Chennai, Jul 22: “You have made our first trip to Chennai more memorable”—this is how US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton described her stay at the Taj Coromandel here. Hillary who was on a two-day visit to the city preferred to stay at the “Royal Suite” the five star hotel, which played host to Queen Elizabeth II during her last visit.
“Thanks to the gracious hospitality and warm welcome of Taj Coromandel and its attentive staff,” she wrote in the visitor's book winding up her two day visit to Chennai. At the hotel, she was given a ceremonious welcome by the lighting of “kuthuvilakku”, as also the Taj tradition of performing “Aarti” and applying ‘Tikka' on her forehead. To give her a truly South Indian experience, her suite with a terrace sit-out was decorated with terracotta figurines, wooden antique lady musicians, Tanjore dolls, and tall palm leaves in terracotta urns, a hotel release said.
Hillary was served food and beverages from the Cantonese and Sichuan restaurant—Golden Dragon, it said.Taking the South Indian theme forward, she was today RPT today served breakfast on a silver banana leaf platter of mini idlis, vadas, pongal and other traditional delicacies. PTI
