Indira Gandhi, prime minister of India, abolished the title and privileges of maharajas in 1971. Even without a title, most royal families are still wealthy and respected members of their local society. After the country’s independence in 1947, royal families struggled to cover the maintenance costs of the royal residences. They decided to convert them into luxurious hotels. Thus, any visitor has now the chance to literally move into the home of a maharaja and enjoy this unique experience in one of the amazing “Heritage Hotels” in India.
The former royal palaces have been embraced by the HRH (Historic Resort Hotels) hotel brand. They offer a royal treat to visitors in a unique environment, and they are considered landmarks of their city.
Rambagh Palace hotel, Jaipur – a popular venue of royal events
Royal chariots or even a small train (!) carry the hotel guests around the immense park decorated with flowers and colorful fountains where peacocks roam around. They converted the personal chambers of the maharaja into hotel rooms in 1957. Far from the hustle and bustle of the pink city, Jaipur, the visitor arrived in a peaceful atmosphere. Rambagh Palace was originally built for the wet nurse of Ram Singh II.
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Later the royal family converted it into a royal guesthouse and hunting lodge. Finally, it was occupied by the Maharaja Man Singh II, the world’s best polo player of his time, and his wife, Gayatri Devi, one of the most beautiful women in the world. So it’s no surprise that it is the only hotel in the world with a polo field as this sport is still the most beloved hobby of the royal families. Imagine the lavishing parties. Less than 100 years ago, the Jaipur royal family enjoyed their best time hunting, polo-playing, and celebrating with the greatest splendor.
The palace houses the best fine-dining restaurants of Jaipur and a French-style ballroom with huge crystal chandeliers built in the 18th-century. It is a popular choice for extravagant, luxurious weddings for the wealthiest of India.
Price per night ~ 300$/night
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Umaid Bhawan Palace hotel, Jodhpur – one of the most famous heritage hotels in India
Absolutely no wonder that they repeatedly elected it as the best hotel in the world. Located on the highest point of Jodhpur, „the blue city”, it overlooks the Mehrangarh Fort, the former royal residence of the Rathore Dynasty.
What makes it especially unique is that the royal family still lives right next door inside the complex, and it is one of the world’s biggest private residences. The grandfather of the current maharaja, Umaid Singh, the last king of the Rathore dynasty, ordered to construct the palace to provide a job for thousands of people during the famine in the 1920s. The palace, built out of yellow sandstone abundant in the region, is not similar to any other royal residences. The architect, Henry Lanchester designed it in an art-deco style. The construction took 15 years and made it the last palace built before India’s independence in 1947.
The palace houses a family museum and displays a vintage collection of precious cars that visitors can rent as well.
In 2018, Tripadvisor’s Traveller’s Choice award named it the best hotel in India.
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Gajner Palace, Thar desert
The Gajner Palace hotel is a less-known heritage hotel in India. It has a special location at the lakeside near the Thar desert, 30kms from Bikaner, in the Western part of India. Taking a boat ride or participating in a desert safari is a popular activity. The palace was primarily a hunting resort during British rule, and the remnants of the old railway station that linked the hotel to the Bikaner palace is still seen.
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Laxmi Vilas, Bharatpur – one of the most affordable heritage hotels in India
It is maybe less known, but it has all the royal charms of the others. Bharatpur city is not far from Agra that is overwhelmed by tourists visiting the iconic monument, the Taj Mahal. It was built in 1887 for Raja Raghunath Singh, the younger brother of Bharatpur’s ruler, Maharaja Ram Singh. Laxmi Vilas Palace opened its doors to welcome guests in 1994. The king of Nepal, the Shah of Iran, and Afghanistan took a visit to this hotel. The furnishings, paintings, and photographs of the palace remind you of the old days of Bharatpur.
It is an ideal choice when you want to visit the Bharatpur bird sanctuary, now listed as UNESCO heritage, but once served as the duck hunting area of maharajas.
Three iconic heritage hotels are all located in Udaipur city at the lake Pichola, so close to each other that you can see all of them at the same time.
