Hotel Lakeside

A place that began with friendship.

What started with a love for India's art and a friendship with Japanese travellers eventually became a home for travellers from around the world.

Discover Our Story

Stay in the heart of Khajuraho

Just a two-minute walk from the Western Group of Temples, Hotel Lakeside sits beside a beautiful lake, with a natural garden and the Datla Hills behind the property.

Lakefront

Beautiful lake views directly in front of the property.

Natural Garden

A peaceful garden at the back, with views towards the Datla Hills.

Close to the Temples

Just a two-minute walk from Khajuraho's Western Group of Temples.

Japan, 1980s.

Warm friendships that began in Khajuraho deepened across borders. A precious moment of founder Avinash Tiwari spending time with Japanese friends. The warm hospitality he received during these trips became the true foundation of Hotel Lakeside today.

A story that began with friendship

Hotel Lakeside began with a fascination for India's art, architecture and ancient civilisation.

In 1977, Mr. Avinash Tiwari began collecting and trading antiques in Khajuraho. Through the travellers he met, he discovered something that would become just as important as the antiques themselves: friendship.

He formed particularly close bonds with Japanese travellers, learning to speak Japanese naturally through long conversations and years of friendship. In the early 1980s, he travelled to Japan for the first time, where friends welcomed him into their homes for around three months. Over the years, he returned to Japan four more times, spending roughly three months there on each visit. His last visit was in 1998.

When he returned to Khajuraho, he wanted to offer his friends the same warmth they had shown him. So he built a small place beside the lake—rooms, a kitchen and a terrace where friends could stay and spend time together.

What began as a place for friends and friends of friends eventually became Hotel Lakeside in 1988.

More than three decades later, we are still welcoming travellers from around the world—and many of those friendships remain with us.

Read Our Story

More than a place to stay

We have always believed that travellers should feel like guests, not customers. Over the years, many visitors have arrived as strangers and left as friends. That simple feeling of warmth and homeliness remains at the heart of Hotel Lakeside.

Stay with us

With around 20 rooms, including five overlooking the lake, Hotel Lakeside offers a comfortable and homely place to stay in the heart of Khajuraho. Enjoy the beautiful lake in front, our natural garden and views of the Datla Hills behind, or simply relax on our spacious terrace. The Western Group of Temples is just a two-minute walk away.

Before online bookings and smartphones, this was Hotel Lakeside — welcoming travellers beneath the trees, with bicycles at the door and stories from around the world.

Hotel Lakeside, late 1980s / early 1990s

Simple moments by the lake — Ilan (Israel) and Dimitrios (Germany) soaking in the autumn sun over tea and conversation.

A special connection with Japan

Some of our oldest friendships began with Japanese travellers who visited Khajuraho in the late 1970s. Over long conversations, friendships grew, and Mr. Avinash Tiwari gradually learned to speak Japanese from the travellers he met.

That connection has remained part of our story ever since. Many of those early friendships have lasted for decades, and Japanese travellers continue to hold a special place in the story of Hotel Lakeside.

Our Connection with Japan

A friendship that lasted decades

One of Mr. Avinash Tiwari's early Japanese friendships was with Shin-ichi Muramatsu, whom he affectionately remembers as Shinchan. When they first met in the late 1970s, Shinchan was travelling with his parents, and communication was difficult. Mr. Tiwari was able to help them with the Japanese he had begun learning from travellers, and a close friendship grew from that meeting.

They have remained in touch ever since.

Some friendships stay with you

In the late 1990s, a Japanese traveller bought a handicraft artefact from Mr. Avinash Tiwari. He didn't have the money with him at the time, so he promised to send it once he returned to Japan. Mr. Tiwari thought nothing more of it and, over the years, completely forgot about the episode.

Nearly 30 years later, the traveller somehow found his old friend's number and contacted him. He still remembered the kindness, the artefact and the promise he had made all those years ago. He thanked Mr. Tiwari from the heart—and finally sent the money.

Some encounters last only a moment. The connections they create can last a lifetime.

Find your place by the lake

From lake-facing rooms to comfortable rooms overlooking the garden, Hotel Lakeside offers a simple, peaceful base for exploring Khajuraho. Our spacious terrace and natural surroundings also give you places to slow down and simply enjoy being here.

A warm welcome to our Japanese guests

Japanese travellers have been a special part of the Hotel Lakeside story since its earliest days.

Mr. Avinash Tiwari speaks Japanese fluently, having learned the language naturally through years of friendship and conversation with Japanese travellers. Many of those friendships have lasted for decades.

If you are visiting Khajuraho from Japan, we would be especially happy to welcome you and help you feel at home during your stay.

Planning your visit from Japan?

If you have any questions about staying at Hotel Lakeside, getting to Khajuraho or exploring the area, please feel free to contact us.

You can also check our availability and make a reservation through Booking.com.

We look forward to welcoming you to Khajuraho.

Page updated

Google Sites

Report abuse