We use comfortable hotels opting for character and ambience with personalised service, good management and housekeeping. They are picked to enhance your holiday experience as well as offer value for money. Typically, we use 5 star and 4 star hotels in our tours with character properties. Some luxury hotels form part of our normal selection but some, especially the very expensive ones, are offered as optional choices.
We have personally inspected most hotels that we use. The choice further benefits from the feedback and opinion of thousands of clients. We do respect the ratings given by web based accommodation providers, but have greater faith in the feedback from our own clients and our personal experience over the years. As standards can change over time we continually review our selection and welcome your comments. In some places the choice is limited and we may be constrained to use a hotel that we may otherwise prefer to avoid.
The flagship of Delhi this luxury colonial hotel, built in 1933, is located in the heart of the city in Connaught Place. Award-winning restaurants, a pool, salon and spa, space and greenery over seven acres of manicured gardens fashion this regal building.
Spread over 24 acres of gardens this modern, 233 room hotel thats only 1.5 kms from the Taj offers a choice of 4 restaurants as well as ample leisure facilities including tennis, a mini golf course, health club, and swimming pool.
Kanha Earth Lodge lies in 16 acres of natural forest. It offers 12 open-fronted, luxury bungalows with en suite bathrooms and large verandas.
This 100-year-old haveli, run by the royal family, provides old-school Rajasthani hospitality. It has 9 suites and is in close proximity to the main sites of Jaipur.
This luxury Suryagarh occupies a bluff atop a low hill. Right from the entrance with its large doorways, water bodies and arches, the property transports you to the age of royalty.
Overlooked by the Mehrangarh fort, this boutique hotel features 39 rooms and suites with most offering spectacular views of the fort. Intricately carved Haveli style architecture, a spa, a pool and a restaurant overlooking the fort are the highlights of this property.
Fatehgarh boasts of beautiful views of the Aravalli Mountain Range. Built using indigenous material, the 48 rooms on offer are spacious and airy. Featuring an outdoor pool and a luxury spa, this hotel is just at the edge of Udaipur city.
An elegant property on the lake, rich in birdlife, run with passion by the royal owners; the rooms are spacious and designed to high standards; this is now a Relais and Chateaux hotel and is one of our favourites.
This family home of Thakur Ajit Singh Ji, 13th generation Royal descendants, is now a 300-year-old palace; carefully preserved to transport you back to the era of gallant rulers. With 10 impeccably renovated, spacious suites; excursions to the bird rich saltpans in the Aravali foothills; an authentic experience of the local village - this homestay in rural Rajasthan, just a little off the beaten track, is like no other.
Embellished with inspirations from this rich and exotic locale, The Lalit Temple View Khajuraho, overlooks the Western Group of Temples famed for their erotic sculptures. It has 47 well-appointed rooms and suites, a multi cuisine restaurant, a swimming pool,a gymnasium, and an inviting bar.
Located at one end of The Mall, this 79-room luxury hotel was the very first hotel of the world-famous Oberoi Group, and has recently been renovated to the highest standards. It has central air-conditioning, a heated pool, a health club, and a billiards room.
8 en suite rooms are spread across three cottages, each built using local eco-friendly materials. Set in a tea estate, this homestay offers an immersive experience and some delicious organic food where the produce used is grown in the private kitchen gardens or the estate greenhouses.
Residence of the Maharaja of Kashmir, an hour by road from Dharamshala, the palace has 15 elegant rooms and a bar and restaurant. Horse riding is on offer, as are jeep safaris to beautiful picnic spots in the vicinity.
A farm-stay in the lap of rural Punjab, the property offers elegantly furnished cottages. Surrounded by lush green fields, with organic food on offer, Anand at the Sutlej is a small oasis away from busy city life.
Inspired in design by the Hadis or tribal villages, this picturesque resort of sweeping panoramic vistas, is bordered on two sides by the Kabini River. Jaccuzi & Pool huts offer you well appointed living spaces and comfortable bedrooms.
A period hotel with spacious rooms now reopened with a change of look as well as management. Central location
An invitation to live in nature, but in considerable luxury with some of the finest service on offer.
A small farmhouse in the middle of a sprawling 4500-acre multi-crop agricultural farm, with home-cooked food, comfortable air-conditioned rooms and modern plumbing, it is an excellent base for exploring the countryside and the nearby wildlife sanctuary in Parambikulam.
