Umaid Bhawan Palace, Jodhpur

The Umaid Bhawan Palace is one of the largest private residences in the world and one of Asia's youngest palaces. The palace was run by a family of Rathores from the erstwhile state of Jodhpur. It won't be wrong to say that Umaid Bhawan is a curious blend of identities, with a rich individuality that hides behind its five star hotel facade. The palace has been designed by Edwardian architect Sir Henry Vaughan Lanchester. A strong colonial air can be felt in the air that surrounds the bhawan. There is a beautiful garden around the palace which is very much designed according to the Mughal architecture with a clean expanse of green, dressy white pavilion in the centre and symmetrically lined bushes. The management of the hotel recently has been taken by the Taj Hotels. The royal family leased part of their property in 1975 to ITC, who first established the hotel. Then came Aman resorts, but they had differences with the owners, who still inhabit a section of the palace. All the rooms of the palace have been refurbished and uniquely designed very much following the style of the 1930's.

History of the Umaid Bhawan Palace
Umaid Bhawan Palace has a fascinating history. The palace was built by Maharaja Umaid Singh and the history of it was contributed to his people. In fact the palace was constructed as a part of a famine relief programme. In the making the palace involved around 3,000 people and it took 15 years from 1929 to 1944 to complete the structure of the palace.
Umaid Bhawan – Accommodation and Tariff
The eaves and parapets of the Umaid Bhawan Palace are intricately carved, to a great extent they exhibit a pure amalgamation of the Rajput and Hindu traditions. The ceiling of the palace is about 105 ft high and is decorated with glass panels filtering in the changing direction of the sun. The most interesting things to see here is the outrageously black and gold painted oriental room that features murals of the Ramayana by Polish artist Stephen Norblin. Hotel Umaid Bhawan offers a wide variety of accommodation ranging from Standard rooms to Suites that suits perhaps every budget. The rooms are designed and furnished to display the skills and expertise of the Rajasthani artisans. There are 18 deluxe rooms, 6 luxury rooms, 28 regal suites, 10 royal suites, 1 grand royal suite and 1 presidential suite. All the rooms perfectly made to make the people feel at home even away from home.

Tariff

Deluxe single room	– Rs. 1100
Deluxe double room	– Rs. 1300
Royal Deluxe Single room	– Rs. 1600
Royal Deluxe Double Room	– Rs. 1800
Royal Suite double room	– Rs. 2800

Other Facilities

• Curved furniture
• Angular rooms
• Butler service
• LCD TV
• Well developed spa
• Most rooms have private balconies
• Attached European style bathrooms
• Direct cable television
• Running hot and cold water
• Direct dial telephone
• Study desks
• Room service
• 100% power backup

Restaurants
Umaid Bhawan has a delectable range of Indian cuisine on offer. The palace has also a number of good and quality restaurants like: The Trophy Bar, the Risala restaurant, the Marwar Hall, the Pillars restaurant and the Kebab Corner.