wkwb42a

As you can see, we are still wrestling with our India itinerary for February 2014. It looks like we can possibly come up with 3 nights (1 taken from Varanasi, 1 from Jaipur, and the night at Samode), and then go to Udaipur for 3 nights. We will drive from Jaipur to Udaipur. We are of course not thrilled with the very long drive; but seeing Fodorites describe Udaipur as "fabulous", is convincing!

Does anyone have a hotel in Udaipur to recommend highly? If so, please tell us why it's a good one.... We are open to all your suggestions and we appreciate your help as always!

Elainee

Just to make your life more complicated I recommend staying 1 night at Devi Garh on the way to Udaipur. It is actually right outside of town. But it is a very special place. Google it.
The are interesting temples nearby.

lcuy

Udaivilas is my favorite. Very pricey, but it you check 'special offer" on the Oberoi site there are often good deals.

pattyroth

Loved Udaivillas. We had a tour agency in India-Gem Tours- book it for us and it was much cheaper.

kaimurholidays

Undoubtedly Udai Vilas fabulous hotel .ideal for couple looking for great time.

Cheers

Shanu agra

rhkkmk

while not in the middle of town, we loved the sheraton palace...

4bams

we had a wonderful stay at fateh garh. highly recommended!

vp_singh

Jaipur >> Udaipur is a good 265miles, on a road that has nothing much to offer in the way of scenery. As mentioned by Elainee, Devigarh indeed is a special place.If you do decide on it, start early from Jaipur.
However, Shahpura Bagh also is a nice luxury hotel, for a night. Will give you insight into rural India...you will love talking to Maya Singh, your hostess at Shahpura Bagh and you could be sure to have an interesting intellectual evening with them, something you will miss in the other cities.
Enjoy your travels!

wkwb42a

Thank you all for your advice. We are still considering our options. I appreciate your responses as always.

Ruagr

Udaipur is indeed a beauty. What kind of budget are you on? if its flexible and since you are going in february I would recommend the following:
Taj Lake Palace Udaipur: Starts at $299, situate between a lake its a must stay place! super guest services, food!
Udaivillas definitely wins in luxury hotels, even if you dont stay here you must visit it to see the hotel lit up at night extremely romantic and gives a feel of true Indian Royalty.
the Trident is more mid ranged at $ 71 and extremely apt for a family visit
The Lalit: Laxmi Vilas Palace is also a good hotel.
If you could tell more about your budget I could help with better suggestions.

Devigarh is definitely a must see but again could be pricey to stay, I just went there to check out the hotel and for lunch. But dream to stay there at some time!

Let me know if you need any more info.

Ruagr
Travel Enthusiast and Travel Blogger

Prianka_05

1) Taj Lake Palace 2) Devigarh 3) Leela Palace

wkwb42a

Many thanks to all. We are considering splitting our nights between Jagat Niwas (b/c of the numerous good reviews of it on this forum), and either Taj Lake Palace or Udaivillas (same reason).

Ruagr:
We couldn't find any rate at about $299 at Taj Lake Palace. Rates we see are about $800's and up. So what do you mean by "since we are going in February...."? Of course a lower rate there or at Oberoi would be attractive. Thank you for your help.

Craig

I don't think you should split your time between 2 places for 3 night's total stay - you'll wind up not having the time to enjoy either of them (plus you'll need to move from one to the other). Jagat Niwas has a great location and a fine restaurant but it is quite basic compared to Lake Palace or Udaivillas. I would only stay there if one of the better rooms (with a view of the Lake) is available.

progol

I was very happy with Jagat Niwas, but I agree with Craig that it's not the luxury hotel the other two are. I did have a lake view with a large window seat (large enough for naps!) and it was wonderful. I do recommend it, but don't have expectations of high end luxury. Still it has a class and simple elegance.

wkwb42a

Progol,
At Jagat Niwas, were you in a lake view suite? Do you remember the room number? If it was a regular room, was it large enough, and comfortable? Thank you.

progol

Hi, wk,
I was in a Raj lake-facing room on the main floor. After entering, there are a few steps up into the room. It was a spacious room with a small nook off the entrance where the luggage was kept. I LOVED the view and found it a very comfortable hotel to stay in. What made the room so very special was the large window seat. I could really stretch out and nap! Excellent service, too, and very gracious staff. Nice amenities. Good restaurant.

One thing that you might want to know is that we had an open shower in the bathroom, which I know many people don't like. It's on the far end of the bathroom, so it's really not a problem as far as flooding the room. It did have a curtain, and I believe the floor was angled slightly so the water ran down the drain, but maybe that's my imagination! I don't know if any other rooms have regular tubs or showers, though. For us, it wasn't a problem, but you might just want to be aware of it if you do go to Jagat Niwas.

wkwb42a

Hi progol,
Thanks so much for your very prompt response; I appreciate your advice and detailed info. We think that we are going to stay 2 nights in Jagat Niwas. Now I can't decide which type of room to take. Your description of your room, especially the large window seat, plus the fact that you LOVED the view, tip the scale toward that room, instead of a suite. My husband and I have to discuss it, so we can make our final decisions for this trip. It certainly sounds like it was spacious and comfortable, and that the staff and service were quite good too. Again, many thanks.

progol

Hi, wk,
Any room with a view of the lake will be superb, so if your husband wants a suite, go for it! The view will be the same! I'd ask them if the suites came with window seats - I wouldn't be surprised if most rooms facing the lake have them.

Enjoy! I'm glad your adding Udaipur to your trip!

dgunbug

We also stayed there and loved it. The hotel is in a great location and we spent a great deal of time on the terrace dining room which has magnificant views of the lake. We didn't have a lake view (regrettably), but still enjoyed the hotel. The food there was delicious.

wkwb42a

Thank you very much for all your responses. It seems that the Pichola suites (of which there are 5) have window seats. (They are called jharokhas). The lake view rooms have them also, and there are some in other areas of the property. I think that we may take a suite there for the 2 nights. I appreciate your details about the Jagat Niwas, very helpful. Yes, we are glad that we are planning to include Udaipur in our itinerary after all. Again, many thanks to all!