subject: Jodhpur Hotels - Living In The Blue City [print this page] Jodhpur, the second largest city in Rajasthan after Jaipur, the state capital, is among one of the most visited places in Rajasthan.
Centrally located, Jodhpur has evolved as a tourist travel base of Rajasthan. Founded by Rao Jodha in 1459, Jodhpur is often referred to as 'The Gateway to Thar' due to its proximity with the Thar Desert.
The Mehrangarh Fort is the largest of all forts in Jodhpur that dominates the skyline. From this fort the whole of Jodhpur can be seen, all the houses painted in indigo blue, thus giving Jodhpur the name, the 'Blue City'.
The other tourist spots in Jodhpur are the Rai ka Baag Palace, Balsammand Lake, Kaylana Lake and Sardar Samand Lake, Mandore Garden, Umed Garden, Nehru Park, Jaswant Thada, and Umaid Bhavan Palace, now been partially developed into a heritage hotel. The royal family stays inside a portion of the palace. An adjoining museum showcases a lot of artefacts and antiques.
Umaid Bhavan Palace is the most popular five star Jodhpur Hotel. This red sandstone building has tennis courts, indoor swimming pool, gym, conference room, party and game rooms, lawns and several restaurants. The prices of the rooms range from Rs. 17,500 for the double rooms to 80,000 for the suite.
The other top end Jodhpur Hotels are Ranbanka Palace, Ajith Bhavan, Taj Hari Mahal Palace and Park Plaza.
You can also find a lot of heritage buildings that have been converted into hotels. Some of the heritage Jodhpur Hotels are Krishna Prasad Heritage Haveli, Ratan Vilas, Newtons Manor, Pal Haveli, Haveli Guest House and Singhvis Haveli. Most of these hotels are set around a courtyard with rooms facing it.
These hotels have a/c rooms, 24-hour room service, free pickup/drop, car parking and in-house restaurant, travel assistance and free internet facilities.
Some of the budget Jodhpur Hotels are Shivam Paying Guest House, Blue House, Achal Niwas, Yogi's Guest House, Durag Niwas Guest House and Cosy Guest House. They are the best options for a comfortable stay for people travelling on a shoe-string budget and backpackers.
Some of the resorts found in Jodhpur are Venture Resort, Hotel Lake View, Bishnoi Village Camp and Resort, Desert Haveli Resort and Niralidhani Ethnic Resort. Most of these Jodhpur Hotels are found on the outskirts of Jodhpur, in the old city and are quieter.
When in Jodhpur visit the old market streets and you will find numerous shops selling beautiful handicrafts, tie and dye textiles, lacquer ware, embroidered leather shoes, antiques, puppets, carpets, Rajasthani textiles, miniature camels and elephants, clay figurines, marble inlay work and classic silver jewellery.
Jodhpur has an airport and a railway station that links it with most of the major cities in the country.
