One Night Inside a 15th-Century Fort: My Neemrana Experience

Birthdays are always special for me. This year, my husband planned a surprise. He took me to Neemrana Fort-Palace, situated on the Delhi-Jaipur Highway in Rajasthan. It is a 15th-century heritage hotel and is really beautiful. When I first saw it, I was shocked because I had been planning to visit this place for a long time. But when my husband surprised me and took me there, I was really happy.

It took us around two hours to reach there from our place. When we arrived, two people came near our car and carried our luggage. We reached the reception, where we completed the entry formalities. They also offered us a welcome drink.
The entrance of the Palace was Royal and felt Nostalgic like I was entering into History itself, the Allies, the Garden near the Waiting Hall, the endless ques of Royal Employees and Guards it felt like we belong to the Royalty now.

The receptionist introduced us to the Fort-Palace. There, I first got to know that they don't simply call the rooms "rooms"; they call them "Mahals."

My husband had booked a Geru Mahal for us. The property has beautifully named Mahals, including Parvati Mahal, Gopi Mahal, Tulsi Mahal, Van Mahal, Shringar Mahal, and others. Instead of typical hotel room numbers, each space has its own traditional name, which adds to the royal feel of the Fort-Palace.

Everywhere I looked, I saw beautiful paintings. The historical paintings were really beautiful, and the overall fort architecture was also amazing.

Then we entered our room. It was really, really beautiful. The Geru Mahal was painted in beautiful terracotta tones, giving it an old Haveli-type feel.

Because we were staying in a fort for the first time, it felt very special.

The journey has took a toll on our energy so we changed and took a nap to recharge.

My husband woke me around 4 PM. He said, "Get ready, there is a guided tour around 4:30 PM."

So, I got ready, but I really didn't want to go because that place was so peaceful.

The sounds of peacocks were everywhere. We could hear them from every direction. Our Geru Mahal was almost at the top, so that part of the palace was very peaceful.

While we were resting, we also heard a Bhagavad Gita path. It was going on somewhere very far away. But the palace was so quiet that we could still hear the speaker.

So, we went downstairs for the guided tour. All the guests had gathered there. I wore a very beautiful, colourful dress. It actually matched the ambience. All the guests were dressed beautifully. My husband was also looking very cool.

The guide told us about the fort—when it was built, its history, and how it was restored. That was really interesting.

The construction of Neemrana Fort-Palace dates back to 1464. Rajasthan Tourism describes it as a 15th-century palace associated with the descendants of Prithviraj Chauhan III. The property was abandoned in 1947, acquired for restoration in 1986, and opened as a hotel in 1991.

Listening to these historical facts while actually standing inside the Fort-Palace made the experience even more interesting.

Then it was time for complimentary evening snacks.

There was a large area where all the guests were having their evening snacks. We had tea and coffee with cookies. We also had mini samosas and sandwiches. Everything was really tasty.

We were sitting in a corner near the window. There were paintings around us. Actually, we were having fun.

After that, we went to explore the fort.

Because it was so big, sometimes you also felt like you were in a Bhul Bhulaiya. The Fort-Palace is built into the hills, with many levels, steps and ramps. The property describes its architecture as 14-tiered, so comfortable footwear is definitely a good idea.

We clicked so many photos on the balconies. Inside and outside the fort, there was so much greenery. We saw peacocks and many parrots. I noticed that the peacocks from every direction seemed to be trying to communicate with each other.

OMG, that view was really magical.

Then we had ice cream. That was tasty.

We walked around the fort and saw the pool. A family was having fun there. We also went to see the spa and gym. There was an Ayurvedic Wellness Spa, and we were planning to take a spa treatment, but it was fully booked. Then we explored the gym.

Everywhere I looked, there were paintings. I was really enjoying the whole ambience.

Then my husband wanted to try wood-fired pizza. But when we reached there, it was closing time. He got disappointed because he really wanted to try it.
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The Architecture of the Restaurant for the Woodfire Pizza was on another level, it’s walls were directly built into the Stony Mountain so it looked like we are in an Alien Planet and the Light added to the Mystery of the Place. But Our Luck that we couldn’t spend so much time in it because it was about to close and we had other plans to attend to.. So, we just had water and left the place.

There was one more activity in the evening—a traditional Rajasthani folk dance performance around 7 PM.

A royal Rajasthani experience feels incomplete without its folk dance. So, we reached there and sat right in front. The performance by the dancers was amazing, and for the first time, we heard the sound of the Bhapang, a traditional musical instrument from Alwar. The music, colourful costumes, and energetic performances made the evening even more special.

They even invited the people whose birthdays it was and sang a birthday song for all of us. We also joined them and danced along, making the evening a memorable part of our stay.

Then we returned to our Geru Mahal and got ready for the fine-dine dinner.

When we reached there, we saw candles and mashaals everywhere in the dining area. That was really amazing. I was amazed by the whole setup.

We sat near the window in a private place.

First, they brought my cake.

I was surprised because I didn't have any idea about this. We took pictures and had dinner.

They said their closing time was 10:30 PM. We reached around 9:30 PM, so we had to do everything very quickly—cake cutting, talking, having dinner, and everything else.

Because they were coming to ask us again and again, we felt a little pressured. So, we just finished our dinner in a hurry and left the place.

In the hurry, the cake fell from my husband's hand. He was disappointed because they hadn't given us a carry bag.

Then I arranged a carry bag.

We returned to our Geru Mahal, changed, and slept. We were planning to go for a night walk, but we were too tired.

The Next Morning

In the morning, my husband was sleeping. I got up early and went for a walk on our balcony.

I came back, got freshened up, and then we went for breakfast.

There were many options. We chose some dishes and had our breakfast.

Then the waiter was coming again and again to take the empty utensils. But we felt pressured because it felt like we had to finish quickly.

We experienced this almost every time in the dining area.

After breakfast, we came outside and sat there for some time. We talked to each other and enjoyed the peaceful surroundings.

Then we returned to the room and got ready.

My husband also lost his wallet. The fort staff helped us find it. It was under the bed.

Then we completed the formalities at the reception and returned home.

There were also many more activities to experience, including vintage car rides and other experiences. Unfortunately, we didn’t have enough time to try everything during our stay. I feel you need at least another day to properly explore and experience everything the Fort-Palace has to offer.

One thing I would say is that Neemrana Fort-Palace is a little expensive compared to other hotels, but I feel it is worth the money for the experience. You’re not just paying for a room; you’re getting to stay inside a historic Fort-Palace and experience its architecture, views, food, and traditional performances. For me, it was a completely different kind of stay.

A Birthday I Will Remember

Thanks to my husband for such a beautiful surprise. He really chose a very good place.

I have visited many forts in my life, but I stayed in a Fort-Palace for the first time. That was a completely unique experience.

Whenever we visit a fort, we usually think about the people who once lived there. We imagine their lives, their stories, and what the place must have looked like when it was actually lived in.

But here, I got an opportunity to stay inside a fort for a day.

And that made the experience completely different.

For one day, I wasn't just visiting a piece of history.

I was staying in it.

And that was really amazing.