Palais de Mahé - Cgh Earth

Since 2003 we are spending our winter holiday (January–February) in South India and mostly at CGH Earth properties. They are eco-friendly, charming, perfectly maintained and have a staff of excellence.

We came back to Palais de Mahe where we had stayed 5 weeks in January–February in 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2024 for a 2 months stay (8th January – 3rd March 2026).

The hotel in French colonial style with classy furniture and mirrors is strategically located in the French Quarter within walking distance to the beach, key attractions, restaurants, shops and the Tamil Quarter.

From the moment we arrived until the moment we checked out we experienced the gracious hospitality of general manager Dinu Ramakrishnan and his friendly and efficient staff.

We stayed in Room 206 which is palatial, clean, with a large king-sized bed, a sitting area, dual air conditioning very easy to control, minibar, fans, TV, safe, WiFi, hairdryer and a very nice view on the swimming pool.

The excellent breakfast served “à la carte” includes a variety of freshly prepared fruit juices, a nice fruit platter, honey, jam, butter, perfectly crisped dosas, different preparations of eggs as well as croissants, toast and curd. We opted daily for green tea and masala tea.

We often went to the elegant restaurant (2nd floor) overlooking the pool on one side and the street on the other side and enjoyed a variety of South-Indian and international dishes. We especially liked: avocado salad, cilantro shrimp, tandoor chicken, curried roasted lamb shank, udon noodles, meen molee, chingri malai curry, spaghetti carbonara, spaghetti with garlic, tomatoes and mushrooms and for dessert apple tatin, tarte and also mango and stawberry icecream.

At Palais they serve excellent cocktails. We mostly opted for a white town (white wine + gin + basil leaves, lemon juice + simple syrup). They also have a nice selection of indian wines our favorite were La Reserve (red) and viognier (white) wine.

We daily enjoyed a very relaxing swim in the charming pool. On 25th Feb, we celebrated Jean-Paul's birthday with all the staff. Jean-Paul received beuautiful and useful gifts and flowers. GM Dinu Ramakrishnan offered a delicious fruitcake baked by Mahalakshmi. It was shared with staff.

That day the housekeeping staff with the help of some members of engineering team decorated our room with pictures of Rolande, Jean-Paul and the friends at Palais. They also installed a great number of little lights which brought a festive and romantic atmosphere.

A special mention is made to GM Dinu Ramakrishnan who is deeply commited to the highest standard of leadership and guides his staff to excellence.

We like to pay tribute to all the staff of Palais. At reception: Fakhruddin, Jyoshna, Sai Kumar, Adrien and Bineeth ( photo 1 ) were truly outstanding and solving administrative problem and helping guests with sightseeing and shopping.

Chef Kathiresan and experinced sous-chef Poornachandran guide a great set of young cooks including the passionate, talented and active Jagadesh, Murugesh, Neethu, Mahalakshmi as well as Arul, Vithya, Hari, Shahiba, Antony wilfred, Vellapandi, Akash, Suvo Debnath ( photo 2 )

At the restaurant: Johnson, Nithya, Saroj, Mugunthan, Sanjiv, Rajesh, Sayanthan, Veeraragan and Rahul ( photo 3 ) did a great job.

All members of Housekeeping: (Jinto, Santhosh, Dinesh, Muthuakshmi, Datchayani, Selvi, Vijay, Arjun, Gopi, Madhavan and Uttam ( photo 4 ) always smiling accomplish their daily work to perfection and the laundry done in the house arrives the same day. A special mention to Santhosh whom we have seen flourish all over the 12 years. We know him to become a skilled and experienced housekeeping team player. He helped us each year in solving practical problems and packing and made everything possible.

The very dynamic Rajesh Thamizharasan (Human Resources), the teams of Engineering and Security as well as the Accountants also play a key role in the organization of Palais de Mahe.

Huge thanks to all the staff of Palais de Mahe.

Warm regards,

Rolande and Jean-Paul Butzler
Knokke-Heist, Belgium

We had a wonderful stay here as part of a Southern India trip. The hotel is small, but beautiful, our room was well equipped with large & comfortable double bed, aircon & attached shower room. Toiletries are eco-friendly and lovely. The restaurant & food were a highlight and the service was excellent. The young chefs particularly were very interested in making sure we enjoyed the food and tried different local dishes. The pool is a lovely addition too.

The area is close to the promenade & makes for an easy walking tour of White Town.

Definitely stay here if you can.

What a beautiful hotel run by lovely people. This is a beautiful heritage property which is an oasis of calm in Puducherry. Very well located and a minute from the sea promenade. The rooms are well decorated and everything has been thought of. The food for breakfast and dinner was delicious and service excellent.
It was the staff who really deserve praise! What an amazing team. We had a great stay! Thank you!

This hotel is a jewel ! A lot of style, staff very very friendly, helpfull, professional, and food is excellent.
Best place I have been so far in India.
The whole place is very clean and furnished with lots of taste. In a way simple but very stylish! Love it... a place you need to visit!!

I love heritage hotels, and this more than delivered. Well-appointed rooms and friendly efficient service. The restaurant on the second floor terrace provided a copious breakfast and delicious dinners with French flair.

We had a very good stay In January at CGH Palais de Mahe in Pondicherry. The hotel is extremely clean, well-maintained, and has a lovely welcoming atmosphere.

The staff were very helpful, polite, and always ready to assist with a smile, which made the experience even better. A special mention to the food, it was absolutely amazing! The chef took extra care and even customized the dishes exactly the way we wanted, which was truly thoughtful and appreciated.

