Hari Mahal Hotel Reviews

What you will call a true Heritage and hospitality experience? I don’t feel if anyone who had stayed at any of Taj or other prestigious properties can ever really explain. So far we have always got a service at a price, we always had this feeling that properties with Big Names are there to pay you regards because you pay a fat price, but Staying at Harimahal was something very very different, we felt the true Indian hospitality and heritage as we always heard of it, in stories; Of course without any lure for getting fat tips and rent. We called Harimahal in Jaipur and to our wonder they booked us without worrying for our credit card details! It was noon by the time and we started driving for Jaipur. We expected to be there by late evening, and planned to have our dinner at some nice place on the way and then check in at the Harimahal Palace. Unfortunately We got stuck up while the car broke down and got heavily delayed on the way to the Hotel. I called up the Hotel and asked them to keep the room for us as we were delayed. I was quite worried since they did not have our credit card details and any other guarantee and they could very well sell the room to someone else. However those people cared not to do so and asked if we would take dinner in their restaurant, to which we responded in yes as our plan to have dinner outside in our “imaginary romantic” place was gone in vein. Our bad luck still followed us and we could finally reach Jaipur at around half past eleven in night, and to Harimahal after midnight searching our way through narrow streets of Jaipur following the Map. “Wow, the guys are just there in our wait”, it seemed as if your respectable His Highness had come home, there was an aide taking care of Car, and another one picking up our luggage to the rooms at first floor. This is a grand mansion tastefully build by descendents of Maharaja Prithvi Raj of Amber The ground floor is a private property and now the sole kingdom of the descendants of Maharaja, an elderly person and lovably called “His Highness”. The property is though small but surrounded by peaceful lush green ambience that one will never feel being in a modern crowded city of Jaipur with full of motor honking. Surprisingly the whole palace never carried anything which you may call artificially antique looking items build up in modern times, everything there tells you a story, and everything used to decorate is original and actually belongs to the palace used since years now. There is a huge garden to play or sit and relax, however some sports or other facilities for other activities can be called missing, but who wants them while being there? We were escorted to the reception which has dim lights on a perfect sign of midnight. Reception was controlled by a person in complete attire of Raj, those skin tight trousers extraordinarily loose only at top sides of pockets. We were greeted with a salute the way when His highness returns home after a big Kill. After the formalities of check in, instead of directly giving the keys of the room we booked, we were offered to see the available suites named after different palaces of the Kingdom of His Highness and tastefully decorated in the similar ways of their original suites. I must admit I would always prefer to stay there; it was so natural and tastefully build, far far better than the rooms of Five Stars build in a row just like a hostel and carrying an artificial heritage…. And we immediately jumped in our beautiful suite. The whole palace was full of the real grandeur antique items aged a century or more than that. At least the tiredness of journey and car breakdown was immediately gone, but it was half past midnight, “what about the dinner?” The restaurant & kitchen was closed at 11 pm as we noticed. The only option was the snacks we carried. “Ma’am, where would you like to have your dinner, in the patio or at your table in your room?” I could not believe on my luck, there was our nice manager with the chef standing next to him. “What did you say, I thought Kitchen was closed”. “Yes, it is”, he agreed. “However our chef specially has cooked for you some Rajasthani and Punjabi specialties since we knew you had trouble on the way and would be late. You may talk to him, and let him know whatever you like” This is something which touched me, I started jumping and my husband was overjoyed to the thought of dine & wine at one am in night under open clean sky in the patio. We got all personalized service, the aide was there only whenever we wanted otherwise disappeared to respect our privacy. The food never tasted so well, the wine never so beautiful and the dinner table lighted with at least a century old original German lamp never felt so romantic. It is an experience which comes only out of luck, and it seems our car breakdown carried our luck…. … And this was the best sleep, if I could think of, a feel of real \"His Highness\".

Best Experience: The way we were treated, just as someone would do only to their \"His Highness\", the care and love shown to us, without the worry of if they will ever get paid for that. Perhaps some of the staff still belong to the families who originally served Maharaja and that explains. Overall we never were surrounded by the staff for Tips, and the best Can you get such a nice suite so cheap? It is pretty affordable place being under Rs 3000 for a night. The Food and Service costs are moderate and very reasonably priced.

Worst Experience: Not Really worst I should say, however the palace has further scope of beautification and some music should be played in the air.

Going to Taj or other deluxe 5 stars which boasts of Indian hospitality or going to Hari Mahal and experience the true hospitalities are two different things which I felt for the first time in my vast experience with hotels. Taj really has to learn a lot, I must say from small players who offer a real heritage experience and personal care as if the world is still in early 1900 and you are a guest of Maharaja - nothing can afford to go wrong. The care was personal and not just to earn fat tips! Or, not just to look stupid and unwanted at times. We arrived pretty late at 11:30 and were constantly in touch with Hotel Managers on the way. We were asked about our dinner, and were served our choice even at midnight without ever showing the concern about closing time of kitchens. We were offered the choices and were shown the suites, not just being taken to one particular room. There is something which makes you feel different between a real hospitality and a hospitality which comes at a cost. You will never feel as if they are hungry for your money.

Best Experience: Feels like being at home!

Worst Experience: They have preserved the heritage and almost everything is original from decades before. This eventually also applies to original bath tubs which perhaps are at least 50 years old and do not shine as new now.