Ista Pune

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Ista Pune

Style: Modern Design

Atmosphere: Lively

209 Rooms

The city of Pune is Mumbai’s cultured inland neighbor. Home to an enormous population of students, as well as the Marathi film industry (Bollywood’s sober cousin), Pune has a well-deserved reputation as a bastion of free thinking and tolerance. All this youthful energy makes the city a natural host for an Ista hotel, where a thoroughly modern attitude lends a fresh perspective to the often conservative Indian luxury scene. That being said, Ista Pune’s neighborhood doesn’t trade entirely in material wealth — the hotel is adjacent to the Aga Khan Palace, which houses the Gandhi Memorial Society and museum.

Inside, the lobby is a pretty good indication of the design philosophy: let’s call it Blade Runner chic. Taking into account the dreamy glass emplacements that punctuate the cavernous space, it’s truly remarkable that the hotel manages to avoid feeling the least bit gaudy. This probably has something to do with the earthy tones and textures that keep the interior grounded. The 209 guest rooms draw from this color palette and sustain the high-ceilinged spaciousness of the rest of the hotel, while taking a decided turn for the understated, at least visually speaking. Upscale conveniences abound, from king-size beds to walk-in showers and the requisite flatscreen TVs.

There’s a whole set of high-end amenities that revolve around the Executive Lounge and the hotel’s staggering 10,000 square feet of meeting spaces, but you don’t have to be a corporate mover and shaker to enjoy the extensive culinary options. Divided between two restaurants and a bar, the dining areas are sumptuous in that slightly off-kilter way that seems to be the Ista calling card.