Ghanerao Royal Castle was founded in 1606 by Gopal Das Rathore, a brave rajput warrior from the Mertia clan. It’s a small town located strategically at the entrance of one of the few ancient passes in the Aravali range that connects the erstwhile states of Udaipur and Jodhpur the two strongholds of Rajasthan, Mewar and Marwar. The castle is a beautiful classic edifice of marble and red sand stone jharonkas.The courtyards are habituated by dancing peacocks and lined with colourful bougainvillea. No two rooms are like, with quaint sit outs and staircases furnished aesthetically keeping the environment and the sensibility of the area and local traditions. Sumptuous meals are served, prepared using age old traditional recopies of the family, who reside there and retain the old local staff as well to give a feeling of harmony and community. A home away from home- its serenity has attracted many a writers and painters and many happy couples have taken their marriage vows in the traditional way. Its the only village in Rajasthan which boasts of thirty-three step wells and beautiful cenotaphs and by lanes strewn with heritage havelis. Ghanerao school of arts is also famous for its traditional Rajput style paintings, To keep oneself busy, one can:Visit some of the 33 stepwells.Visit the tribal belt to meet the Gharasiya and Rabari tribes.Visit the Muchala Mahavir Temple.Walk or do a Jeep safari to the Crocodile dam.Walk or drive to the Ghanerao Jungle Lodge which is located at the edge of Kumbhalgarh National Park.Visit Kumbhalgarh National Park by jeep or horse safari or trekking.Drive to the Kumbhalgarh Fort and Ranakpur TemplesUdaipur is 120 kms away.
My friend and I travelled through Rajasthan for 5 weeks, last year. We visited many different cities and small townships staying in some very exotic places. I can say without doubt that our stay at Ghanereo Royal Castle was the best. From the moment we arrived we were made to feel very welcome. Our two rooms were both fantastic; we each had a large sitting room separate bedroom with very comfortable bed and linens and a large bathroom. The original thick brick walls and beautiful velvet drapes and heavy wooden doors and window shutters made for a gorgeous, luxurious suite. Just stunningly beautiful and unique. We chatted to the castle owner over a lovely lunch....he was a fountain of knowledge, such an interesting gentleman. In the afternoon we had a swim in the pool where exotic birds seemed to be everywhere. Later we took a guided tour through the village where the local people were super friendly and invited us into their homes to meet family. And that night dined in the courtyard next to the pool where the hotel manager joined us to eat. The food was authentic and beautifully cooked with a good variety of dishes. The next day he opened up the small shop in town for us to peruse. He works in collaboration with a group of local women artisans who create clothes and crafts to support themselves and their families. The ladies all turned up to say hello. It truly was a very special day. And a wonderful hotel.
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Date of stay: November 2024
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Trip type: Travelled with friends
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On my recent trip with Vegan Travel Asia, we did a 12-day tour across Rajasthan. Everywhere we stayed added a special measure of adventure and fond memories. When we arrived at the Royal Castle in Ghanerao, we stopped, blew the horn and someone came to open the gate through the castle walls. Once inside the massive courtyard, the architecture of the castle stood impressively in front of us. This was just the beginning. The room where I stayed was massive, with a large sitting area with double-height ceilings, a separate bedroom, a hallway that ran the length of the rooms, with lattice work and shutters providing privacy from the outside. And then a large, comfortable bathroom with a large, separate, step-down shower room. The castle was decorated throughout with amazing antiques and pieces of furniture with historical significance. The food in the restaurant was made with only locally raised and produced food. And we had the pleasure of spending an hour with the queen, and learned all about her wonderful work with charities, women's causes and other philanthropic endeavours. Staying in the castle was pure magic. I frequently rested with my thoughts trying to imagine what it must have felt like to be around when the castle was originally built over 500 years before.
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Date of stay: April 2023
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Trip type: Travelled solo
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Ghanerao Royal Castel is a huge old fort, languishing in a semi-deserted village.
Partly decrepit and partly rehabilitated, it offers the opportunity to delve into what the madness of grandeur of the Maharajas could have been. Everything is done to remind us of how people lived at the time.
