325 ReviewsKankarwa Haveli is a heritage hotel located in the heart of the old city of Udaipur on the banks of Lake Pichola where the water laps under the windows and against the walls. The famous city palace is just a five minute walk from the hotel and the famous Jagdish Temple is also at a short distance. 24 kms from the airport, the hotel is in close proximity to the railway station which is 3 kms from it.
View More
26, Lal Ghat,Udaipur,Rajasthan,India
Kankarwa Haveli is a heritage hotel located in the heart of the old city of Udaipur on the banks of Lake Pichola where the water laps under the windows and against the walls. The famous city palace is just a five minute walk from the hotel and the famous Jagdish Temple is also at a short distance. 24 kms from the airport, the hotel is in close proximity to the railway station which is 3 kms from it.
Rating from 325 reviews
Sleep Quality
RoomsServiceValueCleanliness AndyPollak on 21/11/2017 10:11
Kankarwa Haveli was a revelation, with a magical, exotic lakeside location that has not been equalled in our travels in five continents. Breakfast and dinner on the roof terrace overlooking Lake Pichola were unforgettable experiences. Sunset over the lake was literally 'out of this world'. Our room, under a staircase leading directly to the roof, was beautifully simple and comfortable. Divyarishi could not have been more helpful. One criticism: the thali we were served for dinner on two nights was almost cold.
Melissa J on 16/11/2017 03:53
If you can afford to upgrade to the lake view - do it.
Some amazing views. Breakfast and dinner on the roof is awesome. So serene. Great chef - dinner was so good! Recommend dinner at the hotel - you don't even need to venture out it's so good and so is the the view. Beds are comfortable. So much character. I liked this building more than the Taj. If you have trouble with stairs you'll struggle. I tripped a few times.
Stephen W on 05/11/2017 20:12
The Kankarwa is one of those hidden gems that deserves praise, but at the same time you don't want it to get more popular. Tucked away down a side street, and overlooking the lake, the Haveli is a little oasis of calm. The rooms are simple (but by that I don't mean plain or basic) and they all have detail and different features like window seats, step-up bathrooms and ours had an terrace overlooking the lake.
You can have a drink and breakfast and even a simple dinner up on the main terrace - and wifi down on the ground floor reading area - and connectivity does waft up to some of the higher floors occasionally. Outside, there are some shops- with some very charming traders, as well as tuk-tuk drivers - and everyone is friendly and not pushy. The Kankarwa is ten minute walk from the City Palace or a two minute traditional butt-clenching ride in a tuk-tuk.
The owners and staff are fantastically helpful - and can organise transfers etc. Udaipur is not the most in-your-face Indian city - the Guildford of Rajasthan? - but nonetheless the Haveli offers serenity and simplicity.
nji1000 on 03/11/2017 02:25
This was one of the most expensive hotels we stayed in during our trip (more than a Radisson Blu in Agra or a superb heritage hotel in Jaipur) it has been rated at this price point. This hotel needs investment and more attention to detail to justify its rates.
It is a lovely building, old, full of character and well placed on the lake with great views and a perfect sunset and clearly this is worth a premium.
Our room was spacious and light with a sitting area and there were plenty of lights and a good view onto the lake.
I have more issue with the details. Floors could have done with a bit of a scrub to remove stains and there was a bit of a general ground in grimy feel around skirting boards etc. The bathroom felt dated and tired and the showerhead was encrusted in limescale. Only a basic soap dispenser was provided and no shampoo, conditioner or other bits. No hairdryer was provided.
Dinner is only available by prebooking, a basic thali only, and lunch doesn't appear to be offered. Breakfast was fairly good with filter coffee and a choice of eggs. However presentation could be improved rather than serving a small, lukewarm carton of Tropicana juice directly. Water with breakfast needed to be purchased as an extra.
There was no bottled water provided in the rooms and no beverage making facility. Most of the time the upper terrace was deserted and often in darkness. There are two stairwells through the building, one is very narrow it's some very uneven steps, historic I suspect.
The building is not especially well lit and at night some areas were pitch black, hazardous considering the many uneven surfaces. Finding light switches was tricky. Wifi coverage was poor, limited in hours that were offered and the connection slow.
All of this was brought into contrast by its neighbouring hotel, Jagat Niwas, a similar although larger building which has been beautifully lit to show off its courtyards and modernised and illustrates what a luxury heritage hotel should aspire to.
slcane on 24/10/2017 06:35
We stayed for two nights during travelling across India. Udaipur is so beautiful and you really get to enjoy the scenery from this hotel. We stayed in room 211 which had its own terrace overlooking the lake which I don't think many other rooms had - highly recommend this room! We sat outside and watched the sun set and then sat and drank in the roof terrace - so beautiful. They have a pet dog which is lovely, the staff were very attentive and the hotel is beautiful. Many different viewing points as you walk up the hotel and the restaurant is high enough for amazing views at breakfast. Highly recommend.
