A FIVE - STAR SANCTUM A TOP DHARAMSHALA

Surrounded by swaying deodars, Hyatt Regency’s resort promises all the splurge of an expensive stay with the serenity of mountains

- JULIAN MANNING

There’s fresh air, an then there’s the pristine whiff of the Dhauladhar mountain range overlooking Dharamshala: so crisp and cool that each breath feels more rejuvenating than the last. It might seem peculiar to think of fresh air as an amenity, but if these pandemic times have taught us anything, it might be the most desirable detail for those considering vacations—and the 5-star Hyatt Regency Dharamshala is in no short supply. The resort is perched on a steep knoll that is spread across 6.5 acres: look up and you see imposing vistas of snow-capped peaks, look down, and you see the idyllic bustle of Mcleodganj.

The atmosphere is not one of smothering luxury; sure, the hotel is intent on pampering its guests, but the real charm is when the well-pressed doormen open up the grand double doors, unwrapping a landscape traversed by the likes of the Dalai Lama, whose letter to the hotel is proudly framed in the lobby. As you go exploring under the deodars, you’ll hear the babble of a Himalayan-fed stream playing melody against the chants of the hotel’s resident monks; the property melds itself to its environs, not the other way around, a comfort that is almost as refreshing as the air.

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