Mazes of corridors, courtyards, various rooms, small lounges, temples to get lost in... It's dilapidated, but so exotic. Decorated and furnished with photos and period furniture, it is also a real museum which allows the imagination to do the rest. The room is located in an identical two-bedroom apartment/suite, with private lounge, desk and luggage rack. Two bottles of water available. It is refined, comfortable, tastefully decorated. It has a small balcony with cousins which overlooks the main courtyard of the fort. The bathroom and linen are clean. Courtesy cosmetics. The swimming pool is below. In one of the courtyards, a bar lounge with sofa and television. In one of the courtyards, the fort's private temple. Dinner is served in the dining room: Plates of tomatoes cucumbers onions, jeera aloo (potatoes with seeds) Dahl, rice, papadum, mattar paneer (cheese in tomato sauce), Bhindi Masala (okra masala), crumble. Breakfast is served in the dining room: chapati with chickpea flour, bananas, butter, jam, toast, watermelon, masala omelette, poha (rice cooked with pomegranate seeds) One of the rare hotels where the baggage handlers don't wait in the room until you tip. Given the size of the fort you feel a little alone there, but it's so relaxing next to the towns and tourist buses. You can visit the village which is very interesting to discover. The guard accompanies to help find the essential points of the village. The village is half abandoned, by families who went to seek their fortune elsewhere. Many havelis in poor condition, but also many empty modern houses. What remains is the daily life of those who do not have the means to make their fortune. Authentic India.
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Date of stay: March 2024
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Trip type: Travelled as a couple
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The hotel is a beautiful old building lost at the end of the village. It's not that easy to access, but it's extremely quiet. This haveli is a real maze, with crazy potential, the rooms are spacious, the bed comfortable, however there are many duty free places. Dinner, although good, is overpriced with a unique menu (and almost no possible alternatives to the surroundings...), the schedule of our safari has changed, delayed by 1h30 which was short before sunset. Our breakfast basket? Not seen, even though we agreed the night before with the team that we'd have a packed lunch when we left in the morning. Same for the help for the suitcases on the 4 stairs without ramp, we did not see anyone...
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Date of stay: November 2024
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Trip type: Travelled as a couple
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I visited the hotel as part of a trek with Horse India. It was like riding into the past arriving through the gates of this huge homestead. If you want an authentic experience not 'tweaked' for tourists this is your spot. You are staying in the home of the original family and it was nice that the owner came to explain the history of the castle and how he was trying to run it now and save the heritage. There is a beautiful roof top fountain area where local drummers came to entertain us. The staff served us as if we were family. As a solo traveller my room was so large I felt a tiny bit intimidated but that is not a complaint! The bathrooms and amenities were all perfect and it felt like we were in a Disney movie
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Date of stay: December 2023
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Trip type: Travelled solo
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Ghanerao is a village located about 45 km from main road. The approach road is patchy, so plan your time accordingly. Ghanerao Royal Castle is located in the center of the village It is better to seek directions as GPS will take you through very narrow streets.
The palace itself is an amazing place. Despite being over 500 years old, it has been painstakingly done up to satisfy the needs of travellers. Each room is different as can be expected in a palace. Just maintaining it is a herculean task, and the royals have done well to keep it in shape despite the lows of pandemic.
The owners are cordial, and Shakti Singhji Rathod is helpful. It was a pleasure interacting with Her Highness, who told us about the history of the place and about the original Krishna idol carried by Mirabai, which is preserved in the palace. Overall a relaxing stay.
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Date of stay: July 2022
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Room Tip:All rooms a different so choose according to your needs.
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Response from Shakti Singh, Owner at Ghanerao Royal Castle Ranakpur
Responded 12 Mar 2023
Dear V K Nagar 1, We thank you for visiting our Heritage homestay Ghanerao Castle and we are glad to know that you loved our home. We also value your feedback hence will improve on the places where we lack and improve. Thanking you again for your beautiful review and we look forward to seeing you in the future. Thanks and Regards, Shakti Singh Ghanerao Castle
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I stayed at the Ghanerao Royal Castle Hotel for one night as part of a tour of Rajasthan. It's a 16thC hotel full of character though decrepit in parts. A lovely looking property with terraces for drinks and sunset. Some rooms looked fantastic, double height with murals, but mine (room 107 on top floor) was poor. No fridge or kettle and electrics looked dodgy. It was poorly maintained, fittings were loose and curtain pole fell off. The room looked like it had been painted by a small child with paint drips everywhere. No wifi in room. Bed was clean and comfortable though. Most seriously the shower didn’t work even on cold, didn’t find out till morning so no time to complain.
