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THE HINDU WEEKEND HYDERABAD
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LUXE
Five ways to goboutique
From hippie hideaways to royal fortresses, here’s the best of thesmall, stylish hotels around the country in 2017
:: ELIZABETH MATHEW
Indian Art DecoAyana Fort Kochi
Synonymous with quaint homestays and retreats, Fort Kochi is the quirk capital of God’s Own Country. But there’s alwaysroom for more – like the Ayana Fort Kochi. From a 200-year-old courthouse to a spice warehouse to a bank, the building woremany avatars until now, when it became the 16-room art deco-inspired boutique hotel. Between monochrome Athangudi tilesand a rooftop pool with views of the harbour, the only full-time gym in the locality and paintings by T Vaikuntam and SaktiBurman, Ayana Fort Kochi is definitely the place to soak up some local culture while returning to a haven of luxury in sunnyKerala. Protip: They have a yoga retreat coming up from April 28 to May 1, conducted by Natasha Mahindra of Anam Cara,priced at ₹35,000 per head onwards. Prices start at ₹8,000 plus taxes per room per night. For more details, call 98450 07353 or 99670 45098.
Chill like a warriorAlila Fort Bishangarh
Once a warrior fort, Alila Fort Bishangarhmay have housed soldiers within its two-metre-
thick walls. Today, it’s just for guests, but it’s agreat place to be held in siege, if there should be
war. With a terrace pool, a champagne bar, acigar room-cum-wine cellar and rooms with bay
windows , not to mention bathtubs withfabulous views – it has everything you’d need, in
war and peace. If you do get out, there’s thelocal village of Bishangarh with havelis to
explore, an hour from Jaipur by road.Opens July 2017. Prices start at ₹12,000onwards per room per night. For more
details, call +91 8411908000.
Off the radarThe Birdcage MukteshwarIn the little-known town of Mukteshwar in Nainital, 7,500 feetabove sea level, perched at a perfect vantage point, is a littlebit of luxury, called The Birdcage Mukteshwar. The propertylooks rustic, made of stone and wood, but houses all themodern luxuries guests would need. Situated at a point thatoffers unrestricted views of the Nandakot and Panchchulirange – Birdcage’s unusual name comes from the 300-oddspecies of birds that live in the orchard around the property. Opens on June 1, 2017. Prices start at ₹5,000 per roomper night. For more details, check birdcage.in.
Retreat for the flower childAnupamaa MangarIf you’re tired of breakfast buffets andperfumed surroundings, then AnupamaaMangar might be just the place for you. Thebrainchild of designer Anupama Dayal, thisfive-room farmhouse is an extension ofcreativity – her designs grace the facade –combined with a love for nature at itspurest. No manicured lawns here, theMangar village where the homestay islocated, is a forest grove considered sacredby the locals. Meditate on the open terrace,go bird-watching an hour from the capital. Prices start at ₹7800 per room per night.For more, [email protected]
Your holiday is only as good as the hashtag you give it – so it had better stand out. But how do you makea run-of-the-mill ‘poolside and chilled wine shot’ seem different from the rest? You go someplace
exotic, that has a little story to tell or a view that needs more than hashtags to explain – you goboutique. With a distinct aura, a definitive aesthetic and a charm that can’t be replicated, boutique
hotels are the answer to bored travellers looking for the clichéd “something different”. This year, wepick five new places that should be on your radar as you make your holiday travel plans.
Colonial hangoverThe Garden Bungalow, ShantiniketanIf you were Bengali aristocracy, you would occasionallyretreat to your Bagan Bari – literally “pleasure garden” – fora break from the Calcutta in the days gone by. Today, youdon’t have to be a royal to live like one at The GardenBungalow, Shantiniketan. At the colonial house that housesfour suites over three acres, prepare to address the localSanthali women, learn about their culture, admire the treesand listen to birdsong. Prices start at ₹6,500 per roomper night. For more details, call: 9899760538
LOVE TRAVEL GUIDES
Wanderlust scriptedAfter becoming a resident of India in2007, Australian-born Fiona Caul�elddecided to write about her love story withher chosen home, and that’s how the LoveTravel Guides were born. Called‘Handbooks for the luxury vagabond’,these guides are a careful curation of thebest a city has to o�er, sourced from thepeople who know it best. Started in 2007,Caul�eld has till date covered Kolkata,Goa, Jaipur, Mumbai and Delhi. Theseguides are reworked over years, withsome now in their fourth edition. Thebooks are also completely handmade inIndia, printed on hand-made paper fromJaipur and covered in handloom khadicotton that was woven in Andhra Pradesh.Even the silk pouches that the bookscome in are made from Mysore silk. Thelatest is Made in Kolkata, released inNovember last year, and more recently, 401 Reasons to Fall in Love with Delhi, a guidecommissioned by Andaz Delhi. The Love Travel Guides are priced at ₹2,000 onwards andavailable on lovetravelguides.com. 401 Reasons to Fall in Love with Delhi is priced at ₹2,100and available in bookstores as well as at Andaz Delhi.
