Tuesday 27 September 2016

The Baron, Karbala -- A review

   On our recent visit to Karbala we stayed at the newly opened five-star hotel, The Baron. The Baron is the only five-star hotel in Karbala, and I can predict that it will start a new trend here to cater to the needs of those pilgrims who don't like to sacrifice their comfort no matter where they are, and in a matter of years there will be many such hotels, just like they have sprouted up in Mecca.
   However, for the time being no hotel comes close to The Baron in terms of the sheer luxury and facilities it offers. I have to say my only regret was we couldn't stay there longer, for our trip was too short and most of it was spent visiting shrines with little time to really enjoy its many comforts. However, having said that, I must admit that it was a great relief when we would come back exhausted from our pilgrimage at night, to find a luxuriously cosy bed, hot shower and clean towels waiting for us. The fact that there is a shuttle service to and from the hotel every half hour ferrying hotel guests back and forth from the pilgrimage site, is another great boon, especially when you are exhausted and not in the mood for a minimum 15-minute walk.
   With five restaurants overlooking their sprawling lawns and catering to cuisines ranging from Pakistani to Lebanese and from fast-food to Persian and Italian, and one within the hotel building where buffet breakfast is served, the hotel is not only providing an option to travellers for high-end boarding and lodging but also for dining that is a cut above the rest in the city. Not surprisingly, the restaurants have already become popular with drop-in clients.
   With modern rooms complete with free wifi and all necessary toiletries, not to mention the all-essential and often missing amenity of a kettle and tea bags and coffee satches; spacious, elegant lounges; gym and indoor swimming-pool facilities -- of course with separate hours for males and females -- The Baron seems to be on the right track. It also has a hamam and sauna facilities that is not in operation yet, but will hopefully be soon.
   But that is not to say that there are no teething problems in this five-month old hotel. The service needs to be improved and more waiters who understand English need to be hired so that they can understand what their guests want from them. And I wish someone would explain to the chef that a cheese omelette doesn't mean sprinkling cheese on top of the egg, rather than inside it. Housekeeping too needs to have a manager overseeing it, to ensure that used towels, bathmats, etc are replaced.
   In the larger scheme of things though, these are trivial matters that time and experience should be able to sort out.