Ravine Palace
Ravine Palace is named for its extraordinary position above a deep forested ravine in the Lansdowne cantonment — from the hotel's elevated stone terrace, guests look out across a dramatically forested valley to distant Himalayan ridgelines, with the ravine's oak and rhododendron forest plunging steeply below. It is a view that encapsulates everything special about Lansdowne: the dramatic topography, the pristine forest, and the profound quietness of a hill station that has successfully resisted the commercialisation of its more famous neighbours.
The hotel was originally built as a colonial officer's residence in 1912, and the bones of that era remain visible in the stone construction, the pressed-metal ceilings, the original fireplaces in each room, and the wraparound stone veranda that faces the ravine. Three generations of careful restoration have updated the plumbing, electrics, and furnishings while scrupulously preserving the character of the original structure. The effect is deeply authentic — not the manufactured heritage of a modern 'colonial-style' hotel, but the genuine patina of a building that has absorbed more than a century of Himalayan seasons.
The hotel's 18 rooms and cottages are individually decorated with a combination of period furniture, Garhwali handicrafts, and locally sourced textiles. Some rooms retain their original oak flooring; others have stone-flagged floors warmed by underfloor heating in winter. The cottage units offer the greatest privacy, each with its own garden terrace and direct access to the hotel's forest trail network.
Ravine Palace's kitchen garden supplies fresh herbs, vegetables, and seasonal produce to the hotel's restaurant year-round. The menu emphasises Garhwali cuisine — bhang ki chutney, mandua ki roti, a beautifully prepared jhol (Garhwali lentil curry), and local trout from the Khoh River — alongside familiar Indian and continental options. The dining room with its original fireplace and forest views is one of the finest restaurant settings in Uttarakhand.