I adore a place that is unique and luxurious. But the real charm is when it doesn’t realise how great it is. 47 Jobner Bagh was delightedly all of these, and perfect. I would love to have stayed longer, but we were splitting our time in Jaipur between here and the Oberoi Rajvillas.
Our tour company suggested Jobner Bagh to me, and I knew I had seen it somewhere before. In Conde Nast in fact, as one of the best hotels for under £150. We confirmed the booking swiftly! What was particularly marvellous was that after dinner when we were chatting with the owner he had no idea just what a rave review he had received. I also don’t think I can describe our stay better than Conde Nast who noted that “staying at 47 Jobner Bagh is like moving in with an old pal and meeting their interesting, creative friends.” It really is charming.
Jobner Bagh
The hotel is an old merchants house. It is hidden down a side street on the outskirts of the pink city of Jaipur. Walking in through the wrought iron gates you enter a rarefied atmosphere. It is full of beautiful flowers and shrubbery, with lots of different areas to sit and relax and the most welcoming host family and their staff. At night the little Jasmin scented garden is lit up with candles and becomes even more romantic.
The house is fantastic to explore – it is fully of nooks and crannies and stunning architecture and furniture. It has an art deco vibe to it. The white washed walls and rustic furniture were a particular favourite. A real mix of colonial architecture and modern style – very chic indeed. There is also a little boutique with all manner of craft, textile and jewellery that has clearly been carefully chosen.
Be sure you climb right to the top floor to the roof terrace. Up here the views are outstanding across the city. There was a kite festival soon after our visit and we could see hundreds of kites being practice-flown. The terrace is dotted with little tables and chairs as well as a number of comfortable sofas. The perfect place to relax after a busy day in the city, either reading a book or just taking in all the sounds of India around you.
Our room
Each room at Jobner Bagh is unique. A few have balconies. Our room was on the ground floor and completely calming. We had a stunning dark wood bed, chaise long and wardrobe that all dripped with old colonial style. Our bathroom was in comparison quite modern, with grey tiles and a very stylish look to it indeed.
The rooms are very simple and as with the garden, there is such attention to detail that a very laid back luxe environment has been created.
Dinner and breakfast
Before we arrived I had wondered what we would be doing for dinner. On arrival thankfully the owner checked we would be joining them for supper. And what a treat that was. Mr P picked a bottle of wine when we arrived and that was chilled and waiting for us at dinner time. We ate on the terrace and had one of the best thali’s possible. The owners wife and one of their staff – Big John – are responsible for the cooking. And what a feast they cooked up.
It is one of those excellent meals where there is no need to choose. And taste after taste keeps arriving freshly cooked. We had about 5 different curry dishes as well as rice and bread. It was so good there was almost no need for them to wash the crockery up as we had completely cleaned it ourselves. We were offered more food, but were too full!
Breakfast was another gorgeous meal – fruit, omelette, coffee and juices. We really enjoyed sitting outside for our meals here. Delhi and Agra had been somewhat smoggy but the climate in Jaipur is very different. Blue skies and clean air came as standard.
In closing
Our one night at Jobner Bagh was a real treat. So much so it made Boutique Travel Blog’s top 8 hotels of the year! It also reminded me to keep seeking out the hidden gems I favour so much. In India these small boutique hotels and guests houses are known as a homestay. That’s a perfect way to describe somewhere like this. It was like a home away from home and a dip into a more local way of life than any hotel could offer.
It looks really special and unique! I love that big antique mirror.
Author
The interior features and architecture were just spectacular, if it was in the UK I would move in!
Oh my goodness. It looks so tranquil. I love India. It’s full of unexpected surprises.
http://www.emmaphilpott.com
Author
Exactly – hidden behind an iron gate is a little slice of paradise!
Now this does sound amazing – what beautiful interior details!
Author
It’s lush – bags of charm and amazing value
It’s all about seeking out the hidden gems and this looks like a really gorgeous boutique hotel. It really does sound like you had the best time in India!
Author
It is a trip we won’t forget in a hurry – there are plenty more places like this to finding for a return visit!
sounds fab and very private away from the hustle and bustle – I love places where you can engage with the owners and hear their stories too
Author
It’s a real pleasure, I love spending time chilling and chatting away about travel to them
It has got to the point where I almost dread opening your India blog posts because the photos are just too nice – they give me that feeling in the pit of my stomach that I must book a trip. I call it the red mist, I get it when shopping too, but I often get it with holidays where something comes over me a bit like sleep walking and before I know it I’m knee deep in maps and have flights on hold. It’s the decor that does it with India, it’s so so beautiful. Thank goodness I have Sri Lanka planned, I can kid myself a bit that I’m in India!
Author
This was the last one, I promise! When do you go to Sri Lanka – I can’t wait to follow along, we were really taken with Goa and places like Sri Lanka and Kerala I want to know more about as a result!
What a fabulous find! I lovedd the sound of it in our top 8 round-up but I’ve fallen for it even more reading this.
Author
It’s a stunning place, I’m so glad that there are places like this hidden away in every city! We just have to find them – I hopefully have one in Cascais and another in Lisbon to enjoy in a couple of weeks!
What a special boutique find, this hotel has such charm and a homey, but elegant feel to the interior. The terrace must have been so nice to come back to after what can often be a bit of chaos in Jaipur.
Author
So elegant – such #housegoals! Being able to relax peacefully and watch the city carry on at pace was perfect!
What a beautiful find! The decor there is absolutely dreamy. Did you enjoy Jaipur more than the other cities you’ve been to?
Author
Serious interior design inspiration here! It was where we had most time and where there was something to see every which way, it was also relatively calm and clean and the weather was gorgeous. Mumbai I liked too though – because it was so western, it could have been Miami… I’d say Mumbai is a good place to start a trip on that basis. We want to see more – planning another winter trip!