Marriott Executive Apartments Hyderabad is Marriott’s second serviced apartments in India, launched over a decade after the first property in Mumbai. The MEA brand is aimed at today’s jet-setting executive who not only travels frequently but also travels for long durations. Last month, MEA invited me along with a few other bloggers from the city to a FAM trip to experience how #MEALife differs from a regular hotel stay.
Marriott Executive Apartments Hyderabad: Location
MEA is located at the top of SLN Terminus. Marriott has its own dedicated entrance that’s tucked away on the left-hand side of the shopping complex. Marriott is located at the heart of the rapidly evolving Cyberabad with quick access to Financial District and Gachibowli as well as Mindspace and Ascendas IT Parks in Hi-Tec City.
Marriott Executive Apartments Hyderabad: Rooms
MEA features three different kinds of rooms – a Studio being the lowest tier and a 2 Bedroom apartments being the highest tier. For the FAM trip, Marriott had allotted us 1 Bedroom apartments – which belong to the medium tier. The apartments have either a city view or a garden view. The city view offers a panoramic, bird’s eye view of Hyderabad’s cyber city. From an elevation, it’s surprising how even the concrete jungle looks colourful and serene. However, if you’ve a choice, you should definitely opt for the garden view. Just behind Marriott is the Hyderabad Botanical Garden featuring two hundred acres of lush green landscape. Waking up to a view like this every day? Now that’s luxury!
The biggest benefit of staying in Executive Apartments is the room size. The 1 BHK that I was staying in was a 915 sqft apartment. The 2 BHKs go up to over 1300 sqft – offering significantly more space than most deluxe suites. Each apartment consists of one or two bedrooms, a drawing room, a kitchenette, a walk-in closet, and a utility area. The rooms at MEA are strictly non-smoking – and a hefty penalty is applicable. Patrons looking for a smoking room can upgrade to the rooms that boast of a private, open-air balcony. Pets are also not allowed.
Marriott Executive Apartments Hyderabad: Amenities
Unlike typical hotels, Executive Apartments is designed to let guests stay with their family for not just months but years. A crazy amount of functionality and convenience is packed into every apartment. There is a television in both living and bedrooms. Besides the king-size bed, you can request for an add-on rollaway bed or a crib. The living area is also equipped with a table for four, a sofa, and a chair with ottoman. The bathroom has a shower as well as a bathtub.
The kitchenette is equipped with a two-stove induction, electric chimney, a 300l fridge, microwave, toaster, and more. Guests can either request the housekeeping staff to do the dishes for them or they can use the dishwasher present in the kitchen. The utility area is equipped with an advanced washer and dryer. Other utilities include iron along with iron table and hair drier. Check out the video below for an overview of the kitchen and utilities.
Guests can head down to do their grocery shopping from SPAR, or let the staff at MEA do the shopping for them. For long-term guests, Marriott also conducts cooking classes showcasing how to use local produce and ingredients. The kitchen can also lend a hand with cleaning and chopping the vegetables. The lobby at Marriott houses a small 24×7 grab and go marketplace that stocks munchies, staples, ice creams, and wine. It’s also open to non-residents – so if you need a quick fix of pasta or munchies in the middle of the night, you can drop by to pick up stuff. Everything is sold at MRP. Also, unlike in hotels, you can get your food delivered to your room via delivery apps like UberEATs and Swiggy.
Recreation
In-house recreation options include a gym and a swimming pool, with more being on the way. Marriott assists interested residents in signing up with partner golf clubs like Hyderabad Golf Clup and Golconda Golf Club. Residents can go for a walk or a jog amidst the greenery of The Botanical Garden or they can break a sweat at the Palapitta Cycling Park. Both the venues are near the hotel, and Marriott bears the costs on behalf of the guests. Additionally, SLN Terminus hosts numerous restaurants and bars as well as recreational venues like Escape Hunt and Platinum Movies (opening soon). Residents also have the opportunity to avail exclusive discounts at other Marriott F&B properties around the city. The team at MEA also hosts semi-regular themed community gatherings for residents. Check out this page for more info on local attractions and recreational opportunities.
Marriott Executive Apartments Hyderabad: Dining at Mazzo
Besides your room, the terrace is where you’ll probably spend most of your time during the stay. And it’s absolutely gorgeous. The strategic location is Marriot Executive Apartment’s USP, and the terrace really drives it home. Simmering pristine waters of the pool, panoramic view of the cityscape, acres and acres of greenery. It’s breezy and serene during the day. But, it becomes absolutely magical after dusk.
The terrace houses Mazzo – MEA’s sole in-house dining option. Mazzo offers breakfast and dinner buffet through the week. There’s a lavish brunch on Sundays. On weekday’s, Mazzo has bento-box like quick meals on offer for lunches. Every day has a different theme. I visited on a Friday and had an opportunity to try the Thai meal box. While the soup was forgettable, the Satay, as well as the Red Curry, were pretty good. Check out the gallery below for a look at the other bento boxes.
The Mazzo a la carte selection has limited choices. The kitchen’s strength lies in the ‘Regional Specialities’ section. The Gutti Vankaya Koora or the Telangana Chapa Pulusu were devoured during lunch. The Kodi Vepudu and Tandoori Jheenga also proved to be toothsome. The Tenderloin Burger is amongst the better ones I’ve had in Hyderabad; however, the patty could have been meatier. The other fare, including Asian and European, are adequate to meet the requirements of residents but doesn’t give enough reasons for others to visit Mazzo. I was told that Marriott is re-evaluating the menu and is in the process of upgrading the food selection.
The far end of the terrace is being fashioned into an open-air cocktail lounge. The cocktail menu is still a work in progress. The ones that we sampled were bit of a mixed bag. Mimosa was good, a tequila-based concoction called Bulldog was terrific; however, the whisky sour was underwhelming.
Marriott Executive Apartments Hyderabad: Concluding Thoughts
MEA is primarily aimed at executives staying in the city for weeks and months. Every aspect of the room has been tailored to make it feel like a home than a hotel room. We were told that guests often bring in their own furniture and Marriott has in the past adjusted the room itself based on the feedback of the guests. However, Marriott Executive Apartments is also a great choice for shorter stays and weekend staycations. As a serviced apartment, MEA doesn’t have speciality restaurants and operates with a slimmer staff. However, you’d end up getting a suite-sized, spacious 1 BHK apartment at the price of a regular room in a star hotel. And let’s not forget the rejuvenating view from the room and the gorgeous terrace.
