Pratap Palace, Ajmer

When our driver Rajendra ji pointed out the Pratap Palace, Ajmer in the distance, like true Rajasthani architecture it blended with the surroundings.

Pratap Palace, Ajmer is a Keys Resort, situated on the Ajmer Pushkar road. It is surrounded by the Aravalis and away from the hustle and bustle of both the cities. It is a luxury property and I was invited to visit the hotel.

The Room with a Jhula (Swing)

After the check in where we were greeted with the traditional tikka and welcome drink. I headed to my room after a quick check-in. I quite liked the idea of the jhula in the room. I am not sure how men folk would react to it but I loved it. The room was big, even bigger than what I am used to in luxury hotels. There was tea in the room, which is the first thing I look for in any room.

There are some teething troubles with the TV and some cell phone operators as the hotel is new. But I am sure these things settle down with time. There are 86 rooms in all in the hotel. One entire floor dedicated to suites.

A Beautiful Courtyard

Pratap Palace has a beautiful courtyard at the back which has the swimming pool too. Surprisingly for May it was still not too hot in Rajasthan and I went and soaked in the atmosphere for a while. I wanted to go swimming but as there was a dust storm in the morning they had put chemicals in the pool. They advised me not to swim. At the end of the pool a local artist was painting on the wall.

Beautiful Paintings, Good Food

There is a lovely mural on the wall of the main lobby which depicts a large procession. At first glance it looks like a painting but it is carving in marble. I wanted to click a selfie here but missed it somehow.

An entire wall in the palace café depicts a wildlife scene. I noticed only later that it depicted a hunting scene. It adds a lot of color to the dining room.
Now that I am talking about the dining room, I should take the opportunity to talk about food too. I had Indian food mostly and it was good. I tried Jodhpuri Gatta Pulao for Rajasthani and cream of mushroom soup for continental. Both were done well. They also serve excellent cookies with tea

Meeting the Owner, Mr. Pratap Rangwani

The owner of the hotel Mr. Pratap Rangwani was at the premises and he took out some time from his busy schedule to interact with us. I could easily see the passion behind the project. He is from Ajmer though he now lives abroad. He said next time if a dignitary came to Ajmer to visit the dargah they would have a luxury place to stay, and need not go back to Jaipur. He said the Ajmer Pushkar belt needed a luxury hotel and it was his attempt to fill the gap with the Pratap palace.

His staff was also stated that Ajmer is coming up as a wedding destination and the hotel has already organized quite a few wedding. They have a huge banquet hall and an attached garden to it to cater to the wedding and MICE segment.

This resort would work for you if you are looking for a relaxed, luxurious place away from the cities. The key attraction the Brahma Temple in Pushkar and the Ajmer Sharif Dargah are in 15 km vicinity of the hotel.