After a bumpy flight from Delhi to Jammu, I was deposited in front of a gleaming white colonial building, the Hari Niwas Palace Hotel. The building next to it (once the Rajmata&rsquos residence), with its wood-and-brick exterior and single turret, seemed to have been built expressly as an architectural contrast. The hotel, set among mango orchards, was the Jammu residence of the last Maharaja of Kashmir, Hari Singh. Now after painstaking restoration by the Maharaja&rsquos younger grandson and his wife, it has opened to the public for the first time as a heritage hotel. Don&rsquot go expecting the magnificence of the palaces-turned-hotels in Rajasthan. The rooms are not cluttered with antiques the d&eacutecor is subtle, even a little muted. Even the Maharajah and Maharani suites in the old wing speak of elegance rather than opulence.

I gave the hotel&rsquos impressive looking gym and sauna a cursory look &mdash I was really interested in the food. So, Chinese for lunch was a little disappointing. But dinner was cheery excellent local Dogri cuisine. I loved the sukha chicken and the dhunni khatta meat (mutton cooked with tamarind). Vegetarians should try the oriya, a ground mustard-based dish.

The Polo Bar is great for a nightcap after a heavy Dogri meal, but I chose to sit on the lawns overlooking the river Tawi. On that full moon night, snatches of laughter were carried away by the breeze. There&rsquod be security checks and a bumpy ride home &mdash tomorrow. Tonight, an empty lawn, a gnarled mango tree, lights twinkling in the hills.

The information
Location Next to the Governor&rsquos residence in Jammu
Accommodation 40 rooms and suites
Contact 0191-2543303, 0191-2541380