Living the Royal Jodhana Experience at Ranbanka Palace Hotel, Jodhpur!

Jodhana, the city etched in sands of time is now known as ‘Jodhpur’. It is located in the central-western part of Rajasthan state in India. A luxury vacation in Jodhpur is all about exploring & experiencing royal grandeur. The opulent lifestyle of the royals can best be lived while staying in a heritage hotel. A staycation at Ranbanka Palace Hotel, Jodhpur offers a great blend of royal luxury meeting the present day.

History of Ranbanka Palace Hotel, Jodhpur

Built in 1927, Ranbanka Palace Hotel was converted into a royal-owned heritage hotel in the late 1990s. It was formerly the residence of Maharajadhiraj Sir Ajit Singh ji, the younger brother Maharaj Umaid Singh ji and is now succeeded by his sons. This hotel is a part of the Ajit Bhawan. In one part of this sprawling property, the royal family still lives while the other portion is used for hotel purpose.

Location

Ranbanka Palace Hotel, Jodhpur is quite centrally located near the circuit house. It has close proximity to Jodhpur railway station that’s roughly a 7 -10 minutes drive. One can expect almost the same time for reaching from Jodhpur Airport also. From Mehrangarh Fort, one of the must-visit places in Jodhpur, the hotel is only at a 15 minutes drive.

Ambience

The hotel built by the direct descendants of the Rao Jodha (the founder of Jodhpur city) is a great example of confluence in architecture & design from two diverse cultures. The ambience of this hotel echoes the influence of Rajput culture & the British colonial era.

Rooms in Ranbanka Palace hotel are sequenced in ground + two-floor formatted buildings. From the central courtyard area, melodious music played by the musician on his Sarangi resonates in every nook corner of the hotel giving it a soulful Rajasthani vibe like none.

A few more steps in the alley and the Pachranga restaurant is visible with beautiful outdoor and indoor seating almost uniformly distributed. Good food and a blend of great drinks add oodles of value to a luxury stay. Royal Polo Bar is inside the Pachranga restaurant but as a separate section. The interiors of this full-service bar are the truest representation for the royal family’s passion towards the game of Polo. Photographs, cups & medallions won from the era gone by until the present day can be seen in the Royal Polo Bar.

A swimming pool amidst the age-old trees and a baithak is one place to rewind, relax & rejuvenate for sure. The next best place for a holistic rejuvenation in the hotel is the ‘Spa by the Baradari’.

Rooms at a Glance

There are around 90 rooms in total at Ranbanka Palace Hotel, Jodhpur. There are basically four types of rooms to suit one’s budget and yet give a taste of the royal life. The room sizes are larger than the average size of rooms in all categories.

However, living in Jodhana and Royal Suites is a unique experience in itself. These suites have been tastefully designed to reflect opulence, thereby ensuring a luxury vacation in Jodhpur. From classy chandeliers to the dining table and a private balcony overlooking the lush garden, these suites have it all. The best aspect of the four luxurious suites is that they are all designed differently, giving repeat customers a chance to live novelty.

Apart from the classy interiors, all rooms have wifi, telephone, toiletries, sofa, hairdryer, air-conditioning, heater, safety deposit box, and more.

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Food at Ranbanka Palace Hotel

Jodhpur falls under the Marwar region of Rajasthan and so a trip in this city ought to reflect in the food. Pachranga restaurant, named after the five colours that are present on the Rathore clan flag offers a variety of national & international dishes. From the elaborate breakfast buffet to the last meal of the day, food served here is a reflection of the same.

Some of the must-try dishes from their menu are Non-Veg & Vegetarian Kebab Platters, Rajasthani Thali. We equally relished some of the dishes that we tried from Italian cuisine. As mentioned earlier, the restaurant is divided into indoor and outdoor seating areas. The outdoor area comes alive at the dinner time with live music sessions by artists and candlelit tables.

In winters too, one can opt to sit outside as they have mini-bonfires near each table. Lunch scene is equally peaceful in the vicinity of the fountain placed outside. Read the full review of this restaurant by us here.

Activities To Do

A stay at Ranbanka Palace ensures there is not a single dull moment in your luxury vacation time. So in addition to the mandatory sightseeing across the city, one can enjoy a lot during the time inside the hotel. One can indulge in a relaxing spa or enjoy a cool swim session.

As the dinner begins at the restaurant so does the puppet show in one part of the lawn for kids entertainment sake. In the other part of the lawn just in front of the outdoor seating area daily there are live musical performances. Sometimes the folk singing ‘Manganiyar’ group performs and other times musicians on santoor and tabla take the dining experience to another level.

For taking souvenirs and shopping per se there are few shops inside the hotel too. Further, one can book Bisalpur Camel Reserve tour to witness local flora and fauna coexisting in natural habitat. However, if you would want to walk through the lanes of the bygone royal era then a request to hotel authorities might give you a chance to visit the ‘Gol’ room inside the residence of Maharaj!

Final Thoughts

Ranbanka Palace Hotel, Jodhpur named after the war cry of the Rathore clan (‘Ranbanka’ Rathore) stands tall as a luxury heritage hotel. It has thoughtfully curated experiences to bring guests close to the local ethos & culture. We recommend trying the Jodhana experience which is aimed to add exclusiveness to the stay by pairing it with activities like a tour to the polo club & visit to the family’s horse stable.