Neemrana Hotels
Encyclopedia
The Neemrana Hotels is an Indian organisation, noted for restoring ruins and turning them into heritage hotels.
It was started in 1991 by Aman Nath and Francis Wacziarg. Aman Nath was a post-graduate in medieval Indian history from Delhi University, and Francis Wacziarg a former French diplomat and resident of India since 1969, and they were researching wall frescoes for writing The Painted Frescoes of Shekhavati, when they encountered the 15th-century Neemrana
fort on the Aravalli range in Rajasthan. The fort was built by local chieftain Nimola Meo, and had been a ruin for 40 years. They bought the fort for Rs
7 lakh
in 1986 and restored it, opening as a hotel in 1991 with 12 rooms. Following this restoration, the hotel has been used as the venue for the International Festival of Indian Literature in 2002, for Mastermind India
, and for several Indian weddings.
style They call their hotels "non-hotels", to emphasize this design. The buildings are restored in phases, with revenue from guests of restored parts being used to restore the rest. Along with their practice of using local artisans and materials, this keeps costs low, and their hotels break even
in two to three years rather than the industry average of seven to eight.
The Punjab government transferred the Baradari Palace in Patiala to them as a public-private partnership, and the Rajasthan government leased them the Tijari Fort. Similarly, the Pataudi Palace (of Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi and Sharmila Tagore
) was sold to them, and Thakur Mangal Singh sold them the 14th-century Kesroli Palace in Alwar. The Tijari fort at Alwar is not a ruin but a building that had been left unfinished in 1845 because of war; the pair have undertaken completion. Most of their projects have been initiated by the owners of the buildings approaching them, and they have over 200 potential projects on hand.
The company also manufactures jam from the fruit orchards in Ramgarh, and tea from the plantations in Coonoor
and Coffee from Coorg. It also runs a "Neemrana Music Foundation". The clientele, which initially consisted mostly of foreign tourists, is now (as of 2010) 70% Indian.
It was started in 1991 by Aman Nath and Francis Wacziarg. Aman Nath was a post-graduate in medieval Indian history from Delhi University, and Francis Wacziarg a former French diplomat and resident of India since 1969, and they were researching wall frescoes for writing The Painted Frescoes of Shekhavati, when they encountered the 15th-century Neemrana
Neemrana
Neemrana is an ancient historical town in Alwar district of Rajasthan, India, situated at 122 km from Delhi on the Delhi-Jaipur highway in Behror tehsil. It is the site of 14th century Hill-Fort ruled by Chauhans till 1947...
fort on the Aravalli range in Rajasthan. The fort was built by local chieftain Nimola Meo, and had been a ruin for 40 years. They bought the fort for Rs
Indian rupee
The Indian rupee is the official currency of the Republic of India. The issuance of the currency is controlled by the Reserve Bank of India....
7 lakh
Lakh
A lakh is a unit in the Indian numbering system equal to one hundred thousand . It is widely used both in official and other contexts in Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and is often used in Indian English.-Usage:...
in 1986 and restored it, opening as a hotel in 1991 with 12 rooms. Following this restoration, the hotel has been used as the venue for the International Festival of Indian Literature in 2002, for Mastermind India
Mastermind India
Mastermind India was a quiz show based on Mastermind, that was aired on BBC World's "Made in India" Series between 1998 and 2002.Mastermind India was based on the British television quiz Mastermind...
, and for several Indian weddings.
Restoration process
The modifications made to the ruins to retain a consistent design include basic amenities like plumbing and air-conditioning hidden from view, and designing 19th-century rooms in the colonialBritish Raj
British Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
style They call their hotels "non-hotels", to emphasize this design. The buildings are restored in phases, with revenue from guests of restored parts being used to restore the rest. Along with their practice of using local artisans and materials, this keeps costs low, and their hotels break even
Break Even
Break Even are an Australian hardcore band from Perth, Western Australia.-History:Forming in the suburbs of Perth in 2005, Break Even have released two successful releases and toured with the biggest names in local and international hardcore....
in two to three years rather than the industry average of seven to eight.
The Punjab government transferred the Baradari Palace in Patiala to them as a public-private partnership, and the Rajasthan government leased them the Tijari Fort. Similarly, the Pataudi Palace (of Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi and Sharmila Tagore
Sharmila Tagore
Sharmila Tagore is an Indian film actress. She has won National Film Awards and Filmfare Awards for her performances.She has led the Indian Film Censor Board from October 2004 till March 2011...
) was sold to them, and Thakur Mangal Singh sold them the 14th-century Kesroli Palace in Alwar. The Tijari fort at Alwar is not a ruin but a building that had been left unfinished in 1845 because of war; the pair have undertaken completion. Most of their projects have been initiated by the owners of the buildings approaching them, and they have over 200 potential projects on hand.
The company also manufactures jam from the fruit orchards in Ramgarh, and tea from the plantations in Coonoor
Coonoor
Coonoor is a town and a municipality in the Nilgiris district in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. It is known for its production of Nilgiri tea....
and Coffee from Coorg. It also runs a "Neemrana Music Foundation". The clientele, which initially consisted mostly of foreign tourists, is now (as of 2010) 70% Indian.
