Rambagh Palace, Jaipur

Character and identity

Set across 47 acres in the heart of Jaipur, this 1835 former hunting lodge of the Maharaja of Jaipur, now under Taj management, is the benchmark for Rajasthan's palace hotels. Mughal onion domes, sculpted archways and gardens patrolled by peacocks set the scene across 79 rooms. Dining runs deep: Suvarna Mahal in the original palace dining room covers princely-state cuisines, The Oriental handles pan-Asian, the Verandah Café does afternoon tea, and the Polo Bar pours cognac in a nod to the palace's post-match heyday. Service is warm and personal beneath the ornate pomp, with butlers in-house and a vintage car fleet on call.

Who's it for

Bottom line

What you're paying for is authenticity: an actual palace with its lineage intact, not a themed reconstruction, and that's what separates Rambagh from Jaipur's many pretenders. Book a historic-style Royal Suite to get the balconies, domed ceilings and mosaic work that justify the spend; contemporary categories miss the point. Time a stay around the January literary festival if the scene appeals.