The Windsor Lodge - Almora, India

Windsor Lodge is a fusion of modern comforts and colonial splendor. This heritage property was built as quaint hunting lodge in 1909 in the midst of a forest rich in wild life. Over the years, it transformed itself into a favorite retreat of the British elite and Indian feudal class looking for a pleasant sojourn close to nature. A devastating fire, however, damaged Windsor Lodge in 1948. And it remained a neglected ruin for the following 50 years. Its renovation was taken up in 1999. Great care was taken to retain the original colonial architecture. Extensive landscaping and tree plantation was also carried out and gardens laid.




The original Windsor Lodge was a hunting lodge built in 1909 amongst the thick and untamed forests of the region that were then teeming with wildlife.  

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This retreat remained a prime favourite with the British and Indian upper strata of society till 1948, when a devastating fire reduced it to ruins. After half a century of neglect, renovation began on the Lodge in 1999. Painstaking efforts were made to restore the Lodge to its original architecture and hauteur, with solid blocks of stone in the rough hewn walls and liberal use of solid timber. Modern comforts were woven into this period style to maintain the best of both the old and new centuries and worlds.


Windsor Lodge is located at a vantage point on a wooded hillock with a commanding view of snow-capped mountains, thick pine and cedar forests and the sweep of the Ranikhet Golf Course. It is located in Kalika Estate, in the village of Dadgallia, on the outskirts of the Ranikhet cantonment town, just high and removed enough to seem remote and yet within easy reach of all the hill station's amenities and activities.


Hotel is made of wood and it gives a special wood smell in the rooms. The interiors of rooms have been provided by the taste of antique furniture. It is the only Heritage property in Ranikhet. Liberal use of timber in the interiors and of rough hewn stones on the exterior ensured its vibrant antiquity. The century building is successfully synergized with modern day amenities.