Built in 1803, Padmini Nivas in Mussoorie is a beautiful heritage property, turned into a hotel in the 70s. Borrowing its name from Maharani Padmini, who was the princess of Panna, the property is gorgeous, and conveniently located on the Mussoorie Mall Road. Upon entering you see a pretty garden area, where you can lounge around during the sunrise and sunset, and enjoy the breathtaking view of the Doon valley.
In the Mussoorie of today, bustling with commotion and commercialisation, Padmini Nivas sits in the middle, like an island of peace and serenity. Living up to its heritage status and old world charm, the hotel still has furniture and decor that the place adorned back when it was a summer home for British officials; this adds to the charm of the place, since it's like stepping into a small snippet of our Colonial past.
The hotel has around forty rooms, a games room, a huge garden in the front (and multiple tinier ones outside the rooms), a rose garden, a restaurant, and a beautiful pahadi doggo called Moti. If you're looking for some down time, to enjoy a change of scenery with a splendid cup of chai and a good book, then this is just the place.
The room tariff starts at INR 3,350 per night during the off-season, and at INR 4,200 during season.
There's plenty to do around the hotel. The Mall Road is at a minute's walking distance, and one of entrances of the hotel opens up directly in the Tibetan street market (for those who love a good haggling-cum-shopping spree). There are also plenty of cafes and restaurants close by, and Cafe Teetotaler is a crowd favourite. However, we like the food served at their in-house, pure vegetarian restaurant, Suruchi better as it has a homely, simple charm to it. The staff here also takes a lot of pride in the food they put on the table, and you wouldn't want to miss it, too.
