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Palaces, forts and castles:
Rajasthan is famous for its superb palace hotels. The bulk of Rajasthan's maharajas have had to turn their palaces into hotels to make ends meet. The most renowned are Udaipur's beautiful "Lake Palace Hotel" and "Shiv Niwas Palace Hotel", "Jaipur's Rambagh Palace", and the "Umaid Bhawan Palace" in Jodhpur. However. One does not have to spend a fortune to stay in a palace - there are plenty of former royal abodes, which are more moderately priced. Many of these are known as "Heritage Hotels", and they include "havelis" (traditional mansions), forts and hunting lodges. Many tourist offices have a brochure listing Heritage Hotels. For more information contact the Heritage Hotels Association of India ((
0141-2374112, fax 2372084 in Jaipur).
Hotel Tariffs:
Most hotel tariffs will have risen by the time you read this (the increase can be anything from 5% to 50%). Many hotels whack an additional tax (unusually about 10%) on top of their advertised room rates. This extra charge goes by various names including: luxury tax, service tax, sales tax, extra tax or just plain old 'tax'. On the plus side, many offer discounts of 25% to 40% in the low season (May to August).
Tourist Bungalows:
The Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation (RTDC) operates a network of hotels called "tourist bungalows" around the state. Once upon a time they were top value, but those days have long gone - the fabric and services of most have severely deteriorated. The Tourist Reception Centre is often in the RTDC's hotel premises.
Home-Stay Accomodation:
Staying with an Indian family can be enriching education, and Rajasthan's home-stay accommodation (known as the Paying Guest House Scheme) gives you the opportunity to do just that. The scheme, which is administered by the RTDC, operates in most major towns. The price varies depending on the level of facilities offered (it's primarily aimed at the budget end of the market). The tourist offices have comprehensive lists of the participating families.
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