Alsisar Haveli

Alsisar Haveli was built in 1892 as the Jaipur residence of the Thakurs of Alsisar. The family belong to a branch of the Kachhwaha Rajputs and trace their line back more than five centuries to Maharao Shekhaji, grandson of Maharaja Udaikaran of Amer, who founded the Shekhawat sub-clan. Like many Rajasthani noble families, they have since restored their old mansions and palaces as heritage hotels, and this haveli is their city address.

The hotel stands on Sansar Chandra Road in central Jaipur, where the family's reservations office is also based. Behind its historic gateways, set back from the street, are calm courtyards and painted chambers, an atmosphere quite different from the traffic outside. The house is one of the more established heritage hotels in Jaipur, carrying badges from Historic Hotels Worldwide and a Fodor's Choice listing on its website.

Guest reviews quoted by the hotel praise the swimming pool and the formal dining room, decorated in a late-Victorian style, and describe the courtyards between the buildings as cool and elegant. Rooms reflect the house's age, with traditional decoration rather than a modern hotel look, so expect individual character rather than uniform layouts.

Alsisar Haveli suits travellers who want a heritage atmosphere without palace-hotel prices, including couples and families looking for a calm base within easy reach of the main sights. Its central location helps when getting around by auto-rickshaw or taxi. Contact the reservations office directly to ask about room categories and any current offers, and book early for the peak winter months.

For many guests the appeal is staying in a real family mansion with its own history, rather than a hotel built to look old. Ask the staff about the family and the house, whose history in Jaipur goes back to 1892.

From Sansar Chandra Road, MI Road and its restaurants are close by, and the old city with City Palace, Hawa Mahal and Jantar Mantar is a short ride away. Amber Fort, Nahargarh and Jaigarh are further out of town but straightforward to reach by taxi. The family's other properties, including Alsisar Mahal, can be combined with Jaipur on a longer Rajasthan itinerary.