Staycation in the New Year – Welcome to Fort Jadhavgadh

It’s always a struggle to find a good staycation, especially when you live in Bombay. While weekends are favorable for a staycation, finding a place within budget can be a task!

Here’s when friends and family come into play. While I spoke to a friend and her mother, they recommended Fort Jadhavgadh. My friend’s mother had been there many times so she insisted on finalizing this property. She spoke about the property and mentioned that local produce is grown at the property. If you’ve studied Maharashtra history, Jadhavgadh was a fort during Maratha rule.

Fort Jadhavgadh is Maharashtra’s only Fort Heritage Hotel. It is situated on the outskirts of Pune. To be precise, an hour-long journey from Pune (if taken the right route else the journey can seem endless). Before booking, I was informed that the property is usually sold out on weekends. But we were lucky to reserve a room last-minute due to a cancellation.

Journey

The journey to Jadhavgadh was irritating, confusing, and hot. There are two routes that appeared on Google Maps – one via Expressway and the other via Pune city. While Gmaps suggested the route via Expressway, I would recommend the route via Pune city. This route is easier, has better roads but you will encounter traffic in some places. It took us about 3.5 hours from Lonavala, says it all, doesn’t it?

We were welcomed in the traditional Maharashtrian style. There were two guards at the entrance, dressed as Mavlas (soldiers during the period of Shivaji Maharaj). They played the tutari while we stepped foot into the front desk area. A lady was also dressed in traditional nauvari saree and greeted us with a tikka. At the front desk, while checking in to your room, you’re given a welcome drink. And explained about the property and its features.

We booked the heritage room which overlooked a hill. We had almost the view of the sunset and a full view of the fort lawns. The fort room structures were in-tack. Our room had a king-size bed, a cozy corner, and a washroom with attached dressing space.

We also had an attached balcony with a view of the fort lawns. We have seen partial sunset while we sat on the edge, sipping our respective cups of coffee. The balcony was my favorite part of the room!

The property also boasts of a rooftop swimming pool, which we didn’t use. A restaurant serves buffet meals as well as a la carte. For dinner, we had a live band playing old Hindi classics while we gobbled up our dinner in a private set-up.

The Property & facilities

We spent a day at the property. So during checkout, we decided to take an audio tour of the fort. We learned about the history of Fort Jadhavgadh and while exploring the property. The property has swings hanging from banyan trees, a mandir, and a private lake. Water from this lake ensures the vegetation grown at the property has no water shortage. It also has a museum within the property named Aai (mother in Marathi).

We had a beautiful start to the New Year living like the royals (figuratively!). You can also think of booking the entire property (including rooms) if you’re planning to tie the knot! Why travel to Rajasthan when there is a fort property in Maharashtra? 😛

If you like this property, you can book your stay by clicking here