Punjab CM inaugurates the historic 18th century edifice. The Apeejay Park Hotels live to their expectations
The majestic palace is a key landmark in India’s history and a remarkable example of the synthesis between late Mughal and Rajasthani architectural styles, reflecting a rich cultural heritage. With this landmark addition to Punjab’s hospitality landscape, recognizing its potential to position Patiala as a tourist destination, the CM said “Today, we proudly dedicate Punjab’s first luxury palace hotel, Ran Baas, The Palace, to the people of our state. It marks a significant milestone in our commitment to preserving and showcasing the rich cultural heritage of Punjab. Developed on the PPP model, it represents a significant milestone in the Punjab government’s efforts to preserve and celebrate the state’s glorious cultural heritage. With its seamless connectivity by rail, air, and road, this is not merely a hotel but a landmark that belongs to every citizen of Punjab, embodying the spirit of our history while paving the way for a brighter future.”
Originally built in 1763 by Baba Ala Singh, the first Maharaja of Patiala, Qila Mubarak stands as a majestic 10-acre complex in the heart of the city. Historically used as a guesthouse for the Maharaja’s esteemed visitors, Ran Baas, The Palace has been restored as Punjab’s first luxury palace hotel, seamlessly blending heritage with contemporary luxury to reflect THE Park Hotels’ distinctive design ethos.
The 35-suite palace blends the old with the new, merging late Mughal, Rajput, Sikh, and colonial styles while preserving the architectural integrity of Punjab’s rich heritage. The design, rooted in THE Park Hotels’ signature approach, reimagines the lost glory of the region’s culture and aesthetics. The Palace has been partially operational since the last quarter of 2024.
Spread across three floors, it offers an array of modern amenities, including an all-day dining restaurant, a chic bar, a rejuvenating spa with a pool and gym, and extensive indoor and outdoor banqueting spaces — all paired with THE Park’s signature Anything But Ordinary experiences. In addition to offering opulent accommodations, Ran Baas, The Palace provides a range of exhibition and baithak spaces, perfect for adding a touch of royal grandeur to weddings and special events. Located near key tourist attractions, religious sites, and popular daily excursions, the hotel offers an ideal base for exploring the riches of Patiala.
Priya Paul, Chairperson, Apeejay Surrendra Park Hotels Ltd. said, “It is a great honour to have Hon’ble Chief Minister Shri Bhagwant Mann inaugurate Ran Baas, The Palace. We are thankful for the Government of Punjab’s steadfast commitment to preserving and celebrating the state’s rich heritage and culture. Reviving this historic gem has been an extraordinary journey, reflecting our commitment to reshaping Indian hospitality. Ran Baas, The Palace is particularly meaningful, with the Apeejay Surrendra Group’s legacy beginning on Punjab’s soil in Jalandhar over a century ago, in 1910.”
Vijay Dewan, Managing Director, Apeejay Surrendra Park Hotels Ltd. remarked, “The inauguration of fully operational Ran Baas, The Palace represents a significant milestone in our commitment to preserving India’s cultural heritage while delivering Anything But Ordinary experiences. This project aligns with our strategy to offer a unique, authentic heritage stay integrated with modern amenities. We are confident that the stunning Ran Baas, The Palace will become a key asset in our portfolio, while becoming a treasured destination for travellers and positioning us as a leader in the luxury heritage hotel sector.”
Apeejay Surrendra Park Hotels (ASPHL) has been consciously undertaking the preservation of India’s built heritage by restoring historic buildings and landmarks including the remarkable Jantar Mantar in Delhi, and the transformation of the colonial The Denmark Tavern on the Hooghly and the exquisite Chettinad mansion, The Lotus Palace, into luxury hotels. Ran Baas The Palace in Patiala is the latest in its adaptive reuse projects. The restoration and design-enabled transformation of the original Ran Baas into a luxury palace hotel is a wonderful example of how thoughtful design can bring new life to historical buildings and has its seeds in a conservation project begun more than a decade ago.
