The Green Hotel Mysore, South India
 
The Chittaranjan Palace, built for Mysore's princesses, has been lovingly restored as a small hotel. In extensive gardens, with formal lawns and shaded pergolas, and fringed by majestic trees, the hotel is an oasis of calm. It has been renovated and furnished using traditional Indian crafts. It offers comfortable surroundings, friendly staff, and a restful, creative atmosphere. Guests have come for a night and stayed for a month!
 
The Green Hotel has been set up as a model of sustainable tourism, by a UK charity. All profits are distributed to charitable and environmental projects in India.
Mysore, the charming town immortalised by R.K. Narayan in his Malgudi novels, provides an excellent base from which to tour South India. The Western Ghats, the coffee plantations of Coorg, the game reserves of the Nilgris and the Ooty hill station are all within a few hours drive.
 
Accommodation

"The very best honeymoon suite, sooo romantic!"
Jenee and Alexander Najafi, USA

Guests have the use of the whole of the former palace, including drawing rooms, a well-chosen library, and beautiful verandas.

The gardens are large and provide peaceful relaxation. The hotel has won the Mysore Horticultural Society first prize for the best garden and for the Rose Garden, and for the display of potted plants.

Because of the excellent climate, guests spend most of the day in the garden, on the lawns, or, for those in the Garden Block, on the terrace outside their rooms. We do not have air-conditioned rooms, TV or generators because of our environmentally friendly policies. However the hotel is very airy and well ventilated, all the rooms have fans, and the temperatures in Mysore make air conditioning largely unneccesary. We offer spacious, soothing lawns and shady trees to recline under.

"Check into a hotel, get a palace free! The Chittaranjan Palace in Mysore, which has played host to the royal princesses of the Wadeyar family, is today an exclusive hotel ... the palace still retains the old world charm of the forgotten era ... the wooden stairs, the stained-glass windows, the innumerable little rooms generate a cosy feeling of being at home."
Times of India, January 1997

There are 31 rooms, all with modern en-suite bathrooms, as follows.

The Palace Rooms

The palace rooms are situated inside the palace and therefore have have an ambience of their own. They are old rooms furnished with a view to retaining the old world charm of the buildings.
The Princess's room (pictured), the Rose Room, and the Marigold Suite provide elegant accommodation. The Honeymoon suite (where the British High Commissioner and his wife stayed!) has a bedroom with a four-poster bed, a sitting room with views of the garden, and a nice bathroom. We even supply rose petals on the bed! The Writer's Room has a unique ambience -it is a small room with a view of the garden and a desk tucked in under the stairs.
Downstairs the Bollywood deluxe and smaller Bollywood rooms are decorated with panels featuring old movie stars. These two rooms have a sitting room between them so are very suitable for 4 guests. The Bollywood deluxe has a particularly nice bathroom with bath and shower.

In the Garden Block
All rooms have sitting out areas and views on the garden.
 
On the First Floor
Five suites, with sitting rooms, and bathrooms with baths and showers.
Three deluxe rooms, with bathrooms with baths and showers.
Two deluxe travellers' rooms, with simple bathrooms with showers.
 
On the Ground Floor
Twelve travellers' rooms, simply furnished but comfortable, with new bathrooms with showers.
The suites have an additional sitting room and larger bathrooms with bathtubs. All these rooms have a wonderful view of the garden and lawns with comfortable cane chairs to sit on the verandah and enjoy the view.
 
What room to choose?
Different guests have different favourite rooms. Of the hotel's directors (who can choose anything!), one prefers the Writer's Room, another the Honeymoon Suite. Other frequent visitors specify the Princess Room or the Rose Room. And one couple booked for a night in the Honeymoon Suite and stayed for 5 -so it must have pleased them!
 
Food
"The restaurant at this novel hotel is superb. Diners sit outdoors in comfortable wicker chairs around tables dotted around the garden. The spicy vegetable starters are particularly tasty. This is also a good place to nurse a cool beer after dark."
- Fodor's India, 1998
"superb cooking, colourful, subtle, among the best."
- Footprints India, 2002
The hotel restaurant is open to non-residents. It offers a comprehensive range of vegetarian and non-vegetarian food. Special diets can be catered for.
South and North Indian, European or Chinese meals can be taken in the garden, or on the veranda. Room service is available. Most guests choose to dine on the lawn, under the stars.
All food is prepared from fresh ingredients produced locally where appropriate.
The hotel is licensed and offers an eclectic range of Indian beers, and even Indian champagne. A favourite drink is fresh lime soda.
Meals cost approximately £1 Sterling (US$1.60) for breakfast and £2 Sterling (US$3.20) for a full lunch or dinner.

Unusual treats include cinnamon toast for tea-time on the lawn after a game of croquet, and porridge for breakfast. Birthday and celebration cakes can be ordered.
 
