Rajastjan Hotel
 

I am going on a trip to Rajasthan and wanted to stay in Heritage Hotels with historical significance. My travel agent has sent me the following suggestions...all look great, but wondering if you have any input. I don't mind spending less or more, but want the most representative of the area. Thanks ahead of time!

Jaipur - Rambagh Palace
Deogarh - Deogarh Mahal
Udaipur - Taj Lake Palace
Jodhpur - Taj Hari Mahal
Jaisalmer - Fort Rajwada
Bikaner - Laxmi Niwas Palace
Mandawa - Mandawa Casle

All excellent hotels and highly recommended if you are lucky enough to afford them. Nothing to beat them for the high-end luxury heritage tour.

But if you want to take a mid-range tour, say within USD 80/- per person per day,inclusive of loacl transport and hotels, I would suggest you select a mix of

Heritage Palace Hotels - Lake Palace is unique and has no equal. It is also very expensive and a night there and another at Shiv Niwas is a good compromise.
Heritage Fort Hotels - Deogarh is a very good example
Family hotels - there are many

hI there. Great trip and great choice of hotels; luxury, loads of character, history, comfort, you have it covered! U may consider changing one or two of the properties, and i am sure some of the other posters will comment. In jodphur u might consider changing to the Umaid Bhawan Palace, elegance and history, par excellence. In bikaner, another option would be Lalgarth Palace hotel, (3 km out of center), part of the Maharajas modern Palace. About your choice in Jaisalmer, Fort Rajwada, that would be the most high-end luxurious property in the area,( still has alot of history attatched to it)note, you can certainley find many smaller places with historical importance, tons of character and less amenities in Jaisalmer, but the Rajwada will lend you a very comfortable stay. up to you. Oh, looking over the trip once again, i see you have not mentioned Delhi or Agra. Is that in your schedule.? hope u can fit it in at the beginning, and i can also give some suggestions on places to stay in both, as i am now living in Delhi. take care. [email protected]

Rajhelp and Bonita - thanks so much for your advice!

I left Agra and Delhi out as I was able to go to those places during a business trip before...amazing places, but given my limited timeframe, I thought it best to concentrate on places I had not seen. However my entry and exit point will be Delhi, so any hotel advice would be appreciated!

I will look into the other hotels in Jodphur...I am not looking to stay in luxury high end places so much as wanting to stay in places with great character and value for my money! If there are more remarkable Heritage hotels in Rajasthan than listed, I would be definately interested in changing my itinerary!

Thanks again!!!

I agree that the Lake Palace is not to be missed. The location is incredible, and it is the setting and the design of the hotel rather than the rooms that make it so wonderful. In India, the hotels with history are truly part of the experience.

Take a look at www.heritagehotels.com. U may find some of the listings int. Personally for what u pay I find the Lake Palace a bit run down. However, agree with all re ambience of being in the center of the lake. Jaisalmer you could also look at Killa Bhawan, www.killabhawan.com. Delhi the most colonial experience is the Imperial but is smack in the cnter of Delhi near Connaught Place. If you want to be near the airport and en route the del-Jaipur highway you could take a look at the new Oberoi property, Trident Hilton. If you want to start your trip with a bit of history, consider Neemrana, www.neemranahotels.com.

All the posts here are giving unbiased advice but some minor errors seem to have crept in a couple of posts

Bonita,

Fort Rajwada is, as you have stated, the finest property in Jaisalmer, but it is a comparatively new hotel with interiors designed by a famous designer of operas Ms. Engeln. However I am not aware of any history being attached to it.

Hobbes,

Killa Bhawan is a nice, cosy hotel that I strongly recommend for "balancing the budget". But the Jaipur Trident is close to Amer, which is north of the old city and is perhaps 20 kilometres from the Airport, making it one of the farthest hotels from the Airport. A foreign tourist, looking "to stay in Heritage Hotels with historical significance" will hardly be looking for a Hilton, however good a brand it may be!

Rajhelp50 I hope halfpint78 read my post more closely than u did! The Trident Hilton is a suggestion for Del, halfpint - as u have asked for Del suggestions. It is a premium, modern hotel offering the advantages of being on the Del-Jaipur highway if u are driving back and close to the intl airport if u are staying there on your way in or out. Ditto re Neemrana - is en route the drive Jaipur-Del. Jodhpur Umaid Bhawan - which i share Bonita's reco for - has recently been taken over by Aman resorts so understand service - and rates - have jumped considerably. take a look at it on www.amanresorts.com.

