Heritage Madurai

Kerala & South India

Rating: Mid-range

highlights

Spacious guest rooms and villas
Sample Indian and international cuisine
See the temples and soak up the culture of Madurai
Relax with a spa treatment
Large outdoor swimming pool

Heritage Madurai overview

Heritage Madurai started as the Madurai Club, a staff club, and has been successfully converted into a hotel. It is set back from the road in extensive grounds, making it a peaceful place to relax in between trips to see local temples and exploring the old city on foot. Rooms are divided into 3 categories, all offering ample space, TV, phone, hot drinks maker and minibar plus en-suite bathrooms with hot and cold running water. They are kept cool by fans or air conditioning. Villas provide the most space and feature a private deck with plunge pool.

The Banyan Tree Restaurant serves tasty South Indian cuisine plus a choice of international dishes, so all tastes are catered for. It is supplemented by a coffee shop, open round the clock, where you can enjoy not only drinks but savoury snacks and sweet treats as you take in views of the gardens. The hotel's bar, Swig and Tee, embodies the essence of a colonial club, with part of it formed by the old clubhouse, and is a comfy place to unwind and socialise.

After a busy day exploring you will appreciate the skills of the therapists at the spa who can administer soothing and reviving massages and aromatherapy. They are also versed in Ayurvedic treatments entrenched in Indian culture, designed to improve health and well-being. The hotel's large pool is set into a sunken deck in the style of a temple tank and offers respite from the heat.

details

Open: Heritage Madurai is open all year.

Location: Heritage Madurai is on the outskirts of Madurai, about a 10-15 minute drive to the city centre. The train station is 5 kms away and Madurai airport is 15kms from the hotel.

Rooms: The hotel has 72 rooms comprising villas, Geoffrey Bawa rooms (named after the building’s architect) and deluxe club rooms. Villas cover about 93 sqm, have a bedroom, dressing room and bathroom with hot water and a supply of toiletries. Amenities include hot drinks maker, minibar, safe, phone and satellite TV. Villas have both air conditioning and fans. Each villa has a terrace with a plunge pool. Geoffrey Bawa rooms have 70sqm of space made up of a bedroom, dressing room and bathroom with hot water. Each has a minibar, tea and coffee maker, satellite TV, phone, safe and fan. These rooms are accessible by wheelchairs. Deluxe club rooms have an area of 46sqm, have a bedroom and en-suite bathroom with hot water, tea and coffee maker, minibar, safe, phone, satellite TV and air conditioning.

Activities: You can explore the temples and palaces of Madurai, and take a walking tour of the old city. Staff can arrange a cultural tour which includes a visit to the flower market and to a weaver’s cooperative, as well as trips to other local places of interest.

Facilities: There are several courtyards, and a large outdoor swimming pool (80m x 40m) with deck, loungers and sunshades. The hotel has about 7 hectares of grounds. There are facilities for badminton and table tennis. The hotel has a restaurant, coffee shop (more details below) and a bar. The spa provides a range of services including massage, aromatherapy and traditional Ayurveda treatments.

Dining: The Banyan Tree Restaurant serves Indian and international dishes and is open from 07:00 till 22:30 daily. The coffee shop offers light refreshments and is open 24 hours a day. Both have indoor and outdoor eating areas. Meals are eaten at separate tables.

Children: Children of all ages are welcome.

Health: We recommend malaria prophylactics for travel to India.

Communication: There is free WiFi internet access.