Examples
Ruins and forts restored by them and turned into hotels include:- 14th century, Hill Fort KesroliHill Fort KesroliThe Hill Fort Kesroli is a 14th-century fort located in Alwar, Rajasthan, India. It is now a heritage hotel of Neemrana Hotels group. , known for its with turrets, ramparts, and arched verandahs and today considered as one of the best heritage hotels in India. -History:It was built six centuries...
(Alwar, Rajasthan) - 15th century, NeemranaNeemranaNeemrana is an ancient historical town in Alwar district of Rajasthan, India, situated at 122 km from Delhi on the Delhi-Jaipur highway in Behror tehsil. It is the site of 14th century Hill-Fort ruled by Chauhans till 1947...
Fort-Palace (Delhi-Jaipur highway, ShekhawatiShekhawatiShekhawati is a semi-arid historical region located in the northeast part of Rajasthan, India got its name from Shekhawat Rajputs....
, Rajasthan) - 16th century, Le Colonial (Cochin, Kerala)
- 17th century, The Tower House (Cochin, Kerala)
- 17th century, The Bungalow on the BeachBungalow on the BeachThe Bungalow on the Beach is an 18th-century Danish colonial house which has belonged to the Governor of Danish India, who was styled Opperhoved, and after their exit in 1845, to the British administrator of the colony...
(Tharangambadi, Tamil Nadu) - 17th century, The Gate House (Tharangambadi, Tamil Nadu)
- 18th century, Hotel de l’Orient (Pondicherry)
- 19th century, The Verandah in the Forest(British) (MatheranMatheran- Getting to Matheran :Matheran is located about 100 km from Mumbai, 120 km from Pune. and 320 km from Surat. It lies on the busy Mumbai-Pune rail link and the nearest train station is at Neral, approximately 11 km from Matheran. From Neral, one can either rent a taxi to the...
, near MumbaiMumbaiMumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
, - 19th century, Darbargadh Palace, Morvi, Gujarat,(opening shortly)
- 19th century, Villa Pottipati (MalleswaramMalleswaramMalleswara or Malleshwaram, located in the north-west of Bangalore, derives its name from the famous Kaadu Malleswara temple. Originally a village named Mallapura, Malleswaram was developed as a suburb during the great plague of 1898, which caused many people to move out from the city center...
, BangaloreBangaloreBengaluru , formerly called Bengaluru is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore is nicknamed the Garden City and was once called a pensioner's paradise. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and...
, KarnatakaKarnatakaKarnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
) - 19th century, The Wallwood Garden (CoonoorCoonoorCoonoor is a town and a municipality in the Nilgiris district in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. It is known for its production of Nilgiri tea....
, Tamil Nadu) - 19th century, Green Hills Estate (KodaguKodaguKodagu , also known by its anglicised former name of Coorg, is an administrative district in Karnataka, India. It occupies an area of in the Western Ghats of southwestern Karnataka. As of 2001, the population was 548,561, 13.74% of which resided in the district's urban centres, making it the least...
, Karnataka) - 19th century, The Baradari Palace (Patiala, Punjab),
- 19th century, The Ramgarh Bungalows (RamgarhRamgarh, UttarakhandRamgarh is a small hill station and tourist destination on the way to Mukteshwar in Nainital district of Uttarakhand, India. This place is rich in orchards. An unobstructed view of the snow-capped ranges of the Himalayas from this place can be seen. The place was once the cantonment of the English...
KumaonKumaon DivisionFor Kumaoni/Kumauni People see Kumauni PeopleKumaon or Kumaun is one of the two regions and administrative divisions of Uttarakhand, a mountainous state of northern India, the other being Garhwal. It includes the districts of Almora, Bageshwar, Champawat, Nainital, Pithoragarh, and Udham Singh Nagar...
Hills, Uttarakhand), - 20th century, Piramal Haveli, (BagarBagar, Rajasthan, IndiaBagar is a town in Jhunjhunu district, Rajasthan, state, India.- Havelis :Bagar also has many beautiful havelis with frescos on the walls that belong to Rungta families who are the great grandson's of Chavo Sati Dadi, many of these families have moved on to bigger cities in India like Calcutta,...
, Shekhavati, RajasthanRajasthanRājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
) - 20th century, Pataudi PalacePataudi PalacePataudi Palace is a former palace of the Nawabs of Pataudi, in Haryana, India, which is now a heritage hotel of Neemrana Hotels.-History:After being home to two generations of the Nawabs of Pataudi, cricketers Iftikhar Ali Khan and Mansur Ali Khan, the actress Sharmila Tagore entered the Pataudi...
(PataudiPataudiPataudi is a town in Gurgaon district in the Indian state of Haryana. It is located from Gurgaon, at the foot hills of the Aravali hills.Pataudi was the seat of Pataudi State which was ruled by the Nawabs of Pataudi. The 8th Nawab, Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi, played cricket for both England and...
, Haryana), - 21st century, The Glasshouse on the Ganges (Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, belonging to the Maharaja of Tehri Garhwal)
Books
Books published as part of the project(?) include:- The Painted Frescoes of Shekhavati
- Jaipur: the Last Destination
- Arts and Crafts of Rajasthan
External links
- Official site
- Talk by Aman Nath at TEDxTED (conference)TED is a global set of conferences owned by the private non-profit Sapling Foundation, formed to disseminate "ideas worth spreading"....