Top 5 palaces tuned luxury Resorts of Rajasthan

Rajasthan, formally known as Rajputana is a 3000 year old state which has witnessed bravery, heroism, love and battles. After the 1947 Indian independence the democratic government ruled out all kingshippowers and the royal families were left on their fate. Though at that periodRajasthan royalty were some of the richestpersons on this planet but still the cost of maintaining huge palaces would have fried them out in one year. So they took a smart step and entered the field of Hospitality.

Most Maharajas (Kings) of Rajasthan turned their palaces in star rated luxury hotels & resorts and today some of them are in the top 50 Hotels in the world, like the Udaipur Lake Palace. So if you want to experience the life of Maharajas than you should visit these 5 royal destinations along with top 5 palace turned resorts/ hotels in Rajasthan.

1. Jodhpur & Umaid Bhawan Palace

The second largest city of Rajasthan and once a princely capital of “Malwar Clan”, Jodhpur is astonishing. Jodhpur is also known as the “Sun City”as it’s always sunny and it merely gets any cloudy day. The main attraction of this city is the 347 room palace build in 1929 by Maharaja Umaid Singh. The motive behind building this huge palace was to show the strength of Malwar in whole Rajasthan.

The Palace isdivided in 3 parts. 1 part is a luxury hotel and other 2 are museum & residence of the royal family of Jodhpur. Some lucky guests are also allowed to have a dinner with the maharaja and his family and sometimes a small game of polo or cricket. Cost of accommodation in UmaidBhawan Palace is around 600$-3000$.

2. Bikaner & LaxmiNiwas Palace

Bikaner a popular city in Rajasthan but some of the entrepreneurs here has popularized the name of this city in whole India with a tasty snack name “BikaneriBhujia“. Bikaner was once the capital of mighty “Rajput Clan” and its founder is “Rao Bika” a Rajput ruler who built this city 15th century.

Today Bikaner of famous for three things. Camel research farm (NRCC) &Asia’s biggest camel farm,“BikaneriBhujia” and LaxmiNiwas Palace. LaxmiNiwas Palace is a mixture ofIndo-Saracenic style designed by the British architectSir Samuel Swinton and it took 4 years (1898 and 1902) to buildthis palace.

Once this palace was residence of king of Bikaner but now it’s a luxury hotel and one of the most popular tourist destinations of Bikaner. Some notable visitors of this palace are Prince and Princess of Wales, Stanley Reed (British Politician)etc.

3. Jaipur & Samode Palace

Jaipur is the capital of Rajasthan and it comes in the top 5 holiday destination in India (Source: about.com). There is so much to see in & nearby Jaipur like the City Palace which is the current residence of the Maharaja of Jaipur, Amer fort which receives 5000 visitors every day, Jal Mahal- a beautiful palace between the Man Sagarlake etc. One has to spend a minimum of 3-4 days in Jaipur to visit all the famous tourist destinations.

Samode palace was once a holiday house for the court members of Jaipur Empire. Today Samode Palace is a luxury resort and many Indian & Hollywood movies like The Far Pavilions have been filmed here. The structures of the rooms are so colorful that one can’t move away their eyes away from them.

Samode Palace is 40 Kms from the Jaipur city and is must see palace in Rajasthan.

4. Kalwar & Castle Kalwar

Kalwar is a small rural region 17 Kms away from Jaipur and the main attraction here is the 250 year castle. Castle Kalwar. The owner of this palace is a retired Indian Army officer and a member of the Jaipur royal family. Castle Kalwar is just on the foothills of Aravalli hill ranges and offers a luxury accommodation at decent price. The walls of this castle have beautiful paintings which reminds one of the victories of the royal family on their neighbors and Mughals. If you are looking for a calm morning where the voice of peacocks & sparrows act as the alarm bell then you should spend a night in Castle Kalwar.

5. Jaisalmer &Nachana Haveli

Jaisalmer is a city full with palaces, monuments and has royalty on every street. The city has seen many battles because of this the rulers of this city built a massive fort which became a stronger military base for centuries. Today Jaisalmer fort is the main attraction of the city & receives highest number of tourists every day. The fort is also known as the Golden Fort as its outer structure is of yellow sandstones and when the first light of sun touches the walls, the fort sparkles like gold.

Though the city has many palace hotels but one of the most attractive one is Nachana haveli. MaharajKesri Singh constructed this haveli (small palaces with cultural artifacts on every wall) & later it became the home to the Maharaja of Jaisalmer. This haveli turned to luxury hotel in 1996 and since then it has received travellers from all over the globe. The main attraction of this Haveli is the mixture of luxury accommodation & war weapons used as room décor. My recommendation will be to just have a look at those weapons; don’t play with them as they are real.

Rajasthan has hundreds of palaces turned hotels and they all have something unique in them. As for the above 5, they are my favourite.

Till than keep exploring.