Long absences had taken a toll on maintenance. Successive icy winters had destroyed the building’s water connections. The intricate woodwork that runs through the ceiling had fallen off in places.
A renovation project was soon ordered and everything, from upholstery to curtains, saw a dramatic overhaul. The bathrooms were upgraded with hot showers. The white paint on doors and windows was painstakingly scraped off to expose the warm honey-toned pinewood beneath, which “cost a lot of money”. Modern conveniences, such as electric blankets were installed in the tidy, no-frill bedrooms.
The family deliberately opted to keep their hotel compact and run fewer rooms. They also decided to keep the front-view portions of the house as common areas. The idea was to offer guests a chance to mingle in a city where nightlife is non-existent (only one hotel—the InterContinental—has a bar licence).
So, depending on which room you choose, you can admire the snowcapped mountain ranges on a clear day. At a short distance, Hari Parbat, an early-19th century fort, sits atop a hill, below which Akbar once engaged 200 stone masons to build the Nagar-Nagar city for himself and his many wives.
Near the foothills today are the tin roofs of illegal homes, due to be removed soon following a court order.
The good news is that visitors are trickling in and some linger on longer than planned, attracted by the solitude the place offers and the excellent staff. Many of them are college dropouts who couldn’t find another job in a state where unemployment is rife.
Hansa and Tulsi Tanna, a Gujarati couple from Mumbai, had barely checked into a Gulmarg hotel when they decided to head back to Dar-es-Salam, where they had stayed earlier. “Here, you can enjoy the garden and the staff is so nice,” says 77-year-old Hansa Tanna.
Being vegetarians, the Tannas did find the idea of a common kitchen, where both non-vegetarian and vegetarian are cooked, bothersome. The hotel’s specialities are Mughlai and Kashmiri cuisine and guests can indulge in lamb dishes such as the succulent rishta or the fist-sized meatballs called gushtabas, meat chunks pounded into a smooth paste, a dish traditionally prepared by men and which most modern Kashmiri women now order from restaurants.
For those who want to explore life beyond the garden, blooming with orange lilies and fading irises, the hotel organizes shikara trips. As you leap off the boat on a rainy day, expect one of the staff to come running out with umbrellas to escort you back to the hotel.
The return of visitors to the valley is an encouraging sign for hoteliers who are fed up with long years of trouble and eager to get back to business. And, as far as rest and relaxation go, it comes guaranteed with the hotel’s nameplate. “Our idea,” repeats Khurram, “is to give guests the peace they are yearning for.”
TARIFF PER NIGHT (ALL MEALS INCLUSIVE)
Regular double room: Rs4,500
Premium double room: Rs5,000
Presidential suite: Rs12,000
Service charge 10%; prices vary depending on options chosen.
The place is child-friendly, although close supervision is needed as it’s right on the lake
Tel: 0194-2427803
Email: info@hoteldaressalam.com