Former royal residences operated as hotels — most by descendants of the original ruling family. The list cuts heritage-themed new builds. Each entry is a structure pre-dating 1947 with the original layout, art and furnishing largely intact.
Cluster around Rajasthan (Jaipur, Udaipur, Jodhpur, Bikaner palaces), with anchors elsewhere (Mysuru, Hyderabad, the Wadiyars and Nizams). Pair two heritage stays per trip — three is usually one too many; the architecture starts to blur.
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