Jaipur Haveli B&B – The Story of 1744 Built Heritage Hotel in Jaipur

Jaipur Haveli in Pink City may sound like just another hotel in the capital city of Rajasthan. But, let me assure you it is not.

Every tourists who plan a visit asks this question; where to stay in Jaipur? Jaipur Haveli is the answer when your priority is to experience real heritage.

History of Jaipur Haveli, Johri Bazar

Jaipur Haveli is a recently open heritage hotel in Jaipur city. Many Royal mansions in the city are converted to heritage hotels or shopping malls. Jaipur Haveli is one such homestay. It is located in the middle of city keeping most of the tourist destinations at walking distance only.

The owner of the Hotel, Praveen Seth (Bauji) and his son Vikram Seth are kind enough to share historical facts about the beautiful mansion. The building is said to be built in 1744 which means it is as old as the city itself.

It served as a Dharamshala once, rest house for charitable purposes or travelers.

Vikram Seth’s Great Grandfather moved to Jaipur from Patna due to epidemic in 1910. He made a name for himself as a Diamond Jeweller. He was so famous that traders visited him from as far as Turkey. In 1921, Seth family purchased the Mansion in a tattered condition. After a year of hard work by 40 construction workers the Haveli was ready to move in.

Year 1922 marked another milestone for Seth Family. Haveli Patnawala became the family home for them.

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Where is Hotel Jaipur Haveli B&B in Jaipur?

The heritage hotel is located in the Johari Bazar of Jaipur which is within the walled city.

Johari is Hindi word for Jeweler. Thus, Jouhari Bazar is the market of Jewelers.

This market is famous for Gemstones, Jewelry, Traditional clothes and beautiful mansions. Hotel Haveli is true to the symbol of Johari Bazar as it has been home to prominent Jewelers of the city.

Inspiration behind Hotel Haveli B&B

In times when most of the old buildings are reconstructed as shopping complexes Seth family decided to conserve and convert their ancestral home in a B&B Hotel.

The owner of the mansion Vikram got married in 2006. At that time 45 guests stayed in Haveli. The idea of a hotel was incorporated at that time only.

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Architecture and Description of Jaipur Haveli B&B Hotel

Let me take you to a detailed tour of the Hotel step by step. Currently 8 rooms are available for lodging for guests while there are over 22 rooms in the Mansion.

• Façade – Once you reach at the entrance of the Hotel you will be welcomed by a small garden in the porch, a rare in walled city. Guests can sit for chitchat or Coffee in the garden. The facade view of the Mansion is definitely worth clicking a picture. The Saffron or pink colored front view is signature color of the Pink City. The walls are painted with intrinsic details of Royal guards which indicate the social importance of the residents in the era of its construction. It is worth noting that the fresco work is restored as it was, keeping its originality intact.
• Entrance to the first courtyard – Entrance gate is designed in old Rajput style with Gokha (sitting place on both sides of the gate). Beautifully colored frescoes greet every passerby to the courtyard. The stone paved courtyard is the witness to the century old traditional architecture. There is a sitting facility in the first courtyard with vintage mirrors and a Divan Bed. It gives the whole arrangement its classic look.
• Entrances to second courtyard – Usually mansions only have one courtyard but Jaipur Haveli is an exception. These courtyards ensure proper sunlight and air flow to every room and passages. A keen consideration has been given in restoration of original paint works on the gate. The symmetrical paintings are mesmerizing too.

• Rooms – A staircase will take you to the first floor where some rooms are located. Others are located on the second floor. In all, the mansion has 8 rooms open for tourists. These could accommodate two to four persons. In earlier times when there was no electricity Jharokhas kept the rooms cold. Today these windows are duly restored and each room is equipped with air conditioning. These rooms are decorated with authentic murals and paintings. The furniture is deliberately restored in a vintage look, which takes the guests into the era of princely states. These rooms open on the inner courtyard and some of them have period small windows opening in the street. Each room has its private bathroom. Traditional Blue Pottery art has been used in restoring bathrooms which gives guests a Maharajah feeling.

• Rooftop – Private space is provided on the roof for the guests. They can retire after a day of sightseeing in Jaipur with a sip of tea. Or they can chitchat with fellow guests.
• Restoration – The old Mansion is restored with keen attention to almost everything. Every minute detail from furniture to hardware and bed sheets to carpets are precisely restored for a fine experience for all. The alluring strong wooden doors are from the early years and they still hold the old locking system.

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Apart from above details guests can have access to private collection of the Family’s age old pictures and artifacts of gems and jewelries.

Food at Jaipur Haveli B&B Hotel

Home cooked vegetarian food is available for guests at the royal mansion. Hence, it gives the guests an excellent opportunity to experience the city’s local life. And they get to learn about the Jaipur food.

The family also welcomes every tourist in celebrating fairs and festivals. They also encourage guests in learning about city’s culture and treat them as family members only.

Why one should book their stay at Hotel Haveli B&B Jaipur?

Being the head of the family, ‘Bauji’, Vikram’s father enquired about me. When the formal introduction was made, his first words of wisdom were, “Soul of Jaipur lies in walled City only”. And we couldn’t agree more.

If you want to have the local experience then you must book your stay at the mansion. This will give you a chance to learn the city’s culture. And as it is a homestay you will stay with the family. Although there are many other Havelis in Jaipur to stay but this is one of the few in walled city.

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What are other attractions near Hotel Jaipur Haveli?

Major tourist’s attractions are 500 meters away from the Hotel. Therefore, these could be reached by a walk in the beautiful market of Johari Bazar. Following is a list of nearby tourist attractions,

• Hawa Mahal
• Kalki Temple
• City Palace Jaipur
• Isarlat Tower
• Jantar Mantar Jaipur

Transport Facilities around Jaipur Haveli B&B Hotel

This is one thing that you won’t have to worry about at all. The hotel is in between Johari Bazar. It is the business center of city. Thus it makes every destination within the city easily accessible.

How to Book a Room at Jaipur Haveli B&B Hotel?

You can check availability and confirm the booking. Just mention that you read review on JaipurLove. In case if they don’t have rooms available, you can check out our recommendations of 5 star hotels in Jaipur.

Vikram and his family is certainly the true claimant of appreciation for this unique and great initiative. And we hope soon more will follow to rediscover the beauty of Pink City.