Alsisar Haveli

Turn off Sansar Chandra Road, in the thick of Jaipur's market streets, and Alsisar Haveli opens into rambling courtyards that have belonged to the same family for generations. This is the town mansion of the Thakurs of Alsisar, whose line traces back more than five centuries to Maharao Shekhaji, grandson of Maharaja Udaikaran of Amer and founder of the Shekhawat clan. The family converted the haveli into a heritage hotel in 1994, and it belongs to Alsisar Hotels, the portfolio of old family mansions and palaces its descendants have restored.

Forty-five rooms of family furniture

The 45 rooms are done up the way the nobles of Alsisar once lived: antique furniture, intricately carved poster beds, delicate motifs on the fabrics, arches and painted ceilings overhead. A mirrored Sheesh Mahal supplies the flash of pure decadence, and the rooftop gives you Nahargarh Fort on the ridge above the city. This is heritage of the properly lived-in sort, and the location means the bazaars are on foot rather than a taxi ride away.

Breakfast and evening high tea are served by the tree-lined pool, with its gazebos and cenotaphs, before dinner of Rajasthani specialties in the restaurant.

The practical picture

The essentials are all present: swimming pool, multi-cuisine restaurant, bar, free Wi-Fi, air conditioning, en suite bathrooms, room service, laundry, car parking and power backup, plus a doctor on call and currency exchange. An in-house masseuse and acupressure expert covers the spa side, the hotel hosts cultural performances, and Firuzeh, an independent jewellery boutique working in gemstones, silver and gold, sees guests at the haveli by appointment. Our take: for a first stay in Jaipur this is the classic formula done properly, a family-run courtyard haveli where the history is the furniture rather than a theme.