Grab a slice of India's glorious past at these magnificent palace hotels

The gateway to India's regal heritage, the vintage art and architecture, anecdotes and ambience of heritage hotels offer a unique experience to those soaking into the country's culture

At Varanasi's Bhisasur Ghat, you are greeted and escorted to a ride on a Bajra or traditional wooden boat across the placid waters of the Ganga. It's the only way to get to the other side of the Darbhanga Ghat, where the magnificent hotel property called BrijRama Palace stands. Once you reach the shore, you receive a traditional welcome with tikka (vermillion) and a rudraksh mala. As you go up the elevator, you will hear accounts of how the lift, said to be the oldest in South Asia, was installed back in 1918 to help the king get to the second floor of the palace. And then there are tales of how this palace was built in 1812 and later acquired by Rameshwar Singh Bahadur, the King of Darbhanga, in 1915. You are then regaled to the sounds of bansuriya (bamboo flute) playing in the central courtyard and a live classical kathak performance with vintage paintings and architectural memoirs such as sandstone pillars in the backdrop. These were the trademark design influence of the Marathas who once ruled the city. In short, BrijRama Palace serves you Varanasi—or Banaras in colloquial—on a platter, not just through its legendary paan and banarasi thali, but through experiences such as the special hotel cruise to see the Ganga aarti, a tour of the Kashi Vishwanath temple, and a shopping experience at an in-house boutique showcasing the legendary Banarasi silk sarees with real gold and silver embroidery.

Here, tradition is celebrated in a contemporary context, be it in food, design or services. So while you won't get non-vegetarian fare or liquor because of the sacred nature of the place, you will get your fill of Thai, Chinese, Continental, Mexican and Italian food. Even in design, the current owners who took over two decades to restore the palace hotel have made the palace property relevant for modern-day lifestyle and living standards. Service is what remains unchanged. “At BrijRama Palace, our guests are not just travellers; they are our royal guests,” says Udit Kumar, Director, BrijRama Hospitality.

Welcome to the world of heritage luxury, a realm distinctly different from what you would experience in other typical luxury hotels. Here the past comes alive in design, architecture, interiors, food, dance and music, and you get a 360-degree panoramic experience of how the royals lived. 

The genesis
 

But it wasn’t always like this. “It was the visionary decision of His late Highness, Maharana Bhagwat Singh, to put these 'dead assets' to use which laid the foundations of heritage tourism in India," says Jyoti Jasol, a senior spokesperson from Eternal Mewar, The City Palace, Udaipur. “Shiv Niwas Palace and Fateh Prakash Palace, the two iconic palace-hotels of The City Palace, Udaipur, soon followed. The benchmarks were set, with authentic interiors, period furniture, rare paintings, original crystal chandeliers and objets d'art preserved meticulously.” Provisions were made for modern amenities such as air-conditioning and hot-and-cold water. So, what sets them apart from other hotels? Jasol says 'Experience the Original in the abode of Kings' is the USP of The City Palace heritage hotels, and her Group wants guests to experience the palaces where once the former royal families themselves lived and entertained their guests.

Over the past few years, there has been an increase in the popularity of heritage properties in India, among both domestic and international tourists,” says Sabina Chopra, Co-Founder and COO, Corporate Travel & Head Industry Relations, Yatra.com, “This can be attributed to the rise in experiential travel and  increase in disposable incomes.” A heritage luxury experience is an expensive proposition and typically ranges from Rs 15,000 to 50,000 a night. Prices also vary between lean and peak seasons.

The central courtyards of most heritage hotels come with the characteristic architecture of yore

What's on the plate

The resurgence of interest in India’s royalty on the part of the domestic traveller is a significant new trend. Says Radhikaraje Gaekwad, Maharani of Baroda, who lives in India's largest private residence at Lakshmi Vilas Palace in Vadodara, Gujarat, “Our palace isn't a hotel. But we have a museum within the estate and tourists can opt for a guided tour of the palace. I can say that there are more Indians now, than foreigners, who wish to see how royalty lives. Of course foreigners have always been fascinated.”

