Taj Green Cove in Kerala
December 23, 2004

As part of the expansion strategy for its leisure division, Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces is all set to enhance its presence in Kerala, with the unveiling of yet another exotic creation — Taj Green Cove Resort in Kovalam, in association with Muthoot Pappachan Group on December 23, 2004. A unique combination of a beach resort, backwater escape, hill retreat and spa, the Taj Green Cove Resort, will invite guests to savour the true essence of the scenic coastal state of Kerala. An enchanting strip of golden sands laced with the rich greenery of coconut palms, the resort is spread over 10 acres of lush tropical landscape, dotted with fountains, sculptures and waterfalls.

Announcing the move, Mr Jamshed Daboo, chief operating officer, Taj Leisure Hotels, and Mr Thomas John Muthoot, managing director, Muthoot Hotels and Tourism Ventures Private Ltd. said, "Kerala has always been a favourite with leisure travelers across the globe. And Kovalam with its varied offerings makes for an enticing, evergreen and pleasant climatic beach resort. The resort hotel truly captures this essence of Kovalam, offering breathtaking views of the backwaters, lush landscape, coconut palms and the blue sea. With the unveiling of the Taj Green Cove Resort, Kovalam, we intend to increase our presence and grasp a major share of the leisure tourism market in God's own country."

Suffused with an elemental and soothing tropical ambience the Taj Green Cove Resort is a Balinese-styled landscape resort, which is a magical mix of local ethos and heritage in a contemporary setting. It resides in a refreshing mix of style and spacious elegance, with the guest rooms offering peace and tranquility as well as the comforts of modern day living. The resort boasts of eight 2-bedroom suites with private balcony and lawns, and a presidential suite with a private pool and sun deck and deluxe suits with private lawns. The 57 granite stone hillside cottages with elephant grass thatched rooftops and a private balcony with large French windows, offer a panoramic view of the blue sea, backwaters, the beach and Balinese-style landscaped gardens. The cottages are equipped with in-room facilities that conform to the highest international standards. The resort will also be adding 18 deluxe floating cottages by August 2005.

The Taj Green Cove Resort, Kovalam, will offer an eclectic dining experience to guests with the choicest of delicacies at its various restaurants. Guests can savour a delightful culinary experience of curries from various regions of the country with a selection of wines stored in a uniquely designed wine cellar, at the resort's speciality restaurant Curries. One can also indulge in alfresco dining by the sea at Chemmeen, the beach deck restaurant scheduled to open in February 2005, which will offer authentic coastal cuisine from regions such as Malabar and Travancore, including an exotic seafood barbeque grill. Guests can also opt to dine at the open-air all-day multi-cuisine coffee shop Jasmine Bay, adorned with a terracotta mural depicting coastal scenery by renowned artist Jinan, or relax over tea, coffee and beverages at The Lounge, an open-air lounge with a casual ambience and a view of the palms and the sea. An array of international and Indian spirits, wines, liqueurs and light snacks can be enjoyed at Neera, the Bar, over a game of billiards. In addition, the resort can also arrange an exclusive, romantic in-villa dining experience in the serene environs of your balcony or garden, replete with ambient lighting, music, aromatic candles, meals by courses and wine.

Set amidst a soothing ambience overlooking beautifully landscaped gardens, the Jiva Spa at the resort will offer treatments and programmes specially designed to maintain physical, mental and spiritual equilibrium. Equipped with single and double treatment suites, a well-equipped gymnasium, jacuzzi, a beauty parlour and spa shop, the spa will indulge guests in a range of Indian aromatherapy treatments, time-honoured Indian treatments, body scrubs and wrap, and signature treatments. By August 2005, the resort will also house an Ayurveda apa on a floating barge in the lagoon offering traditional Ayurveda treatments.

For recreation the Taj Green Cove Resort will offer facilities that include a swimming pool, outdoor hot and cold open-air jacuzzi, water sports, tennis courts, putting green, archery, indoor games, DVD players and DVD's on rental basis, and a children's activity centre. Catamaran rides with fishing, backwater cruises, temple visits, village excursions, trips to Trivandrum and Kanyakumari can also be arranged by the resort.

Making it a unique conferencing destination, the resort will offer a 2,400-square-foot conference hall and a well-designed boardroom that would accommodate 150 and 40 guests in theatre-style respectively. At the resort, guests can also avail of state-of-the-art business facilities like wireless internet access, colour copier, laptop computers, multimedia computers, along with certain special services like translation / interpretation services and secretarial services.

About Kovalam
A former fishing village complemented with scenic beauty and serenity, Kovalam is just 16 kms away from Trivandrum, Kerala's capital city. It is a dreamy place for tourists all over the world. Today Kovalam beach is known as the "Paradise of the South". Apart from the limitless water sports, swimming or sunbathing, one can explore the handicrafts, jewellery and cloth shops spread along the waterfront and savor the delicious seafood fare that Kovalam offers. Kovalam's proximity to Thiruvananthapuram offers additional sightseeing options. Thiruvananthapuram has many interesting places to see such as the Napier Museum, the Sri Chitra Art Gallery, the Padmanabhaswamy Temple, Puthenmalike Palace, the Veli Lagoon, Ponmudi hill station and the State-owned handicrafts emporium, which is the ideal place to pick up ethnic curios and other articles.

About Muthoot Hotels Private Limited
The Taj Green Cove Resort, Kovalam, is the latest venture of Muthoot Hotels Private Limited of Muthoot Pappachan Group (MPG) in association with the Taj Group of Hotels. The Muthoot Pappachan Group has a strong background in financial sector that goes back to 1939. The non-banking financial services division of the Group is spread all over the country with an annual turnover of more than Rs1,000 crore. The Group has diversified activities such as hospitality, power generation, manufacturing, export, real estate, automobile, insurance, IT park, entertainment and retailing.

The Muthoot Plaza, the only 5-star hotel in Trivandrum is owned by the Group. It also runs The Muthoot Skychef, a state-of-the-art flight kitchen at Trivandrum, rated to be the best in South India.