What the Guide Books Say

"On the western outskirts, a former royal palace refurbished as an elegant, eco-conscious 2-star, in large gardens, awarded the prize for best garden in Mysore in 1998. Spacious rooms, lounges, verandas, a croquet lawn and a well-stocked library. All profits go to charities and environmental projects. "
Rough Guide to India, 2004

"The Green Hotel is a one hundred year-old palace built as a retreat for the Wodeyar princesses. The hotel has won awards for ecological awareness and profits go to charity. The management has kept the palace's relaxed but elegant atmosphere intact, with a library, chess sets, a croquet lawn and a well-stocked bar. "
Lonely Planet, South India

"... solar heating, good meals in cool verandah or on immaculate lawns ... exemplary employment practices hence charming, enthusiastic staff. Highly recommended."
Footprint India Handbook, 2002

highly recommended

"This award-winning hotel began life as a Chittaranjan Palace, built in the 1920's by Wodeyar IV as a retreat for his sisters. Today it looks and feels pretty much how you would imaging the home of a royal family in decline would look. The palace has a motley assortment of antique furniture and colourful memorabilia that rivals some of the other tourist attractions in town. This erstwhile princess retreat also offers some charming lodging options. "
Frommer's India, 1st Edition

"A charming palace conversion in own gardens a little way out of town. A remarkable project in sustainable tourism through energy-saving and equal opportunity employment. Good value, attractive rooms and superb food. Highly Recommended"
Insight Guides, India, 2004

"Once a palace, then a film studio, the Green Hotel is now run by a British charity whose profits fund environmental projects. Airy, charming and largely sea-green inside, it feels like a Raj-era lodge, its Edwardian drawing rooms equipped with chessboards. Guest rooms have dark-wood furnishings, high, wood-beam ceilings and, in some cases, kitschy film memorabilia. You can choose from among the (fewer) palace rooms in the old wing, or the garden rooms in the new wing. While taking an auto or a taxi to the hotel, ask for Premier Studios if the name of the hotel is unfamiliar to the driver."
Fodor's India

"Originally built for the princesses of Mysore, this delightful palace-hotel has lovely gardens and elegant decor. Set up as a model of sustainable tourism by a UK charity, all profits go to worthy local projects"
Eyewitness Travel Guides: India

Online:
ResponsibleTravel.com - "A fantastic building with plenty of reception rooms to play chess, chat, read and relax. The food was wonderful ."
i-escape.com - "enormous, award-winning gardens, where breakfast and tea are served...friendly and enthusiastic staff".
guardian.co.uk - "Alison Benjamin finds a palace where you can indulge yourself and your conscience simultaneously".
time.com - "... good vibes... friendly disposition... all profits to charity".

What the Press Say

"Friendly laid back hotel in turn-of-the-century Chittaranjan Palace, run as a model of sustainable ecotourism, complete with solar heating and mosquito-devouring fish in the ponds. Guests report charming staff, delicious freshly cooked meals and spotless interiors finished with local handicrafts. Very reasonably priced; all profits go to local charitable and environmental causes."
The Observer, Our Top 20 places to stay in India, March 2000

"Although the villa boasts elegant stained glass windows and beamed ceilings, it's not just the bricks and mortar that please. It's the philosophy of the place."
Wanderlust, June / July 2000

"Mysore's Green Hotel. Set in extensive gardens with formal lawns and shaded pergolas, the Green Hotel in Mysore is an oasis of calm. Highly commended by the British Guild of Travel Writers 'Tourism Project of the Year' in 1995 it recently won the prize for best public garden in Mysore - quite an achievement when you consider the hotel was derelict when it was taken on by the Charities Advisory Trust."
The Green Hotelier, January 1998

"Check into a hotel, get a palace free! The Chittaranjan Palace in Mysore, which has played host to the royal princesses of the Wadeyar family, is today an exclusive hotel ... the palace still retains the old world charm of the forgotten era ... the wooden stairs, the stained-glass windows, the innumerable little rooms generate a cosy feeling of being at home."
Times of India, January 1997

a place which gives pleasure to the mind...
"The Chittaranjan Green Hotel ... a place which gives pleasure to the mind ... The hotel is five star class at one star prices."
The Star of Mysore, April 1995

"Giving Green a good name. An interesting spin on Green Tourism comes with the opening in Mysore, India, of the Green Hotel ... apart from the expected commitment to energy saving devices and the use of local produce, the hotel has an equal opportunities policy - particularly employing widows and abandoned wives, for whom work is usually unavailable."
Sunday Times (UK), 23rd July, 1995

"UK charity sets pace for Indian tourism. The Charities Advisory Trust ... has provided funding for a 'Green Hotel' in Southern India. The Chittaranjan Palace, built for Mysore's royal princesses, has been restored to a 24 bedroom hotel using traditional crafts but not neglecting the creature comforts demanded by the modern international tourist."
Charity Magazine, September 1995

"Just what Mysore has needed for some time ... the spacious sitting rooms, verandas and garden, make this an oasis of peace when travelling in the South. The delicious local food and friendly staff give it a relaxed homely atmosphere. There is a strong policy of employing women, using local goods, and recycling."
Wanderlust, December 1997

The green hotel was also named as the top hotel (under £20) in The Independent on Sunday's list of 60 best budget hotels round the world (11 May 2001), described as "a palace fit for a princess". As The Independent's deputy travel editor Lucy Gillmore said, "holidaying on a budget doesn't mean you can't make stylish sleeping arangements".
 
