A charming french manor in Pondicherry

Old world charm meets a relaxed contemporary aesthetic in this boutique hotel

Just like the city it belongs to, this enchanting bungalow with its colonnaded veranda and high ceilings wears its colonial shrug with élan. Architects Yves Esprit and Tina Trigala paired traditional materials with warm earthy colours to create this look. There’s something very heart warming when the old sits in harmony with the new, like the Athangudi tiles laid out in the lobby, a nod to Tamil heritage.

The place extends a lesson or two in creating beautiful alfresco settings. Cane and wicker furniture placed alongside leafy palms, hurricane lamps to light up the pathway, and slatted wooden walkways are easy to incorporate even in the most modest settings - just what the doctor ordered for cold, winter evenings.