Siddhartha Basu

OT Which is your favourite hotel in the world
Siddhartha Basu I don't have any one favourite hotel, I have many. Among luxury resorts are the Taj properties in Goa, Kochi and Kumarakom. My newest favourite is one of the youngest in the chain, the Taj Tashi at Thimphu (www.tajhotels.com) in Bhutan.

OT When did you last visit
Siddhartha Basu It was in late June this year, after my wife Anita and I had finished an exhausting, back-to-back schedule of demanding productions.

OT And the experience
Siddhartha Basu Taj Tashi may be the newest, biggest and most modern of hotels in Bhutan, but it feels as if it truly belongs to the place. It has elements of dzong architecture and local features running right through all aspects of the design and d&eacutecor. The spaces are spacious, lofty and Bhutanese in spirit. The Taj Tashi is at the heart of Thimphu, just off the main street and market road, but you're hardly likely to get jostled if you step out. How can you, in a country the size of Switzerland, with a population of just seven lakh

We had a high-ceilinged corner suite into which you could fit a whole Bombay flat, with views of the hills from large windows. It was fitted with all mod-cons, with a walk-in wardrobe and a luxury loo. Service was at the press of a button, which always came with a smile, unobtrusive, efficient and courteous. The highlights were evenings around a bonfire, candles lit at the giant prayer wheel, and the height of indulgence was at the spa which offered a range of massages along with Bhutanese hot stone baths.

 OT The food
Siddhartha Basu The best meal we had was at the Bhutanese fine-dining restaurant, the Chig-Ja-Gye. We began with a goblet of ara, clear Bhutanese wine, and sampled our way through a sumptuous spread of contemporised Bhutanese delicacies &mdash such as a soup of meat and river weed, grilled wild mushrooms and chilli-coated chicken breast, dumplings of local cheese and mustard greens, and a whole lot else, along with the local red rice. The Bhutanese enjoy fiery cuisine, and have a side dish of chopped red and green chillies called ezay, pure dynamite.

OT The hotel&rsquos USP
Siddhartha Basu What makes Taj Tashi special is its Bhutanese character, its location at the heart of a country that preserves a pristine environment and culture, and its relevance as a modern hotel in this new democracy.