You Can Stay the Night in a 300-Year-Old Indian Palace

Fancy living like royalty for an evening? Then book a ticket to India now.

Maharaja Sawai Padmanabh Singh has added an Airbnb side hustle to his official duties, listing a room in his royal residence, the opulent City Palace of Jaipur, on the home-sharing site to raise funds for a rural women’s foundation.

The Gudliya Suite has never before been available to the public – its previously been the exclusive lodgings of the royal family and their celebrity guests (including Oprah and Prince Charles).

The sumptuously decorated rooms include a sky-blue bedroom with a four-poster bed, private lounge and kitchen, a hot tub and an indoor swimming pool. In addition, guests have access to the intricate web of arch-adorned terraces, private gardens and courtyards.

Each stay comes with breakfast and dinner at the in-house restaurant which highlights local produce and dishes. You’ll also have a private butler to answer your every whim and be guided around the palace and grounds by a member of the royal staff.

Also known as the Pink City, Jaipur is the capital of Rajasthan, in India’s north, and was recently named a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The sprawling, sunset-hued sandstone palace was built in 1727 in the geometric Rajput architectural style.

Until 1 January, the suite is available for $1457 a night with all funds raised going to the Princess Diya Kumari Foundation which supports rural women and artists in Rajasthan. 

It’s a bargain – from the new year the nightly price will bump up to $11,652. It does come with roaming peacocks, after all.

Bookings open on 23 November.

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