India -

n 1947, when India gained independence from the British, the maharajas had mostly gone to seed following 100 years of indulgence by their foreign masters. Their land and privileges gone, unable to find a new role in India's burgeoning democracy, the former kings soon ran out of cash to maintain their vast properties.

But in the late 1950s, Maharaja Mahan Singh of Jaipur, state capital of Rajastahan, and Maharana Bhagwat Singh of Udaipur made a desperate decision and opened their royal properties as luxury hotels.

It was a controversial move, decried by many fellow royals as degrading and ridiculous, and given little support by the Indian government. Forty-five years on, however, the state of Rajasthan boasts more than 150 heritage properties. Some are owned and managed by large hotel chains, but others are still run by the original royal families themselves.

As Maharaj Arjun Singh, brother of the late Maharana of Udaipur, puts it, "We Rajputs aren't much good at anything these days. But we are good at running hotels and the tourist industry in Rajasthan and beyond was practically invented by us."

The rest of the country is not far behind Rajasthan and many more heritage hotels are now opening all over the subcontinent.

What follows is an exclusive selection of heritage properties – old stalwarts and flashy upstarts, budget palaces and luxury forts, magnificent townhouses and former British residences. Each one reflects the splendour of a bygone age, infused with the heritage of India's former rulers.

Urban Palace
Raj Palace, Jaipur, Rajasthan

Raj Palace was the first haveli, or grand townhouse, in Jaipur. Built in 1727, it has been a heritage hotel since 1996. But the building's courtyards are still tranquil: even the fountains bubble noiselessly.

Forty-five well-appointed rooms and suites provide all modern amenities, though only the more expensive rooms offer a real sense of Rajput decadence. The highlight of the hotel is the Durbar Suite, an ostentatious apartment with two master bedrooms and a throne hall that bristles with gems.

Jevendra Kumari, heir to Raj Palace, has been involved in its restoration for nine years. Her husband Mr Puri explains, "We want to offer guests the kind of life a maharaja would lead in the 21st century. Our furniture is either antique or bought from outlets that supply only palaces. We go back to the original building techniques, using lime plaster and vegetable colours."

Raj Palace: +91 (0)141 263 4077; rajpalac@sancharnet.in; singles/doubles USD 225-275, suites USD 375-475, Durbar suite USD 2,100

Garden Splendour
Diggi Palace, Jaipur, Rajasthan

Just outside the city gates of Jaipur, the delightful Diggi Palace offers budget-conscious travellers stylish accommodation in a sprawling royal compound. The property, a maze of courtyards and two-storey buildings set in a lush garden, is still run by the Thakur family who built this haveli in 1860.

The palace has 44 rooms, the larger ones containing period furniture, air-conditioning and TV. A rooftop restaurant offers a wide selection of Indian, Chinese and continental cuisine, using vegetables grown in the hotel's own organic garden. Best of all, the property offers the kind of warm welcome few well-established hotels can muster.

"We pride ourselves on being an unprofessional hotel," says owner Shakti Singh. "We don't aim to provide accommodation for package groups, but we do offer authentic charm and a break from the hectic city."

Diggi Palace: +91 (0)141 237 3091; www.hoteldiggipalace.com; singles/doubles USD 10-23, suites USD 33-35

Desert Rose
Roopangarh Fort, Roopangarh, Rajasthan

The Roopangarh Fort rises out of a great dusty plain 120 kilometres south of Jaipur. Commanding yet graceful, it sits on a hillock in the centre of a medieval village of narrow alleys and picturesque blue-washed houses.

This property evokes the romance of Rajasthan like few others. Thick ramparts that might have repelled centuries of marauders envelop a bright ochre 17th-century palace. Peacocks and camels share the outer courtyard. The main building, crowned by delicate turrets, contains a high-ceilinged ballroom which now serves as the hotel restaurant.

The 19 stately rooms are huge – probably the largest in the state – and sparsely furnished with period pieces. The Queen's Suite, the most ostentatious, is a small hall surrounded by a narrow balcony. It offers complete privacy with its own courtyard and rooftop terrace.

The hotel organises camel treks, horse safaris and bird-watching excursions. And if this isn't attraction enough, rock star Sting hosted a traditional dance performance here.

