Heritage Hotels as a concept born in India as much from necessity as from spotting an opportunity. The prime necessity was to present the past grandeur of India to the tourists who are interested. Another important aspect of the initiation of this concept was the saving an important part of Indian heritage. The owners of the great havelis and palaces were not wealthy enough to maintain these huge buildings and these palaces were now falling prey to disuse and neglect.

Here then was the opportunity to kill three birds with one stone. If some of these fascinating palaces, forts and havelies could be converted into hotels offering the ambience of medieval Indian décor and lifestyle, they could serve as an added incentive to visit India. In the process, the properties, with their new found commercial angle, could be restored to their past glory by careful restoration; and the erstwhile royalty could bask in the sunshine of a regular income source which dried up when their principalities were dissolved.

'Heritage Hotels' - a term commonly used to include all hotels that are being run in such restored royal properties-were thus a foregone conclusion in the history of the Indian Hospitality Industry. And so they were born. Reborn, rather!

For decades, if not centuries, the rajput fortress, the defensive castle , the composed haveli- was the abode of nobility where hospitality was a way of life. Visitors, guests even strangers were
welcomed in a tradition that was a part of lifestyle. Even enemies, should they have come calling were treated with utmost respect. And an extensive network of matrimonial alliances amongst the warring clans ensure that all battles ended on the fields.

The Chivalry and gallantry of the warrior clans was reflected in the architecture of the feudal homes. A grand entrance was reserved for a state guests. There were separate viewing galleries for women, and the ladies of the 'Zenana' conducted their own darbar's and wielded
considerable power from behind the 'purrdh.

Post independence democratic India witnessed the merger of the Princely states, abolition of 'Jagirs' land reforms and finally the withdrawal of the special privileges and privy purse from the royal families a few decades later, consequently the Noble families lost their traditional means of livelihood and even the wealthy merchants left their homes for more lucrative pastures. Their large castles and mansions lay almost abandoned or unattended.

Till a few enterprising pioneers realised that perhaps the only way to maintain these historic homes was their appropriate reuse. The large Palaces of the Maharajas set the trend by becoming five star hotels. Now, some of the ancestral homes to find sustenance in this new lease of life- as Heritage Hotels.

Much of the charm of these hotels, united under a common banner, is the individual attention and personalisation; the very meals, for example, that were cooked for generations are still served at your table. Families in residence for centuries now welcome you to their homes as guests. And ancestral home is different uniquely so, reflecting its own, exceptional history, tradition and period.

The ambiance is perfectly reflected through sepia photographs and family memorabilia. Even the retainers may have been in the service of the families for generations

While history is always at hand, there have been changes too, so that the homes are modernised to make the need of today's international traveler, with adjoining bathrooms, running hot and cold water, modern plumbing, even perhaps a swimming pool.

These help to enhance the experience, making you visit to India's Heritage Hotels a memorable one.