Falaknuma Palace, Hyderabad, India (photo by Brad A Johnson)
Falaknuma Palace, Hyderabad, India (photo by Brad A Johnson)
Falaknuma Palace, Hyderabad, India (photo by Brad A Johnson)
Falaknuma Palace, Hyderabad, India (photo by Brad A Johnson)
On the outskirts of modern, high-tech Hyderabad, on a hilltop in the heart of the Old City, one of India’s finest historic palaces now operates as a luxury hotel.
Falaknuma Palace sat empty for much of the last half century, sealed up like a time capsule as a curious reminder of what life must have been like for the royal courts before India gained its independence. It took several years to dust off the cobwebs and remove the overgrown weeds from throughout the sprawling estate, but after years of painstaking restoration overseen by the former princess herself, along with
Taj Hotels as a partner, the time capsule was opened a few years ago. Falaknuma Palace was reborn.
This is a truly stunning hotel, an otherworldly experience, and a retreat of a lifetime. The service, the cuisine, the history and the glamour… This is India at its finest.
Falaknuma Palace, Hyderabad, India (photos by Brad A Johnson)
Falaknuma Palace, Hyderabad, India (photos by Brad A Johnson)
Falaknuma Palace, Hyderabad, India (photos by Brad A Johnson)
Falaknuma Palace, Hyderabad, India (photos by Brad A Johnson)
Guests arrive at the palace complex by horse-drawn carriage, just as they did back in the palace’s heyday. Cars go no farther than the large gated arch that’s located midway up the hill. Horses take it from there, arriving in front of the palace beneath a shower of rose petals.
The 60-room palace serves not only as a hotel but also as a museum. Much of the furnishings are original to the palace, which was built in the late 1890s. “Is it really OK to be sitting in this chair with this orange-coriander mojito in my hand?” I keep asking myself as I’m slouching into an elaborately carved armchair upholstered in Damask silk.
The former women’s quarters—where the women were previously kept segregated from the men—have been turned into the hotel’s premier guest rooms, each outfitted with antique beds and dramatic marble baths. An army of butlers tends to guests’ needs and whims around the clock. The grounds are lushly landscaped and rustically maintained, a tranquil oasis planted with jacarandas, palm trees, rose bushes and night jasmine.
Falaknuma Palace, Hyderabad, India (photo by Brad A Johnson)
Falaknuma Palace, Hyderabad, India (photos by Brad A Johnson)
Falaknuma Palace, Hyderabad, India (photo by Brad A Johnson)
Falaknuma Palace, Hyderabad, India (photo by Brad A Johnson)
The former saloon, now the Hookah Lounge, is no longer reserved strictly for men, and it looks pretty much the way it did when the Nizam entertained here, except that the billiards table has obviously been refinished with new green felt. The sweet smell of hookah shisha hangs lightly in the air, mingled with blooming jasmine and Old World dust. The cocktails here are incredible, especially the jasmine sour martini and the oriange-coriander mojito.
Adjacent to the Hookha Lounge is the formal dining hall, which is now reserved only for special occasions (weddings, birthdays), for which the original 100-seat dining table, said to be the world’s longest, is still in use. Otherwise, most of the dining now takes place at two new restaurants, Adaa and Celeste, located on the backside of the palace overlooking Hyderabad’s predominantly muslim Old Town. Adaa serves exquisite Indian fare plated in the style of French haute cuisine. Celeste serves Italian and Mediterranean food, which I never got around to trying because every time I was hungry, i couldn’t resist the Indian food at Adaa.
Falaknuma Palace, Hyderabad, India (photo by Brad A Johnson)
Falaknuma Palace, Hyderabad, India (photo by Brad A Johnson)
Falaknuma Palace, Hyderabad, India (photo by Brad A Johnson)
Falaknuma Palace, Hyderabad, India (photo by Brad A Johnson)
It’s also important to note that Taj has opened one of its signature Jiva Spas here. And as you might expect, it’s a blissful retreat within the palace grounds. The pool is a bit rustic, in a decadent, carefree sort of way, rimmed with grass (trimmed by hand) and flowering trees, which provide plenty of shade for comfortable chaise lounges.
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Wow…Amazing place…i would love to visit this palace once.