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Plainly
speaking, a hotel housed in a building more than
seventy-five years old is a heritage hotel. However,
this is the only similarity the various heritage
hotels have among themselves. No two-heritage
hotels are anywhere alike in ambience or character
or in terms of the range of in-house activities
they offer. No two rooms are alike even. To stay
in any such place is like stepping back into history.
The great old stories associated with these buildings
is the added charm. The hotel owners try best
to enhance the remnants of these stories through
period decor and theme. |
It
is definitely an unusual experience to stay in
these edifices - sometimes the bathrooms are bigger
than the rooms, beds are so high that they need
a flight to steps to ascend or the same room opens
at two different levels into two strikingly different
landscapes. Most often the inhabitant royal family
treats the guests and they even dine together.
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Evenings
are always lit up with local folk performances
and traditional cuisine. Almost every hotel has
its own trademark special service such as village
safari, horse rides or some ritual enactment.
In a nutshell, the guests at such hotels
are treated like Maharajas!
The
word of caution is that there is no standardization
or gradation in heritage hotels. A careful selection
is a must or else one may land up paying for
something that is not worth much. A list of
some very popular and recommendable heritage
hotels are given below:
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FORMER ROYAL PALACES
such as The Rambagh Palace, Jaipur, The Lake
Palace and Shiv Niwas Palace, Udaipur, Ummaid
Bhawan Palace, Jodhpur; and Lallgarh Palace,
Bikaner are considered as the ultimate. Those
at Deogarh, Dungarpur,Samode and Kota are
great names.
FORTS AND CASTLES used to
be most important for their battle-worthiness.
These forts are particularly interesting today
due to their visible strategic planning involving
secret passages, multiple stairs and maze
of corridors. The Mandawa Castles, Neemrana
Fort, Rohetgarh and Khimsar are must-be-seen
examples.
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HUNTING
LODGES are no less royal. The ones
like Shikarbadi, Ramgarh lodge, Sariska Palace,
Sawai Madhopur lodge and Gajner Palace are
worth experiencing.
MANSIONS
KNOWN AS HAVELIS often belonged to
rich merchants - a different architectural
piece altogether. Bhanwar Niwas in Bikaner
is incomparable. The Others like the one at
Bagar are quite appealing.
BUNGLOWS
AND ORCHARDS acted as sylvan retreats
for English officers or for the Maharajas
who were inspired by such living. The Connaught
House and Maharani Bagh Orchard Retreat are
such examples.
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