- Jaipur
- (12)
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India
Jaipur is a bustling, hectic, dusty place full of history and culture so you need an oasis of calm at the end of a day's sight-seeing. Arya Niwas is just that.
We couldn't believe our luck at finding such a gem of a hotel among the hundreds on offer in Jaipur. We weren't the only ones, though, as it was hyper busy in reception with people coming and going... this was the only place in India (so far) where the staff on reception were fast, efficient and courteous. Checking in and out was easy and they helped us with transport and maps. A number of people seemed to be staying at the hotel on a long-term basis.
We stayed twice, with a trip to Agra in between (see my review of the Tourists Rest House there). We were offered a choice of rooms on our first visit, the super deluxe with a balcony and the deluxe without. The cheaper room was twice the size of the first, high-ceilinged and prettily decorated in Rajasthani style, with a bath and shower. It was high up on the roof, overlooking an atrium. To get to the restaurant we walked through a trickling water feature on the roof and peered over balustrading into the garden below. It was a lovely place to sit and relax.
Food here is from a self-service canteen (tip: take a pen and write out the order yourself - it'll be quicker and you are less likely to have mistakes in your order). The food was a little hit and miss, but mostly very good indeed. We ate in the garden under the stars at night and in the shade of the flowery border in the morning.
A great choice in a great city the Arya Niwas is so good we would go back again.
www.aryaniwas.com/hotelarya.html
Behind Amber Towers, Sansar Chandra Road,
JAIPUR - 302001 (INDIA)
+91 (141) 4073450
Google map: bit.ly/vlr8cc
During a two week trip in India back in November 2007 we stayed at the Samode Haveli in Jaipur. It's perfectly balanced, it has all the luxury you could want, matched with lots of heritage and charm. Probably the nicest hotel I've ever stayed in, a beautiful place.
samode.com/haveli/intro.html
Gangapol Rd, Jaipur, Rajasthan
+91(0)141 263 2407
it is a detailed blog about the city of Jaipur and its surroundings.
A mid range - ie £40 a night small hotel which is well located and which is super clean.
Difficult to overstate the friendliness of this place.
They will pick you up from the train station for free.
This hotel in Jaipur was a haven after a long train journey from Agra.
The staff are friendly and very helpful, they'll present you with a map of the area and tourist sites when you check in and no request is too difficult for them to fulfill.
The guest house has big rooms (most come with balconies), large comfy beds and hot running water (all the time) all for a low price. Most rooms are under 1000 rupees per night, but there are cheaper rooms on the ground floor (no windows). They also serve really good cheap food (and have room service), and have cheap internet and laundry services.
There's also a well maintained rooftop terrace which is nice for evening drinks. It's about 30 rupees from the train station by rickshaw.
Most people try to stay at the Hotel Pearl Palace in Jaipur, but trust me, this is as good an alternative.
opp. All India Radio, Jaipur, India
Don't let the disappointing City Palace in Jaipur put you off visiting the Amber Palace which is perched on a hill-top about 15 minutes' drive out of town. It is beautiful and huge, and full of interesting things to see. I hired a guide instead of the audio tour (but ignore the fake guides at the bottom of the hill, and make sure you talk to any potential guide for a while first to get a sense of how good they'll be) and it was one of my best experiences in Rajasthan.
Hire a taxi in Jaipur to take you.
This hotel has lovely rooms that include antique furniture and balconies, as well a huge bathroom that was completely black marble. We actually originally booked into the Umaid Bhawan, run by the same family but due to a problem with our room, we were relocated to the Umaid Mahal. However, we were allowed to use the pool at the Umaid Bhawan which was one of our main requirements as we knew the weather would be warm.
The staff were a bit indifferent (apart from the very friendly room cleaning man) but if asked, would organise what you wanted. Being left alone by the staff in some ways was a welcome break from constantly being asked where you were going and whether you wanted a lift (at a price of course !).
The location was in a quiet residential part of town which was about a 15 min drive into Jaipur but there were always autorickshaw drivers outside to take you where you wanted.
