My family visited India this year for the first time. We were lucky enough to spend almost 3 months in this amazing country. There are too many highlights to mention but by far our favorite places were in Rajasthan. We loved Udaipur, Jaisalmer and Jaipur. We stayed in a variety of places from luxury 5 star hotels to small heritage havelis. We were thrilled with all of our accommodation except for 1 place in Jaipur where we stayed for two nights (two too many!). At first sight, Madhuban appeared to be a charming place. The building is quite lovely with a very pretty garden and a small pool. The pool was not clean and there was nowhere comfortable to sit around it. The rooms are small but clean -except I found a previous guest's underwear under the bed! Our bed was very hard. The staff with one or two exceptions are miserable. They are very unfriendly and almost angry when asked for anything. One waiter repeatedly walked away while we were giving him our food orders and when we eventually (it took ages) did get our food the order was incorrect. When we complained there was no apology and we never received the correct order. The food is not worth waiting for. It was by far the worst food we had in any hotel in India and my husband and son got sick after eating there. (They both ate a rice and chicken dish). We ate the breakfast buffet twice which was pretty disappointing. The fruit (papaya) was unripe. The eggs cold and rubbery and the fried bread (pakora) greasy. I asked for a fork and it was handed to me by the wrong end. (the waiter held the fork end!) It is very obvious the staff are not trained to deal with foreign guests which is most definetely the fault of the management. The internet did not work on the two occasions we attempted to use it and 1 morning we had no hot water. The owners of the hotel live on the premises but are not very friendly. It feels as though this hotel is purely a business for them and they are not in the slightest bit interested in the level of service or their guests' comfort. Fortunately, Jaipur is a marvelous city with many interesting places to visit including, City Palace, Amber Fort and Jantar Mantar - a three hundred year old observatory (our favorite). I felt compelled to write this review because our experience at this hotel was exceptionally different from any of the other incredible places we stayed in India. If you haven't been to India, you absolutely must!

A great heritage hotel. We stayed in the royal suite which is great value for money. Certainly Indian oppulence. Location is a little out of the Old City but really handy for the train station. Has great gardens where you have breakfast (extra).
All in all a comfortable hotel.

One negative, and a personal one really, my partner lost her mobile phone on the morning of our flight from Jaipur and we are sure it could only have been left at the hotel. They appeared very helpful in trying to locate the phone but to no avail - we could not help but feel as if they were hiding something, but we may well be wrong - like anywhere in the india, keep an eye on your belongings...

Very hard uncomfortable bed. Bathroom not clean on arrival. Mirror dirty, bath tub had hairs in it. 2 dead mosquitos squashed on wall which remained there for 4 days. Service terrible. Could not get tea or anything to eat or drink on Sunday afternoon. Staff member entered bedroom without knocking. Food is almost inedible. Teapot rusty on inside. A lot of noise outside bedroom at 7 in the morning. Owners dog barks a lot. Staff squibbling with each other. Has a lot of potential but owners should be bankers instead of being in a service industry.

It is hard to fault Madhuban. One can tell that it has been run on well established professional lines for years. I thought the level of cleanliness was of the highest standard. The garden is a real plus and allows you to unwind from the rigors of the city, it also makes for a sociable space where you meet fellow guests. While I was staying, there were several families with children who made the most of the garden , which has a swing, and pet rabbits in a hutch. The pool also suits the children.
My criticisms are a matter of personal taste and in no way reflect on the high quality of service and standard of accomodation.
The atmosphere of the place was that of paying guest in a private home and reminded me of staying in guesthouses in the UK,as I had as a child, where there was always the possibility of falling foul of the resident landlady. The whole staff seemed to have a semi superior air and I formed the impression that the family dictate everything and the guests are just an extension of whatever the family wishes. This creates a distance between staff and guests, where there is no personal connection with staff or of staff or indeed guests, being people in their own right.
As a smoker I had to request an ashtray on each and every occasion I needed one. Bear in mind that smoking is not permitted in any of the rooms including one's own room. No alcohol is served.
All this probably makes it more attractive to some people, it is a haven of decorum. I know if I had children I would be very happy to bring them here. As an adult I don't want to be treated as a child.
The dining room is gloomy. Furnished in antique hardwood but lacking in any atmosphere, and at time quiet to the point of spookiness.