North East Indiaboutique hotelIndependent

Tripura Castle

Name: Tripura Castle
Address: Shillong

The former Shillong summer residence of the royal family of Tripura, now a small heritage hotel in the leafy Cleve Colony area. It suits travellers who want to stay inside the city, close to its colonial-era churches, golf course and cafes, with period rooms and gardens.

Photo: Kanad Sanyal · CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Shillong was the summer capital of undivided Assam under the British, and several princely families kept houses on its pine-covered ridges. Tripura Castle is one of these, a timber-and-stone house with a later wing added for guests. Rooms in the old house carry the character of the period, with polished floors, high ceilings and views over the garden; newer rooms are larger and more practical.

The hotel's main advantage is position. You are a short drive from Ward's Lake, the cathedral, the Don Bosco museum and the Police Bazaar area, and evenings can be spent in Shillong's music cafes rather than on a long drive back to the lake. Service is personal rather than polished. We use it for guests who prefer history and town life to a resort, and for a final night before an early flight.

Why we book it

A royal summer house with genuine history
Walking distance of quiet residential Shillong
Good for evenings in the city's cafes and music venues

Questions travellers ask

Good to know

Is Tripura Castle a palace hotel?

Not in the Rajasthan sense. It is a former royal summer residence of the Tripura royal family, run as a small heritage hotel. Expect a large hill-station house with period rooms, gardens and a homely atmosphere rather than marble courtyards and liveried staff. It suits guests who value character and location over resort facilities.

Where is Tripura Castle in Shillong?

It is in Cleve Colony, a residential area on the upper slopes of Shillong, a few kilometres from Police Bazaar. Traffic in central Shillong can be slow at peak hours, so allow 15 to 25 minutes to reach the main sights. The quieter setting means nights are calm compared with hotels near the market.

Should I stay at Tripura Castle or Ri Kynjai?

Choose Tripura Castle to be inside Shillong, near cafes, churches and markets, in a house with royal history. Choose Ri Kynjai for lake views, forest and a resort setting about 45 minutes out of town. Many of our guests split their nights, starting at the lake and ending in town before the airport run.

Journeys

Routes that stay here

North East India · 7 nights Meghalaya: root bridges, falls and a lake Shillong · Sohra (Cherrapunji) · Shillong From₹2,10,000 pp

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