I didn't stay at the rambagh palace, but did manage to spend a few hours at the hotel one evening having drinks and dinner. From my brief time there, I have the following comments:

1. The hotel appears to provide a true 5 star experience

2. The hotel itself, the rooms, the grounds, etc. are all immaculate and well maintained.

3. The service is amazing. I couldn't believe it when the cleaning staff bowed everytime I walked by!

4. The hotel is not cheap. A meal there will cost you about 5-10X more than you will pay anywhere else. But the ambience DEFINITELY makes it worthwhile!

5. There is an astrologer who provides palm reading, etc. right by the hotel restaurant. He is very reasonably priced considering the hotel surroundings (only Rs. 300... I even tipped him b/c it was such a good rate considering the con artists who proclaim to do the same thing in the main city area). He has 30 years experience and spends a considerable amount of time telling you what you want to know. My friend tried one of the astrologers who was listed in the lonely planet, and he was a complete rip off compared to the man at the Rambagh.

Even if you can't afford to stay at this place, I would definintely recommended going for a meal or a drink.

This is a fabulous hotel in all respects. The grounds of the hotel are magnificent, as are the interior public spaces. Our room was gorgeous -- incredibly comfortable beds, fine linens, beautiful bathroom. The service is outstanding -- gracious, attentive, and friendly. The main dining room -- Suvarna Mahal -- is one of the most beautiful rooms in which we have ever dined; the food and service were a match for the magnificence of the room. The hotel is admittedly expensive, but one can't reasonably expect to stay at a place like this for the price of a Holiday Inn.

The bottom line -- In our travels, we have stayed at some marvelous hotels, and this is one of the finest hotels we have stayed at anywhere in the world. If you don't like this hotel, then nothing is going to please you.

Our family of four arrived tired after a long trip to be met by an extremely apologetic Assistant Manager who told us that renovation of a set of rooms hadn't been finished on time. She first offered us the choice of a drab annexe separate from the hotel, and then a suite at the Sheraton Hotel, along with free "full hospitality" by Rambagh Palace. Very disappointed, we accepted their offer. Although we never got to see the accommodation at the Rambagh Palace, for the rest of our short stay we were treated like royalty by the hotel, with free meals in its sumptuous Dining Hall, friendly and attentive staff, and a car available to take us back to the Sheraton or into Jaipur.

We stayed at five or six 5-Star properties during our 2 week stay in India and Rambagh Palace was the highlight. First off, this is a true 5-Star in a global sense - the environment, the service, the attention to detail - all to a top international standard.

Every part of this hotel feels special - the genuinely warm friendliness of the staff, the fabulous pool/spa area, the early morning yoga class, the fantastic cocktails on the terrace, the great choice of shops, the treats that appear in your room regularly, the lovely Polo Bar, the quality of the Western food on the menu (the Indian food was excellent, but it's worth mentioning that they get the Western cuisine just right too).

We had superior rooms and they are indeed palatial. It looks as though the suites were just spectacular. The beds were wonderful. The concierge organised everything we asked for with great efficiency.

If this all sounds unrelentingly superlative it's because it genuinely was. We can recommend it unreservedly - it's worth the price.