospital, Perungudi (20 min.) and Chettinad Health City (20 min.) at a stone’s throw, many a patient chooses to stay here with family. The waiting period for an organ transplant can stretch up to six months, I’m told, and looking for a home in the city for that short (and uncertain) a period isn’t quite feasible. Combine Citadines’ affordable rates for long stays with its hospitality and services, and you have a soothing solution.