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- Entrance veranda of the Saratha Vilas
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- Main courtyard boutique hotel
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- Main hall heritage hotel
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- garden restaurant Chettinad
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- Magnificent facade Chettinad
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- garden with swimming pool
Saratha Vilas Chettinad Palace Hotel is a 10-bedroom heritage boutique hotel in the heart of Chettinad. The mansion was restored in 2010 by two French architects, Bernard Dragon and Michel Adment. The Saratha Vilas is one of the most beautiful palatial homes among the 10.000 to 15.000 mansions built by a community of Tamil merchants between 1850 and 1950 on the small territory called Chettinad.
All the guest-bedroom are situated inside the historical mansion and are equipped with all the modern amenities and decorated with a blend of design and heritage collections.
When you enter Saratha Vilas, from the small village street, you will find the luxurious front garden planted with different species of palm trees. A large veranda (Thinnai) with granite columns will give you a feeling of immediate freshness and peacefulness.
After passing the monumental front door, you will discover the magnificent main hall (Kuttam), 15m high at the top, built in a traditional Tamil architecture. The hall flooring is made of rare marbles imported from Belgium and Italy; the wall mirrors have been imported from Belgium Val Saint Lambert factory.
The next step will be the central courtyard (Muram), it is the heart of the house where the cosmic energy is entering and shining into the whole house. It is built in the typical Chettinad architecture with a lot of reference to the Dravidians temple.
From the main courtyard you will pass the souvenir shop and enter the dining hall (Kaliana Kotagai), it was one of the 2 dining halls, the other one has been converted into guest-rooms. We will serve you the famous Chettinad cuisine, but we also have a choice for western cuisine inspired by the chef Yottam Ottolenghi. Most of the time the diners are taken in the open air large courtyard (Totti Murram) which was the living place of the palace. This courtyard is perfumed with tuberoses and frangipanis.
At the end of the axis, which is crossing the full building, we will find the garden planted with coconuts trees where the swimming pool is located.
I am not forgetting the spa and the cooking class area. We wish you a memorable stay.
Lonely planet https://www.lonelyplanet.com/india/chettinadu/hotels/saratha-vilas/a/lod/1452d4ce-e138-46cb-97a4-e26f2e322be8/1329562
