I stayed for one night at the Samode Palace with my boyfriend in late-November 2007 at the end of a week long “Golden Triangle” tour of India. In terms of character and charm it is the best hotel I have ever stayed in, and I have been travelling for over 20 years so I’ve stayed in quite a few hotels.
Rooms: The hotel has a two sections, i.e. the “newer” and “original” parts. All the rooms are different shapes, sizes and have different décor. We stayed in room number 215 which was in the “original” part of the hotel. (Photos to be posted later when my boyfriend gets round to sending me copies of them). As our stay was part of a tour booked through Kuoni, we didn't get to choose our specific room. However, the room we were given by our tour guide (who checked the group in) was absolutely lovely and was really charming. It had a great big wooden-framed bed, with lots of pillows and was so comfortable, it was like being at home in your own bed. On one side of the room there were tiny windows with shutters and you could look down into the courtyard below. The room was also furnished with good quality furniture such as settee, wardrobe, desk and also had a TV and tea/coffee making facilities. The bathroom was breathtaking. It had a large bath with mosaic tiles and a monsoon style shower over it with a marble sink surround. Although we were only staying for one night, I managed to fit in two showers just so I could use the monsoon shower as much as possible. This room is located two floors up overlooking the open air courtyard. Outside the room is a seating/terrace area where you can enjoy a cup of tea and the warm Indian sunshine. If you are elderly, or have problems with stairs then you would need to request a room on the ground floor as there are no lifts in this hotel, and even our younger legs ached after walking up the stairs to get to our room.
Pools: The hotel has two pools. The original pool was closed for repair/maintenance whilst we were there, but its surroundings and tiled decor is beautiful. The new pool is a stunning infinity pool, with a wooden deck and very comfortable loungers. It has views of the countryside surrounding the hotel. There is also an outdoor Jacuzzi next to the infinity pool.
Food: Because we were in a tour group and this was our final evening, we all ate together at the barbeque. The food was good, and I had no complaints about it. There was also entertainment provided (of the “ladies dancing whilst balancing pots on their head” variety).
Take time to have a look around the hotel, in particular the beautiful hall of mirrors and the banqueting hall.
We took the optional afternoon “camel buggy” tour, which takes you down through Samode village and onto the sister-hotel Samode Bagh (which has tented accommodation) for afternoon tea on the lawn. Which was absolutely delightful. We also had a quick look at the tented accommodation, which was of a very high standard. The “tents” actually consist of a walled room with a canvas roof and were unique and stylish.
We had a little time in the morning before we checked out and we wandered down into village to give out all the shampoos, soaps etc that we’d collected from all the hotels we stayed at during our tour. We gave these out to the children in the village. After they had run off with their ‘booty’ they all came back and asked the English speaking guide who was with us to explain what each item was for, so we mimed face washing for the soap/shower gel, and hair washing for the shampoo. If you intend to give anything out in India, do be aware that it can get a bit heated and you will find yourself quickly surrounded by a crowd of children all eager to get hold of something. It is all quite harmless though.
Our only complaint would be that we didn’t have longer in this hotel. If you have the opportunity and can afford it, spending a night at this hotel is well worth it. It is a wonderful and unforgettable experience.
