Glyngarth Villa Resort in Ooty is an interesting place. It’s an 1850’s era Scottish mansion in Ooty converted to a hotel. It’s on the outskirts of Ooty, near the golf course, so it’s in a very quiet area where the only sounds in the morning are birds chirping and the call to prayer from a distant mosque. The manager of the place is a sneaker-wearing, smiling grandfather who does what he can to make his guests comfortable.
Meals are served in the dining room, a vast area with a long table that gives one the sensation of being a wealthy 1800’s-era landowner. The food is very good indeed; they prepare both Indian and English foods, curries and bakes, and they made us a truly excellent bread pudding. If you are going to stay at Glyngarth Villa, though, there are some things you should know.
It’s more like an 1850’s mansion than a hotel. Ooty is a cold place at night, and there’s no electric or gas heating of any kind in Glyngarth Villa; there is only a fireplace in each room, fueled by a collection of sticks. This will provide warmth for the first few hours of the night, but beyond that, the room will be dead cold. You’ll need extra blankets.
Also, many of the rooms are curiously outfitted with two twin beds instead of a single queen- or king-size bed, so if you’re going as a couple, one of you may have to sleep on the crack between the matresses. You will need to huddle together for warmth. Trust me on this one.
Bring your own towels. The towels provided by the hotel are old, threadbare and stained, and you’ll probably not want to use them. The plumbing is a little odd, and if you want hot water, you’ll have to turn on the geyser (water heater) at least 45 minutes in advance, so plan ahead for showers. Finally, if harmless bugs freak you out, go somewhere else. There aren’t a huge number of bugs, but there are flies during the day and silverfish during the night. This all makes Glyngarth Villa sound like a bad place, but it isn’t.
It really does replicate the feeling of being in Ooty in the late 1800’s; you just have to be prepared for the fact that not all of the modern amenities were available then.