What do you do when you travel to a destination with miles of sugarcane fields flanking the road and the horizon is dotted with gigantic windmills?
The first thing I wanted was to drink fresh ‘Ganne ka Ras’ or cold pressed sugarcane juice, a childhood indulgence. My secret desire was granted at Jakson Inns, Phaltan when I was invited and welcomed into the hotel’s foyer with a cool glass brimming with naturally sweet sugarcane juice!
Later an evening near the windmills slicing the air with their giant arms, wine and freshly roasted corn cob set the tone for my two days break from work and daily routine.
The landscape dominated by group of windmills near and far seemed beautiful even though it lay barren.
If you are at Phaltan, a picnic at the hilltop watching the sun go down under the towering wind mills is an experience you would not like to miss.
It is only at Phaltan that windmills are accessible and Jakson Inns steps in to provide a wonderful evening with customized service at the hilltop.
In fact there are quite some sites near Phaltan for tourists of varied interest besides the windmills.
Some of the interesting places you could visit are:
Bhigwan:
Bird watchers can observe the big Flamingos on a trip to Bhigwan on backwaters of Ujani dam from December to March. The small town is sometimes referred to as ‘mini Bharatpur’ owing to a variety of prime species of birds.
Bhigwan is at a distance of an hour and half from Phaltan.
Thoseghar waterfalls:
The thrill seekers can head over to series of waterfalls at Thoseghar during monsoon. A two-hour drive from hotel brings you to this scenic spot. I had to however skip the falls for lack of water and dry weather. Instead I reveled in the history and architecture.
Rajwada and Jabareshwar Temple:
The architecture and intricate carvings of ancient Jabareshwar temple and Nimbalkar Rajwada, maternal home of Shivaji’s first wife Sai Bai introduced me to traditional Maratha way of living. The central courtyard of Rajwada with wooden pillars and carvings were fine examples of craftsmanship. The temple was like a poetry in stone with exquisite sculptures all around. some say the temple dates back to Mahabharata era.
Jakson Inns is the only hotel in the vicinity. The travelers can make it their base and plan day excursions to these sites.
A drought prone place with hot dry and stifling climate of inland Maharashtra, Phaltan is a sugarcane belt of the state. With the prominent industries being of sugar and Cummins India manufacturing engines, the town draws many visitors from corporate sector.
And located away from the town, set amidst those sugarcane fields is Jakson Inns, a corporate hotel by Jakson Hospitality. Blessed with abundant sun, the property has aptly utilized solar panels to provide electricity within its premises for various service areas and hence earned certification of being the first green hotel of the country.
Jakson Inns:
The first look of the hotel does not elicit awe or excitement.
However a traditional welcome in the reception foyer does leave you with warmth.
The hotel has deluxe, super deluxe suites and rooms tastefully done in muted pastels. Besides the regular rooms, what impressed me much was room for physically handicapped guests. Such room is equipped with low-seating bed and sofas, rail support in bathrooms to facilitate easy functionality. The room has emergency phone service should a situation so arises.
The special attention that the hotel extends to its solo female travelers is equally commendable. The room comes with a safety screen with speaker that flashes the image of person on the door thus enhancing the security for the female guests. The hotel takes care that the solo female travelers are provided services through female staff in the room if required.
The hotel provides for a small conference room for important business meetings. A small gym with necessary equipment is available for fitness freaks. But if you are given to indulgences, a cozy bar ‘Fultoon’ and a spa caters to your needs as well. A swimming pool further increases the idea of relaxing.
The food:
A well cooked food served warm with a smile is more appetizing than a plethora of dishes. And that is what Jakson Inn dining area ‘Green Bean’ brings for its guests. Besides the regular multi-cuisine options from the kitchen, there is this special lip-smacking Maratha Cuisine Thali which if you are a foodie satiates you and yet leaves you wanting for more…
As if the regular Thali was not enough, Jakson Inns recently launched the Maratha Maharaja Thali. I am not sure I would be ever able to finish that one! And what’s more, there are two versions; the vegetarian and non-vegetarian.
The thali with so much of food variety is however heavy only for your stomach and not the pocket!
Tariff for Maratha Thali:
Veg Thali ₹549+tax Chicken Thali ₹625+tax Mutton thali ₹680+tax
Corporate Social Responsibility Activities by Jakson Hospitality:
– The Jakson Inns at Phaltan is a part of Jakson hospitality group which has taken up the cause of opening schools especially to promote girl child education.
-The hotel at Phaltan provides meals to staff of few factories and industries within the town. It has a separate dedicated large kitchen and service area within its premises for catering the huge demand of food.
-Most of the staff sourced locally has access to a day care facility for the children within the hotel’s premises.
-It manages its own waste without destroying the surrounding land and is also into water harvesting.
Room Tariffs:
Deluxe Single rooms ₹4200+taxes (week days), ₹3700+taxes (weekends) Deluxe Double rooms ₹4700+taxes (week days), ₹4200+taxes (weekends) Suite ₹7499+taxes
If you are heading towards Phaltan for business meeting or just for taking time off from your busy schedule, Jakson Inns is your answer to comfort amidst sun and sugarcane.