Alappuzha (Alleppey)
Fronting Vembanad Lake, 16km north of Alleppey, this Spanish-German-run jewel blends heritage style and Indian antiques with bold contemporary design and…
Must-see hotels in India
Varkala
This simple, friendly, good-value modern hostel decorated with arty murals sleeps budget travellers in a five-bed women-only dorm or mixed dorms for six…
Puducherry (Pondicherry)
A hot-orange (unsigned) heritage home has been lovingly transformed into a unique, relaxed, colour-bursting retreat in the northern French Quarter. Each…
Coonoor
A colonial-era priory turned gorgeous heritage hotel, the Taj-group Gateway has homey cream-coloured rooms immersed in greenery, most graced by working…
Madhya Pradesh & Chhattisgarh
There's solid value for money at this small hotel with compact, tidy rooms, and bedding that is better than at many much more expensive hotels. Most rooms…
Kannur
Costa Malabari pioneered tourism in this area and consists of three lovely homestay-style properties just back from Thottada Beach. Costa Malabari 1 has…
Madhya Pradesh & Chhattisgarh
Behind the budget Hotel Jyoti outside Pandri Bus Stand, all-AC Saatvik is a solid choice with good, clean, comfortable rooms, many of which are decorated…
Jodhpur
A European-style hostel with clean air-conditioned dorms, where each bed sports a lockable locker and mobile charging point. The dorms are four- and six…
Kannur
In a prime spot among palms, frangipanis and oleanders, facing northern Thottada Beach, charming Blue Mermaid has two immaculate rooms in a traditional…
Kannur
In a stellar clifftop location overlooking secluded Adikadalayi Beach, this wonderfully friendly address is a sprawling family property of well-presented…
Jodhpur
Built in 1920 by the great polo player Maharaj Ratan Singhji of Raoti, this beauty from a bygone era is the real deal. It’s quintessential colonial India,…
Puducherry (Pondicherry)
The old Tamil Quarter has almost as many mansions as the French Quarter but is off most tourists' radars. Reincarnated under environmentally friendly…
Varkala
Comprising two revamped houses huddled back from the North Cliff, German-run MAC fuses a sociable traveller/yogi vibe with uncluttered rooms jazzed up by…
Ranthambhore National Park
This boutique hotel has just five guest rooms and is set in an orchard metres from the park boundary. Rooms are spacious with air-con and personalised…
Assam
Manas' finest accommodation is the cottage rooms and villas at this well-run lodge 600m east of the Bansbari gate. Spotless and up-to-date, they feature…
Kashmir & Ladakh
A professional lobby leads to fresh rooms that have high ceilings and relatively stylish white, olive and purple colour schemes. The quieter rooms face…
Kochi (Cochin)
This gorgeous 1890s traditional Syrian-Christian home is on a 16-hectare organic farm surrounded by backwaters, 28km southeast of Fort Cochin. A restored…
Jaipur
This mock-heritage hotel, behind the Collectorate in a quiet cul-de-sac, is extravagantly decorated in traditional style. The cascading stairways and…
Chennai (Madras)
The top-end Taj Group has five hotels in and around Chennai, but this is the only one with historical ambience, built in the 1850s as the British governor…
Ooty (Udhagamandalam)
The Savoy is one of Ooty’s oldest hotels, with parts dating back to 1829. Cottages and swing-chairs are set around a charming lawn and garden. Colonial…
Dr Franklin’s Panchakarma Institute
Kerala
Though not on the beachfront, friendly Dr Franklin's is a reputable, more affordable alternative to the flashier ayurvedic resorts, with tidy, comfortable…
Udaipur
This is one of Udaipur’s few hotels that are genuine old havelis (traditional, ornately decorated residences), as opposed to new buildings made to look…
Madhya Pradesh & Chhattisgarh
This friendly, family-run place in a rural setting just outside Tala village has clean, tiled rooms for an unbeatable price. More than that, a stay here…
Sikkim
Like an overgrown Darjeeling mansion but filled with Sikkimese detailing, this charming, very peaceful hotel has partly wood-panelled rooms in four…
Tamil Nadu
In calm palm-shaded grounds, Quest Academy offers three fuss-free thatched huts with shared bathrooms, along with a clutch of tents (single/double ₹1250…
Srinagar
From the minute you pass through the entryway under wooden butterfly wings, you know you are on a very different kind of houseboat. Each room is unique,…
Leh
Lost in the birdsong of an overgrown orchard of apple, apricot and poplar trees, the resort's 20 rooms come in pairs within well-spaced bungalows, each…
Chandigarh
Should you fancy an overnight stay in Pinjore Gardens, there are pleasant rooms with Mughal-style flourishes and views of the gardens at the Budgerigar…
Puducherry (Pondicherry)
This grand restored 18th-century mansion has breezy verandas, keen staff and antique-filled old-world rooms in all shapes and sizes: some are cosy attics,…
Varkala
Chicly stripped-back rooms and cottages, sharp service and hanging chairs and hammocks greet you at this fresh and welcome arrival on Varkala's growing…
Kerala
Around 7km southeast of Kovalam, charitable Bethsaida is a smart and secluded beachside escape, with sculpted gardens, seductively slung hammocks, putting…
Tamil Nadu
Mirrored cupboards, in-room tea/coffee sets and splashes of colour make the GRT's smart modern rooms pretty characterful for Vellore. The free wi-fi,…
Jaisalmer
Jaisalmer’s erstwhile royal family still lives in this sprawling 18th-century palace just inside the town walls. Named for its many mandirs (temples), it…
Ooty (Udhagamandalam)
This former brewery and sprawling complex of cottages is dotted with flower gardens. With clean, character-filled and freshly painted rooms, helpful staff…
Mumbai (Bombay)
Very sleek for an InterContinental: all earth tones and East Asian chic, and deluxe sea-front rooms are sizeable with a massive picture window. Halfmoon…
Dharamsala
Set in the gorgeous Norbulingka gardens, Norling House offers 13 fairy-tale rooms richly decked out with Tibetan artwork and Buddhist handicrafts from the…
Kochi (Cochin)
A chicly remodelled mango-yellow 1800s home with its origins dating back to the Portuguese-rule era, Forte Kochi is a welcome 2018 luxe arrival. Tiled…
Ooty (Udhagamandalam)
This 1855 British bungalow has an edge over many of its peers. The cosy cottage features garden-fresh flowers, four-poster beds, working fireplaces and…
Jodhpur
Ajit Bhawan is set back from dusty Circuit House Rd, 2km southeast of the centre, in splendid gardens. Behind the gracious 1920s building, built for…
Udaipur
This 300-year-old haveli (traditional, ornately decorated residence) snuggling up to the back wall of the city palace, is a little rough and worn around…
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