Pataudi Palace is a sprawling white mansion built by Nawab (King) Ibrahim Ali Khan and designed by Heinz in 1935. The palace is currently owned by Mansoor Ali Khan, a well known cricketer who played for India and famously married the Bollywood actress Sharmila Tagore.
Over an hour’s drive from Delhi and located in Pataudi village, Haryana, this Neemrana ‘non’ hotel is an ideal getaway from Delhi for couples, small groups or families.
The palace is a nature lover’s feast with over 25 acres with large open green areas and lawns filled with roses and cypress and peacocks strutting around. The mansion is adorned with antique furniture and fixtures including four poster beds, frilled filigreed consoles, coloured chandeliers, pictures and memorabilia of the Nawab’s passions of cricket and bollywood. The grand double staircase, the terrace upstairs overlooking the garden, the pool set in the back garden and the black and white chequered marbled floors are some of the property’s architectural delights.
There are 5 rooms in the Garden Palace and 10 rooms in the main house (4 Luxury suites and 6 Grand rooms). The activity options at the Pataudi palace include badminton, table tennis, carrom, swimming, a spa complete with kerala Ayurvedic treatment and massage options, cricket and a camel ride. On special occasions they bring in Rajasthani folk singers and Bhapang artists.
The Pataudi palace practices responsible tourism in many ways besides heritage conservation. The palace serves food locally produced including some vegetables that are farmed in the compound. They also compost dead leaves.. About a third of the staff is locally hired and the rest come from the surrounding areas. The Neemrana group is noted for its excellent employment training and staff benefits.
Stay
There are 5 rooms in the Garden Palace which were built prior to the main palace by the British. The Main house has 10 rooms with 4 luxury suites and 6 Grand rooms and are named after the Patuadi – family members Mansoor, Mumtaz Mahal, Saif (who has grown up to be a huge Bollywood star in his own right)..
The bedrooms are spacious; royal with old-style baths. They all have split AC’s, electric heaters, a kettle, tea/coffee and 2 bottles of complimentary water. The rooms do not have a phone or TV. The cupboards in the luxury suites have bathrobes. All bathrooms have Neemrana disposable herbal toiletries by ‘Forest Essentials’- which are natural and smell divine!
The two most irresistible rooms are Saif Mahal and Manur Mahal. The Saif Mahal is a huge grand room with two single beds and has pictures of Saif (perfect for a die hard fan!) from his childhood. The Manur Mahal has a chirpy red décor with 2 double beds, a 3 seater lounge, a changing room with a dressing table and armoire, a bath area with a bath tub and sink and a separate toilet, accessible from the bathroom and the veranda. This one has pictures of the Nawab in it.
The two most popular rooms though, are the Taqi Mahal and the Mukhtiar Mahal—both luxury suites, located on the ground floor and with a view of the pool and serene back garden.
Dine
Dinner is served at the Durbar Mahal and lunch is served on the terrace above the pool when the weather is nice. We had breakfast at the terrace upstairs overlooking the main garden—a spectacular way to start the day.
Dinner included a buffet spread of Indian and continental foods. There was a pea soup and 2 salads—a cabbage and egg salad and a couscous salad. The spinach bake was delicious as was the pasta. The Indian dishes were representative of the region—Laal Maas (a Rajasthani mutton preparation), kadai paneer (curry made of cottage cheese), mustard chicken, beans and coconut. This was accompanied by rice and tandoori rotis (wheat based Indian bread). For dessert they offered Shahi tukda(fried bread in a thickened milk sauce), fresh fruit and ice cream, pineapple upside down and chocolate mousse. All of which were very fulfilling.
For breakfast we had homemade brown bread, masala (spiced) omelettes custom made to our tastes, freshly squeezed orange juice, delicious French cheese and the Neemrana plum jam. There were also chicken sausages, papayas, and assorted cold cereal.
The nearest restaurants would be in Gurgaon, about 40 minutes away—some of the popular ones in Gurgaon are Coriander, Hao Shi Nian Nian, The Oak Tree, Azurro as well a host of others in the 4 and 5 star hotels that dot the region. Manesar is also only about 20 minutes away and there are some options there too.
The Pataudi Palace is an excellent place to relax amidst the beauty of nature. We followed a group of peacocks and peahens who seemed oblivious to our company.
There are plenty of activities for guests to entertain themselves while pretending to be royalty. These include:
A full fledged billiards room, a well stacked library including encyclopaedias and Noddy books for children, a carrom board and a table tennis facility.
Taking a dip in the pool is a perfect way to cool off on a warm summer’s day.
The spa offers a variety of kerala Ayurvedic treatments and massages and the masseuse is apparently very good.
Pataudi palace has a cricket ground on its premises even provide a complete cricket set for guests looking to play some cricket. Apparently if free the staff will even join in.
Since Pataudi is just one and a half hours away from Delhi or 40 minutes from Gurgaon, you can easily go for sight seeing tours and shopping in Delhi or Gurgaon.