Splurge files Objects that should be on your radar
J’ADORE IN JOY AFTERNOON TEA
Good enough to eatAt the Mandarin Oriental, Taipei, a specialspread awaits guests of the hotel – anafternoon tea inspired by the scent ofDior’s newest perfume, the J’adore In Joy.Gregory Doyen, French Executive PastryChef, was inspired by the “bold and vibrantnotes of �eur de sel and ylang-ylang, andits fruity sweetness of peach” to create aspread that includes Foie Gras with Peach
Crepe Roll, Peach Macaroon, Sea Salt Cheese Cake and much more. J’adore In Joy is thenewest addition to the 20-year-old line of J’adore perfumes created by Dior’s chief perfumer,Francois Demachy. The J’adore In Joy Afternoon Tea will be available at Café Un Deux Troisuntil May 14, priced at TWD 1,050 (₹2,231) plus taxes. Contact the hotel on +886 2 27156888 for more details.
MASERATI SUITE
Sports cars in bedIf your love for Italian sports carsgoes beyond the ordinary, you’vefound the best place to stay in Turin.The AllegroItalia Golden Palace’sMaserati Suite — one of threethemed suites, including Chocolateand Pope Francis Suites, out of atotal of 40 suites — features theusual period furniture and trappingsof luxury. But revel in a living room�lled with the history of sports carsand hunt around the sleeping areafor original Maserati parts hiddenwithin the furniture. An elegant Maserati Quattroporte GTS will also be on display, and can berented for the duration of your stay. There’s no dearth of places to drive to: the hotel is closeto the city centre and places of interest like the Egyptian Museum and Venaria Reale RoyalHouse. At 350 euros per night (roughly ₹23,966 with breakfast, WiFi and spa access),Maserati lovers might �nd it worth their while. Make your reservations ongoldenpalacetorino.com. T+39 011 551 2111
How to make your holiday more in-teresting? Just pick a location thatlends itself to some fun activity andyou can assure yourself at least oneday that’s not just about lazing bythe pool. From white truffle-huntingin Italy to Walnut trails in Mussoorie,there’s something everyone, if youknow what you’re looking for.
Cashew harvest in GoaApril in Goa is when the air getsredolent with the whiff of ripecashew apples. To string the state’s500-year cashew history, step intoPark Hyatt Goa Resort and Spa for atrademarked cashew event duringthe harvest season. The 8-day an-nual Cashew Trail rediscovers thecashew in a million ways – fromcooking classes and cocktail lessonsto visits to a cashew factory. You caneven try dishes paired with feni/urakat a cashew-themed Sunday brunchor indulge in a Cashew Ritual at theSereno Spa. At the Park Hyatt GoaResort and Spa from April 16 to 23,2017. Packages start at ₹7,000.
On the Walnut Trail inMussoorieMountain escapes don’t always haveto be about rest and relaxation. InMussoorie, you can go on a walnuttrail during picking season when theJW Marriott, built around a walnutgrove, organises their annual wal-nut-themed celebration. Guests atthe hotel can help pick walnuts,climb on the trees in a harness andeven bake walnut tarts with the
pastry chef. In their splendid green-house as all manners of blooms lookon, they can even plant their ownwalnut saplings. At the JW MarriottMussoorie Walnut Grove Resort &Spa in September. Packages start at₹19,000 onwards.
Truffle Hunting in PiedmontThere’s no better way to spend an
autumn in Italy than in pursuit of thefamed white truffle, in the lesser-known, and hence way less touristy,Piedmont. Stay at the Relais SanMaurizio, a 17th-century monasteryconverted into a 31-room luxuryhotel that houses the Michelin-starred ‘di Guido da Costigliole’ res-taurant. Wake up at the crack ofdawn and head out under the super-vision of the ‘trifulao’ (truffle hunter)and his faithful dog. If you’re suc-cessful, the in-house chef will evenshow you how to whip up a dish us-ing your finds and a local recipe.Atthe Relais San Maurizio, Piedmont,from mid-September to mid-Novem-ber. Packages start at ₹1,40,240.
Pearl diving in BahrainThe Arabian Gulf hides many treas-ures, but few know about the oysterswith pearls hidden in them. If you’restaying at the Four Seasons HotelBahrain Bay, just ask the conciergeand you can go diving in the BahrainPearling Trail, a UNESCO world her-itage site. The warm waters and yourluck are the only things keeping youfrom finding that pearl and as a bo-nus you could end up spotting somemarine life along the way. At theFour Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay,Bahrain, all year round. Packagesstart at ₹17, 000 onwards
With inputs from Preeti Verma Laland Payel Majumdar
Dive, hunt, harvestWhat better holiday than one that gives you a souvenir you have to search for
:: ELIZABETH MATHEW
On the trail (clockwise from below) Tru�e hunting, pearl diving, cashewharvesting and walnut plucking are great options for holidays
