Gateway Madurai sits on top of Pasumalai Hill in sixty-two acres of garden, about six kilometres from the station — an 1890 colonial building, mature banyans, resident peacocks, and the temple city spread out below the terraces.
Madurai is hot, loud and one of the great living temple towns of India. Being above it rather than in it is what makes a stay here work: you come down for the Meenakshi temple and go back up for the evening.
Why We Place Guests Here
- The hill position is the whole point — sixty-two acres and a view over the city, six kilometres from the noise.
- Beneath the Canopy serves dinner outdoors under a banyan the hotel dates to around a hundred and fifty years old.
- Sixty-three keys in an 1890 building, which is a very different night from the business hotels on the plain.
The Table
- Vista — multi-cuisine
- Beneath the Canopy — open-air under the banyan
- Moon Deck
- Harvey's Lounge — bar
The Elevated India Signature
The Meenakshi temple at the evening ceremony, then back up the hill for dinner under the banyan.
Questions, Answered
Was this hotel called The Gateway Hotel Pasumalai?
Yes — the same property. It now trades as Gateway Madurai under IHCL's Gateway brand; the Pasumalai name refers to the hill it stands on.
When should you visit the Meenakshi Amman temple?
Early morning and the evening ceremony are the two times worth planning around; the middle of the day is both hot and crowded. The hotel is about six kilometres from the temple.
Journeys That Take You There
Explore the destination guide: Madurai, Tamil Nadu ↗
Photography: Photograph courtesy IHCL