Oldest Colonial Hotel in the Himalayas – Windamere Hotel
How the Windamere Hotel came to beu2026. The East India Company was initially formed to trade in the Indian Ocean region, but it ended up seizing control over large parts of the Indian subcontinent. British India was characterized by a larger influx of British people who wanted to stay and work in the Indian subcontinent. This sudden boom in population had to be compensated by an overwhelming need for accommodation. This resulted in the emergence of u201cEnglish Boarding Housesu201d. Ada Villa was one such Victorian house built in the mid-1800s in Darjeeling and turned into an English Boarding House in the late 1880s. Ada Villa served the critical purpose of providing accommodation for bachelor English and Scottish tea planters thronging the area. Presently, Ada Villa is known as u201cWindamere Hotelu201d. It was converted into a hotel just before the outbreak of the Second World War. Fast forward to 2019 and The Windamere Hotel is still the epitome of mesmerising old-world colonial charm. Situated upon the sacred and holy Observatory Hill in Darjeeling, it is the centre of life, radiating cosmic energies of the mighty Himalayas. Windamere has also built more contemporary houses in the u2018Snuggeryu2019 area around the late 1980s and into the early 1990s but, the age-old Boarding House atmosphere is still kept intact by adhering to the old Colonial way of living. In recent mentionsu2026 Windamere is regarded as one of the best u2018Colonial Hotelsu2019, today in India. The u2018Asia Pacific Geographic Magazineu2019, listed it as number 3 in their assessment of: u201cThe Top Ten Best Colonial Hotels in the Asia Pacific Areau201dit has to be stated that they were right behind such iconic hotels as u2018Raffles of Singaporeu2019!. u2018The Sunday Times of Londonu2019 wrote that Windamere was listed as u201cOne of u2018The Best Colonial Hotels in the Worldu201d. A celebrated travel writer of The Windamere Hotel once said that u201cIt is one of the three Jewels of the Raju201d Closure. Everything around Windamere Hotel may have changed but to this day, the hotel has never been renovated u2014 just u2018restoredu2019. It still boasts of the authenticity of the initial u201cPlanter Suitesu201d, which have been renamed as u2018The Royal Suitesu2019 in recent times. The Royal Suites remind us that in the course of history, these Colonial rooms have been graced by the presence of royalty from Europe, Sikkim, Bhutan, Thailand, and India. Windamere Hotel has stood the daunting test of time and has emerged to be an important landmark, reminiscent of Colonial Indiau2019s charm and unpretentious glamour. For Royal Stay visit here: https://bit.ly/267ffbw Bolg Credit: https://bit.ly/2I1vbZC
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