Serenity meets sustainability at the Courtyard by Marriott, Aravali Resort
#VacayMode on Instagram might be all about the sun setting into your martini glass, photo dumps of plates of food that look like they belong in the Louvre, and OOTDs that strike the perfect balance between ethereal and effortless. But we are here to talk about the chaos that we deal with, leading up to the ‘grammable calm. We like to call it PVS or ‘pre-vacation stress’ – think applying for office leaves, booking flight tickets, planning a budget, and narrowing down on the number of pairs of nightsuits you will need.
If only, we could just spontaneously decide to getaway for a few days, minus the PVS. Well, turns out that all Delhiites are in luck, all thanks to the Courtyard by Marriott, Aravali Resort.
We dropped by the property, which is an hour-long drive away from the city, to curate the perfect itinerary for you, and to ensure that you get to make the most of your weekend away.
TIL’s picks for activities and experiences to indulge in during your weekend getaway:
Pay a visit to the farm
A stand out sustainable initiative of the hotel features a farm to fork experience. Executive Chef Shibendu Ray Chaudhury and his team of comrades spin magic with local, fresh and organic ingredients. They pick these ripe from a local farm that they’ve teamed up with and is just a stone’s throw away from the hotel. We had the chance to visit their farms, set in a vast field, straight out of a scene in DDLJ. A charming set of people run these, and they too have become an unspoken part of team Marriott.
The BBQ brunch that takes you around the globe
From tandoori marinades from India to Japanese and other continental counterparts, this scrumptious brunch was like a tour around the world in 30 minutes, followed by a much longer food coma.
High tea, but make it Haryanvi
The Chaupal was another highlight. Think high-tea, but inspired by Haryanvi fare – the scones and sandwiches were swapped out for gol gappas and aaloo chats, and we weren’t complaining. They also served a range of teas as accompaniments with the mouthwatering array of dishes.
Let the chef serenade you with his tasting table
Our staycation ended with a carefully curated seven course vegetarian chef’s table that left even a staunch non-vegetarian like me extremely satisfied. For anyone looking to make their staycation just a little more special, this is an option available on request for all guests. We started our meal with inverted gol gappas with semolina crumble and tamarind chutney, and moved on to my favourite part of the meal, a kale fritters chaat with organic tomato relish and yoghurt. We then ate a Himalayan cheese soufflé, with organic cheese sourced from India.
Since 2023 is the year of the millet, Chef Shibendu traditional raab, a dish eaten fervently in Haryana, acted as a delicious ode to the grain.
A gilawat, inspired by the galouti kebab from Lucknow was next. The meat was replaced by mushroom, and the dish was served as a mille feuille. The sixth course was a beetroot dumpling, and we ended our meal with an organic jaggery brûlée served with coconut.
