Maharaja Sawai Padmanabh Singh. Photo: Ankita Chandra
Get ready to be hosted by, and live like royalty as the City Palace in Jaipur is once again listed on Airbnb. The Pink City’s Maharaja Sawai Padmanabh Singh, also known as Pacho, has announced that the royal residence will be available to book on the travel lodging platform, and for a good cause too.
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All proceeds from the bookings will go to his mother’s outreach organization, the Princess Diya Kumari Foundation, which focuses on social entrepreneurship, equipping the disadvantaged women of Rajasthan with income-generating skills, and “helping communities lead meaningful, healthier, happier, and more productive lives.”
City Palace, Jaipur. Photo: Courtesy of Airbnb
Besides being home to Jaipur’s royal family, the City Palace is a heritage monument seeped in three centuries of history, and embodies the best of 18th-century Rajput design with engineering impacts of later periods. Vogue Arabia had the honor of photographing the Maharaja at the City Palace for its July/August 2022 issue which also explored the various intricately designed corners of the sprawling residence. “I often discover new corridors and rooms, and with those come new stories,” the royal had shared. “I consider myself fortunate to call it home because there’s so much history in one place. Every day the palace offers new surprises that lead you to ask yourself and the people around you new questions.”
Fresco covered walls and arches of the Chandra Mahal verandah that overlooks the Jai Niwas Gardens, City Palace Jaipur. The City Palace complex includes the private royal residence and gardens, with many parts open to the public, including the world-renowned Maharaja Man Singh II Museum and the award-winning Baradari Restaurant. Photo: Ankita Chandra
Guests at the City Palace have ranged from tourists and visitors to icons like Princess Diana and Oprah Winfrey. According to Airbnb, the experience of staying at the City Palace begins at the airport via chauffeur-driven car, followed by a private butler and a member of the royal staff being assigned to the guests, as well as two curated gourmet experiences: breakfast and dinner, at City Palace’s in-house restaurant, Baradari. What’s more, history buffs will also appreciate a complimentary guided tour of the 1700s complex by royal staff who will take the guests through the intricacies of the palace’s architecture, art, and decor.
