More Traveler Reviews of Hotel Shahi Palace Jaisalmer
Great Place to Stay
from A TripAdvisor User on 2006-04-22
A hotel is a hotel most of the time, but every once in a while you come to a place where the people are special. Jora and his brothers are definitely that. I can only recommend this place. The rooms are good and clean and reasonably priced. The food is great and the views from the rooftop restaurant of the fort are stunning. However, I have to say that it was Jora and his brothers who made the stay wonderful. Jora took and friend and me to see some sights, gave us a cookery lesson and spent hours in the evening playing Karom (like table billiards)
Great hotel, excellent staff
from Tinks20 on 2006-04-18
We stayed at the Shahi Palace in March for 3 nights. It is a great little place. The staff (several brothers) have a fantastic 'can do'attitude. We could check in and have a room immediately we arrived at 5am and we could use a room to shower and change in on the day we had to leave. Plus they did all they could to make us welcome and make our stay interesting.
We had a good camel safari (although if I had to do it again I wouldn't bother with the Jain temple or the village as I'd seen much better Jain temples and the village stop seemed to just be an excuse to let small children come and beg from you). The actual safari bit was superb though and I would definitely recommend it.
Jaisalmer is a wonderful place and the Shahi Palace the best place to stay there. Jora and Dev keep up the good work!
Two Moonlight Nights in the Desert
from A TripAdvisor User on 2006-04-13
I only had a little time left on my trip to India and I really wanted to visit Jaisalimer and experience a camel safari. Luckily, while traveling through Rajasthan I met another traveler who recommended the Shahi Palace to me. She said that they were definitely the guesthouse to visit and that the owners would work to help me fit this last experience into my remaining days in India. After a long overnight bus trip they were able to pick me up from the very busy bus station and I was greeted with a warm cup of chai tea once I arrived at the hotel. They were very flexible and worked to create the perfect camel safari for the two nights I wanted to spend in the desert. I was able to clean up and relax before we headed out into the desert. My three day two night safari in the moonlight desert was a wonderful experience. The camel drivers were very nice, funny men who took great care of me. We cooked by the fire, enjoyed many tea breaks from the warm sun, and experiencing the quiet desert landscape from the back of a camel was a pleasant break from the busy cities of India. After returning from my time in the desert everyone at the Shahi Palace did their best to help me see the beautiful city of Jaisalimer. I enjoyed a relaxing dinner at their rooftop restaurant and appreciated the view of the city fort. I wish that I had more time to spend here, and I will defiantly recommend the Shahi Palace to travelers that I meet in the future.
Great Palace to stay
from A TripAdvisor User on 2006-03-18
We arrived at the Shahi Palace Hotel after a tiring 20 hour journey from Delhi. We found ourselves in a hypnotic environment with reflections of luxury, mystique and antiquity. The design is truly exceptional and a cool breeze prevails throughout the building. We were so pleased we chose this hotel. We must thank the team for all their help in assisting us with a very pleasant stay.
Cheers Ken and Heather
Lancashire England
Consider no other!
from Moomal on 2006-03-17
I am astounded by the negative review of Shahi Palace and being untrustworthy. I stayed at the SHAHI PALACE back in January and was very impressed by the facility and everyone who works there-especially Jora and Dev. The camel safari was just as I requested and yes, it was 1050 ruppee and I knew I could find one cheaper,however, I believe you get what you pay for. The staff there are genuine and they take considerable care of their guests. I am returning to India and will consider no other hotel but the Shahi Palace.
DON'T GO TO SHAHI PALACE!!!!!!
from A TripAdvisor User on 2006-03-05
The hotel is very nice, the views from the roof top lovely, BUT they don't treat the costumers very well.
They organize Camel Safari like many hotels in Jaisalmer and if you don't do the safari with them they try to charge you more for your room.
Also they offer a lot of information about the most expensive safari (1050 rupees) and less information about the cheaper. And a safari camel driver told me that all the safaris are the same and cost 450 rupees only.
So don't trust them. Behind the smile there isn't a good person.
Great Hotel
from VisitingBangalore on 2005-12-19
This is a great place to stay!
Beautifully designed, clean, good food, and, perfectly located with room and rooftop views of the Jaisalmer Fort.
Usually one has to deal with dicey answers and hustle on a fairly regular basis when making travel plans in India - not so at the Shahi Palace Hotel!
First of all, Dev - one of the four brothers who created and owns the Shahi Palace - answered all of my inquiry emails expediently and thoroughly. Throughout our stay and our safari, we found everything to be just as he indicated - no unpleasant surprises.
Secondly, upon our arrival in Jodhpur we were relieved to be greeted by our driver (arranged by the Shahi) who was still friendly and welcoming despite having waited for us for 9 hours during our flight delay in Delhi! (He also had a car with seat-belts, just as I had requested in an email exchange with Dev.)
Additionally, we were pleased with our well-priced 3 day, 2 night camel safari for two. This was also arranged by the Shahi and honored our request to avoid typical tourist areas and other safari tourists. At the end of the safari, in keeping with their thoughtfulness and hospitality, we were picked up at the appointed time.
End notes: The Shahi only accepts cash. The electricity is turned off during the middle of the day (I don't think this is just limited to the Shahi, I believe it might be a city-wide thing). Finally, Dev can steer you to a couple of good shopping spots too.
We would definitely stay at the Shahi again! The family and staff are very friendly and accommodating.
Excellent hotel, lovely people
from A TripAdvisor User on 2005-12-16
This hotel is absolutely gorgeous. Made out of sandstone and decorated with taste, this hotel has a fantastic roof terrace with a view of the citadel city. I preferred staying outside of the citadel because it's less crowded and noisy (It is about 5 minutes walk to the entrance).
The brothers there are extremely friendly and will take pains in helping you with whatever request you might have. They will even give you a bed to sleep on if you arrive by the 5AM train from Jodhpur, and they have also offered us a free taxi pick up from the station. Really good after a rough trip!
Only slightly negative point I would mention is food: service is slow and prices are steep for Jaisalmer. But that is definitely a minor point as this hotel was the best hotel I've stayed during my trip to Rajasthan in November 05.
from pieps on 2005-10-31
(Photos only)
Best hotel in India
from pieps on 2005-10-29
Hello all!
In case you go to Jaisalmer you simply must stay in Shahi Palace. It's just the best hotel I ever stayed at. The hotel is build entirely in sandstone with traditional carving techniques that make it look like the famous havelis.
Besides the great, clean rooms (partially with fortview) the rooftop terrace restaurant is another reason to visit this place. They specialise on Indian and Italian cuisine. (Yes also the Italian cuisine is good!)
It is owned by four very friendly brothers who give the place a familiary touch and if you stay a little longer you will leave as friend (I stayed two month in September/October 05 and still keep contact now).
They also offer camel safaris that are at a fair price considering the quality they offer you. NO HASSELING!!! They also accept without problems if you want to do a safari with another operator (and they'll cure you if you get sick from the cheap food you'll get there. I saw it with my own eyes!)