Originally designed by Geoffrey Bawa, in his tropical modernism-style, which blends the inside with the outside, this tranquil, low-rise resort comprises 72 rooms including 35 villas; guests can dine under a 200-year-old banyan tree.
A tastefully done abode from the house of CGH. A property with a period touch; rooms with a distinct character, a classic conceptual décor, airy high ceilings, traditional roof beams, arched doorways and modern amenities make Palais De Mahe a perfect place for your stay in Pondicherry.
Located in the countryside this traditional Kerala house or “tharavad” is an excellent base to sample rural life.
An hour’s drive from Kochi, this excellently run resort in ethnic style, set in 25 acres of coconut palm groves, has 52 air-conditioned cottages with private verandas and open-air en suite bathrooms. An inviting pool, extensive Ayurveda facilities, excellent seafood and a long stretch of sandy beach make the stay here worthwhile. Some cottages have private plunge pools.
A feature unique to Kerala, the riceboats are the traditional "kettuvallom" or stitched boats, modified as luxurious private guest houses cruising on the backwaters. They usually have one or two bedrooms, with clean linen, fans or some with air-conditioning now, windows and attached bathrooms with modern facilities. There is a lounge cum dining area and fresh food is cooked in a kitchen on board. A small and reliable crew accompanies you comprising a cook and normally two boatmen. The propulsion is by punting poles or a small motor for longer cruises. You can cruise along narrow canals, observing life on the banks, or in the middle of the lake, where the evening breeze and the setting sun create a beatific atmosphere
This simple and comfortable lodge overlooks the Manas National Park on one side and a lush green tea garden on the other. The property has 16 spacious rooms with attached facilities.
Located in the heart of the city, overlooking the Gateway of India and the harbour, quite simply one of the bestknown 5-star hotels in the world. The old wing has an elegant turn of the century atmosphere, and yet still offers the very best modern service. Facilities include a pool & health club, beauty parlour, discotheque, 5 restaurants & 3 bars.
An erstwhile 19th century traditional Parsi house, in the heart of Bhuj, now run by the family as a heritage homestay. The property houses 5 rooms replete with antique furniture, including the family’s personal belongings, and features textiles sourced from local crafts.
This colonial-era property is located right in the heart of Kolkata. All the major tourist attractions are within easy reach. The hotel is easily accessible from the airport and the train station.
Located in the remote Ulley Valley, the lodge is run by a local Ladakhi family offering experience of local food and culture. The 6 rooms are built and furnished in the traditional style and an expert team of naturalists conduct snow-leopard spotting expeditions.
In the midst of a 1600-acre estate with stunning views of the Kanchenjunga, the tea bungalow has tastefully furnished spacious suites and is an ideal base for exploring nature, with the Teesta River running nearby in the valley. A functional tea factory in the estate is an added attraction.
This eco-conscious wilderness resort is situated in the buffer zone of the Jim Corbett National Park. It is accessible only by a 2-kilometre hike or by a 4x4 and then a raft across the Ramnagar River. The facility has 9 cottages (made from indigenous stones and mud), each equipped with energy efficient fans.The surroundings are home to a wide variety of birds, mammals and other wildlife.
A Relais and Chateaux resort, designed personally by Joerg Drechsel, the German owner, it overlooks the Vambanad Lake and is an ideal place to wind down.
Surrounded by jackfruit and rosewood trees, located amidst a spice plantation of nutmeg, clove trees and pepper, the resort has 22 charming guest rooms with private balconies. Many murals, artwork and statues display the lives of the Kurumba tribe; and there is an outdoor pool and a restaurant on site.
This luxury resort, set in 75 acres of lush gardens and lagoons, is one of the southernmost in Goa and is tucked away on one of the whitest beaches at Mobor. The facilities include a swimming pool, health spa, various restaurants, tennis and squash courts, a ten-hole golf course and water sports. Most of the 137 rooms and suites have an individual terrace or balcony.
The Barefoot at Havelock resort consists of 31 elegantly designed thatch tents, cottages and villas complete with spacious interiors, modern amenities and en suite bathrooms. Constructed using environmentally sensitive indigenous materials, this is an ecologically friendly resort.
