The Laxmi Niwas Palace — Hotel in Rajasthan

Laxmi Niwas is the highest rated Property in Bikaner- it charges 3x of the average hotel tariff in the city and is at par in tariff with most 5 star experiences in rajasthan and india including metros.

However the rooms as provided to us ( refer pics) were dirty and foul smelling with the heaters or Wi-Fi not working. When we complained we were told that we had been upgraded from a palace room to a “historical suite” - I have attached the pics of what their version of suite looks like with peeling walls and rusting products.

We also had 2 teens with us who decided to protest on seeing the property and refused to stay there. That is where the manager of the hotel stepped on and realized what a bad state the rooms were in and provided cleaner and better rooms. Pls do not be swayed by the names of the rooms ( majestic, historical etc) since the rooms on the 2nd floor are in bad state. Also be cautious that you do not pick the half board option since the buffet to guests staying in the hotel is served out of a tiny alcove with no service - the hotel sees a lot of external people who come only for dinner and in the process deprioritizes the guests that stay.

Day 2 in the hotel was tad better since they decided to make sure the rooms are clean and also we reserved a table at dinner.

There is no 2 ways about the fact that the Property is beautiful externally but it needs severe repairs. Shipping dirty rooms in the name of heritage does not work, infact takes away from it. Rooms at $300 a night cannot be rickety and filthy.

I wish them all the best and I hope the manager of the hotel who understood that all guests are different - can pitch this to the investors/ management so that guests get to see the glory of the place and not be spooked out.

Also if dead animals I.e taxidermy spooks you - this place has at least 100 dead ones on the walls as trophies. Killing animals for pleasure is certainly not my version of bravado...

Laxmi Niwas Palace was constructed in the years leading up to World War I, which was an era defined by its economic prosperity, artistic expression, and political intrigue.

Built between 1898 and 1902, Laxmi Niwas Palace was commissioned by Maharajah Sir Ganga Singh to serve as his royal residence. Designed by Sir Samuel Swinton Jacob, Laxmi Niwas Palace is constructed in an Indo-Saracenic style that was popular in 19th-century India. The magnificent palace was named after Laxmi, the Hindu Goddess of wealth, prosperity, and beauty. As the consort of Narayana, Laxmi represents the good luck and fortune that radiates through the halls of the palace. Upon its completion, plans were made to expand the estate into the much larger Lalgarh Palace, which is presently comprised of several palace houses.

Used exclusively as the private residence for the Royal family and their guests, Laxmi Niwas Palace commanded over Bikaner in all its opulence. With a flair for hospitality, the Maharajah hosted numerous luminaries and dignitaries, including King George V and Queen Mary, the King of Greece, viceroys, fellow Maharajahs, and renowned statesmen.

The palace was constructed using pink sandstone, brought from the stone quarries of Dulmera. This stone was known for boasting a brilliant palate to complement the intricate symmetrical structural design of the intended palace. Sir Samuel Swinton Jacob defined the building's exterior with canopied balconies that were adorned with intricate filigree. Inside, visitors could find carved friezes, ornate ceilings, and golden frescoes. The grounds were replete with marble courtyards, and colonnaded corridors of stone lattice work. As such, Sir Jacob did an outstanding job of turning Maharajah Sir Ganga Singh's artistic vision...

Laxmi Niwas Palace is a former residential palace of the king of the former Bikaner state, Mahārāja Ganga Singh, in Bikaner in the Indian state of Rajasthan. It was designed in 1896 in an Indo-Saracenic style by the Britisharchitect, Sir Samuel Swinton Jacob, and built between 1898 and 1902. Upon its completion, plans were already drawn up, again by Jacob, to extend it into the much larger Lalgarh Palace[1] which was constructed between 1902 and 1926.

It is now a luxury hotel managed by Golden Triangle Fort & Palace P. Ltd. The magnificent structure in red sandstone is one of the most popular destination for tourists in Bikaner.[2]Stanley Reed, the official reporter of the 1905-06 India tour of the Prince and Princess of Wales (later King George V and Queen Maryof Great Britain) noted that "The Laxmi Niwas Palace is the most perfect modern building in the Indo-Saracenic style in India - an entirely graceful pile of carved red sandstone, nobly proportioned and harmonising entirely with its environment. Their Royal Highnesses have not been more splendidly housed since they landed in Bombay".

When you build a palace like none other, not just anyone is invited to stay. Since 1904, only a few have been deemed worthy of a higher order of hospitality – princelings, Europe’s pre-eminent bluebloods, King George V and Queen Mary, a handful of statesmen; a few of the notable architects of history. The world at large had been shut out of the Laxmi Niwas Palace. You may now actually go a step further. Gaze at hand-painted friezes and gold-laden walls. Examine up close the inspiration behind Lutyens’ and Baker’s architectural style. And perhaps reflect on the fact that exclusion does sometimes make a...