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Taj Lake Palace, Udaipur – the iconic heritage hotel
A wooden boat takes the hotel guests to the amazing hotel located in the middle of the artificially created Pichola lake. From the marble platform, the view of the 400 years-old City Palace of Udaipur is jaw-dropping.
Udaipur was founded in 1553 by Udai Singh II as the capital of the Mewar dynasty. Due to the number of lakes surrounding the city, it is also called the „Venice of India”.
The Taj Lake Palace is India’s most iconic and probably most famous hotel. It looks like a white vision reflecting in the lakebed. The former summer palace of the royal family of Mewar consists of several salons and courtyards connected with arched galleries. Jagat Singh II built the palace in the 18th century to enjoy his time with royal ladies and host spectacular parties. The family decided to convert it into a hotel in the 1950s. In 1971, India’s famous Taj hotel brand took over the management and extended the hotel.
During the first rebellion against British rule in 1857, several European families fled to Udaipur, where Maharana Swaroop Singh offered them asylum. He ordered all the boats to be destroyed so that the Indian rebels could not get to the island. This is a well-known story linked to the palace’s past.
The rooms have marble floors, Rajasthani-style furniture, a silver swing, and colored glass windows that project a unique light in the room.
It became known worldwide thanks to the Bond movie, the Octopussy, in the 1980s. Roger Moore, alias James Bond swims up to the floating palace only inhabited by women. Since then, plenty of celebrities have stayed in the hotel, including Jackie Kennedy, Hillary Clinton, Angelina Jolie, Beyonce and Queen Elisabeth II.
In 2018 it gave a home to one of the world’s most expensive weddings. The currently most famous Indian businessman, Mukesh Ambani’s daughter’s wedding reception lasted for a whole week, and the Ambani family took over 5 whole hotels for the event. All that cost 100 million USD.
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Shiv Niwas Palace, Udaipur
The hotel is part of the City Palace complex of Udaipur, the former residence of the Sisodia royal family.
The hotel palace dates back to the beginning of the 20th century. Its 3 levels are arranged in an unusual semicircular shape around an inner courtyard with a marble pool in the middle. The interior features ivory and mother-of-pearl inlay work, glass mosaics and frescoes. The palace was exclusively used to host prominent guests. It still preserves the original furniture and portraits of the royal family. The Udaipur City palace encompasses 2 heritage hotels, the Shiv Niwas and the smaller Fateh Prakash hotel.
Shiv Niwas opened its doors after four years of construction in 1982. It was built on top of a ridge enclosed by massive walls giving it a fort-like appearance. George V British ruler, Edward Prince of Wales, Queen Elisabeth II, the royal family of Nepal, the Shah of Iran, and also Jacqueline Kennedy were some of the VIP guests of the palace. The royal family lives right next door in the adjoining Shambhu Niwas. You have to check the marble fountain to know if the maharaja is at home; if it is on then His Highness is in residence. it is definitely on the list of the most famous heritage hotels in India.
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Jagmandir Island Palace, Udaipur
Similar to the Taj Lake Palace, Jagmandir looks as if it was directly rooted in the Lake Pichola, appearing as a white marble vision. It regularly makes headlines with its luxurious mega-parties and the participating celebrities.
According to the popular story, the Mughal Prince, Khurram sought refuge in a palace here in 1623 that inspired him later as king Shah Jahan to build the magnificent Taj Mahal in Agra. People say when the garden is illuminated and decorated for the parties, and folk dancers enter the scene, it shows up as a “garden in heaven”.
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The complete list of Heritage Hotels in India: https://www.heritagehotelsofindia.com/
If you had the chance to stay in one of the heritage hotels please share with us.
by Agnes Simigh
I’m a passionate tour guide and travel writer, who is curious to discover places that seldom catch the attention of the media or that are misrepresented. My goal is to inspire you to choose off-the-beaten-track destinations by sharing objective and detailed information. I believe that it is mainly the lack of “intel” that keeps us away from incredible places. And that just shouldn’t be the case.
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