Deogarh Mahal

Deogarh Mahal is a seventeenth century structure standing on top of a hill, with a commanding view over the Aravalli range and the lakes scattered across the countryside below.

It has long been part of the Mewar aristocracy, handed down through many Rawats, a local title equivalent to Raja, and used as a personal residence and fort rather than built as a hotel. The conversion into a heritage hotel was done by members of that same family, and part of the Mahal is still occupied by them.

That matters in practice more than it sounds. The family remain closely associated with the place and personally supervise and manage it, so the hotel is run by the household that owns the history rather than by an operator brought in to run a palace.