General's Retreat Jaipur
9, Sardar Patel Marg, Jaipur,
website: http://www.generalsretreat.com/
I simply wanted to relax and feel safe and at home, rather than be spoiled like a maharajah in a palace, and the General's Retreat was a good choice. Good value for money I thought. White painted 2 storey building with front garden and first floor terraces to sit out in. Inside decorated with photos of the General (Umrao Singh) from his army days, and pretty block printed fabrics (quilts, curtains, cushion covers etc). If you like the textiles, there's an on-site shop selling them as the family owns a factory. It feels more like a family home (the owners live downstairs) and the lady of the house (whose name I've forgotten) would pop in over breakfast or dinner for a chat. The staff and owners were helpful in booking a massage, a taxi, getting laundry done, or bringing tea or fresh lime soda. If you dine there in the evening, make sure you're hungry - I was brought enough tasty, non-greasy, home-cooked veg food to feed 4 people, all for 250 rupees (generous portions of paneer, okra, peas & carrots, dahl, rice, chapattis, yogurt, salad, a popadom, all followed by the comfort food carrot pudding). Excellent value. Breakfast was the usual juice, fruit, tea, cornflakes, eggs and toast affair. Perfect scrambled eggs. The shower there was more powerful than at luxury Khem Villas in Ranthambhore!. Two minor niggles: the towels could have been cleaner (and I don't simply mean that they were dhobi-wallah white not Persil advert white). The place also looked like it needed rewiring: a certain amount of wiggling of plugs in sockets was needed to get my mobile phone to re-charge, and there were some slightly alarming wires hanging out of the ceiling roses by the fan and light fittings, but that's just India, I suspect!. It wasn't desperately quiet (traffic, horns of trains on relatively near railway line audible, and when I was there, wedding bands next door or across the road every night), but I doubt anywhere in Jaipur is. Handy for Anokhi shop and Kerala Ayurveda Kendra (for good cheap massage). Ensuite shower room with powerful shower. TV. 1 room has a kitchenete. General's Retreat Jaipur Rates and Room Information
Double occupancy 1800; single occupancy 1500; 150 breakfast; 225 lunch; 250 dinner