Relaxing ambiance. Review on Nayaran Niwas Palace, Jaisalmer

We stayed in Hotel Narayan Niwas Palace for a few days early February 2007. On the whole it was a good experience. This hotel has been around since mid-1980's and is one of the oldest hotels in Jaisalmer.

Ambiance & Decor: The place is reasonably clean and well maintained. The lawn is almost an extension of the bar. The facade is of yellow sandstone and has the Jaisalmer - Rajputana look. The murals in the corridor complement the facade. There is an elevator with an attitude that you might take if do not want to negotiate the steep staircase. The terrace has a lovely view of the fort, and is a good place to take photos from especially during the night

Guest Services: The staff is courteous and is helpful though a wee bit laid back. There is a doctor on call in case you need medical attention. Hot water does not last the entire day but large buckets of hot water are supplied on request.

Room Quality: Choosing the room is the trickiest part of the stay. You need to make sure that you are not put up in a ground floor room. We were given 119 and when we did not like it we moved to 203 which was far better. With an extra charge we then moved to 302, which was quite a nice room. The mattress had springs in it but was reasonably comfortable. 119 was a small under ventilated, under illuminated room. So beware, especially if you choose to stay here during the desert festival. On the other hand, if you are adventurous enough to be there during the summers then the ground floor rooms may be the safest ones.

Location: It is not far from the railway station. We used to walk down to the fort and the main bazaar area. There isn't any crowd around the place. You can get auto-rickshaws nearby to take you to Gadisar Lake and the sunset point(Vyas Chhatri / Bara Bagh).

Tariff: They provide a "special golden discount package" during the winter. The rates at https://narayanniwas.com/soffers.html are dated and misleading, so it is a good idea to call and find out. We paid Rs. 12000+ Rs. 1000(for the room upgrade) for package of four days three nights that included a night in the camps at the sand dunes. Regular tariff information can also be found at https://nivalink.com/narayanniwaspalace/tariff.html

Food: The items on the menu are influenced by the nationality of the guests. If there are too few Indians then the food served may not be liked by the "Desi" tourist.

Tips:(a) The guided tours included in the package should really not be parameters that you should consider while deciding a package vs. non-package deal.(b) The night stay at the sand dunes is better avoided.(c) Do some reading and planning before landing up at Jaisalmer. The hotel front desk information is not too helpful.(d) Guides speaking European languages are also available.(e) This hotel is not to be confused with its neighbour "Narayan Niwas Villas".