When people talk about visiting the Northeast — the land of seven sisters — one state almost always gets left off the list: Tripura. Unless you have family there or work that takes you there, it rarely makes it onto anyone’s itinerary. As someone from the Northeast myself, I have often wondered: what exactly is there to see and experience in Tripura?
I got a chance to chat with Deval Tibrewalla, Whole Time Director and CEO of Hotel Polo Towers Limited, which has just launched Chapter Chapter Lakeside, in Tripura. I asked him the obvious question first: why Tripura, and not one of the more familiar names on the tourist map?
His answer was simple: “Why not Tripura?”
Chapter Lakeside, Tripura, is a 17-key, destination-led, design-forward brand built to scale with purpose while giving travellers a way into the character of each state. “Ours is an upscale boutique brand built on a simple guiding principle: the place comes first,” Deval told me. “Design, food, art, music and experiences start with the destination, then get edited into a sharp, contemporary hotel. Its pools, spas and restaurants are not add-ons. They are part of the way guests read the place.”
The Tripura property sits on the shores of Rudrasagar Lake, about 90 minutes from Agartala airport, with views of Neermahal Palace from the pool and most rooms. A lake-view pool, poolside bar, all-day dining and boat transfers make the lake part of the experience rather than just scenery.
Talking to Deval, I realised how much of Tripura I did not know — its palaces, wildlife and ancient rock-cut carvings. He was equally animated about the food: a cuisine built around herbs, ferments and different varieties of rice, distinct from much of the rest of the region.
Cassette Kitchen & Bar is a tribute to RB Burman
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
What stayed with me was an idea he calls the “animal in residence”. Each Chapter property is built around an animal that represents its state — the spectacled langur for Tripura, the hill myna for Meghalaya — and the creature becomes the design spine of the property. “The localness is in the fabric of the thing, not the story told around it,” he said. At Chapter Lakeside, that means natural cane, local furnishings and food that follows the same principle, including berma (fermented fish of Tripura) and oil-free Tripuri cooking.
Tripura is also a major biodiversity hotspot for bamboo, with more than 21 species found across the state, while its cane is regarded as among the finest in the country.
For Deval, “upscale” isn’t about surface polish. “It’s not an expensive wallpaper,” he said. “Wise decisions, aesthetic concept coupled with visual and spatial concept make it upscale. Build the pool where the view is best from. Cook food from the region. Build a bar with a point of view. Keep it sharp, warm and local. That is Chapter.”
The Northeast is seeing growing traveller interest, improved connectivity and more investment in destination infrastructure. Through Chapter, Polo Hotels Group is betting on places that have largely remained outside the mainstream leisure circuit, with the hope that tourism can also bring jobs and upskilling to local hospitality talent.
At the centre of the food story is Cassette Kitchen & Bar, where ingredients come from tea gardens, hill markets and local growers. The cooking draws from Kokborok and Mui Borok traditions, using herbs, river fish, bamboo shoots and banana flowers with a clean, precise approach. The bar works with local botanicals and Tripura’s craft beverage culture. “The Northeast isn’t a theme here; it’s simply where the kitchen starts,” the team says.
The idea is that every Chapter property is a story unfolding in chapters, each one shaped by its location and designed to help guests discover, connect and belong.
One last detail I liked: Cassette Kitchen & Bar is Tripura’s tribute to R.D. Burman, while its Meghalaya counterpart pays homage to rock and roll.
Published – September 10, 2026 07:30 am IST
