It was sometime in the early 1800s when the summer escape called Ootacamund was discovered. Back then, John Sullivan who was the serving Collector of the district of Coimbatore, chanced upon this pristine paradise up in the Nilgiri Mountains and was besmirched by its beauty. Taken in by what he’d seen, he went on to establish his very own private retreat that he christened – Stonehouse.

Inspired by the dense vegetation around him, he decided to plant an Oak tree that has gone on to be a reflection of all the changes that the place has seen since then. Sullivan passed on into the annals of time and so did his summer residence that made way for some government offices. Today, there stands an educational institution dedicated to the pursuit of academic excellence.

The march of Historic to modernization continued as the years rolled on. From the rather modest beginnings, the hospitality industry too ramped up its presence, in response to increased interest from the rest of the population, who began visiting for its scenic vistas and refreshing mountain air. Today, there are a number of hotels in Ooty, catering to the demand of tourists, as per their budget and other needs.

The general architectural language of the place still reflects its European roots and the many structures that dot the landscape are a treat for the eyes. But the real beauty of the place still happens to be its ever-changing paranomas that are a sight to remember. The Sullianesque influence can be found everywhere one goes in and around Ooty. Besides setting the building design trends, his mark can also be found in all the key tourism haunts in town. The racecourse & the famed lake of Ooty are as much as result of his efforts as are the ways in which fruits & vegetables are grown here.

Everyone knows that the railroad was introduced by the colonial rulers of the nation. But the fact remains that one of the many Ooty hotels and the place in itself would have been any popular today, had it not been for the engineering masterpiece that is the Nilgiri Mountain Railway. Some of the most popular hotels are there Hotel Lake View,  Orchid Inn, Vinayaga Inn in Ooty. Conceptualized sometime in the mid-1800’s, it wasn’t until the end of the century that the first steam engine came chugging slowly up the mountains. Early records seem to suggest that people often likened it to a mystical creature that suddenly came into sight as the mist of the mountains cleared.

The cog and toothed mesh design of the railroad allowed ordinary travellers to visit the place and paved the way for hotels in Ooty to be constructed in response to the growing need. The town is home to exotic plant and insect life and there are scores of gardens around the place where tourists can spend days on end admiring the natural beauty.

The hospitality industry and the people that continue to visit this gorgeous escape in the hills owe a lot to the colonial developments of the time. Ooty, together with the other hill stations around the country continues to face the threat of mindless commercialization. It is therefore important for those paying a visit, to keep environmental sensitivities in mind when touring.