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Go for the goal!
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You might not go to Germany, but you can definitely have a feel of the FIFA World Cup at a hotel near you. As the extravaganza opens this week, Anuj Kumar takes a look at the leading five-star hotels of the city
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PHOTO: S. SUBRAMANIUM
ALL SET FOR KICK-OFF Atrium lounge of Crowne Plaza is attracting fans with life-size cut outs of players.
Heard of Ronaldo's swerve and Beckham's bender? Why not, but do you know they are now available in Delhi for a month. No, it is not a free kick; these are two delicacies on offer as part of "Freakick", a month-long promotion that hotel Le Meridian has planned to celebrate the FIFA World Cup 2006.
As the football extravaganza opens later this week in Germany, its reverberations can already be heard in Delhi's five-star hotels. The Imperial, Maurya, Taj Palace, Intercontinental the Grand, Crowne Plaza, all of them have redone their bars and restaurants to entice the football fanatics.
Others like Nikko Metropolitan are in the process of finalising things to catch the June 9 deadline. Life-size cut-outs of the Ronaldinhos and the Beckhams, goal posts, flags, giant footballs and the cheer girls, they are all there to lure them inside. And once in, large plasma screens are there to seize the attention.
No bar
As the experts say football is all about camaraderie and brings people together and perhaps that's the reason that most have chosen bar and lounge as the rendezvous point. Be it Atrium at Crowne Plaza, Agni at The Park or Champions Bar at the Intercontinental the Grand, the bubbly will flow till late in the night. "Football is not exactly a family sport. It's not like your gentleman's game. It's watched with friends because when the game gets on to you, you don't know when you start shouting and swearing," says Rajeev Agrawal, a senior executive with a multinational company, who is an ardent football fan. He is planning to spend some nights at a hotel's bar with mates after the quarterfinal stage. "That's when you can take sides." Concurs his friend Mukul Awasthy, "We can't afford to go to Germany, but we can at least enjoy at the nearest hotel."
Agrees Rishi Raj, a spokesperson for Maurya Sheraton, "Football is a sport that's played with passion and seen with passion. We are changing the décor of Dublin, the bar, to suit the mood. The waiters will don the football kits. There is a special menu comprising the cuisines of the leading contenders of the crown."
Akhil Mathur, public relations manager of Le Meridien shares, "Arrangements have been made to paint the faces in the colour of the country you want to root for at the Eau bar and lounge. One can also sport the replica of the uniform of the favourite country. All this is something you can't do at home. Also there is no wife to check the number of pegs!"
Special recipes with names that take you straight to the field are also on offer. At Crowne Plaza, there is something called dangerous play, which is lamb chops doused in brandy and red pepper. Then there is formation 424, which is cheese balls artfully arranged in the classic formation. At Le Meridien, a vodka drink is named after Figo, the Portugese striker. And for those who want to back the Asian sides they can have a bite of shami kabab rechristened as Asian challenge before they shout for Iranian forward Daei Ali. Rendezvous, the 24-hour restaurant at Intercontinental The Grand is featuring international dishes and live cooking stations from various participating countries. As the mood warms up, hotels are planning to bring in chefs from the participating countries as well.
Parties have also been scheduled around the mega event. Taj Palace would be hosting a kick off party on June 9 where the German Ambassador would be there along with diplomatic representatives of the participating nations. The Café Fontana at the hotel will stock books and music for fans who want to know and listen about the World Cup.
Despite India's absence what is that makes football fever grip India. "It is being promoted as a brand by companies. Soccer has club-based support. Earlier people used to root for East Bengal and Mohan Bagan, today it is Manchester United and Chelsea," says Shantanu De a senior media professional and football fan. He is right, for all the freebies are being sponsored by companies like Budweiser, Lotto and ESPN who have a stake in the game. De won't go to a hotel as he feels the atmospherics could be created at home as well.
The freebies
He can't offer freebies and discounts though. Intercontinental The Grand is offering a beverage buffet at Rendezvous with unlimited serving of alcoholic beverages. One can choose from a premium brand of liquors available on the beverage buffet at Rs.550 plus taxes as partake of the lunch or dinner buffet. Maurya is offering a bucket of bear or four shots of tequila for Rs.1000. During the intervals, hotels have planned trivia quizzes and crossword puzzles with attractive prizes to keep the audience charged.
The Atrium Bar at Crowne Plaza will have extended Happy Hours on all the days of the matches during which the customer will get one free drink with every drink ordered. Also likely is a lucky draw at the end of every match, the winner of which will receive surprise gifts from the sponsors as well as free meal coupons to dine at any of the restaurants at the hotel. "The idea is to make the soccer fan feel like a king. We may not take him to Germany but we can bring a feel of Germany to him here," says Rakesh Kumar, Executive Chef, Crowne Plaza.
On the flip side, some of the matches will last much beyond midnight, when legally the hours turn dry. "We will serve till 1.00 a.m. After that one has to manage with the soccer action alone," sums up Rishi.
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