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 Jackson 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.

Windmills at the horizon

The landscape dominated by group of windmills near and far seemed beautiful even though it lay barren.

Wine and Windmills

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 Jackson 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.

Thosegar waterfalls:

The thrill seekers can head over to series of waterfalls at Thosegar 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.

Jabareshwar temple

Wall sculptures of temple

Sai bai’s maternal Rajwada

Darbar hall of Rajwada

Jackson 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.

Certified Green Hotel

And located away from the town, set amidst those sugarcane fields is Jackson Inns, a corporate hotel by Jackson Hospitality. Blessed with abundant sun, the property has aptly utilised 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.

Jackson 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.

Jackson Inns, Phaltan

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.

Here is a sneak peek of hotel interiors:

The food:

A well cooked food served warm with a smile is more appetizing than a plethora of dishes. And that is what Jackson 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, Jackson 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.

Maratha thali

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 Jackson Hospitality:

• The Jackson Inns at Phaltan is a part of Jackson 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

What I did not like in the hotel:

• The location of swimming pool was unfriendly to the guests as the guests had to walk all around the property to access the pool.
• The bar also could not be accessed from inside the hotel. Instead it had a separate entrance which did not sit well with me.
• The spa has only one masseur. Female guests may not be comfortable with getting massages from him. A masseuse for female guests should have been employed.

If you are heading towards Phaltan for business meeting or just for taking time off from your busy schedule, Jackson Inns is your answer to comfort amidst sun and sugarcane.

“Disclosure: This trip was sponsored by Jackson Inns, Phaltan. However the review is not influenced by the sponsorship.”

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Published by Shoma Abhyankar

I believe "Life is short and the world is wide"and travel is best possible solution to make the best of this life. I am Shoma Abhyankar. Welcome to ASTONISHING INDIA. View all posts by Shoma Abhyankar