SURPRISE ME!
I’m not much of a back-packer. When I travel, I need to know exactly where I’ll be staying, and I spend most of my vacation planning time deciding on the place to stay. The template hotel rooms, which all look the same, bore me, so I’m always on the lookout for hotels which have some character, some quirk.
Stories at hotels stay with you, and the ones which have stories of their own to tell are the best for a truly memorable trip. Here are the top 5 quirky hotels in India which stand apart from the cut-copy-paste chain of accommodations:
I chose to stay at Alsisar Haveli in Jaipur, because I felt staying there would take me back to a time when it was home to a royal lineage, when the Thakurs of Alsisar resided in this beautiful mansion. And it sure did! With four-poster beds, winding stairs, arched, stained glass windows and marble flooring, everything about the hotel spelt royalty. It was a bit terrifying at night, because I kept imagining a lady in a white sari with a lone candle singing “Gumnaam hai koi...” through the long corridors, but the stay was totally worth it.
Approximate price per room: Rs. 5,000 per room/night
The last inhabitant of this vintage abode left in 1904, and it was restored about a century later, and I’m so glad it was! The restoration brought new life to this gorgeous old colonial structure, while retaining its original charm. One look at the vibrant colours, and you feel instantly cheerful! This colonial relic has all the charm of British Calcutta, but blends beautifully with the Kolkata of today.
Approximate price per room: Rs. 5,200 per room/night
No, this is not dangerous place, but it is indeed a fascinating one. Revolver is a Beatles themed hotel in Darjeeling, named after one of the band’s most popular albums, Revolver. You can stay in rooms called John, Paul, George, Ringo and Brian, and feel yourself being transported to the rock and roll era of the 60s. Peace out!
Approximate price per room:John & George (Double +1): Rs.1500/- | Paul (Double): Rs. 1300/- | Ringo & Brian (Double): Rs. 1100/-
You’ll surely feel blue here. Not, I don’t mean morose, but the general theme all around is blue. It gives off a sense of serenity, of calm and relaxation. A short walk from Goa’s Baga Beach, Nilaya Hermitage is inspired by Arabian nights and Moorish architecture. Beautifully carved walls, flowing forms, lush green foliage all around: it’s like living in nature, but with all the creature comforts of a modern hotel!
Approximate price per room: Rs. 19,500 per room/night
As the name suggests, you actually get to live in tree houses (and who doesn’t want to live in one, let’s be honest!), in the midst of a dense forest with wild animals and thousands of species of birds. And of course, there’s the lure of the big cat, whom you can spot during the jungle safaris. It doesn’t get wilder than this!
Approximate price per room: Rs. 16,000 per room/night
So why not try some of these awesomely weird hotels on your next holiday? I can bet your travel stories will have so much more flavour!
Neha Mathur Follow
A writer. A reader. An observer. A traveler. In no particular order. The path to self discovery has taken Neha from India to Italy, from Bahrain to Dubai and back to India. Her journey has only just begun.
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