Vivanta Bengaluru, Whitefield

In case it’s not immediately apparent from the checked blue and green glass of this hotel’s facade, Vivanta is Taj’s modern, more youth-oriented sub-brand. This one, the Vivanta Bengaluru, Whitefield, plays the role to a tee — Bangalore is India’s high-technology capital, and it’s no stretch to imagine that the city’s young, tech-savvy workforce prefers geometric forms to stately old palaces.

At 199 rooms and suites one blanches at calling the Whitefield a boutique, but in terms of style and approach there’s no better word for it. The décor is sunny and sparse, and all the rooms provide plenty of room to maneuver, and traditional Taj luxuries meet the new high-tech must-haves: rooms come with yoga kits, a pillow menu and high-end toiletries, as well as IP telephones, 32-inch home theatre systems and extremely fast internet.

Rooms are, of course, only half the story in a hotel like this. Vivanta Bengaluru, Whitefield is extremely well supplied when it comes to public spaces, with a spa and fitness center, a popular lounge, and four different restaurants. What the more traditional Taj luxury hotels are to the old city centers, the Vivanta Bengaluru is to the sprawl of Bangalore — equal parts lodging and gathering place, it’s where the city meets the outside world.