Roopangarh Fort: +91 (0)149 720 217; tis@vsnl.com; singles/doubles USD 35-53, Queen's suite USD 70

Corridors of Power
Ishwari Niwas, Bundi, Rajasthan

The Ishwari Niwas hotel was built 100 years ago for the local devan or Prime Minister. It was subsequently used as a British residence before passing to the Maharaja's brother just prior to independence. The hotel opened to the public in 1990.

This property has 22 rooms arranged around a central courtyard, and retains much of the musty ambience of Raj-era officialdom, although the better rooms were brightened up with miniature wall paintings some 40 years ago. The entrance and driveway are very prime-ministerial and it's easy to imagine the political intrigue that once dominated this building.

Bundi is one of the barely discovered gems of Rajasthan – an imposing fort and palace rise on a steep slope above the picturesque city. As the Maharaja's family owns the hotel, special excursions to unusual sights (wall frescoes by Italian POWs during the second world war for example) can be arranged.

Ishwari Niwas Heritage Resort: +91 (0)747 244 214; www.angelfire.com/amiga/inheritage; standard rooms USD 23-28, suites USD 35

Gothic Raj
Sukkhdam Kothi, Kota, Rajasthan

Built by the British around 1870, Sukkhdam Kothi is a delight for fans of colonial nostalgia. Initially it was the British Agency Surgeon's residence, then passed to the Maharaja of Kota in 1920. The present owner's grandfather was granted the property for his services to the British Army and the Kota State Forces in 1928.

Located in a four-acre garden, the gothic-styled building is compact, with barely a hint of ostentation. Shady courtyards, arcades and balconies of dressed sandstone are carefully maintained, as are the 16 bright, high-ceilinged rooms, 12 of which have air-conditioning and TV.

A heritage hotel since 1995, Sukkhdam Kothi is spotlessly kept. Service is prompt and personal, and owners Jaiwardhan and Harshvardhan Singh go out of their way to make their guests feel at home.

Sukkhdam Kothi: +91 (0)744 232 0081; www.sukhdamkothi.co; singles/doubles USD 38-44

Friendly Fortress
Bassi Fort Palace, Bassi, Rajasthan

The 16th-century Bassi Fort Palace looks far more like a palace than a fort. It is still owned by its founding family, the Bassi's, who opened it to guests just five years ago.

It lies in the heart of a traditional village, and is entered through a large gate into an inner courtyard, part of which is now a well-kept garden. Twenty clean and spacious suites, seven with air-conditioning, are accessed via a long gallery. All have been completely refitted, and are decorated with Rajasthani dolls and other splendidly gaudy curios. Small alcoves decorated with carpets and pillows make great places to relax.

The family, headed by enthusiastic owner and manager Bhupendra Singh, preserves an air of friendly informality, and welcomes all guests personally. The hotel organises day trips to surrounding sights – a dammed lake with the family's hunting lodge, a wildlife sanctuary and several tribal opium-growing villages.

Bassi Fort Palace: +91 (0)147 222 5321; www.bassifortpalace.com; suites USD 30-53

Maharana's Shadow
Rangniwas Palace Hotel, Udaipur, Rajasthan

Rangniwas Palace Hotel lies in the heart of the old city of Udaipur, famous for its lake palaces and rich Mewar heritage. Built in the 1880s as a royal concert venue, the Rangniwas was transformed into a small palace for visiting nobles some 20 years later. The late Maharana Bhagwat Singh of Udaipur left the property to his brother Arjun Singh in 1955, who turned it into a heritage hotel in 1975.

Twenty air-conditioned rooms are spread across two buildings, divided by a beautifully tended courtyard with a small swimming pool. Four suites are furnished with period pieces – the iron bathtubs are a special delight. Most rooms have private balconies facing the garden.

The Rangniwas Palace is the oldest family-run hotel in Udaipur and retains a distinctly regal atmosphere thanks to the distinguished Arjun Singh and his family. A moderately priced multi-cuisine restaurant with a rooftop dining area, a travel agency and a small shopping arcade are attached to the hotel.

Rangniwas Palace Hotel: +91 (0)294 252 3890; rangniwaspalace.com; singles/doubles USD 15-23, deluxe rooms USD 23-28, suites USD 58-70

One Thousand and One Nights are Not Enough
Deogarh Mahal, Deogarh, Rajasthan

Chivalry, romance, desert rogues and veiled beauties – nowhere is the spirit of Rajasthan more alive than at the Deogarh Mahal, an imposing 17th-century fort palace transformed in 1994 into a luxury hotel.

