Deogarh Mahal

Beautiful heritage hotel with a lovely team to look after you. Heritage is definitely the emphasis in this hotel, including a self guided tour with no less than William Dalrymple in conversation with the current Rawat, Mr Veerbhadra Singh. The rooms are spacious in this vast property and the bathrooms are well equipped. Dinner on the upstairs terrace is wonderful and if you’re feeling adventurous you can walk from there up the highest point on the roof of the palace. My advice is to ask the staff to guide you. They are happy to help and if you’re very lucky you will get an opportunity to meet the gracious host and owner of the property Mr Singh.

· It was a beautiful setting with a lovely restored palace featuring old photos and plenty of authentic photos and paintings . It’s like taking a step back in history . The owner is so accommodating and happy to share many stories of the palace and his generational lineage . The rooms are large with marble decorated floors and it’s usually interesting to find them as you “maze “your way to them soaking in the many vistas of the palace . The palace was built for the maharajah and his wives and concubines so the staircases are narrow and always go clockwise from the ground so as security measures to only have one person enter at a time and then clockwise so it restricted the enemy from pulling out their swords . You could feel the history with each bend and turn . The rooftop plaza is beautiful for dining and the sunrise views are spectacular. The dining hall was the former swimming pool for the women of the palace . The village is safe to stroll through and get a feeling for authentic rural Rajasthan, watching the villagers come and gather round to buy their jewellery and others bartering for fresh herbs . They can also organise experiences like safaris, going for a picnic in a vintage car and steam vintage rail trip where you are guaranteed to see monkeys leap on the train from the outside . I wish we had stayed more than one night .

Beautiful authentic hotel in a former royal palace. Great apartment with a large sitting, sleeping, dressing and bathroom in colonial style. Friendly staff