Dating back more than 100 years, Maison Perumal is a unique 10-room boutique hotel that sits in Pondicherry’s Tamil quarter. This is just a five to 10 minute walk from Pondicherry’s little slice of France, originally known as ‘White Town’. The hotel dates back over 100 years; the tiled floors and teak doors suggest it was built by the Chettiars, successful traders and financiers that are known for their exquisite architecture. Central to the property is a summery courtyard with oversized pots. Leading off the courtyard are the spacious and understated rooms. These have red oxide floors, wooden furniture, crisp cotton sheets and small modern bathrooms. Each is slightly different, due to the historic nature of the building. There’s no pool at Maison Perumal but it’s possible to use the crisp pool at Palais De Mahe, their sister property just a 5 minute drive away. We think this is an excellent option for those looking for an intimate and high quality boutique hotel. It’s arguably one of the best boutique hotels in the town.