Guests can choose between authentic Rajput ambience – beautiful ragged miniature paintings, ancient cracked walls and period furniture – and recently renovated ultra-modern suites. A swimming pool, gym, pool table, Ayurvedic massage centre and fine desert views from the imposing ramparts complete the picture. Dinner is served in the central courtyard, accompanied by traditional dance.

Veerbhadra Singh and his family run the Deogarh Mahal with an irresistible combination of elegance and exuberance. Formality, so often associated with hotels of this class, is blissfully absent.

The Singh Saghar, a satellite retreat, is set in a restored fort on the shores of a small lake. Just four suites offer 21st-century luxury, international cuisine and best of all, absolute privacy. The rate for the entire property is USD 1,000 a night.

Deogarh Mahal: +91 (0)2904 252 777; www.deogarh.com; rooms USD 100-122, suites USD 159, deluxe suites USD 274

Sunken Treasure
Jhalamand Garh, Jodhpur, Rajasthan

The Jhalamand Garh is a musty 18th-century palace on the outskirts of Jodhpur. It opened as a hotel in 1992, and is now popular with European tour groups.

Situated in a small and shabby village populated by Rabari tribesmen (there's an open sewer outlet running past it) the property has 20 large standard rooms and suites, some with air-conditioning. The entrance is impressive and the restaurant hall contains the personal shrines of Ragu Singh and his family, the original owners. The restaurant serves excellent, spicy Indian food.

Although this heritage hotel has an appealing air of otherworldly neglect – a welcome respite from the polluted frenzy of Jodhpur city centre just ten kilometres away – service is patchy and the rooms are bland.

Jhalamand Garh: +91 (0)291 740 481; www.heritagehotelsindia.com; rooms USD 35-47

Roaring Twenties
Bhanwar Niwas Hotel, Bikaner, Rajasthan

The Bhanwar Niwas Hotel is an enormous sandstone townhouse in the heart of the ancient city of Bikaner. It was built in the 1920s by the Rampuria family, owners of a textile and real estate empire, and the architecture and decor are a sumptuous mix of Rajput and European influences.

An efficiently run heritage hotel since 1993, the Bhanwar Niwas offers 27 large, spotless rooms arranged around a central courtyard. Each has been meticulously restored, boasting beautifully tiled walls, early 20th-century furniture and paintings of Rajput rulers. Modern amenities such as air-conditioning and well-appointed bathrooms have been added.

For period ambience, the Bhanwar Niwas is unbeatable. There's even a gleaming white 1927 Buick convertible with a horn shaped like a snake parked in the foyer. The hotel's relatively low prices are a reflection of Bikaner's remote location rather than the hotel's standards.

As the Bhanwar Niwas is owned by a Jain family, the hotel restaurant is vegetarian. Local musicians regularly perform in the courtyard.

Bhanwar Niwas: +91 (0)151 2529 323; bhanwarniwas.com; rooms USD 56-77 (30 per cent discount during low season)

Old-World Splendour for the Modern Maharaja
Oberoi Rajvilãs, Jaipur, Rajasthan

This Oberoi property is the perfect place to indulge in an expensive imitation of the lifestyle of the legendary maharajas of Rajasthan. Fifty-three deluxe rooms, 13 luxury tents, one royal tent and a royal villa occupied by Bill Clinton during his visit to India in 2000, are built in clusters around a 250-year-old Hindu temple. The cheapest rooms are rather too small and ordinary for the price; the luxury tents are a much better option.

The 32-acre grounds were inspired by 17th-century Mughal landscape design. The main building, constructed in the style of a Rajasthani fort, contains the Surya Mahal restaurant, which serves a wide selection of expensive Indian, European and Southeast Asian dishes. When the weather is pleasant, guests may take their meals in an open courtyard with a marble amphitheatre which serves as a stage for dance and music performances.

The spa – in an 18th-century haveli – offers Ayurvedic and herbal treatments. There is also a swimming pool guarded by stone elephants, a comprehensive gym, two tennis courts, a five-hole putting green and complimentary daily yoga classes.

The Rajwada bar, with its faux-colonial flair faintly reminiscent of a 19th-century Raj gentlemen's club, contains an extensive if obscure library, with an adjacent internet centre. A large log fire warms guests on chilly desert nights.

Oberoi Rajvilãs: +91 (0)141 268 0101; www.oberoihotels.com; deluxe rooms USD 530, luxury tents USD 630, royal tent USD 1,325, villa USD 1,800, royal villa USD 3,000