Rambagh Palace
Jaipur, India
The former residence of the Maharaja of Jaipur, and the grandest address in the Pink City.
If you are going to do a palace hotel in Jaipur properly, this is the one. Rambagh was the home of the Maharaja of Jaipur until the 1950s, and it still feels like a private royal residence that happens to let you stay: 47 acres of gardens, marble halls, and suites hung with portraits and chandeliers.
The service is warm and ceremonial in equal measure, the food is excellent, and the whole place hums with a sense of occasion. It is expensive by Indian standards and worth every rupee for the right trip.
The Verdict
One of India's truly great hotels, and the definitive Jaipur splurge. For a honeymoon or a landmark birthday, few addresses on earth feel this special.
Afternoon tea in the Verandah Cafe as peacocks strut across the manicured lawns and a sitar player tunes up somewhere out of sight.
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