There is a well decorated camel for guests to take a ride around the compound.
On special occasions such as Diwali, etc they get in Rajasthani folk singers and Bhapang artists to entertain the guests.
Guests can also take a trip to the nearby lake called Sultanpur about 29 kms away, a birdwatcher’s paradise.
There are also some popular temples and Ashrams nearby—Brahm Kumari Ashram and Hari Mandir Ashram near Bilaspur chowk.
Pataudi Palace is on 25 acres and is a breeding ground for a variety of flora and fauna. They compost the dead leaves and use it as manure for the gardens.
While the main mansion was built in the 1930’s, the garden house was built by the British prior to that. The buildings have been preserved well and the only change made was the addition of the swimming pool and the changing room in the back-garden.
Carrots, cauliflowers and radish are grown in the in-house farm managed by a farmer family. A lot of the other vegetables come from the local areas and is supplemented by some produce from the Neemrana owned farm in nearby Rajasthan.
The mansion has mostly locally hired staff and some diversity with 3 women sweepers and one masseuse in the spa area. The Neemrana group has one of the best employee packages in the heritage hotel category that includes good salaries, children’s education, bonus (percentage of the salary), provident funds, insurance and health check ups. The Neemrana Hotels Private Ltd. also has the Neemrana Music Foundation that supports musicians and promotes performances as well as supports the NGO Khushii that works towards empowerment of women in Neemrana.
What’s Hot!
- The luxury suites are truly luxurious—enormous with a complete seating area, dressing area and veranda.
- The beautiful gardens with its myriad flora and fauna have a calming effect.
- The antique décor and fixtures, family pictures and bollywood and cricket memorabilia gives a warm welcoming feel as if a guest were at the residence of Nawab Mansoor Ali Khan’s life.
- The various activity options including swimming, table tennis, badminton and cricket can keep a couple, family or small group occupied for hours.
- The swimming pool set in the serene back garden with lounge chairs is a perfect way for guests to relax and escape.
What’s Not!
- The food was average and a mish mash of Indian cuisine styles, but not enough Nawabi food items. The continental food was quite nice though.
- Some of the furnishings seemed a bit run down, mainly the table cloths. The curtains were synthetic and uneven.
- Some of the parts of the palace could have been better maintained (painted or cleaned)
Ideal For Whom
This is a perfect romantic weekend get away for young coupleswanting to relax. The Pataudi palace is also a perfect venue for people living in the Delhi region to have a party or special event.
The large rooms at Pataudi palace and the large open spaces and activities also make it fun for families or small groups.
When To Visit
The ideal time is October to April when the weather is pleasant, the gardens are lush and the flowers are in full bloom. July to September brings the monsoon here. The summers, especially May and June are extremely hot and dry.
How Many Days
Two days and a night is a perfect amount of time to relax and enjoy the Pataudi palace–take a nature walk, have a massage, bask by the pool, play some billiards and table tennis.
Things To Bring
Don’t forget your bathing suit (especially if it is warm enough to swim). Ensure you apply sunscreen to protect your skin while you bask in the sun by the pool. You will need cash to tip the waiters and the spa lady as there are no ATMs around. You will need your sports shoes and clothes if you plan to play badminton or cricket or take a nature walk. Take a book to read and maybe your IPod to listen to music. You will definitely want a camera to capture your Kodak moments. Perhaps you could carry a bird-watching book if you want to go down to the Sultanpur lake.
Pataudi Palace is a heritage destination, almost a hop away distance from Delhi. A good opportunity to escape from the city’s madness!
Delhi is accessible by air from almost any part of the world. Railways also connect Delhi to almost all cities in India.
The only way to get to Pataudi from Delhi is by road. Its 1hour 30 mins or 60 kms by road. Take a right turn before the toll point on the Jaipur highway before the Bilaspur police chowki and drive for around 10 km to reach the Pataudi palace.
Pataudi is a small village in Haryana about 60 km from Delhi. The village was formed by Rajput ruler Pata in Allaudin Khilji’s time. This palace was built by Nawab Ibrahim Ali Khan, his father and the ruler of the princely state of Pataudi in Haryana, India. It was designed by Heinz in 1935. The Pataudi Palace is currently owned by Mr. Mansoor Ali Khan, a well known cricketer who married the famous Bollywood actress Sharmila Tagore. Their son Saif Ali Khan is a bollywood star and his sister Soha Ali Kan is also well known in her own right. They also have a sister Saba. The family live in Vasant Vihar, Delhi and continue to visit their weekend home, in the same complex as the Pataudi Palace.
When Aman Nath and Francis Wacziarg took over the management of the Pataudi Palace to run it as a hotel as part of their Neeemrana group, they made very minor renovations. They were careful to maintain the heritage of the building and its character but added a beautiful swimming pool set in the back garden along with a changing room.
