From the comfort of HRH hotels room, watch the sun burst through a curtain of crimson, swirling across the drowsy dawn sky above Udaipur massive citadel. Four centuries old, it looks exactly as a palace should: immense, impressive, imposing - the very picture of majesty. Yet we hardly suffer in its shadow. Munching grapes and dates, we snuggle on exquisitely embroidered pillows by the bay windows of the HRH hotels. We feel like king and queen—appropriate because this 250-year-old palace has always served royalty. And we have been on Cloud Nine since checking into our capacious, chandelier-bedecked suite, once the sitting room of a princess.
Converted to a hotel in 1961, the Lake Palace instantly became one of the world's most famed inns. Real kings and queens flocked to this floating palace, along with Hollywood royalty like Vivian Leigh and Sean Connery. It was Roger Moore, though, who cemented the Lake Palace's place in the collective consciousness by using the heavenly hotel and its surreal setting for the fantasy island retreat in 007's Octopussy.
Still, majestic Rajasthan can make such slights seem trivial. The one-of-a-kind HRH Group of Hotels sets a lofty standard, but in India's wild western state rajasthan, kingly living is commonplace. Nearly every hill is lined with a stone wall leading to the local version of Camelot. The castles are only part of the allure of this historic land, named for the Rajputs, warrior clans that ruled scores of kingdoms for centuries. With a highly evolved code of chivalry and honor, they were often likened to the Knights of the Round Table. Indeed, there is more than a bit of King Arthur-style enchantment in this storybook realm of castles, swords and camels.
The desert backdrop only makes the population more mesmerizing. Women sport scarves and sarongs in every color under the sun. Men don plain white robes, but top them off with turbans in luminescent shades of yellow, red, orange and maroon. And every Rajasthan male prides himself upon possessing the state's signature facial feature: a magnificent, thick, wavy mustache.
Visits to Rajasthan, Udaipur city, the state's best tourist destination hotels city is India's major tourist route. Nicknamed the Kashmir of Rajasthan, Udaipur is a city of Dawn, is a lovely land around the azure water lakes, hemmed in by the lush hills of the Aravalis. A vision in white drenched in romance and beauty, Udaipur is a fascinating blend of sights, sounds and experiences - Udaipur is the jewel of Mewar - a kingdom ruled by the Sisodia dynasty for 1200 years..
As befits a major tourist destination city, Udaipur claims a surfeit of palaces, resorts and hotels, including some of the best Hotels in India: Shiv Niwas Palace Hotel, Fateh Prakash Palace Hotel, Shikarbadi Hotels and Garden Hotel of HRH Group are the best of them. Shiv Niwas Palace has been awarded the 'Heritage Award for Excellence' in 1997-98 and the National Tourism Award for the best heritage hotel in 'Heritage Grand' category 1998-99 and 2000-01 by the Department of Tourism, Government of India. Elegantly appointed suites with private terraces, choice Indian and continental fare, a friendly pool-deck, a treasure-trove of souveniers and precious gems, a Scottish Band, this former royal guest house has all this and more to make your visit to Shiv Niwas Palace Hotel Udaipur memorable.
The palace still sets the tone, treating guests to the splendors that defined the Raj of old. There are puppet shows for children on the lush lawns, and guests can trundle the grounds in old royal carriages or marvel at architectural oddities like a dance floor on springs. The Shikarbadi, which was formerly one of the hunting lodges of Royal Families of Mewar transformation into a hotel has a private air strip and houses one of the oldest polo fields and cricket fields of Udaipur.
Part of the luxury of visiting Rajasthan is to stay in hotels and resorts. In Bikaner city of Rajasthan Gajner Palace was built on the banks of Gajner Lake by Sir Ganga Singhji, one of the greatest Maharajas of Bikaner, in the early decades of the twentieth century. The red sandstone palace is distinguished for its architectural grandeur and luxuriously appointed suites and rooms. The greenery at Gajner Palace, lawns and the chirping of birds and peacocks make it a truly memorable destination for leisure and corporate travellers.
The property manages to fuse modern conveniences such as hot showers and five-star dining with historic ambience. Who could resist a right royal pampering in a building fit for a king?
From the comfort of HRH hotels room, watch the sun burst through a curtain of crimson, swirling across the drowsy dawn sky above Udaipur massive citadel. Four centuries old, it looks exactly as a palace should: immense, impressive, imposing - the very picture of majesty. Yet we hardly suffer in its shadow. Munching grapes and dates, we snuggle on exquisitely embroidered pillows by the bay windows of the HRH hotels. We feel like king and queen—appropriate because this 250-year-old palace has always served royalty. And we have been on Cloud Nine since checking into our capacious, chandelier-bedecked suite, once the sitting room of a princess.
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