Lalit Grand Palace-Srinagar

Agar firdous baroye zameen ast, hami asto, hami asto hami ast” – Amir-e-Khusru Dehluvi
(If there is paradise on earth, It is here, it is here, it is here)

My father would wax eloquently about his trips to the valley every summer when they were growing up. He would talk about running around the orchards picking fruit, learning how to ride in Pahalgam and watching it snow in Gulmarg. Kashmir has really had a hold on me and I visited Gulmarg last year but an unfortunate tragedy struck the people when the Jhelum started to overflow and flooded kashmir and caused massive power cuts and eroded trees, homes and dreams. A year later and the people were still smiling, helpful and as magnanimous – inviting us for Kahwa and snacks wherever we went. The roads had been reconstructed, tourism was improving and people were moving on with their lives. We have so much we can learn from the residents of Kashmir because they manage to keep their heads up in the face of adversity.

I was invited to experience the hospitality and facilities at the Lalit Grand Palace in the last week of October. I was staying at the property for two nights before I flew back home. I entered the hotel and was marvelling at how magnificent and regal the exteriors looked. Simile Rath, showed me around the property and we walked across to the Chinar Garden for an elaborate high tea. The interiors are centrally heated so you can be comfortable when you are indoors and you don’t have to worry about piling on extra layers. The rooms and cottages are designed beautifully and fitted with all the amenities a guest could want. The bath and shower products are from ‘Kronokare’- all natural and free from paragons, SLS and harmful chemicals.
The room had a large area for dining and lounging around and they had a decadent cheese platter, nuts from the orchard with fresh figs and apricots and coffee and tea amenities.

I have to admit that it was freezing outside but the temperature controlled pool was too tempting to pass up. I needed to burn off all the heavy Kashmiri fare, nuts and cheese I was consuming so I would swim a few laps for about an hour every evening. Swimming in warm water is extremely therapeutic and helps tremendously with muscle soreness. The palace was offering an in-room spa treatment to resident guests so they could fall asleep post the treatments. This was very welcome because I had spent the first 4 days in Kashmir trekking and walking several miles and my legs were sore. The massage therapists were ebullient, cheerful and extremely skilled. I tried the Rejuve signature deep tissue massage and the signature massage over two days. I noticed that it alleviated a lot of the soreness, made me feel more relaxed, my skin was softer and visibly healthier. I wasn’t drinking so I took a quick tour of the Dal Bar and enjoyed a delicious meal prepared by the chefs and the wazis. This is an experience you’ll never forget but please bring a hearty appetite. The staff had lit a fire that warmed the cockles of my heart and the table was impeccably presented. I had a very elaborate meal with interactions with the chef that included ‘nadru’, ‘haak saag’, ‘goshtaba’, ‘rishta’ and my favourite- the ‘tabak maaz’. Each course had a story woven around it and the meat was so succulent it fall off the bone and melt in your mouth. I was full halfway through but decided to give in and tried everything except for the dessert. If you are dining with your family or friends, you must tell the hotel to book you in for the ‘wazwan’ because its an unforgettable culinary experience. I came back to Delhi with doggy bags of the leavened bread, Tabak Maaz and ate it happily for days.

Special thanks to the team and staff at the Lalit Srinagar for going out of your way to organise everything for me. I can’t wait to be back in the next couple of weeks with my family when the Lalit Grand Palace is covered in layers of snow.

Property description:
The property is a restored Palace, previously the residence of Maharajas and initially designed by Maharaja Pratap Singh in 1910. This iconic hotel overlooks the picturesque Dal Lake with the magnificent Himalayan ranges in the backdrop. Located only about 15 minutes from Srinagar Airport, it is accessible to most tourists and is centrally located to most attractions. The hotel has 113 palace rooms and suites including 10 luxurious cottages, four restaurants and bar with the best banquet and conference facilities. The Grand Palace hotel also includes a shopping arcade and the Rejuve- Spa that along with the salon and gym, health club and all weather swimming pool.

History:
The Lalit Grand Palace designed by Maharaja Pratap Singh had key events in its ambience and hosted important guests like Lord Mountbatten, who visited in 1947 and stayed in the Viceroy and Vicereine suites. The palace courtyard’s pride and attraction is the Chinar Tree that was once the meeting site between Mahatma Gandhi and Maharaja Hari Singh. Maharaja Hari Singh was the nephew of Maharaja Pratap Singh, who added to the design and decorations with finest furniture and upholstery and ethnic carpets, handicrafts and works by local artisans that shines through the Lalit Grand Palace of Srinagar that was once known as Gulab Bhavan.

Maharaja Hari Singh and his wife would invite guests to this gorgeous Kashmir palace and cooked meals themselves that gave the real feel of Indian welcome. The central courtyard and gardens also held mega events and private galas that included song and dance and Dogri and Rajasthani cuisine.
Maharaja Hari Singh moved to Mumbai after India’s independence which is when Gulab Bhavan was converted to The Grand Palace Hotel in 1956.

Cuisine:
The Lalit Grand Palace has 4 restaurants with mulit and award winning cuisine, that have gotten best reviews by guests on most travel and hotel forums and websites. The Chinar is the multi-cuisine restaurant that holds a buffet and a-la-carte menu, and provides a very traditional Indian dining experience with Kashmir’s best flavours and spices. This restaurant was named in honor of the Chinar tree that was the site of Mahatma Gandhi and Maharaja Hari Singh’s meeting.

The Chinar Garden is an outdoor restaurant with beautiful views of the garden and Srinagar’s Dal Lake. It’s said to be an ideal setting for a delicious cup of Kahwa.
The Dal Bar known for its elegant and relaxed atmosphere has the same views, but has an extensive collection of world famous liqueurs and cigars and delicious finger foods to nibble on.

Spa:
The Lalit Suri group Hotels’ Rejuve Spa has been a signature attraction. With various therapies and aroma and ayurvedic and other natural remedies and healings and yoga; including all weather swimming pools, gymnasium and salon. Non -resident guests are also allowed to experience the Spa with memberships. From Fragrant aroma massages, Balinese massages and other deep tissue massages, the Rejuve Spa experience is the highlight of staying at a Lalit Hotel.

Things to do around the hotel- you can book a taxi in the morning and go to the spice market, witness the markets on the Dal lake in the morning or take a shikara ride on the Dal and bask in its glory. Some of you might want to visit the Royal Springs Golf Course, mosques in the area and go buy some spices and walnuts from the local shops. The more intrepid traveller can eat a heavy breakfast and head to Gulmarg for some skiing or to witness fresh snowfall on the gondola road. If you do pay Gulmarg a visit, you must head to either The Khyber or Highlands Park for lunch and some Kahwa. Drive back via strawberry valley and head back into your cozy room to retire for the night.

Verdict- this place looks breathtakingly beautiful, particularly when its snowed out. Photographers can spend all day marvelling at the interiors of this hotel or spend all afternoon outside in the Chinar garden. I highly recommend that you do a ‘wazwan’ tasting one evening for dinner, have a couple of cocktails at Dal Bar and book yourself an indulgent in-room spa treatment from Rejuve Spa. All of this comes at a hefty price but it is worth every penny you spend here. I was here for two nights and was tempted to extend my stay by a few more days and I’m sure you’ll feel the same way about this property too.