The Garden Hotel at Udaipur teems with greenery inside and out. Across the street is Gulab Bagh, a tree-lined landscaped garden of several acres built by Maharana Sajjan Singh in the 18th century. In the courtyard of the colonial-style, circular hotel are neem and peepul trees, potted plants, bougainvillea hedges and a fountain.
The hotel features 20 deluxe rooms; each opens into the charming courtyard where the hotel restaurant — famous for its authentic Rajasthani cuisine, and especially the vegetarian thali — is located. The rooms are well-appointed and cheerful, and the bathrooms are immense and immaculately clean.
A highlight of a stay here is easy access to the House of Mewar’s Vintage and Classic Car Collection. The original palace garage of the maharanas of Udaipur, within the same compound as the Garden Hotel, was converted into a museum in 2000. The grand limousines and cars showcased here include rare Rolls Royce and Mercedes models, 1939 Cadillac convertibles, a 1936 Vauxhall and a 1937 Opel. These are all in perfect running condition — as you may discover, rather unpleasantly, when their drivers rally down the circular pathway between the hotel rooms and restaurant.
The HRH Group of Hotels owns this charming hotel, designed as a relatively low-cost option for discerning travellers, as well as the landmark five-star Shiv Nivas Palace Hotel and Fateh Prakash Palace Hotel that form part of the City Palace Complex. For reservations, call 1600-180-2933 (toll-free), or email crs@udaipur.hrhindia.com.