A luxury boutique hotel, Suryagarh is located on the outskirts of Jaisalmer, the golden city. Located in the heart of the Thar Desert, it combines the modern with the medieval. Each of the hotel’s 62 rooms has polished floors and period furniture. Artworks rescued from forgotten attics accentuate the interiors that reflect the grandeur of the state’s Rajput legacy. The luxury suite comprises a living room, a powder room, a bedroom with an en-suite bathroom and a private alcove where one can sit and sip Suryagarh’s signature kesari chai.
Photo coutesy of suryagarh.com
Rajasthan has a long tradition of block printing, so it is no surprise, that the walls are decorated with this technique done in gold by mastercraftsmen. The stay options range from the Palace room, Grand Heritage room to the opulent Jaisalmer suite. Corporate meetings as well as offsite events can be held here. To attract business clients, the hotel has a well-equipped business centre as well as amenities like drop down screens, wi-fi facilities and state-ofthe- art audio-visual equipment.
A spa is now almost mandatory if a hotel wants to append luxury to its name, the one in Suryagarh is called Rait. It has five treatment rooms and we are told that they have therapies that use desert sand — what better since the Sam desert is just a short distance away. For those who cannot do without their daily dose of exercise, Neel, the swimming pool and Akhara, the gym, beckon. The names are appropriate because Neel in Hindi means blue and Akhara is an arena for wrestling. In the same vein, the card room is called Tash (literally playing cards).
Photo coutesy of suryagarh.com
The general manager, Karan Singh, is of the opinion that food is important as it helps a hotel connect with its guests. Moreover, Rajasthan has a great culinary legacy. These are just two reasons why F&B gets top billing here. The facilities include Legend of Marwar, an Indian fine dining restaurant, Nosh, a multi-cuisine coffee shop and a bar, Draksh.
If one had just one word to sum up the ambience of the hotel, it would have to be “relaxing”. Behind this is service. True to legendary Rajasthani hospitality, the staff ensures that your wish is fast translated into reality. A camel safari, a haveli tour, or dinner on a hill a short distance from the hotel, it is all made possible.
Photo coutesy of suryagarh.com
The hotel is built like a fort from what else but a yellow-gold stone that its name from Jaisalmer. It gives the illusion that it has stood here for centuries but this is just an architectural device, it is actually been built recently from scratch. All the same it blends beautifully in its surroundings. One evening, I hear a woman’s sonourous voice wafting on the cool breeze in the hotel’s courtyard. Her husband playing a local musical instrument joins the haunting melody. From the delicate latticed windows of the lobby, i watch the changing colours of the sky — yellow, orange, crimson, pink and then velvety darkness. More reasons to come back.
GETTING THERE
By air: The hotel is approximately 281 km from the Jodhpur airport.
By rail: The Jaisalmer railway station is just 16.3 km away
By road: The drive from Jodhpur to Jaisalmer is 284 km on NH 15.
PRICE FACTOR
Off season (April – Sep) / On season (October – March) Palace room: ` 12,000/ 16,000 Grand heritage room: `14,000/ 18,000 Signature suite: ` 17,000/ 25,000 Luxury suite: ` 21,000/ 35,000 Jaisalmer suite: ` 50,000/ 75,000 The prices are exclusive of taxes.
ADDRESS AND CONTACT INFORMATION
Suryagarh Kahala Phata, Sam Road Jaisalmer-345001, Rajasthan, India
Tel: +91-02992-269269
Fax: +91-02992-269270
E-mail: [email protected]
For details, visit http://www.suryagarh.com/
Photo courtesy of Rajasthantrip.net
WHAT TO DO AT SURYAGARH
1 Walk on the sand dunes in the Desert National Park
2 Go on a trip to Kuldhara village, once home of Paliwal Brahmins. Legend has it that they vanished overnight from here nearly two centuries ago. It is now a ghost town with a few crumbling mud houses.
3 Take a camel ride along the sand dunes in the evening and watch the sunset.
4 Take a special couple package at the hotel’s spa, Rait, and enjoy the milk and honey bath.
5 Visit the sun city of Jaisalmer, one of the most popular tourist destinations in Rajasthan. Stop to see the famous Jain temples.
Posted by Debangana
Debangana’s love for travel goes beyond her usual poring over the wallpapers of Ireland. When not doing that, she’s busy planning her next trip.
