Checking In: Alsisar Haveli, Jaipur

The perfect base for a couple of days exploring Jaipur, Alsisar Haveli is located in a 19th-century haveli, 10 minutes drive or so from MI Road (Jaipur’s main through road) and the Old ‘Pink’ City, the most beautiful bit of Jaipur. With 45 rooms, a pool, a great brekkie, ayurvedic spa, and lovely, decorative interiors, it’s an authentic and well-located place to stay for exploring Jaipur.

Rooms are clean and comfy, spacious too, with nice large bathrooms and plentiful amenities. Ours had a mahogany four-posted bed that felt ever so grand, along with decorative stained glass lampshades, antique furniture, and colourful painted ceilings adding local Rajasthani character. Travellers' essentials like bottled water and fast WiFi are free and readily available.

Breakfast is served in the sunny communal courtyard with a buffet offering classic Indian dishes like idli, sambar, and puri bhaji, and a bansuri player plays traditional music while you eat. We were always out exploring too early for the sun to hit the pool but if you’re a late riser, take a dip in the beautiful pool that’s just off the courtyard, shaded by greenery and with plenty of comfy sun loungers.

Spacious, sunny terraces connect the bedrooms across the different floors. Despite the hotel being pretty fully booked when we visited in December, we barely saw a soul after breakfast, it felt like we had the place to ourselves. On both nights, we went back to the hotel before dinner to savour the last of the sun on our communal roof terrace. The light up there was just stunning and took advantage of cold Kingfisher beers being available on room service too!

There’s loads to see in Jaipur so it's unlikely you'll spend so much time in the hotel, but what with its great location and comfort, Alsisar is a brilliant base for exploring the most beautiful city in Rajasthan.

ALSISAR HAVELI, rates from £54/night

READ: 48 HOURS IN JAIPUR