Mussoorie
They say a place is only as good as its people. The warm hospitality of Jaypee Residency Manor, a celebrated property in Mussoorie, reasserts this notion.
APICTURESQUE train journey from Delhi, through paddy fields and dense forests followed by a short car ride brings me to Mussoorie. quaint hill station located an hour from Dehradun, Mussoorie offers rolling green slopes and snow-capped peaks. As my driver navigates through the bylanes of this town with a discernible colonial hangover, I lower the windowpane and feel the crisp mountain air.
A few kilometres away from the cacophony of the Mall Road and the main market of Mussoorie, Jaypee Residency Manor stands tall like a castle. A feeling of cosiness and warmth envelopes me as soon as I make my way through the double glass doors—the friendly attitude and exceptional hospitality of the staff set the tone for the rest of my trip.
The high ceilings and polished wooden interiors are what catch your eye first. The palatial hotel is split between two towers— Residency and Valley View. While the rooms at Residency Tower offer cosy settings with panoramic views of the mountains, the Valley View rooms offer a more contemporary setting.
I am ushered through a maze of passageways to The Executive Room at Residency Tower—my home for the next
three days. A private balcony offering stunning views of the snow-capped Himalayas wins me over. The property also has layered terraces that offer 360° views of the Doon Valley.
After a quick nap, I head to Regency, the multicuisine restaurant, for lunch. I choose a table next to the French windows that overlook the vast courtyard of the property. The staff informs me that it has seen one too many weddings, and I am not surprised. With the stunning backdrop of the Mussoorie skyline, it would make for the perfect wedding venue in India. As recommended by the staff, I decide to try the Garhwali Thali, and it turns out to be a meal befitting a queen, made from the freshest locallysourced ingredients. Apart from Regency, the hotel also houses the Marshall’s Lounge with its well-stacked bar, the 24-hour Café Manor, and The Old Bakery that serves exquisite desserts.
Jaypee Residency Manor takes sustainable living very seriously. It boasts exotic plants, a greenhouse, compost pits for waste management, and even a banana grove. The hotel also has a private joggers’ path with rolling hills on one side and lush green foliage on the other. Apart from providing a string of outdoor activities, the hotel offers indoor entertainment. From a pool table, an arcade, and a bowling alley to an indoor temperaturecontrolled swimming pool, an expansive spa, a basketball court, a skating rink, and even a badminton court—there’s no dearth of fun things to do here. The life-size chess and snakes & ladder boards on the east and west court lawns are also striking.
At night, I decide to visit Café Manor, where a fresh-from-the-oven pizza awaits me. Post dinner, I settle down on one of the comfortable chairs in the balcony, feasting my eyes on a mesmerising view of the ‘Queen Of the Hills’.