Umaid Mahal - A classic heritage castle
C-20 / B-2 Bihari Marg, Jai Singh Highway, Opp. Lane of K.P. Automotives,
Bani Park, Jaipur - 302016, Rajasthan (India)
Telephones : +91-141-2201952 / 2201954 Fax : +91-141-2204470
Email : info@umaidmahal.com
website : www.umaidmahal.com
I stayed over a week with this wonderful family in the Umaid Bhawan in Jaipur, India. I absolutely fell in love with it, as well as its sibling, the Umaid Mahal. The family is extraordinarily kind and giving, the facilities are wonderful, and do I even need to start on the food?
When you are in this hotel, you feel as if you are royalty. Everyone seems to know and be close with everyone, and servants are willing to wait on your every need.
I plan on coming back to India simply to visit this wonderful family and their luxurious hotel once again. Ranvijay, the hotel manager, will go to any length to see that you are satisfied with your stay in his hotel.
Visit the hotel, or at the very least, stop by simply to eat a meal on the rooftop of this castle.
Hotel Umaid Bhawan
D1-2A,Behind Collectorate, (Via) Bank Road, Bani Park,
Jaipur-302016, Rajasthan, INDIA
24-Hour Direct Line to Ranvijay: +91 9314503423
Hotel Lines: +91 (141) 2316184 / 2206426 / 2201276 Fax us: +91 (141) 2207445
Email us: info@UmaidBhawan.com
website : www.umaidbhawan.com
Hotel Pearl Palace has to be experienced to be believed.
Incrediably cheap - it cost me the grand total of just under £30.00 (room/food/drinks) for a four-day stay in a hotel which can only be described as a work of art.
The staff are wonderful (with a capital W) and, unlike the four-star hotel I stayed in Agra, who were hell bent on chiselling every last rupee out of me, they bend over backwards to ensure that you get a fair deal.
I cannot reccomend this hotel enough. I for one, will be returning as soon as I can.
Hari Kishan Somani Marg,
Hathroi Fort,Ajmer Road,
Jaipur - 302001.India
www.hotelpearlpalace.com/
A small textile museum dedicated to the ancient craft of hand block printing. Housed in a recently restored 400 year old haveli this museum has 3 floors of well kept displays, good information, friendly staff, a printing & wood block carving craftsman demonstrating on site, lovely clean toilets, an excellent small (fixed price) museum shop, & a cafe serving cafetieres of organic coffee. A quiet haven away from the hustle of the city & just a 10 minute walk through the quaint old town of Amber.
Anokhi Museum of Hand Printing, Anokhi Haveli, Kheri Gate, Amber.
Jaipur +91-141-2530226 / 2531267 www.anokhimuseum.com anokhi@handblockprinting.org
Check out Anokhi's museum and learn about unique aspects of hand printed textiles. Visit the link below to watch the video:
www.geobeats.com/videoclips/india/jaipur/hand-printing-museum
Open 10.30am - 5pm daily except Sundays 11am - 4.30pm
& Mondays Closed.
Entry fee rs 30 adults (concessions available for children/ students etc)
On arrival at the train station in Jaipur we got the usual pitch from the scooter taxi driver - give him is due he took us to our original hotel to compare, but there was no contest once we saw what we got at Shahpura House in comparison. Great place to stay.
Contact: Mr. Virendra Singh
tel: +91 141 2203392
fax :+91 141 2201494
email: shahpurahouse2@yahoo.co.in, shahpurahous@usa.net;
www.shahpurahouse.com
My new favourite hotel in the world!
The building itself is beautiful; a small, gorgeously restored haveli with astonishing attention to detail (handpainted fresco walls that have to be redone after every monsoon), and a great pool.
The food is fantastic, the chef will listen to anything you have to say, then knock up something wonderful (ask him for his excellent off-the-menu Rajasthani thali, only Rs300 for 2).
But it's the staff that make this jewel of a place so special; they're kind and caring and friendly and considerate, especially Abdul, the head houseboy and Hanuman his sidekick.
They don't yet have a drinks licence, but there's a beer shop around the corner, and the guys don't mind you bringing it into the hotel at all; there's a fridge in each room. Plus, there's plans for a bar in a few months.
So good we went back again a week later! Note, the website pics were taken before the pool was built.
Is this your business?Search Been there
