Hotels Tap Heritage For Millennial Connect

Hospitality players create Insta-friendly moments and personalised experiences rooted in culture to woo the young.

- NEETA LAL

AT NOOR MAHAL PALACE, an 18th century Mughal-Rajputana palace-turned-hotel in Karnal, Haryana, the centrepiece of the artefact-studded lobby is a 150-kg handcrafted crystal and glass Swarovski chandelier. It is one of the two such antiques in India; the other adorns Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Not just the lobby. Every corner of the 122-room property is visually arresting with Instagram-able accents. The high-domed ceiling is patinated with gold-leaf frescos; walls in passageways flaunt works of traditional Rajasthani artisans alongside rare folk textiles and eye-popping embroideries. A centuries old door from a home in Bikaner nestles in one corner as an 18-karat gold encrusted life-size portrait of Maharaja Ranjit Singh graces a wall. The hotel’s soaring columns, corridors and pavilions are inlaid with gilt moulding and mirrors while the two inner courtyards—Deewan-e-aam and Deewan-e-khas—reinforce royal connect. “Our young guests appreciate the royal ambience. It offers them a cultural immersion into India’s syncretic past. There are several ‘Instagram/photo ready’ opportunities that capture luxury and the experience it provides,” says founder-owner Manbeer Choudhary, a direct descendant of Maharaja Ranjit Singh.

Like Noor Mahal Palace, more and more luxury Indian hotels are tailoring their offerings to appeal to Generation Z and millennials, the cohort born between 1982 and early 2000s. From glamorous interiors that go “viral” on social media to trendily designed suites, sophisticated wine clubs, bespoke gastronomic experiences and offbeat experiences, hoteliers are laying out a scintillating smorgasbord to woo this demographic.