Five of the best boutique hotels in India, from ultimate glamping to rustic tree houses
Tourists who don’t want the hotel chain experience are going farther afield in their search for something different. Here are five bespoke places to stay in India that are well off the beaten track
In the past few years, more travellers – both domestic and overseas – have opted to stay in boutique properties rather than large chain hotels.
“While big chains resonate with most travellers, offering a certain standard of service and luxury, they often lack the character that niche boutique properties bring,” says Vish Gopalakrishnan, chief executive officer at Footprint Holidays, a company specialising in customised luxury travel.
Small outfits are promoting homestays and boutique properties with a limited number of rooms, often managed by the owners themselves, and recommended through word of mouth.
“Boutique and bespoke is currently the choice of the affluent traveller, or of those who have travelled extensively and have a sense of what to expect,” says Shoba Mohan, a partner at Rare India, a marketing agency that promotes such properties. “Others find their way through references or when they read about it on social media or in magazines.”
Deepa Krishnan, who runs walking tours in various cities across the country with her company Magic Tours of India, prefers niche properties. “With a chain hotel, no matter where I go, I feel like I'm staying in the same place,” she says.
Here is our selection of five of the best boutique stays in India.
