Thanjavur is a trip that you may have done before but you couldn’t possibly have done it like this. Now, thanks to the affable French proprietor of eco-friendly design hotel The Dune, near Pondicherry, you can temple-gaze past sunset and return at leisure to Tanjore Hi, a ‘heritage boutique hotel’ that not only promises comfort and style hitherto unheard of in these parts, but also a peaceful ambience that shows respect for that great Indian tradition of innovation.
The renovation of the 1940s hotel, set near the Tanjore Palace, retains a period façade, but the spacious rooms and public areas are a far cry from the ‘heritage replica’ style of décor. Rather, they cleverly remind us that the ancient treasures we travel to see were feats of traditional engineering but also often cutting-edge novelty in their own time. So the polished concrete floors are stained a deeply restful blue, instead of the typical red oxide. The same old technique plus seasoned wood obviates the need for Italian marble and vitrified tile in gleaming bathrooms. Contemporary art makes a novel gallery of ceilings and walls. And technology preserves the earth with solar-heated water and inverter air-conditioning, LED lights and organic linens and amenities. Tariff Rs 5,950–9,750 Contact 0413-2655751, tanjorehihotel.com