A mention of heritage luxury is incomplete without a reference to the palaces in the portfolio of Taj group of hotels such as Taj Lake Palace Udaipur, Rambagh Palace Jaipur, Umaid Bhawan Palace Jodhpur and Falaknuma Palace Hyderabad. The Umaid Bhawan Palace, named after Maharaja Umaid Singh, grandfather of the present Maharaja of Jodhpur, is a golden yellow sandstone monument conceived on the grandest possible scale, in the fashionable Art Deco style of that time. Its construction started in 1928 and was completed in 1943. Taj took over operations in 2005, says  Rohit Khosla, Executive Vice President-Operations, Taj group, “to create unique experiences for the guest such as the arrival experience, which starts with the signature Rajasthani greeting “Khamaghani” followed by a grand Maharaj welcome by a fleet of horses from the Royal stables, a symphony of war drums and trumpets, followed by a shower of rose petals and rose water and the traditional Indian aarti and tikka garland." 

Khosla says the guests are then treated to performances by local dance troupes called Langa, a traditional Ghoomar dance and are introduced to local rituals such as tying of Safa and Chunni. Visitors can opt to explore the city in a vintage car accompanied by a royal butler or go further afield to dine under the starry night sky in the Thar Desert. Guests are given a farewell with departure souvenirs in the backdrop of mesmerising tunes on the shehnai. There is a heritage walk around the grounds of the palace, with historians keeping guests enthralled with bits of history. Little wonder then, that it is the go-to place for celebrities such as Prince Charles, Bill and Melinda Gates, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, Elizabeth Hurley, Mick Jagger, Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan and Sachin Tendulkar.

Another property, Rambagh Palace, is also celebrated today as one of the world's finest palace hotels. The place actually began as a small building made for the queen's favourite handmaiden in 1835. It was later used as a royal hunting lodge and guesthouse and became the palace-residence of Maharaja of Jaipur in 1925. Then, in 1957, Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II made it a luxury hotel. Says Khosla: “The Taj group took over its management in 1972 and we restored it to offer comforts and luxuries of yesteryear to its modern-day Maharajas and Maharanis: its guests. From being welcomed by an entourage of elephants, camels, to stays in regal suites, having authentic dining experiences using gold crockery and cutlery at the Suvarna Mahal restaurant, and sipping on an authentic Jaipur Martini at the famous Polo Bar, or riding in the fleet of vintage cars and Victorian horse carriages, personalised service is central to Rambagh Palace.” He says the property still has royal bartenders and servers who had once served Maharani Gayatri Devi and narrate stories of her unique connect with the people of Pink City, her glorious years to guests as they dine under the royal chandeliers.

In most of these palace hotels, no two rooms look alike. Each has a diferent experience or theme woven around it and different stories associated with it.

The government has, in most cases, been supportive. "The Rajasthan government stepped up to support our initiative in its infancy. The move was partially responsible for making the state the top grosser in the Indian tourism industry," says Raghavendra Rathore, who owns Ajit Bhavan at Jodhpur, “This was our family house. The credit and the foresight of converting it into a hotel at a time when it was hardly respectable to do so, clearly goes to my parents. The decision to open the doors to the public was to compensate for the tide of change socially and importantly to preserve the legacy through a unique business model now coined as heritage hotels.”

The key is to deliver a memory the traveller is seeking. The story must be genuine, the experience world-class, as both international and domestic travellers now have access to global experiences. It takes great skill to resuscitate the past and pump it with the vitality of the possibilities that the future holds - and not allow the country's rich heritage to be relegated to history text books.

What an experience at a palace hotel would typically cost you
Property	City	Room Tariff (Rs)
Umaid Bhawan Palace	Jodhpur	54,000
Taj Lake Palace	Udaipur	50,800
Taj Rambagh Palace	Jaipur	45,000
Taj Falaknuma Palace	Hyderabad	44,000
BrijRama Palace

Varanasi 28,000 Ferrnhills Royale Palace  Ooty 15,000 Hotel Ajit Bhawan Palace Jodhpur 15,000 Room tariffs are per person, per night on twin-sharing basis, including breakfast and dinner