Umaid Bhawan Palace

An Absolutely Unbelievable Stay at Umaid Bhawan Palace This trip to India has, by far, been one of the most unbelievable trips of my life. Every place we’ve stayed has been magnificent, but Umaid Bhawan Palace is hands down the most unbelievable, luxurious, top-notch, regal place I have ever stayed. There are honestly no words to describe this place, but I’m going to try. The first thing you need to understand is that you are literally staying in a palace that is still partially lived in by the royal family. You genuinely feel like a guest of the royal family. From the moment we arrived, the experience was completely surreal. We were greeted with traditional music, flowers, drinks, and a huge Indian-style umbrella to keep us shaded while we were welcomed onto the property. It was one of those arrivals where you immediately think, Wow. We’re really here. And then they upgraded us—which was incredible, especially considering we had booked through Booking.com. The property itself is beyond spectacular. You really don’t need to leave. In fact, you probably won’t want to. The grounds are enormous and unbelievably beautiful, with peacocks everywhere and wildlife throughout the property. Walking around felt almost like being on a safari. There were peacocks, chipmunks, pigeons, and all kinds of birds. At one point, doing yoga at 7 a.m. surrounded by all of this, I felt like I was in an Ace Ventura movie. It was absolutely iconic. Our room was magnificent—huge, incredibly comfortable, and beautifully appointed. The bed was one of the best we slept in during our entire trip, with exceptional linens and every detail you would expect from a palace of this caliber. And the service was next level. After our spa treatments, we returned to our room to find our hot tub filled with rose petals. It was such a thoughtful and incredibly romantic touch for my partner and me. Speaking of the spa, the treatment was one of the best spa experiences I’ve ever had. I did a two-hour treatment that included being wrapped in oils and lotion, a 20-minute head massage, a full massage, a bath, and a shower. It was absolutely incredible. The steam room and sauna were also fantastic. Dinner was another experience altogether. We sat on the balcony, and the service was incredibly personal. The chef came out to check on us, the bartender came out to check on us, and everyone seemed genuinely invested in making sure we were having an amazing evening. Our bartender, Aaryan, deserves a special mention. He was one of the coolest people we met during our entire trip. After dinner, he took us into the trophy room and gave us a fascinating history of the collection. He then created specialty cocktails specifically for us, brought them to our room, and even greeted us the next morning with another cocktail before we left. That kind of personal attention is what makes a stay truly unforgettable. The next morning, I woke up early for the 7 a.m. yoga session. Being able to walk the grounds and do yoga surrounded by peacocks and all the other wildlife was an experience I’ll never forget. And then there was breakfast. It was absolutely divine. Our server, Karan, was fantastic. He checked on us constantly, making sure everything was perfect. The juices were incredibly fresh—I had never really had watermelon juice before, despite loving watermelon, and it was fantastic. The chef came out and greeted us as well. What impressed me most was how genuinely attentive everyone was. They knew when we were leaving and came over to say how sorry they were that we were going. They basically said, Let’s make your remaining three hours here as special as possible. And they did. Rudresh, who I believe is the general manager, also came out to check on us and asked if there was anything we needed for the rest of our trip. As we were leaving, the staff even gifted us hats and bracelets. It was just another incredibly thoughtful touch. One thing I would point out for anyone planning a trip to Jodhpur: Umaid Bhawan Palace is not particularly close to the center of town. So if your priority is exploring Jodhpur and being close to the sights and restaurants, I would recommend staying at another hotel for part of your trip. We actually stayed at another wonderful property before coming here, and I think mixing the two experiences is a great way to do Jodhpur. But Umaid Bhawan is different. This is a property where you don’t want to leave. We could have easily spent an entire week here. Unfortunately, we only had one night, although the incredible thing is that they packed so much into that one night that it felt like we had been there much longer. Yes, this is going to be a more expensive hotel than many of the other incredible places you can stay in India. But compared with what you would pay for this level of luxury, service, history, and experience in the United States, it is still an unbelievable value. This wasn’t just a hotel stay. It was an experience. It was regal. It was romantic. It was surreal. It was incredibly luxurious without ever feeling cold or impersonal. If you are going to Jodhpur, stay here. Seriously. Stay here. There are hotels that are beautiful, hotels that are luxurious, and hotels with incredible service. And then there is Umaid Bhawan Palace. Absolutely unforgettable.

Arriving from Jaisalmer, staying at Umaid Bhawan in Jodhpur, prior to proceeding to Ranakpur, Kumbhalgarh & Udaipur, was special. Highlights of Umaid Bhawan included: Having a personal assistant and palace tour expert, Sikandar, attend to us all 3 days of our stay. A super comfortable room with peacock noises, and birds, just so peaceful to retreat from the hustle and bustle of the market, and the amazing Fort of this Blue city of Rajasthan. Having a breakfast super spread choice of buffet or a la carte, and having breakfast overlooking the Mehrangarh Fort, was just breathtaking. If you are looking for luxury while at Jodhpur, Umaid Bhawan has no equal.

Our stay at Umaid Bhawan Palace, Jodhpur, was an absolutely amazing and memorable experience. From the moment we arrived, everything felt truly royal, and the beautiful palace, its heritage, and the overall hospitality made the stay very special. The service throughout our stay was excellent. Everyone we interacted with was extremely kind, supportive, and helpful. The restaurant manager, the restaurant team, and all the support staff were very welcoming and made sure we were comfortable and well taken care of. A special mention to Sikander Singh, who made our experience even more memorable. He personally helped us explore and understand the Umaid Bhawan Palace and gave us a wonderful tour of the property. He was extremely knowledgeable, friendly, and patient, and also took some amazing photographs of us, which we will cherish as memories of our stay. The palace itself is breathtaking, and experiencing it from the inside while staying there was truly a once-in-a-lifetime feeling. We thoroughly enjoyed every moment of our stay and were left with some wonderful memories. Overall, it was a pleasant, luxurious, and truly royal experience, with exceptional hospitality and wonderful people. We would absolutely love to visit Umaid Bhawan Palace again and highly recommend it to anyone looking for a memorable stay in Jodhpur.

Amazing royal experience which will be cherished by me and my wife forever. Each and every moment was made very special for us....right from grand entry at the palace with drums and canopy, rajashthani folk music welcoming us, grand and luxurious room, specially curated delicious food, amazing hospitality by each and every staff, peacocks in royal garden, palace tour, etc. made our tour a really memorable. Sikander ji and other staff went an extra mile to take amazing pictures spending more than half an hour with us. Really, will miss these days!!!!

The location is the best in the city. Atmosphere was amazing. Rooms are great. Aman, Saddique, Chef Gourav, Shashank, Rudresh, Jabar, Yuvraj and all the other supporting staff took a lot of care for us during all our meals at the restaurant. Thanks to everyone there! Malvika, Sangram and other people at the reception did a fantastic task! Rameshwar, Mohan, Chain Singh thanks for welcoming gestures! The guide, Sikandar Singh was knowledgeable and showed us the place in a very interesting way! Musicians in the central dome were always in their element! Also, the flute person during breakfast. At the pool, Sarwan, Vikram, Nafeez, Ravinder did a good job! Gajendra Gurjar helped us with what we needed to play any sport! To end, it was a perfect time for me and my family!