Kalari Rasayana is a place where the mind, body and spirit are treated together by expert physicians using the tenets of Ayurveda. Here again the food is prepared on “saatvic” principles, thousands of years old. Your diet is individually prescribed, based on your constitution and your treatment.
An exclusive boutique resort south of Kovalam; it has 21 ethnic style cottages with open-air en suite facilities. Built on a cliff it overlooks a fine stretch of beach and the constant sea breeze obviates the need for air-conditioning. It has a pool in natural settings and extensive facilities for Ayurveda.
An exclusive boutique beach property owned by the royal Holkar Family of Indore. Tucked away in a quiet corner of Dolphin Bay, Ahilya by the Sea is a serene and private escape. The property’s nine tastefully decorated rooms are spread across three independent villas and enjoy two beautiful swimming pools.
The Belgadia Palace - An 18th century Victorian brick-built double-storey structure in the classical Western style of Doric-Corinthian column, a mixture of Greek and Victorian architecture. Home to the erstwhile royal family of Mayurbhanj, this boutique property encourages guests to engage with the local tribal community and is an adventure lovers’ paradise, a few hours from Simlipal, an Elephant and Tiger UNESCO Biosphere, and the second largest national park in India.
Budden estate, on five acres of land, is at almost 8,000 feet height and is one of only five privately owned estates in the Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary. Ms Budden was the daughter of the Reverend John Henry Budden, who in 1850 was appointed by Captain Ramsay of the British government to run a charitable mission in the Kumaon Hills. Mary Budden dedicated herself to charitable works, establishing and operating a school for girls, a hospital for women, boys’ & girls’ orphanages and a refuge for homeless women. A plaque in her memory stands today within the Budden Memorial Church in Almora.
Nimmu House is a Glamping and Heritage eco-resort situated 45 minutes from Leh, Ladakh. It is at 3100m and is an ideal location to start or end a trek, explore the traditional villages and monasteries of the region, or simply disconnect and recharge your batteries. The hotel combines tradition with nature and modern comfort.
Punjabiyat resort in Amritsar is situated amidst acres of farm land to give you a refreshing experience away from the busy city life. It has 4 stand-alone cottages done in traditional Punjabi style. Simple yet stylish, these spacious, high-ceiling cottages offer you the wholesome and authentic experience of staying at a farm.
The journey to the river lodge from Kochi airport is a 30-minute drive up a rugged path through the forest. Then a country canoe picks you up to help you traverse the last part of the journey. One of Malayattoor’s best kept secrets, Quiet by the River is located on a 47-acre island that allows you to pause and experience the wonder of nature, one unhurried moment at a time.
Built entirely by the Ladakhi craftsmen in 1820, the Stok Palace still continues to be the residence of the Namgyal dynasty. The Stok Palace was opened to public in 1980 with blessings of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. It reflects the lifestyle and history of royalty set in the midst of the valley of Singey Sangpo which is popularly known as the Indus River.
Situated alongside the banks of the Kalsa River in Chanfi village (near Nainital), Soulitude, as the name suggests, provides complete solitude for the soul. The property has 7 rustic-style rooms and is surrounded by an organic farm, rock pools and waterfalls and offers treks, good food and warm hospitality.
This charming, traditional Bhutanese style, family-run hotel sits on a hill overlooking the Bumthang valley and river. Each of its 35 rooms are traditionally decorated, have en-suite facilities and a wood-burning stove for the cooler months. The restaurant serves Bhutanese, Indian, Chinese and Continental cuisines.
Located on a ridge above the Pokhara valley, the resort offers fabulous views of the Annapurna mountains and is an ideal base for exploring the countryside. Each of its 19 well furnished rooms have a private terrace to enjoy the scenery. The swimming pool also offers mountain views. The resort also features a spa, naturalist guides and offers activities such as guided walks and visiting to nearby villages.
Located overlooking the ancient Tissa Wewa reservoir, the Ekho Safari Hotel offers 50 modern, spacious rooms including 3 suites, a spa and swimming pool. Guests can visit nearby Yala National Park, as well as enjoying excellent birdlife at their doorstep and the Kumana Bird sanctuary.
A luxurious boutique hotel, the Elephant Corridor consists of 21 cabin suites all their own veranda and plunge pool. An a la carte restaurant offers a wide range of Eastern and Western cuisine. A special dining experience can be arranged under the stars or by the lake, along with a personal butler. The hotel also features a spa and swimming pool.
