Can anyone give me some feedback on the rooms and tents at Rajvilas in Jaipur?
Are the tents worth the extra $100? Are they roomier than the "regular" rooms, which also look gorgeous? I read some reviews that said the tents are very far from the main facilities.

Any comments/feeback would be greatly appreciated
Thank,
Cruisinred

ttt

We stayed in the regular rooms - they were huge (and gorgeous). We did walk through the tent area - I did not see where they were worth the extra $$ - they are not much bigger than the regular rooms, if at all. As a group they are farther from the lobby area. However, our room was just as far - many were closer though - not a problem for us but if that is a concern you should make a specific request.

Two years ago we stayed at the Rajvilas. Since we had made our reservation through using AMEX corporate travel services, when we got to the hotel we were offered a free upgrade from the regular room to the tent. We did walk through the tent and decided to stay with the regular room. The tent is beautiful, especially the bathroom, but certain parts of the ceiling waere too low (like a tent) and the room too congeted with beautiful furniture. We decided with the regular room and loved it. The regular room is beautifuly furnished and the bathroom is fabulous, overlooking a private garden. I think you should stick with the room, when you get there ask to see the tent and if you prefer the layout, pay the extra to be upgraded to the tent. We are going back next month and will stay in the regular room.

Thank you for your feedback Craig and Celeste. You confirmed what I was thinking: the regular rooms are so nice, no need to upgrade to a tent.
I think I will save the $100 extra per night at Rajvilas and put it towards an upgrade to a pool villa at Udaivilas.
Thanks again

HI Cruisinred,

I was at the Raj Vilas a couple weeks ago and I agree that the regular rooms are great and the upgrade unnecessary.

The rooms at the Udaivilas are MUCH bigger than the Raj Vilas and even nicer (although the staff is nowhere near as sophisticated as at the Raj Vilas.) The private courtyards and patios at the Udaivilas are really great.

Plan a great evening treat for yourself and take a swim in the Raj Vilas pool after dark. The pool is kept really warm (the only Oberoi property where they heat the pool decently), and they light these massive torches at the end of the pool. You will be all by yourself and it's incredible.

To answer your question from another post regarding the lake levels in Lake Pichola, the lakes will be full in April. All the lakes are brimming with water. It is really beautiful.

Thanks BostonHarbor. I really enjoyed your trip report.
The pool sounds lovely, although I don't think we will need to worry about it being too cold when we are there in May!
I emailed Udaivilas and they said they hope to have enough water in the lake to last a few years.

Cruisinred - just to give you another perspective, we stayed in the tents at Rajvilas this past December and thought the experience was one of the hotel highlights of our trip. It was a very romantic atmosphere and quite lovely to awaken each morning to peer up at the lovely draped fabric billowed above.

The tents are each stand-alone, so there is also a very private feel (you are not sharing space/walls with any other guests). The rooms also looked lovely so you can't go wrong -- it's just that if you are paying the huge price for the Rajvilas experience anyway, you might as well add the extra to have a special room that you could not have elsewhere. If you do decide to go for a tent, request one of the tents nearest the main lobby (there is a small group of tents there and the rest are a bit of a walk, which might not be as desirable).

Either way you will love Rajvilas -- the grounds are lovely, the spa superb and the staff wonderful!