Samode Palace - Jaipur, India 

My girlfriend and I stayed at this hotel during our recent holiday to India and it was our base when we toured Jaipur. I hadn't realised when booking, that this hotel was not in Jaipur, so when our driver informed us as we were driving through Jaipur that it was still a further hour away, I was a little surprised and at first disappointed. Had we known this, we would almost certainly have chosen a hotel in Jaipur and missed out on the experience of a lifetime. The approach to the hotel is up a narrow winding cobbled road. The hotel itself is surrounded by hills and overlooked by a fort. The hotel is a former palace and everything about it takes your breath away. With many of the heritage style hotels we stayed in, we found that the public areas were often better kept than the private ones. This was not the case here. The room we had (well suite really) was well equipped and tastefully decorated with pictures (presumably) of former occupants of the palace adorning the walls. The bathroom was huge with two basins, a slipper bath and spacious shower cubicle. I would say that this is probably the best accommodation I have had at any hotel anywhere in the world (and that includes London's Dorchester). My girlfriend and I spent the first half hour of our stay walking around taking photos and going 'wow'! If I had to say anything negative about it, it would be that the a la carte menu was not as extensive as I would have liked. I think they may be trying to cater for all cuisines, and as a result, the choices of each style are somewhat limited. Prices are expensive, but not overly so, but then you get what you pay for. One other note of caution would be that if you have mobility problems or are disabled, then this place is probably not for you as there are no lifts and no wheelchair ramps due to the nature of the building. If you are prepared for the hour's drive back to Jaipur, and the hotel is within your budget, then I would definitely recommend staying here.

I stayed for one night at the Samode Palace with my boyfriend in late-November 2007 at the end of a week long “Golden Triangle” tour of India. In terms of character and charm it is the best hotel I have ever stayed in, and I have been travelling for over 20 years so I’ve stayed in quite a few hotels. Rooms: The hotel has a two sections, i.e. the “newer” and “original” parts. All the rooms are different shapes, sizes and have different d?cor. We stayed in room number 215 which was in the “original” part of the hotel. (Photos to be posted later when my boyfriend gets round to sending me copies of them). As our stay was part of a tour booked through Kuoni, we didn't get to choose our specific room. However, the room we were given by our tour guide (who checked the group in) was absolutely lovely and was really charming. It had a great big wooden-framed bed, with lots of pillows and was so comfortable, it was like being at home in your own bed. On one side of the room there were tiny windows with shutters and you could look down into the courtyard below. The room was also furnished with good quality furniture such as settee, wardrobe, desk and also had a TV and tea/coffee making facilities. The bathroom was breathtaking. It had a large bath with mosaic tiles and a monsoon style shower over it with a marble sink surround. Although we were only staying for one night, I managed to fit in two showers just so I could use the monsoon shower as much as possible. This room is located two floors up overlooking the open air courtyard. Outside the room is a seating/terrace area where you can enjoy a cup of tea and the warm Indian sunshine. If you are elderly, or have problems with stairs then you would need to request a room on the ground floor as there are no lifts in this hotel, and even our younger legs ached after walking up the stairs to get to our room. Pools: The hotel has two pools. The original pool was closed for repair/maintenance whilst we were there, but its surroundings and tiled decor is beautiful. The new pool is a stunning infinity pool, with a wooden deck and very comfortable loungers. It has views of the countryside surrounding the hotel. There is also an outdoor Jacuzzi next to the infinity pool. Food: Because we were in a tour group and this was our final evening, we all ate together at the barbeque. The food was good, and I had no complaints about it. There was also entertainment provided (of the “ladies dancing whilst balancing pots on their head” variety). Take time to have a look around the hotel, in particular the beautiful hall of mirrors and the banqueting hall. We took the optional afternoon “camel buggy” tour, which takes you down through Samode village and onto the sister-hotel Samode Bagh (which has tented accommodation) for afternoon tea on the lawn. Which was absolutely delightful. We also had a quick look at the tented accommodation, which was of a very high standard. The “tents” actually consist of a walled room with a canvas roof and were unique and stylish. We had a little time in the morning before we checked out and we wandered down into village to give out all the shampoos, soaps etc that we’d collected from all the hotels we stayed at during our tour. We gave these out to the children in the village. After they had run off with their ‘booty’ they all came back and asked the English speaking guide who was with us to explain what each item was for, so we mimed face washing for the soap/shower gel, and hair washing for the shampoo. If you intend to give anything out in India, do be aware that it can get a bit heated and you will find yourself quickly surrounded by a crowd of children all eager to get hold of something. It is all quite harmless though. Our only complaint would be that we didn’t have longer in this hotel. If you have the opportunity and can afford it, spending a night at this hotel is well worth it. It is a wonderful and unforgettable experience.