Welcomheritage Shivavilas Palace

“Royal Treatment”

As I have mentioned in other reviews, the place might look amazing, but ultimately it is the quality of the service that determines whether accommodation is truly luxury or not. Shivavilas Palace did disappoint in this regard. It is situated in the very beautiful town of Sandur, rich in tropical fo… more

As I have mentioned in other reviews, the place might look amazing, but ultimately it is the quality of the service that determines whether accommodation is truly luxury or not. Shivavilas Palace did disappoint in this regard. It is situated in the very beautiful town of Sandur, rich in tropical forest, greenery and with a very active mining industry which is an interesting experience all of its own. There are several local temples of archeologic and spiritual significance. One, the Kumaraswamy Temple is reportedly the oldest temple in Karnataka. The premises are still owned by the Royal family of the area, so it is a privilege travelers can stay in the palace and experience a taste of Royal living. The grounds are lovely and well maintained. My room was comfortable clean, peaceful and private. There are many services and additional features of the property which are worth investigating on the property’s main webpage. I was fortunate enough to have a chauffeur Mr Shankar and private vehicle organized by the hotel. The chauffeur functioned as my personal assistant and tour guide for some very difficult climbs and sightseeing throughout the Hampi area. A very supportive and kind person to travel with. Tejaswini helped to organise travel for the remaining leg of my journey which was much appreciated. Mr Lokesh provided a tour of the property and some of the wonderful heirloom items that belong to the family on display for guests to peruse. There is a library and some books on the history of the local area available for purchase with the aid of Mr Lokesh, which as a history lover I appreciated. The food was very nice. When I arrived Mr Thippeswamy kindly offered to prepare a meal for me although it was outside lunch service. The menu is excellent and has a very large range of options catering to all tastes. One nice touch which was very helpful was the kitchen’s service of packing a breakfast for the long days of walking and sightseeing in Hampi. This is sensible and not something offered by all places. Ms Sameer and Abha Gupta were attentive ensured everything ran smoothly throughout the stay. All staff were extremely polite and respectful from the guards to the waiting staff. I hope this accommodation will never alter their beautiful oasis of traditional charm and standards in the true old-fashioned grand style that has been lost in many places (including in many new so called 4 and 5 star hotels). Overall, a very memorable stay and one that I would highly recommend.

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