A landmark in the misty hills of Ooty since 1829, the Savoy is a slice of time in vintage gold. This heritage grand hotel ushers guests into a colonial-era lifestyle with afternoon high tea, croquêt on the lawns, spa indulgence, single malts by the fireplace, and an exclusive taste of local cuisine. 

Walking through the Nilgiris tea estates, you can imagine your footsteps tracing those of John Sullivan who was summoned by the Madras Presidency to explore the fabled ‘Blue Mountains’. In 1819, he discovered a summer retreat for British officers, where a school for European children was built a decade later. It was converted into a hotel and changed several identities before becoming the Savoy, crown jewel of Ooty – the queen of India’s hill stations. 

The hotel is in full bloom all year, with over 150 varieties of flowers, fragrant pine and eucalyptus trees. Every space is steeped in history. Each of the 40 rooms and cottages spread across six acres has a vintage fireplace. The teakwood beams in rooms 101 to 103 were dragged up on elephant-back all the way from Tipu Sultan’s palace at Srirangapattanam. Stories of celebrity guests echo amongst the period décor. From British filmmaker David Lean and American author Harold Robbins to the Raja of Pudukottai with his Australian wife, the hotel hosted several international travellers, while also starring in a BBC show, ‘Snooty Ooty’. 

Present day guests can relive memories of that golden age over afternoon tea, bonfires, lush spa treatments, signature Anglo Indian dishes and the unexplored 400-year-old Badaga cuisine, exclusive to the Nilgiris.  Outside the hotel, you’ll pass by the 152-year-old Nilgiri Library and members-only Ootacamund Gymkhana Club which still houses the world’s first Billiard’s table. From Ooty Lake, St Stephen’s Church and Doddabetta – the highest peak in the Nilgiris – to Mudumalai and Bandipur national parks and the UNESCO-listed Nilgiri Mountain Railway, there’s plenty to explore.