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

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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

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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.

www.jasvilas.com/

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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

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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

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