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Date of stay: February 2023
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Trip type: Travelled with friends
Room Tip:Avoid room 107
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Shakti Singh, Owner at Ghanerao Royal Castle Ranakpur
Responded 12 Mar 2023
Dear Doorstop, We thank you for visiting our Heritage homestay Ghanerao Castle and we are glad to know that you loved our home. We also value your feedback hence will improve on the places where we lack and improve. Thanking you again for your beautiful review and we look forward to seeing you in the future. Thanks and Regards, Shakti Singh Ghanerao Castle
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... after busy, bustling Udaipur! This is a repeat stay for me, and my one regret was that I'd only booked two nights before moving on to Jodhpur. The room was, quite literally, palatial! Original painted details and sheesh tiles, 18-foot ceilings, carved marble jalis, beautiful sandstone balconies overlooking the front courtyard, atmospheric indirect lighting, the works. The staff were attentive, friendly, and courteous, and both Shakti and his mother, Sarita, could not possibly have been more gracious and welcoming. We also went to the Ghanerao Jungle Lodge, and heard no sound other than the birds and the breeze rustling in the leaves of the towering tree that shades part of the front garden. Though not grand, the Edwardian architecture still brought Downton Abbey to mind, and next time I visit, I'll be sure to book not just more days in the Castle, but a few days in the Jungle Lodge, as well. I'm so looking forward to my next visit!
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Date of stay: February 2020Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Shakti Singh, Owner at Ghanerao Royal Castle Ranakpur
Responded 10 Sept 2020
Dear Ms Herk, Thank you so much for writing such a wonderful review for us. We are happy to know that you enjoyed your stay at Ghanerao Castle and we wish to have you with us soon. Thanks & Regards, Ghanerao Castle management
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We stayed in this property for two days and I had a good experience. It was calm, peaceful and the hospitality was good too. The owners were friendly and they tried to deliver a great experience. Unfortunately, I was a bit disappointed by a couple of things. The pool was extremely dirty, it was all green, a lot of algae. There was no menu card to order food, they said they would cook anything we ask them to. This created confusion during bill payment. Our bathroom had problems, there was no geyser, and even after fixing twice, the flush did not work so we had to use buckets to clean the toilet. Although the staff was supportive, they took way too long to prepare our meals. We asked to have breakfast at 8 AM but it was prepared by 10 AM. To be honest, these things did not matter to me a lot cos I only wanted to enjoy exploring the castle but my friends were quite frustrated. I believe there is room for improvement. If these issues are fixed, I think this hotel can be one of the top hotels in Rajasthan.
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Date of stay: August 2020
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Response from Shakti Singh, Owner at Ghanerao Royal Castle Ranakpur
Responded 10 Sept 2020
Dear Mr Jayesh, Thank you for sharing your wonderful review. We feel happy when we get suggestions as to how to improve the property as it is a 500 year old homestay. We are glad that you liked the property . We will certainly work on the issues raised by you and improve on it. Thanks & Regards, Ghanerao Management
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I've given this hotel a very good, because of its heritage, character & ambience, not because of it's facilities. It is stunningly beautiful, fabulous architecture - real 'faded grandeur', flaking paint, crumbling plaster, little winding passages and staircases, hidden nooks & crannies with interesting artefacts and a lovely courtyard. I believe some rooms were refurbished very well, but mine (14) was in the 'before' category. It had a rather grubby outdoor seating area, an old indoor seating area, very hard bed, with thin mattress on plywood, no hot water, kettle, TV or safe, but amazingly, really good wifi (better than the so-called business hotel we stayed in the night before!). The area outside the dining room was a lovely place to sit & watch the sun set with a drink. The evening meal was basic, but good. The breakfast was poor - no buffet, just toast & omelette brought to your table. It was so exciting and 'exotic', that I excused all of it's faults, but I'd say it needs some work doing if it's going for the luxurious market, However, for the budget traveller it's an amazing opportunity to experience staying in an old palace, full of character & beauty.
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Date of stay: February 2023
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Shakti Singh, Owner at Ghanerao Royal Castle Ranakpur
Responded 12 Mar 2023
Dear San Robbo, We thank you for visiting our Heritage homestay Ghanerao Castle and we are glad to know that you loved our home. We also value your feedback hence will improve on the places where we lack and improve. Thanking you again for your beautiful review and we look forward to seeing you in the future. Thanks and Regards, Shakti Singh Ghanerao Castle
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There are more places to choose from in the Ghānerao area.
PRICE RANGE
₹4,292 - ₹4,993 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
LOCATION
IndiaRajasthanPali DistrictGhānerao
NUMBER OF ROOMS
15
Prices are provided by our partners, and reflect average nightly room rates, including taxes and fees that are fixed, known to our partners, and due at time of booking. Please see our partners for more details.
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