Umaid Bhawan Palace: What makes it the world’s best hotel (video)

For anywhere between Rs 60,000 and Rs 8 lakhs a night, the 200-member staff at Umaid Bhawan ensures that you “live like a king”. But what does it take to transform the world’s second largest private residence to a lavish world-class hotel? Behind the tranquil environs and lavender-diffused air, an invisible army runs the show at this palace hotel.

Watch a behind-the-scenes video on Umaid Bhawan here.

5am – Breakfast at Pillars

At 5.20am, 56-year-old Mod Singh takes charge at the Indian counter in the kitchen. His breakfast specialties — traditional Jodhpuri mirchi vadas, savoury, spicy stuffed parathas and fried-to-perfection hot golden puris.

A member of the royal kitchen in the ’70s, Singh became a part of the hotel staff when the erstwhile Maharaja Gaj Singh decided to convert the palace into a hotel in 1978. The Rathore dynasty of Jodhpur continues to stay in one wing of the palace. “For us, maintaining the heritage and legacy of the palace was of utmost importance,” says Gaj Singh.

Later, two chefs each take their positions at the continental counter and in the pantry. The pastry chef has arrived too. “There are about 180 dishes that are served for breakfast at the Pillars restaurant. We have to make everything in small batches. Apart from the basic prep, most of the cooking happens in the final two hours,” says Sujoy Gupta, the executive chef at the hotel, now busy checking on the home-made apple jam.

It’s 6am, an hour to breakfast service. It’s time for the pantry team to get the buffet in place. Large trays of cold cuts, over 60 small glasses of flavoured yoghurt, a range of fresh fruits and breads begin leaving the kitchen. The croissants are in high demand at Pilllars, but baking the scrumptious bread is a challenge. “They need to be steamed for two minutes and then baked for precisely nine minutes at 180° C. Not a split-second more will do,” says Rahul M, the pastry chef.

A little after 7am, as the first batch of guests begin to arrive, the kitchen staff inside gets frantic. A guest has ordered a sunny-side up omelette with truffles and the chef at the egg station looks a bit worried. “The yolk needs to be velvety and run out with a single prick of the fork. It needs a cooking time of exact three minutes,” he says, breaking an egg on to the pan. “But it is the delivery time — from the kitchen counter to the guest’s table — that some times overcooks the egg,” he explains.

“All the produce in the kitchen is grown in our own vegetable gardens, and if we can’t get the ingredients here, we fly them down from all over the world. Truffles, rissotto rice, pasta, salmon…they’re all flown in,” says Vincent Ramos, the general manager, who has been at the hotel for the past three years.

7.30am – The secret life of a housekeeper

“Incognito”, “Invisible” are some of the words that Renu Madhok, executive housekeeper at Umaid Bhawan, uses while assigning duties to her 50-member team at the 7.30am briefing. The team — including cleaners, room attendants, florists, gardeners, butlers and laundry staff — have all gathered in the “service area” of the hotel to get instructions for the day.

The temperature, upcoming events, arrivals and departures of guests, any specific requirements, feedback — it’s all on the day’s agenda. “The real challenge is execution without interruption. We aim for invisible service,” says Madhok. After the briefing, the supervisor conducts the “Why-Why Card Analysis” — scrutinising the complaints of the guests and understanding why the staff didn’t get it right.

It is now 8.30am and Berishal Singh, 50, is in-charge of the presidential Maharani suite — originally made for Umaid Singh’s wife. The room is dominated by pink, floral furnishing and a large mural of the Goddess Kali etched on shining black glass, designed by French-born artist Jean-Pierre Norblin de La Gourdaine in the 1940s.

Singh begins by dusting the drawing room, dining room and the attached kitchenette before moving on the large balcony that overlooks the palace gardens and the Mehrangarh Fort. But the most important part of his job is preparing the bathroom — which comes with a bathtub carved out of a single piece of pink Italian marble — designed by Norblin again. Making the bed, too, is an elaborate affair at Umaid Bhawan — with only a few like Singh — assigned the job. The mattress, the “300-thread-count bed sheet” made of Egyptian cotton, the floral duvet and the four fluffy pillows all come from Singapore. A final inspection by supervisor Balwant Singh Rathore and the suite is set to be “released”.

Swaroop Singh Rathore — the most sought-after butler at the hotel — also does a round of the rooms. The 56-year-old began his career as an F&B executive before becoming a full-time butler since 1998. “I have served Prince Charles, Madonna, Mick Jagger, Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan… My brief is to never say no. If the guests want a chopper, we will arrange for one,” he says.

Downstairs, 12 members of the cleaning staff are polishing the floor, pillars, the Burmese wood furniture and doors in the central dome — a 153 feet-high double dome structure modelled on the Taj Mahal — designed by architect Henry Vaughan Lanchester. The design of the entire palace is a mix of lndo-Saracenic 1 classical revival and Western Art Deco styles.

Noon – The Rathore Welcome

The first guests of the day — a German family — are slated to arrive at 1pm. With an hour in hand, duty manager Vardhman Singh Rathore is busy putting the final touches to the “Rathore Welcome”. As the family of four arrives, the guard at the gate checks their name on the list and directs them to the porch. The car is accompanied by four horses and a chariot.

The sound of thumping drums fills the air. A girl dressed in the traditional poshak spreads rose petals on the stairs and Bhom Singh Bhati — a guard for the last 21 years — greets them with a warm “Khambagani”. Next, the family is welcomed with a garland and tika before being taken to the central dome. Here, three front desk trainees are ready with glasses of champagne, ginger litchi juice and aam panna. In the central dome, a group of Kalbelia dancers sway to the beats of the dhol before the guests head out for a tour of the palace. The welcome ritual lasts for 45 minutes.

6pm — Sundown at the Baradari Lawns

Chander Singh has been maintaining the palace’s bougainvillea lawns for the past 32 years. The plants have been sourced from Kolkata and Pune and Singh — along with agronomist Bhagirath Singh — ensures that lawns spread over 26 acres are taken care of. “The grass in the lawns is from Kenya and was selected by some English horticulturists in the ’40s. Every morning and evening, most guests come down to the Pillars restaurant and watch the sunset here,” says Bhagirath.

As the sun begins to set, several guests take their seats at the restaurant. The bright sunlight has given way to dim lamps in the palace and the Umaid Bhawan team has retreated — becoming invisible again.

Umaid Bhawan
Divided into 3 wings: Mardana, Zanana and Royal wing

64 suites: Palace rooms, Historical suites and Presidential suites
Tariff: From Rs 60,000 to Rs 8,00,000 a night (depending on season)
2 restaurants and a bar: Pillars and Risala; Trophy Bar
2 swimming pools (one indoor), a spa and horse riding facilities
A museum that documents the life of the royal family
A vintage car can drop you to the airport for Rs 30,000