The Umaid Bahwan Hotel takes you back in time. The opulent decor coupled with with abundant old photos on the walls give a glimpse of what it would be like to have lived there. On entering the hotel a porter catches my bag as I walk past a sheltered swimming pool looking cool and inviting. The foyer has a telephone room, computers and immediate wifi connection to the internet. Past this is a nostalgic reception area, leading to a lawn court yard. The room I occupy has beautiful entwined leaves painted around the ceiling, a fresh cotton cover on the wide wooden bed and leads on to a sheltered balcony. There is a safe, a fridge and the bathroom has all needed for a relaxing stay. A surprise was morning yoga classes, which I followed with a buffet breakfast overlooking the Jaipur morning from the exotic roof top restaurant. My stay was enhanced by the caring and friendly service and my lasting memories of the Umaid Bahwan Hotel contain a smile as big as India.
The lovely decor, the excellent restaurant and the friendly service
I BOOKED VIA THE INTERNET AND CONFIRMED TWICE. WHEN WE ARRIVED OUR ROOMS WERE NOT AVAILABLE AND WE HAD TO SHARE. THIS WAS AN OMEN OF THINGS TO COME. WE MOVED ROOMS THE NEXT DAY AND I WAS NOT GIVEN THE ROOM I HAD CONFIRMED. I ALSO CHECKED BEFORE WE ARRIVED IF ANY RENOVATION WAS GOING ON WHEN WE WOULD BE THERE I WAS SPECIFICALLY TOLD NO. THIS WAS A LIE. THE PLACE HAD EXTENSIVE RENOVATION GOING ON. MY ROOM WAS ON THE GROUND FLOOR AND WAS 6 FEET FROM A RUBBISH DUMP THAT HAD OPENED PLASTIC BAGS ETC FULL OF RUBBISH. DISSAPOINTINGLY MY FRIEND HAD £60 POUNDS STOLEN FROM HIS LOCKED ROOM. I ASKED THE MANAGER AT LEAST 6 TIMES TO FIND OUT TRAIN TIMES FOR US WHICH HE FAILED TO DO, HE ALSO SENT ME TO A TRAVEL AGENT TO BUY TRAIN TICKETS. THE AGENT DID NOT SELL TRAIN TICKETS. HE ALSO GAVE ME INCORRECT INFORMATION ABOUT TRAIN TIMES. THE OWNERS WERE SURLY MISERABLE AND ARROGANT. THE MOTHER LOOKED LIKE SHE WOULD EXPLODE WITH ANGER ANY SECOND. INSPITE OF THE GOOD PICS ON THE WEBSITE THIS PLACE IS NOT A GOOD PLACE TO STAY. YOU CANNOT RELY ON WHAT THEY SAY.
THE FACADE HIDES THE GLARING DEFECTS STAFF WHO DO NOT GIVE ACCURATE INFORMATION INSECURE VALUABLES IN ROOMS CONFIRMATION OF ROOMS MEANS NOTHING
Umaid Bhawan is a the family mansion-turned-inn of a local family that has owned the property for 100 years or so. It was the perfect combination of local accommodations and comfort and it was one of the most well cared for private properties that I saw in India with amazing painting and furniture throughout. Top that off with a roof deck that served tea or dinner as the sun set over Jaipur and it made for the most lovely setting.
One note - the beds were relatively hard, as they are even in the western hotels in India and the shower, like most small hotels in India, had to be heated via the in bathroom water tank. While it is not what we are used to in the U.S. it was a small accommodation to make for such a wonderful environment that provided a calm retreat in the middle of a very bustling city.
Rajastani architecture and furnishings - all meticulous. Fabulous local food made in the roof-top kitchen. Roof patio that looked out over Jaipur. Great service and a friendly staff.
We scheduled to stay in Jaipur for 4 nights so that we could avoid staying in Delhi for longer than absolutely necessary on our return leg and we could not have picked a better place in Jaipur to stay. Its a great middle-of-the-road place to stay without going broke. Its close to the centre of the town but away enough not to avoid the noise and chaos. The standard double that we got was a little small, but well fitted, comfortable and clean. Service by staff and management were good. Thr roof top restaurant was quaint and well decorated. The food was good enough for us to have our breakfast and dinner there everyday. We ended up staying here for 5 nights because one of us eventually succumbed to acute stomach and bowel problems. A call to the manager at 5.45am, resulted in the doctor calling us back at 6am and at our room by 6.30am. We were impressed and grateful beyond words to the resident manager (RanVijay) and the highly experienced (30 years) and well regarded doctor, Dr, Chandra Sen of Galundia Clinic, Jaipur. The hotel has two PCs for internet use for a reasonable rate and a pool to cool off after a day of sightseeing. The interior of the hotel is richly decorated in typical Rajasthan fashion. A great insight. Every wednesday a puppet performance with live Rajasthani music is catered for close to the pool area, but we think you probably will need to pay to watch this - we were too tired to bother even though it was right below our front window (we were on the 2nd floor). This is a place we would recommend to anyone choosing to stay in Jaipur for any given period and it was excellent value for money.
on March 29, 2009
on February 2, 2007
on October 29, 2007
on July 23, 2007
