Saraca Hotel Lucknow

There is a living Saraca tree at the heart of this hotel's spa, and the address itself reads Saraca Estate, Mall Avenue. The house went up in 1936, colonial in its charm and Art Deco in its lines, standing amidst verdant lawns, and it was refurbished in 2016 into a 41-room boutique hotel a short hop from Hazratganj and the Bara Imambara.

Rooms built around a courtyard

The 41 rooms and suites come in four types, from Awadh and Residency Rooms up to the 500 sq ft Heritage Suites and 550 sq ft Imperial Suites. The suites are the reason to come: four-poster beds, Awadh-inspired art, double vanity bathrooms with bathtubs, and in the Imperial a private balcony. Most Heritage Suites open straight into the garden or into Sehen, the brick-paved central courtyard ringed by verandahs, creepers and water fountains.

Sehen, the courtyard, is the heart of this heritage haveli, and the hotel says the old brick flooring has been retained.

That courtyard sets the tone for the rest: this is a hotel of terraces and outdoor corners rather than corridors. There is a pool, a fitness centre, and Olive, a Moroccan-themed spa arranged around that namesake tree.

Awadhi cooking, five ways

For a 41-room hotel the dining line-up is unusually deep. Azrak, the signature restaurant, works from the Awadhi repertoire of the Nawabs' kitchens. 1936 Ristorante is an al fresco table named for the hotel's construction year, Asian Table sits in a preserved heritage building, Jalsa serves Middle Eastern food under an Arabian-style canopy, and the rooftop lounge adds cocktails and live music. Book the Sham-e-Awadh evening if you want the full show: a live barbecue and classical Awadhi dishes.

Our take: Lucknow is thin on genuine heritage hotels, and this one pairs the period building with proper creature comforts. Pets are welcome too, for a nightly charge. If you have come to eat your way through Awadh, which is the right reason to visit Lucknow, sleeping above the kitchens that cook it is a sound plan.