In 2013, Punjab received a financial grant from the Union Government of India through the 13th Finance Commission, and conservation architect Abha Narain Lambah was appointed as consultant for the resurrection of the Qila Mubarak. At that time, a meticulous process of conserving Ran Baas was undertaken. The project team worked on re-introducing traditional building practices and employing local materials and artisans, stabilizing the ruined walls, resetting wooden rafters, reconstructing brick jack arches and vaults, training local craftsmen in historic construction techniques and making Ran Baas structurally tenable. It took 3 years to stabilize the dilapidated fort, but the project eventually died out.
In 2021, ASPHL won the adaptive reuse project bid from the PIDB (Punjab Infrastructure Development Board) and began the transformative resurrection of the building and its surrounding structures, melding the past and present in its inimitable style. Painstaking restoration, responsive interior design, and landscaping have ensured the re-emergence of the lost glory of the palace.
The palace is a sumptuous example of royal architecture and craftsmanship of the Sikh period, melded with Mughal, Rajput and colonial elements. The high ceilings and the walls are made of nanakshahi brick masonry. Decorative lime plaster work in columns, chini khanas, chhatris and jharokhas are distinctive features. Intricately painted ceilings and sheesh mahals with reflective surfaces of Aleppo mirrored panels and gilding announce the wealth of the Patiala kings. Finely sculpted wooden balconies, towering walls with crenelated ramparts, cusped arches, vaulted roofs, carved wooden doors and spectacular garden courtyards. The walls are replete with stunning paintings bearing the influence of the Jaipur, Shekhawati, Mughal and Kangra schools that flourished under Sikh patronage, a glimpse into the courtly life, religion, architecture, landscape and costume of the period.
Keeping the multilayered soul of the original intact, and echoing its 18th century grandeur, the Ran Baas The Palace is a delightful, symbiotic mix of old world and new thought. Here, guests experience immersive palace living through The Park Hotels’ signature eclectic use of craft, art, stories, architecture – and its hospitality, all of which are Anything But Ordinary.
A 10-acre Qila Mubarak complex , situated in the heart of the walled city of Patiala, is squarish in plan, with two concentric enclosures – the inner palace Qila Androon, comprises the private areas of the Patiala royal family, including a gurudwara where the eternal flame brought by the founder of Patiala Ala Singh from Jwalaji temple burns bright, keeping alive the sanctity of the place, and where the royal family still comes to pray. The palace is enveloped by the outer fortifications of Qila Mubarak. The intermediate space is dotted with buildings from various periods and architectural styles – from the late Mughal and Rajput influenced courtyards and gardens of the palaces within Qila Androon and Ran Baas (the former palace of queens), to the British colonial and European styled Jalau Khana and Durbar Hall. Complementing these buildings and palaces are robust bastions, lofty gateways with nakkar khana, walled gardens and courtyards. This synthesis of periods and forms creates a spectacular architectural composition that emerges as the ‘Patiala Style’.
The project involved working with master craftsmen, skilled artisans, contractors, the project team and designers, and fabricators to make it come to life. The project team deftly worked to introduce bathrooms, air-conditioning and other 21st century services in the historic palace that seamlessly blend with the architectural character of the interiors, and the aesthetics of the original builders.
The Patiala royals were famed for their wealth and riches, none catching the imagination of the public more than their jewels. The guest suites at Ran Baas The Palace embody the lustrous, vibrant qualities of gemstones, interpreted through a unique vocabulary of textures, colours and objects. Traditional motifs reinterpreted as new art on walls, vintage furnishings, antique finishes…at Ran Baas The Palace, no two suites are alike except for their unique blend of the old and new. Spread across three floors, each of the 35 suites offers majestic views of the courtyards, the palace architecture and surrounding cityscapes.
With its gardens, its outlets, all blending the old style and traditional, the hotel chain has truly lived up to expectations, restoring the palace to its original spendour.