Hotel Narain Niwas Palace

This private mansion is still family-owned, making for an intimate and authentic stay right in the heart of town.

• The history behind the property (it’s still family-owned)
• Beautiful grounds for wandering and serene pool
• The must-visit Hot Pink boutique on-site

Built in 1928 as the garden house of a noble family, this heritage property is one of the few to still remain family owned. Spread across three floors, the hotel’s 37 rooms and suites are ornately painted and feature period furniture. The Kanota suites, including room 36, are especially dramatic, thanks to high ceilings and four-poster beds. Rooms 51 and 57 on the ground floor are also charming and close to the pool. Heirloom portraits and pieces, such as the family silver showcased in rosewood cabinets in the dining room, also lend the property a real, lived-in authenticity; it feels much more like a private residence than a hotel.

Also of note: the stunning Hot Pink boutique on-site, which was a destination onto itself for many visitors to the Pink City. The high-end store, opened in 2005, was a collaboration between late Munnu Kasliwal of the Gem Palace and French jeweler Marie-Hélène de Taillac, and carries clothing by Indian designers such as Rajesh Pratap Singh and Namrata Joshipura, gorgeous shawls by Kashmir Handloom, as well plenty of other colorful and kitschy accessories.

Couples and friends traveling together would enjoy the lavish interiors and stunning grounds of this private mansion. Though families are welcome, the property doesn't specifically cater to them.

Those who crave modern hotel rooms and service at the end of the day. Authenticity trumps luxury here so if your gardens must be manicured, this may be too eccentric a spot for you.