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Even before I start, I would want to sum up Trident for the readers:

It’s not a luxury hotel, but it does make you feel like royalty!
 
You know you’re in Trident when all you see is smiling faces. You know you’re in Trident if even in your thoughts you can place an order of Latte (Yes, they do have the ability to read your mind!) You know you’re in Trident when the staff outnumbers the guests even on full occupancy (A little exaggeration doesn’t hurt). You know you’re in Trident when the hotel starts feeling like home with one large family.
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When you enter the hotel (which is not visible from the street as it’s shrouded by trees), they wouldn’t ask you to go to reception, but first make you sit in the lobby, serve you water, greet you, a personal attendant will come to inquire and help. Then you’d be directed to the reception for check-in formalities, post which the personal attendant will walk you to the room, show you around (stores, bars, lounge, pool, restaurants, business centre, kids’ play area, landscaped gardens etc.) and ensure you are being taken care of. This kind of service could only be expected from the Oberoi group, which makes them deserve the best ratings for an Indian hotel chain.

 

The criteria to book Trident should not be the architecture of the building. If you are looking to get awed by the architecture or luxury of Trident, there isn’t much to write home about. Though it’s a monument styled building that echoes the heritage of the city, but being an old hotel it wouldn’t be able to compete with heritage/palace/boutique hotels of the city that have sprung up.There are far many hotels in Jaipur that exemplify luxury, one of which is Fairmont Jaipur which I wrote about earlier.

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Looking at the mid-range or business hotels, again, there are many good options for tourists. But Trident stands out with its superb location and exceptional service levels. It will have plenty of smiles on your face during your stay, which is what matters, isn’t it? And for a 4 star, it still is better than general 4 star hotels elsewhere.

 
 
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The basic rooms are pretty small and old. But the sweeping views of the Mansagar lake makes up for that. The location is ideal, with the Jal Mahal palace and lake just across the street. The rear of the hotel has a towering hill (the hotel is perched on the foothills of the Aravalli Range), which makes you feel closer to nature and wilderness, which isn’t a bad choice either if you don’t get a lake view room.
 
The swimming pool & bar are in an open space that boast of the hill as a pretty, instagram-able backdrop, giving this space an idyllic location for a swim, lounge, drink or selfie. The hotel gets a lot of natural light, the sunlight complementing the interiors. In fact they have designed the hotel in such a fashion to accentuate its beauty in sunlight. For instance, they have ‘Jharokhas’ at the start of the alleys of each floor, which are also a great place to lounge (they’ve got sofas there as well). Providing the wellness products of ‘Kama Ayurveda’ in their washroom does add an element of opulence there. The fridge is well-stocked, should you want to enjoy your malt gazing at the lake.

But the main reason to stay at Trident Jaipur is their amazing food. The buffet at the award-winning Jal Mahal restaurant may not be exhaustive, but each dish deserves it moment of some lip smackin glory! Whether it’s the Dum ka Murgh, Anardana Potatoes, Saag, or chutneys, everything was worth a second helping. In the desserts section, their own concoction Paan Ice-cream is wonderful, something which is available exclusively here. While dining at Jal Mahal restaurant, there are so many to assist that you don’t even need to lift your hand or look out for them, only a gaze around is enough, and they’d be at your table! 
 
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The hotel goes all out to serve you, to an extent they’d go outside their comfort levels to make you comfortable! For example, there wasn’t Lal Maas in Jal Mahal’s buffet, but the chef prepared it for us when we inquired, without even us requesting. In the morning breakfast buffet, they served us tea well after the closing time, that too in the hotel lobby. For my mom’s birthday, they sent us a bouquet of 2 dozen roses, and the whole kitchen staff came to our table to sing and wish her. And the biggest surprise was the Cooking Class with the Executive Chef, Anurag Narsinghani along with his team, which Saloni cherished the most of that stay. And we relished the Paneer Papad ki Sabzi, Garlic Chutney and Missi Riti with equal enthusiasm.

Overall, Trident Jaipur is a hotel that sets new standards in hospitality. Nowhere in my experiences have I ever seen this level of service. They strive to make your journey memorable, all with their smiles! One is not allowed to tip during the stay, you may put money in an envelope and write the names of the people you wanted to tip on check-out. For a feedback, they give you a letter which is directed to the Chairman of the hotel chain himself!

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