Ringhio

I will be travelling to Rajasthan in late April, I will be staying in the two Amanresorts for a week but I have to chose the hotels in the other places I am visiting.
Delhi: is the Imperial the best option? someone proposed me the Trident (which I understand it is not in the city). I would skip the Oberoi which I have already visited a few years ago and did not left a good impression on me.
Jaipur: I was thinking about the Rambagh Palace
Udaipur: Devi Garh seems to be the best option
Jodhpur: no clue (I have read a few soso reports on Umaid Bhawan)
Thanks for your help

lcuy

The Imperial is a lovely hotel with great restaurants and the location cant be beat.

The Oberoi hotels in Jaipur and Udapur are fabulous. You might give them another try. After Aman resorts, I think the Rambagh Palace might really be a disappointment.

Cicerone

If you are going to be sightseeing in Delhi the Imperial is your best option. The Hilton Trident is a lovely hotel, but is in Gurgaon, which is well outside the city (near to the airport) so is not convenient for someone planning to spend a few days in the city sightseeing. The Oberoi has a lot of pluses and some minuses (they just put in a fantastic spa, and have redone the rooms), but I don’t like the location. (I don’t know that the Imperial’s spa is done yet, when I was last there 2-3 months ago it was slated to be done in Feb). Imperial’s location is superb and really so is everything else about the hotel.

I agree that the rooms at the Rambagh may disappoint, so do look at several before you agree on one. Some have been redone and are great, others are dingy. Look at the suites for sure if that is in your price range. The ground and the ambience are really something, however, and that is hard to replicate in a new hotel. However, there is the Rajvillas outside of town a bit which is very nice indeed, that would be the other choice (that is the Oberoi mentioned above). go to oberoi.com for info

In Jodhpur, I actually would stay at the Taj, the Umaid is just too big IMO and not well run, plus it is a bit out of town. Do go have a meal there as it is something to see. (It was an Aman for 6 months and then the owner (former maharajah) kicked them out and he is running it himself, a long scandalous story...)

Udaipur – there is a very lovely Udaivilas (also an Oberoi) that I think I would take over the Devi Gargh, if for nothing else than it’s much better location. It’s right on the lake, Devi Garh is quite a distance. I have not stayed at Devi Garh so can’t comment on the rooms, but it is quite a ride from the town. I have eaten there and it is pretty, but not sure its worth the trip each day if you plan on seeing anything of Udaipur, which is one of the few towns in India in which it is possible to really walk around and wander the old town. (Jodhpur is another.)

I assume you know that April is brutally hot. It will be over 90 F most days, and over 100 on many. Although you are undoubtedly getting good prices at these hotels because of it (other than at the Trident Hilton which is a business hotel and virtually always full), I am not sure you will enjoy the sightseeing quite so much. Go very slow and don’t try to fit in too much.

vp_singh

Delhi: Imperial. (Trident is in Gurgaon).
Jaipur: Oberois Raj Vilas at Goner, Some rooms is Rambagh are excellant & so is the ambience. Trident-Hilton.
Udaipur: Oberois Udaivilas.
Jodhpur: Taj Hari Mahal, an excellant choice.
Best Wishes!

Ringhio

Thanks a lot to all of you. This is very helpful.
Thank you also for the hint on the temperature, but I know hot it will feel: I spent a few days in april/may in Delhi and Kolkata and it was completely bearable. It's better than Milan in July (especially because I could walk around with just a shirt and shorts instead of a pinstripe suit...)