Hobbes,

Good to know Trident has a new hotel near Delhi!

From the grapevine, I hear Aman resorts have opted out of Umaid Bhawan and it is back with the Maharajah!

Rajhelp50 hello. I do understand that there is some history/heritage attatched to the modern Fort Rajwada in Jaisalmer, or at least historical importance in the way it is designed recreating an old PALACE with the beautiufl stone workmanship of the age-old days and tradition. YES,it is a new and modern property, that tries to blend the old and the new, and celebrates the tradition and arts of the region. There are so many hisotrical/charactristic hotels in Jaisalmer, and i was commenting on the one in question. The hotel was indeed designed by a famous designer but the modern design incorprates traditional and heritage as well, and brings back that beautiful touches from the past. Also, the entranceway of the HOTEL was said to belong to a 500 year old haveli from the fort. The Fort Rajwada tries to incrporate the history of the region in its design. There are plenty of other smaller and more characteristic places to stay, but this is one of the more luxurious, modern and comfotable options, and many rooms have lovely views out over the fort. take care..

hi halfpint, here are some hotel suggestions in Delhi. About Delhi, many many options, and really depends on what you are looking for. IF it is ambiance and colonial charm, i second Hobbes suggestion about the IMPERIAL Hotel in Delhi, one of my all-time favorites. It has a great location right in the thick of things on the cusp of CP, but on lovely grounds that serve as an oasis. If you want another colonial option, but less expensive, you can try Claridges. If you are seeking a more modern property, still with good ambiance and all the amenities, u might consider on of the two Taj properties, the Taj palace or Taj mahal. Really, so many options in Delhi, depends on your needs, where you prefer to stay, (central, south delhi, near airport), etc..And yes, as hobbes notes,there is a new Trident HILTON around Delhi, located out near the aiport, closer to Gurgoan. However, i would probably suggest to stay more central, unless you want to avoid the thick of Delhi. Enjoy delhi, it is my second home...

hi halfpint!
I was in these areas in December and would highly recommend staying at the Imperial. I stayed there after taking Cicerone's recommendation and was very satisfied. It matches what you are looking for in a Heritage Hotel. That is also where we booked our car and driver from for the remainder of our 2000km trip. They were excellent!

I also highly recommend the Umaid Bhawan Palace!!!! I stayed in the room overlooking the courtyard where the prince was born and it had all their portraits still up!! Okay--I did sleep with the lights on because I was afraid. The eyes in the portraits get to you :).But, the atmosphere is outstanding and you will meet the royals as they roam the corridors(huge corridors) as well. One of them helped me find my way back to the room--no, I was not drunk--the place is enormous--more like a castle.

I also stayed at the Fort Rajwada and hated it. It seemed like a cheap hotel that you would find in the states. I saw no historical benefit to it at all. They rape you with the costs of their rooms and try to put you in a square box of a room 10 x 12 overlooking a modern outdoor pool. There was a hotel in Jaisalmer itself(Fort Rajwada is out of town). I think it was the Niwas???? It was an old haveli. I had heard some complaints about it-- but the charm and it being right in town would have been worth it. Jaisalmer is this quiet little town compared to others where if you stayed at that haveli, you could walk around the market easily. I have some great pictures that would show you this if you are interested.

The Rambagh Palace is beautiful by the way!! You'll love it. Make sure to take the hotel tour. Have a great trip!
My email address is: [email protected]

Yes, in Jaisalmer there is a heritage property called the Narayan Niwas Palace which was a old haveli converted into a heritage hotel. It has a great location in the heart of the heart of the old city. It is charming and filled with charcter, but here have been some complaints on upkeep and such, so it is a trade-off, of what is most important to you. The Rajwada is more modern, and if you go for it, the suites are very nice and luxurious, but expenive. The plus side it is a clean well-kept property..Again, there are many options of all levels in JAISALMER, so it is up to you....AS other posters have mentioned, take a look at the Killa Bhawan too, for character, location and budget..happy travels.