What the Guests Say

"We had a wonderful time in Mysore, and the four nights we stayed at the Green Hotel were the best of our entire visit to India. Your work there is impressive, proof of what can be achieved with vision and determination."
Colin and Helen Hastings, United Kingdom

"I have just returned from a trip to South India and have to tell you about our stay at the Green Hotel. It was marvellous and without doubt one of the highlights of the trip. The staff were wonderful and could not have done more to help."
Vincent Cooney and Audrey Smith, United Kingdom

"I find the Green Hotel one of the most beautiful places to stay. Beautiful gardens, simple and well maintained rooms, courteous staff and excellent food. And good value for money, too. Highly recommended for the discerning traveller."
J. Sherl, United Kingdom

"The month I stayed here was one of the best of my life. Thank you very much. Best wishes for a thoroughly admirable venture."
Jack Carlson, Canada

"I spent a blissful afternoon curled up on a reading seat in the library."
Paula Clegg, United Kingdom

what more can one want?
"The very best honeymoon suite, sooo romantic!"
Jenee and Alexander Najafi, USA

"Everybody was kind and helpful and full of suggestions for interesting sightseeing."
Andrew Oddy, British Museum

"Three candles in a silver candelabra, a full moon and Indian food, superb service and wonderful company. What more can one want?"
Annerie van de Merwe, South Africa

"It is the most visually harmonious (beautiful but un-flash) place I have ever stayed in."
Timothy Hyman, London

"Our best stay here out of 18 years of coming and going."
John and Sue Perry, Washington

"Please do not change anything."
Richard Bagshaw, Scotland

"I had the most amazing time at the Green Hotel - thank you to everyone who looked after me so well."
Terry Veitch, United Kingdom

"I was enchanted with the hospitality and friendliness I experienced at the Green Hotel."
A. L. Dellapiccole, Scotland

"I'm heartbroken to be leaving - 2 weeks is really the minimum!."
M. C. Clemy, London
 
About the Green Hotel

The Green Hotel has been set up as a model of sustainable tourism:

to preserve a historic building
to incorporate, wherever possible, energy saving and environmentally aware practices
to use Indian craft items in furnishing, equipment and restoration
to be a good employer, offering equal and fair opportunities
to train staff and develop their potential
to provide visitors with the opportunity to enjoy traditional hospitality rather than modern day uniformity.
All profits are distributed to charitable and environmental projects in India.
 
"The Chittaranjan Green Hotel ... a place which gives pleasure to the mind ..."  The Star of Mysore, April 1995

The hotel has been selected as one of the "World's Best Ideas" by the Institute of Social Inventions, London. The hotel has won first prizes in the Mysore Horticultural Society's best garden competition, and has received an award from the British Guild of Travel Writers Tourism Project. We have also featured in the Green Hotelier Magazine and on BBC World Service television.
 
Price List
All profits go to charitable and environmental projects in India. The hotel was chosen as one of the top 20 places to stay in India by The Observer, and received a British Guild of Travel Writers Tourism Project of the Year Award.

Please note prices include free use of the extensive gardens and the main palace with its cool drawing rooms, verandas, and library. Full beakfast is included in the room price.
 
In the Palace  
Room Single Double
Princess's Room 3750 4250
Rose Room 3750 4250
Large Bollywood 3750 4250
The Honeymoon Suite
with 4-poster bed		 Complete Suite
(2 rooms) 		4750
Marigold Room 3500 3950
The Writers' Room 2250 2500
Small Bollywood 2250 2500
 
In the Garden  
Room Single Double
Traveller's Room
 (2 to14)
1250
1650
Semi-Deluxe Room
(15 & 24)
1400
1750
Deluxe Room
(16, 18, 20)
1950
2250
Suites
(17, 19, 20, 21 & 23)
2100
2450
Extra bed
575
 
 
Breakfast is Included.
These prices do not include local tax which, at present, is 12%.
There is no service charge on this.
All profits go to charitable and environmental projects in India.

A Selection of Books from the Green Hotel Library

I spent a blissful afternoon curled up on a reading seat in the library."
Paula Clegg, United Kingdom
 
R. K. Narayan
The Ramayana
The Mahabarata
The Guide
Mr. Sanpath the Printer
The Man Eater of Malgudi
Sophie Baker Caste
Dervla Murphy On a Shoestring to Coorg
N. Chaudhuri The Autobiography of an Unknown Indian
Gita Mehta Snakes and Ladders
River Sutra
Chidanandia Das Gupta Cinema of Satyajit Ray
Jhumpa Lahiri Interpreter of Maladies (winner Pulitzer Prize for Fiction 2000)
Mark Tully The Heart of India
No Full Stops in India
Ruth Prawer Jhabrala Heat and Dust
P. Sainath Everybody Loves a Good Drought
Heather Woods Third Class Ticket
Vikram Seth A Suitable Boy
Mulk Raj Anand The Untouchable
 
Photographs  by Mallikarjun for Inside Outside Magazine.
 

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