Umaid Bhawan Palace, Jodhpur has been named as the Best Hotel in the World by the world’s largest travel site, TripAdvisor, in their annual Travellers’ Choice Awards. It is the first time that an Indian hotel has been named best in the world. Perched high above the desert capital of Jodhpur, second largest city of Rajasthan and former capital of the historic region of Marwar, Umaid Bhawan Palace is the last of India’s great palaces. A part of the palace is still the residence of the royal family and another section houses a museum displaying a range of antiques from Jodhpur’s royal past. Designed by the well-known Edwardian architect, Henry Vaughan Lanchester, Umaid Bhawan Palace is perhaps one of the largest and best-preserved showcases of the Art Deco
style, built entirely in golden yellow sandstone. This splendid palace has a private museum, its own post office and an elegant wood-paneled library. The palace also offers recreational facilities such as indoor and outdoor swimming pool, a SPA, a billiards room, four tennis courts, two unique marble-floored squash courts and fifteen acres of gardens. About accomodation, there are 64 rooms and suites: 2 Grand Royal Suites, 16 Royal Suites, 24 Historical Suites, 22 Palace Rooms. Part of the Taj Hotels Resorts
and Palaces, the Umaid Bhawan Palace has The Trophy Bar, offering finger food, snacks, cocktails, spirits; the Risala is the elegant a la carte restaurant, it serves a delectable fusion menu of Continental and Indian specialities; the Pillars is the inviting all day restaurant with a spectacular view of the gardens and the city. Venturing out beyond the palace gates, visitors have the option to explore the city in a vintage car drive accompanied by their royal butler or go further afield to dine under the starry night sky in the Thar Desert.
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