Rambagh Palace

Rambagh began in 1835 as a garden house for a royal wet nurse, grew into a hunting lodge, and by 1925 had become the principal residence of the Maharaja of Jaipur. Man Singh II and Gayatri Devi lived here through the mid-twentieth century, and their photographs still line the corridors.

Forty-seven acres of formal Mughal-influenced gardens surround the building, with peacocks that treat the lawns as their own. The rooms range from historic suites once occupied by the royal family to garden-facing chambers with hand-painted detail and marble bathrooms. The Suvarna Mahal dining room is a full-blown gilded banqueting hall; the Polo Bar keeps the memory of the maharaja's celebrated team.

The hotel sits south of the walled Pink City, an easy drive from Hawa Mahal, the Jantar Mantar observatory and the Amber Fort. A vintage Rolls-Royce and horse-drawn carriage are kept for guests who want the full period arrival.