Not welcoming at all. Review on Diggi Palace hotel, Jaipur

Foreign tourists will love the Diggi Palace Hotel but   the average Indian tourist will note the conspicuous absence of warmth.

This is a haveli  i.e. an old palatial mansion converted into a hotel.  The property is well maintained with typical old courtyards; spacious with lawns and nicely landscaped gardens.  Peacocks and langurs are often seen.  If walking on the lawns, do watch out for dog droppings left by the owners pets as these are not cleaned promptly.

The Diggi is well known as it hosts the annual Jaipur Literature Festival.  It is usually full with foreign tour groups but sometimes by mistake the odd Indians also stray in ..... like we did.

We paid the full rack rate for a Suite room though the room did not look at all like a suite though it was aesthetically furnished.  The bathroom was very large and modern.  Housekeeping was not up to the mark and we noticed that the room was not properly cleaned.

The food is pathetic.  Tasteless and bland would be the best description.  The entire culinary taste caters to the palate of their foreign guests and even standard Indian fare which you would not expect to go wrong, is horribly bland.  At the breakfast buffet which comes with the room rate, there is hardly any choice for the Indian vegetarian.

Adding insult to injury, you will notice the owners making every effort to be extra friendly with the foreign guests but barely conversing with the Indians.  Even the hotel's manager who has been there for 20 odd years, was slightly patronising.  Another person at the key counter pesters you to buy his miniature paintings every time he passes by you.

Location wise, the Diggi is good.  Quiet but very close to the old Pink City with autos, taxis and cycle rikshas easily available at the gates.

I would certainly not recommend this place for Indians.  There are plenty of other hotels in Jaipur available in this price bracket.