Kitty’s Party

After a host of namastes that greet you at the hotel entrance,one gets to enter the basement,where exquisitely carved totem poles stand on either side. At the opening night last Friday,as we waded through the iPad-loaded ushers,we glanced at the insides of the main lounge area,splashed with sculptures akin to those at Khajuraho and huge couches with red/gold cushions,giving it an ancient yet modern approach. Inspired by Khajuraho it seems,we did spot some private trysts in various corners.

The name,which describes an imaginary woman called Kitty Su,a hybrid between the seductive Audrey Hepburn and graceful Maharani Gayatri Devi,is the brainchild of Keshav Suri,Executive Director of The Lalit group. Everything in this club derives from the idea of this woman.

A free-standing bar dominates the dark room on the right side. A smaller bar for women offers fruity booze. Inside,one gets the hippy vibes of a trance party and all the regular elements of a fun evening. With the bubbly flowing freely,the rest is predictable.

As we probed further,Kitty Su likes the colours red and black,so the place has been done up in these hues. There is a smoking room separated by a glass wall. The Cuban cigars being sold here attracted attention. Next to the main dance area and lounge,is a mini-nightclub called The Salon. It is a soundproof room with a separate DJ console and choicest music for those not interested in listening to the electonica and hip-hop being played in the main lounge.

The club also has a separate section called The List,restricted to the VIPs. One can enter it with a special electronic swipe card. Privacy is no problem,so the famous needn’t worry about Peeping Toms.

A level under this basement club is the Champagne lounge called The Dressing room,which has the washrooms. The signage says: Allowed Hai. We are yet to see a club where toilets are continuously cleaned during the entire night. This is also the place which will sell the nightclub’s merchandise — T-shirts,bags and perfumes.

As for the music,four Djs have been made to fly down from Paris. One of the them,DJ Shane,is the resident DJ of The Ritz in Paris. “I love Bollywood,but it will be a strict no-no here,” he says.

As we leave at 1.30 am,the guests are still making their way. The club does not let the guests leave without an extremely suggestive Khajuraho keychain.

For two people: Rs 4000,including the cover charge.