India (Frommer's, 4th Edition) (285 page)

Very Expensive

An alternative in this pricy category that you may want to consider (if you like your bling) is the
Raj Palace
(
0141/263-4077;
fax 0141/263-0489;
www.rajpalace.com
; from Rs 22,000 for a Heritage Double, Rs 32,000 for a Heritage Suite, Rs 52,000 for a Prestige Suite, and right up to Rs 600,000 for the Presidential Suite) The oldest mansion in Jaipur (1727), it is well placed right next to the city gate through which this palatial Haveli has a private entrance and has plenty of interesting amenities including an in-house cinema. A member of The Small Luxury Hotels of the World, rooms are suitably posh (each of which has its own display cabinet of museum-worthy artifacts) in elegant buildings that look as though they were converted from palace to hotel by an Indian Gianni Versace. Yet, while there’s gold, glitz, and glamour aplenty, we can’t understand exactly how it is positioned, and where trite, piped classical music fit in with a look that’s trying so hard to be bling.

Rajvilās
Rajvilās is one of those luxury hotels that is a destination in its own right, albeit along a rather industrial-looking road some distance from Jaipur’s center. With a budget of $20 million, no expense was spared in showcasing the fine craftsmanship typical of the region to create and decorate what is ostensibly a traditional fortified Rajasthani palace. Although it may not have the history of an original heritage hotel, it more than makes up for this with a level of comfort and luxury that is only matched by the better-located but more historical Rambagh Palace. Set amid 13 hectares (32 acres) of orchards, formal gardens, and decorative pools, accommodations are separate from the main fort (which houses the public spaces) in clusters of rooms—between four and six around each central courtyard—and a few luxury tents. all luxuriously decorated in a colonial style offset by Rajasthani elements (fabrics, textiles, and miniatures). Dining enjoys a well-deserved reputation; service throughout is of the renowned exceptional Oberoi quality.

Goner Rd., Jaipur 303 012.
800/5-OBEROI
[-623764] in the U.S. and Canada, or 0141/268-0101.
Fax 0141/268-0202.
www.oberoihotels.com
. 71 units. Rs 30,000 premiere double; Rs 36,000 luxury tent; Rs 80,000 royal tent; Rs 1,50,000 luxury villa (with pool); Rs 2,200,000 Kohinoor villa. 10% Taxes extra. AE, DC, MC, V.
Amenities:
2 restaurants; library/bar; airport transfers complimentary; babysitting; concierge; doctor-on-call; health club; helipad; 5-hole putting green; Internet (Rs 113 30 min.; Rs 225 60 min.; Rs 885 24 hr.); pool; room service; spa; 2 outdoor tennis courts; yoga. In room: A/C, TV, DVD player (complimentary access to CD and DVD library), minibar, villas have private pools, butler, sound system, Wi-Fi (30 min Rs 113; 60 min Rs 225; 24 hrs. Rs 885).

Taj Rambagh Palace
If you’re hell-bent on experiencing the blue blood of heritage properties, Rambagh Palace is both the largest and most elegant option in Jaipur, with every amenity you could wish for, and was voted best hotel in the
Condé Nast Traveler
’s Readers Choice Award 2009. Converted into a hotel in 1957, it remains a favorite of Bollywood stars and socialites. It’s where Jaipur royalty celebrates birthdays, and where the elite and Mayo princes gather to strike deals and cement friendships. A sense of grandeur accompanies every room (even in the simpler, more affordable luxury rooms), but if you want to feel as if you’re actually living in a royal apartment, opt for a “palace” room (no. 317 is just fabulous). Dining at the swish
Suvarna Mahal
is a grand affair (see review later). The kid-friendly drinking and dining venue,
Steam,
which inhabits an old train carriage, is novel but seems very out of place in the grand environment with its pizza oven and dated tartan carriages.

Sawani Sing Rd., Jaipur 302 005.
0141/221-1919.
Fax 0141/238-5098.
www.tajhotels.com
. [email protected]. 85 units. Rs 30,000 luxury double; Rs 40,000 palace double; Rs 83,000 historical suite; Rs 140,000 royal suite; Rs 195,000 grand royal suite. Taxes extra. AE, DC, MC, V.
Amenities:
3 restaurants; bar; airport transfers (Rs 500 pickup, A/C); butler service; concierge; cultural performances; doctor-on-call; health club; golf on request; indoor and outdoor heated pools; room service; spa and outdoor Jacuzzi; squash court; tennis; table tennis. In room: A/C, TV, electric fireplace; some suites have Jacuzzi; minibar, Wi-Fi (30 mins Rs 125; 1 hour Rs 200; 2 hours Rs 300; 3 hours Rs 600).

Expensive

A couple of heritage properties deserve a mention in this category, and none more so than the
Jai Mahal Palace
(Jacob Rd., Civil Lines;
0141/222-3636;
www.tajhotels.com
; Rs 18,000 luxury double). The hotel is architecturally splendid, with buildings dating from 1745, and it’s recently undergone a life-altering renovation that has made it even more comfortable and homely but somehow it cannot shake its tag as a local corporate hangout. The grounds are large and manicured, with a huge pool and tennis court. Guest rooms are bright, if a little compact, and dining venues funky (particularly the sultry, mauve
Cinnamon,
known as much for its cocktails as it is for its Indian cuisine), but it’s neither as grand as Taj Rambagh nor as romantic or authentic as Samode or Alsisar havelis (both of which offer better value for money).

Samode Haveli
This 200-year-old city mansion is well located (one of the few accommodations within the old walled city) and oozes authenticity, with higgledy-piggledy rooms of various sizes furnished in typical Rajasthani antiques and featuring pillars and cusped arches painted with traditional motifs, tiny colored-glass windows, marble floors, and deep alcoves for lounging. Accommodations all have newly renovated luxury bathrooms with tubs and separate showers; 106 has its own balcony and view of the courtyard. If you want to be close to the pool and garden book 116 through 120, which have porches and direct access. The most interesting rooms are those housed in the
zenana
(traditionally the part of the house where women were secluded), particularly the Sheesh Mahal Suite, in which every inch of wall and ceiling is covered in tiny glass mirrors or delicately executed miniature paintings—the effect in candlelight is not dissimilar to the celebrated Sheesh Mahal at nearby Amber Fort (though it’s worth mentioning that some find the extralow ceilings and numerous pillars claustrophobic).
Note:
At press time, there were plans to introduce nine more guest rooms and a new restaurant in an adjoining but quite separate property on the other side of the lawns. These promise to be newly renovated in a more modern classical style and may provide some lift to the old haveli style,