Umaid Bhawan Palace

"Set the scene for us.The largest, most magnificent, most dramatic, most otherworldly palace in the land. The spectacle of it, the Art Deco design, the peacocks strutting on the lawn. The Maharaja and his family still live here in what was once his family home. This is hotel as extraordinary stage set, from another time, like Gatsby ate Indian space dust and the go-go girls danced till dawn. A golden sandstone palace on the top of Chittar Hill, where the first thing you experience is the royal welcome: ceremonial drums, red carpet, rose petals, and a glass of Champagne under the 105-foot cupola. What’s the story here?Designed by Edwardian architect Henry Lanchester, it took 13 years to build, and was unveiled in 1942 as the sixth largest private residence in the world. It was commissioned by the then-Maharaja Umaid Singh as an aid project to create work for thousands of people affected by the famine in Rajasthan. Still partly home to the current Maharaja of Jodhpur, it has operated as a heritage hotel since 1972, with Taj Hotels arriving in 2005. What can we expect in our room?The Royal Suite has a private balcony with views of the city of Jodhpur backed by the magnificent Mehrangarh Fort. Back indoors there's mirror-finished terrazzo, metallic accents, and bold geometric light fittings. Staying two nights is a must, so at least one of them can be spent sipping cocktails on your terrace and soaking in the tub in the marble-lined bathroom. How about the food and drink?At Risala restaurant, feast on aromatic smoked lamb kebab and spicy green-lentil dal beneath portraits of former maharajas. Breakfast is a highlight, for freshly cooked eggs and a glass of Champagne as you sit on the colonnaded veranda watching the preening peacocks in the gardens. Anything to say about the service?The seamless check-in is an indicator for the service throughout, which is charged with pomp and ceremony while remaining discreet, intuitive, and smooth. Take your switched-on butler up on the offer of arranging a drive through the city in a vintage car, or dinner under star-flecked skies in the Thar Desert. Noted! Also, who else is staying there?The culture crew: smart, older travelers dressed in slacks, linen shirts, panama hats, and shift dresses—a bit Brooks Brothers meets Club Monaco—while quoting passages from novels such as A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth, or A Passage to India. What’s the neighborhood like?In splendid isolation, about a 20-minute drive from Jodhpur’s pulsing old city. Make sure to experience the bustle and sights before checking into Umaid Bhawan, because after that, you're just spoiled. And anything you’d change?The heritage tour could be livened up with a few more insider facts and details about the building’s construction, architecture, history, and artwork, and maybe a few off-the-beaten-track peeks into some hidden nooks and crannies. At the end of the day, is it worth it—and why?Totally worth it—for being made such a fuss of, those gorgeous suites and gardens, and because I secretly wish I had been born a princess." - Lauren Ho