Kankarwa Haveli

We have not had any warm water in the bathroom. In both of our booked rooms. Reception tried to fix it. They sent someone from the staff who told us that it will take 10 Min until it will work. But it did not work. Next day same. For us its not a solution to wait 10 Min or more until water gets hot. Not in a hotel. Bathroom and room were clean. The white couch pillows had a lot of stains, but we did not use it. In general, hotel was very noisy. We travelled a lot through India. In this hotel we felt more like staying in a hostel than in a hotel. Quality of food in the restaurant is average. The menu looked scrappy. Nevertheless, the view was fantastic! First night we had dinner in the restaurant, second night we chose a restaurant close by. Apart from that we had a very bad WiFI connection in the room. We always went out of the room to get access to WiFi. We called our agency, because hotel was booked through an agency. We agreed with the reception that the hotel will pay the 1500 rupies (+tax/fee) as a co****dation. At the day of departure hotel refused! That was really annoying.

This Haveli was a wonderful place to relax and be well taken care of. The family/staff were incredibly kind, thoughtful and anticipated every need we might have. The location is outstanding - right on Lake Pichola with a view of the island etc. Te rooftop patio was a great place for morning and evenings and the food was wonderful.

We decided to pay more for this accommodation on our trip as we wanted to treat ourselves and have some down time. We booked a lake facing double room for approx £100 per night and it was not value for money. Which did have our own private terrace overlooking the lake which can be the only reason to justify the price. This haveli has so much potential to be lovely but needs so much maintenance and care. Very basic things are not addressed: wood around the building is dry and cracking and needs oil. The outside of the building hasn’t been cleaned or painted in a long time - all the heavy metal door hinges/locks need oiling to assist using them. The rooftop terrace where you have breakfast (very basic and also disappointing for the price of the room) and where you can watch the sun set is dilapidated and the cushions are stained and it’s not welcoming. Our room was only superficially clean, there are dirty handprints on the bathroom wall and layers of dust on the bed frame, the towel rail is coming out the wall, the bed very hard, the bedside lamp temperamental and wasn’t fixed although we asked for it to be. The white towels and all room textiles were grey. The courtyard has 2 lines of steel chairs facing each other in a row - not welcome or inviting. We checked out some neighbouring properties whilst we were there and would recommend others stayed at the Jagat Niwas Palace next door which is an an example of a really lovely property or the Jaiwana Haveli (whose owner ended up being much more helpful than anyone at Kankarwa.)

Nice haveli, arrogant owner This is the place where I stayed for the last 25 years. Always loved it. The owner was charming, helpful and a real gentle***. Unfortunately he retired and left it all to his young son who doesn’t know how to run such a gem of a boutique hotel. He confuses the hotel and the use of his own house by playing and exiting his kids in the echo chamber courtyard. What a shame. It would have been so nice to relax and read a book on the private terrace overlooking the lake that came with the beautiful room

We stayed here for 3 nites...was not the greatest , location was fine...on the banks of lake Pichola, walking distance to the Palace, boat cruise point ,temple etc...but it's uphill & downhill....great lake views. The good things first...my room was great spacious overlooking the lake...we had a table n 2 easy chairs on one step raised level ***** the window...njoid the morning n nite coolness..with a cup of coffee n a glass of wine...room spacious & beds comfortable . Draw backs... "Watch your step" ..missed tripping 3 times luckily no fall..until i put the bedside rug on the step...going to the toilet from bed area u had to remember the step....or u could land up with fractures...the owners should fix red tapes ..we had two such step one to get up to the window sitting area n the one going to the toilet, no kidding ,watch out u must... No coffee making facilities with the room booking but a kettle was placed by request of our travel agent without mugs nor a tray, The kettle had to be placed on the floor to boil the water. Next.. big bathrooms but with only liquid soap/ shampoo fixed to the shower area(Ibis style), no shower curtain as a result everything got wet .. one had to thread carefully to avoid slipping on the floor. No health faucet either. Bathroom supplies would enhance the value. Only one electric socket in the room had to charge the phone placing on the suitcase or the floor, the second phone was charged in the bathroom on washbasin. Breakfast served on the terrace...lovely area over looking the lake n hills on the far side...was simple but fresh...served individually..the stewards were polite and good at their job, but no tablecloths on the tables ..the underside for a family run business. Worst of all ... No lift...for this 4 floors haveli...such high steps , my room was in the second floor, n restaurant still higher. I know it's a haveli but no excuse to modernise if they need to succeed in business...most other havelis already have one or are in the process of fixing one. Surprisingly no bottled water placed in the rooms this is India not Europe but on second day after speaking to the owner he did offer us 2 bottles. On check- in they did garland us would have appreciate a welcome drink as it was already hot. The mini bus does not drop one to the accomodation we had to change to a rickshaw with our luggage say a kms away to reach our Haveli. Kankarwa has a big potential but have to pay more heed to detailing ...pl get a guest feed back so you can improve your services...there is too much competion around.. our domestic guests need an elevator even for the first floor. .. Last looking below my room window was a sore site...men bathing n water full of moss n garbage....please volunteer to remove the sore sight to improve your standard, it is ***** the property wall Gud luck

Divyarishi was the most incredible host ever! We were there for a photoshoot + plans changed at the last minute with the photoshoot team arriving early. He didn’t blink an eye + accommodated them all, finding 3 extra rooms within a few minutes. His hospitality skills are exceptional. The property is a stunning heritage hotel with details that’ll melt your heart. The rooms are right on the lake with phenomenal views over the entire city including the famous Taj Lake Palace Hotel. My room 206 I felt was the best room in Udaipur. It had a little Indian sit out beneath the windows with a daybed to watch the world go by, especially gorgeous at sunset. It allows you to feel connected to Udaipur even when you’re in your room, as there’s alot of activity on the ghat below, which is fascinating to see. Rooftop restaurant provides incredible views + is a spectacular vantage point. Breakfast is included. The service from all the staff was truly divine + we loved our stay. Cannot wait to return! There are alot of steps with no elevator, so it’s not ideal for elderly or those with issues getting up the steps… in that case, choose a ground floor room which are also very beautiful right on the lake. The proximity to everything you could want is literally right at your door - tuk tuk drivers who know this city like the back of their hand. Next door to Jagat Niwas Hotel + so ***y other amazing places. This area truly is the heart of old town Udaipur + you wouldn’t want to be based anywhere else on your Udaipur visit. Kankarwa gets booked out October - March so book well in advance if you’re going in peak season!

A lovely mid range hotel right on the lake side. We had a lake side room with a lovely day bed overlooking the lake. The room was basic but comfortable and breakfast on the roof top restaurant overlooking the lake was lovely.

My main point in looking for a home stay in Udaipur was that it should be in the old city and Kankarwa havlei was that and much more. The room we were allotted was facing lake Pichola and was very aesthetically done. Not just the room but the haveli itself was tastefully done and gave a very warm feeling. Divyarishi the owner made us feel very much at home and assisted in planning our stay, and arranging for a local guide sand transport. The Haveli is superbly located and walking distance to the city palace. Lots of eateries to choose from around the Haveli in case one want to but to me the food was actually one of the major selling points - was homemade and absolutely delicious ( though we did have a few meals in the city ) our dinners were mostly at the Haveli Sitting on their terrace enjoying a glass of wine at sunset or enjoying breakfast in the mornings both times over.poking the serene lake Pichola - we couldn’t have asked for more.