4 Best Hotels in Pushkar, Rajasthan

Spread across 9 acres, Pushkar’s loveliest and most expensive hotel has an outdoorsy lodge feel and there are golf carts to get around. Many of the cottages, with their beehive-shape tiled roofs and cobblestone walls, have private side patios and open-air showers set in greenery. Rooms, furnished with delicately etched tree murals and rich silks, have an understated and modern elegance. There are better priced rooms in the main hotel building, but they lack locational charm.

In the best location in town, this charming, small palace, where all rooms open onto a pretty courtyard garden, sits above its own ghat (private stairs leading down to the lake) and has fabulous, panoramic views of Pushkar. Rooms and public areas are outfitted with antique furniture and mirrors from Rajputana's heyday and have enormous bathrooms---opt for a lake-view room. Suites are more attractive than the rooms. The hotel has a relaxed, sleepy vibe, so don't expect luxury service. The hotel restaurant, on a terrace overlooking the lake, serves Indian and continental fare, and has a small selection of baked goods. Built by the Maharaja of Jaisalmer, the palace was later presented to the Maharaja of Kishangarh.

The bearded guard, brandishing a spear and offering a salute as you arrive, is a good indication of the style of service at this mildly eccentric haveli-style hotel, with a promising view of the dunes outside Pushkar from some parts of the property. Rooms and bathrooms are furnished with period furniture and gray-streaked marble floors, quite like its sister property Pushkar Palace. Although not a heritage hotel, it is run by Khanpur Rajput rajas and the palace bearer--type service is a throwback to the royal era, as is the rich decor. The hotel has two wings located in manicured grounds with marble walkways and a couple of handicraft shops. You can opt to have afternoon tea or a meal alfresco by the central pool. Food is vegetarian, and main restaurant suffers from a lack of attention.

This eye-catching edifice in a delicate pink stone on a low hill is one of the first landmarks visible as you enter the outskirts of Pushkar town coming from Jaipur. Inside, vast expanses of marble and white gives a sensation of immense space and grandeur, and the stylish and modern rooms have a touch of Rajasthani flair and most have a swing (!) and balcony. The royal looking accommodations are large, though the complex is relatively new and is run by the Taj Group and focuses on service.