Enquiry, booking (both by e-mail) and pick up from the station all went very smoothly.

The haveli is lovely situated in the green fields outside Amritsar. At the time of our stay, the rice was ripening all around providing a photogenic setting.
The renovation that has been done has very nicely respected the character of the old hunting lodge that is the charm of staying at Virasat Haveli.

Our room was rather austere but clean and quite large. As this is an old haveli, the room had only a tiny window towards the inner courtyard, keeping out the heat in summer and the cold in winter. The air-conditioning was modern and good functioning. So was the ceiling fan. There is efficient generator backup in case of electricity blackout. The room had a large four-poster bed that comfortably slept the three of us crosswise (we are a family of three adults and had asked for a triple room or double room with one extra bed) with nice bed linen, a low coffee table with three wooden armchairs, a wardrobe, a narrow but elegant mirrored dressing table and a large good functioning red fridge. The doors have copper fittings.

The en suite bathroom was a catastrophe with dirty and broken tiles and electricity wires hanging dangerously open and loose near the water (the condensation water of the air-conditioning drips from a tube in the wall on the washstand leaving it wet at all times). The toilet had not seen a brush and detergent for a very long time.
Opposite the bathroom there was another small room with a sink. Although there was running water, this sink was not connected to a discharge pipe, so the used water just poured on the floor. The sink was partly clogged by some indefinable black filth. It was disgusting. We just did not enter this room anymore.
When we asked for additional towels, we had doubts about their cleanness.

The dining room which is also used as restaurant for non-guests has a colorful mirror glasswork ceiling done by a local artisan. The restaurant and inner courtyard are used for dinners and evening entertainment (local dance and music performance) for tourist groups staying in hotels in town. During our stay, there were no such activities, so the place was really very quiet fitting its rural character.

In the courtyard there is a nice water basin that can be used as swimming pool (or rather bathing pool for it is too small to swim). The pool is emptied and refilled everyday with fresh subterranean water. As no chemicals are added, the water of the pool is used to irrigate the surrounding fields. There is also a tandoor in this courtyard.

The outer courtyard has a couple of charming arbors completely screened against mosquitoes.

Outside the haveli precincts but adjacent to it, the owner built a public swimming pool surrounded by a tree shaded terrace where it is pleasant to have a meal or a drink. The entrance fee of Rs. 50 might be quite high for the villagers (free for in-house guests), so we only have seen a couple of guests there at the time.

Every evening the owner, Mr. Singh, came to visit. He talks about the Sikhs and the Punjab in a very captivating way. His account of his family history is a living illustration of the Partition and the Punjab history in general. He has his office in town but he is available for his guests by mobile phone 24/24.
When we left we received an elegant farewell gift.

Although it is Mr. Singh’s ambition to improve the situation of the local villagers by the economic activity generated by the haveli, most of the workers at the haveli are Nepali.

The haveli is 12 km outside Amritsar but transport is not a problem: tuk-tuks can be arranged for pickup at the haveli at any time and cost Rs. 100. (One morning we arranged for a tuk-tuk to come and pick us up at 5:30). To come from Amritsar to the haveli you can call Mr. Singh from town and he will send you a tuk-tuk who knows the way to the haveli. But once you have been to the haveli, it is really easy to find your way back and you can actually hop in any tuk-tuk in town and give the driver your own instructions (on the Grand Trunk Road turn right just past the Delhi High School and in the first village, turn right again, from there you can see the haveli). The last km or so is really very bumpy as the road is not paved.
Guests can also rent Mr. Singh’s car (with driver) for the day (Rs. 800).

The surroundings of the haveli are wonderful for walking (be careful for snakes though). Mr. Singh can also arrange visits to families and houses in the village.
The roof top offers a splendid view of the surroundings.
Guest can ride the horses for free but at their own risk.

Google Earth gives an excellent satellite view of the place. You find the Virasat Haveli at 31°34’16”N 74°58’37”O.

If you are looking for something different from the standard impersonal hotel room, this is a very special place to stay. If only the bathroom were clean.