Welcome to Serendipity
In the 18th century Horace Walpole, after reading the Persian fairytale, The Three Princes of Serendip, coined the word serendipity, the gift of making fortunate discoveries quite by chance. When our family, who, like these princes had this gift, arrived in the Nilgiri Hills in the 1850s, they happened upon three delightful properties: Lymond House, Northern Hay and Amberina.
Each property has its own distinctive flavour, from Lymond House at over 7,000 feet in the Queen of the Hill Stations, Ooty, to Northernhay, a working coffee plantation surrounded by the jungles of Mudumalai near Masinagudi, to Amberina, a working tea plantation in the old gold mining hills of Devala.
HISTORY
Here in the Nilgiri Hills the British settled to grow tea, coffee and spices, and, after India gained her independence in 1947 many plantations and bungalows fell into disrepair and were lost to history. The Sait family have been settled in the Nilgiris for generations and Junaid Sait, who has always had a keen interest in British-Indian history, has set about preserving and restoring the old buildings and the lifestyle that went with them.
Lymond House - Empire Hospitality World
The result is Empire Hospitality World, a unique insight into the history and lifestyles of the British Empire here in the heart of the Nilgiris.
Our guests include travellers from around the world - families, corporate customers and honeymooners, as well as celebrities from the world of cinema and music.. We offer you the exclusive use of any property, or, if you prefer, simply book one or two rooms for your stay.
Amberina - Empire Hospitality World
We also offer packages where our guests can enjoy staying in each of our properties, experiencing the lifestyles of a bygone era in town, plantation and jungle.
Using fresh local ingredients, our chefs prepare a wide range of meals to suit every palate. Just let us know if your have any preferences or dietary requirements and our chefs will happily prepare European, Indian, Chinese or children's menus to suit your tastes.
For the more adventurous, we have several treats in store - a Jeep safari around our estates to view the wild animals as well as visits to places of interest in the Nilgiris. Our aim is to meet your needs and exceed your expectations. Please feel free to browse through our website, and don't hesitate to let us know if you have any questions.
We look forward to welcoming you at your Home from Home in the Nilgiris
Latest Updates
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100 Years of Service Celebration - August 6th 2009
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15 Jul 2009
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Lymond House will be celebrating 100 years of high quality service on August 6th.
Read on