Sri Krishna Raja Wadiyar, Maharaja of Mysore commissioned E.W. Fritchley in 1920 to design a Special palace to accomodate his Royal guests. It took almost rest of the decade to complete the palace. It is a massive white symmetrical structure spreading 325 feet across the rise between two domed towers rising 92 feet above the ground. A central dome, 133 feet from floor to finial, dominated the complex, surrounded by four secondary towers reaching to a height of 85 feet. The entire edifice extended back 225 feet from its colonnaded facade of coupled Corinthian columns. Lalitha Mahal remained as the official guest house of Mysore State till 1960. The palace was transfered to Indian Tourism Development Corporation - Ashok Group Hotel chain in the year 1974. In 1980 , thirty two rooms in annexe were added to the main structure.