Overall, it was a comfortable and memorable stay. Highly recommended for anyone visiting Pondicherry!

The hotel is in a great location for many sights which are within walking distance as is the seafront. Our room was by the pool and offered a blend of modern and heritage styles.

We enjoyed the lovely rooftop restaurant and breakfast was a highlight. All the staff were very helpful, a special thank you to Nithya.

The best hotel I stayed in during my recent trip to India. Wonderful atmosphere, in spite of the cyclone, terrific room and excellent restaurant that fed me very well in spite of health problems. Very helpful staff and I could not have stayed anywhere better.

Stayed 2 nights as part of tour. Small and quiet despite located within the French quarter. With 18 rooms, all are quite spacious with all the charm,and pitfalls of an older colonial building.

Hotel staff extremely responsive and courteous. One restaurant on top floor serves all meals; food is ok. WiFi acceptable.

Rooms are clean and housekeeping does a great job keeping standards. Overall facility would be 3 star but service definitely is 4.

Wonderful experience. The staff is outstanding. The restaurant is outstanding. Everybody was really helpful. The rooms are very, very nice spacious and comfortable.

This was one of our favorite hotels we have stayed in. Ambiance, food, friendliness of staff- everything was perfect. We loved the elegant decor and spacious room. Food was so nice the first night we decided to have all our meals there. We have travelled a bit in India and usually stay at the larger luxury chains but we now think we will always stay at the CGH properties. We want to come back to pondicherry just to stay in this hotel!

The stay at this property is excellent.
Friendly and helpful staff!
Easy checking.
Clean and comfortable period room with a pool view.
Very comfortable bed.
Fully functioning A/C.
Washroom and shower worked properly and are aesthetically pleasing.
Well-supplied minibar is convenient.
The area is wonderful. It is only a 3 minute walk to the seawall, and a 10 minute walk to the Gandhi Memorial and the Lighthouse.
The restaurant serves delicious Indian meals and proper western dishes. The breakfasts are great!
This is definitely a good value.

We stayed in this old colonial building as part of a tour group. We had a ground floor room directly adjacent to the small pool.

The room was large, clean and well appointed. Very comfortable.

Breakfast was included and was interesting in that the selection appeared to change each day. Ordering was from a blackboard. The restaurant was on the 2nd floor and open to the elements fairly well when we were there. Which was nice.

There's also a small bar on the same floor. My wife had a red wine which was served cold. Interesting. My pina colada was fine.

Front of house staff were helpful and friendly.

Tipping is not done for individuals but a tip to be shared by all staff can be left in a box at reception. Great idea.

Our stay was amazing! Highly recommend!

The staff was incredible. Every person went out of their way to make us feel cared for. A special shout out to Ambarish & Santish at the front deck who were incredibly warm. The manager of the property was also very kind and attentive. Our driver Ambrose was fantastic. Always on time and full of local insights.

Sayanthan at the bar made each evening feel special.

Our room was so tastefully designed and had all the right amenities. Every corner of the hotel exemplified care and cleanliness.

And the food...OMG...was incredible. Every meal was a masterpiece. Chef Jagdeesh would come out and personally checked on the guests to make sure everyone was well-fed. He had a very humble and sweet demeanor too. The food was so good that we couldn't resist signing up for a cooking class, which turned out to be one of the highlights of our trip.

The spa deserves some special kudos. We indulged in treatments every day, and the staff were simply the best. The ayurvedic treatments and massages were some of the best we have ever had.

As two women traveling together, we felt completed safe and cared for.

The hotel attracts lovely guests as well which made the whole atmosphere amazing.

There is also great nearby shopping like Anokhi and Chintz.

Palais de Mahe gave us memories we'll truly cherish forever. It was a trip of a lifetime filled with kindness, comfort, and joy. We can't wait to come back. And next time bringing the whole family.

Enjoyed our stay. We were very well looked after by a caring crew. At all times we were greeted with so many smiles ! Enthusiasm to speak about history or help to suggest a guide or hail a taxi were contagious. Felt always pampered during our 3 night stay.

I visited this property in September 17-20 ‘2025. Staff here is very very cooperative. CGH culture clearly visible. I will strongly recommend the travellers to stay here and enjoy the stay and food.
Adequate food variety in the menu to choose from. Try South Indian meals during lunch.
Since property is located near Rock beach one can easily reach beach and experience the sea breeze.

No more word - I am extremely satisfied and looking forward to visit this place again.

Few names worth mentioning

Reception Shyam Abhimanyu Jyoshna Fakhru

F & B Saroj Nitya Shantvanu

Kitchen SitaNitu Antony Tamizh Chef Kadir Vidya

They all are there smiling and keep warmth during your stay.

Top notch hospitality with friendly helpful staff. Definitely recommend this hotel for a relaxing stay. Accessible to nearby activities.

Though it’s a newly constructed hotel, it follows a vintage architecture very earnestly - the high ceiling, the colonial furniture, and grand father clocks all reminiscent of the rich history of Pondicherry. Staff, at front desk and restaurant are very courteous without being overbearing. Overall we had a lovely time and our three year old enjoyed the stay in “hotel house” very much!

Excellent Property is very quite, neat and clean. Staff are very friendly are very helpful.
Property is located near to rock beach. Food quality of restaurant is Good.
great options for breakfast.

Very charming centrally located boutique hotel. Comfortable well equipped rooms, lovely surroundings, and very attentive and friendly staff, especially Shyam and Joshyna