Nearly three centuries separate the day the foundation stone of Taj Lake Palace was laid — 4 May 1743 — from the day it first welcomed a paying guest. Maharana Jagat Singh II of the Mewar dynasty completed the building in 1746 on a 4-acre island in the middle of Lake Pichola, Udaipur, calling it Jag Niwas, and for over two centuries it functioned purely as a royal summer retreat, held in the custodianship of the House of Mewar, a lineage tracing back some 1,500 years.
Two later dates mark its shift from palace to hotel: 1963, when it first opened its doors as a luxury property, and 1971, when the Udaipur royal family struck a management deal with The Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL) — the Taj Group of Hotels — and the renamed Taj Lake Palace was born. Restoration work since then has kept the original details intact: stained-glass windows, antique jhoolas (swings), bevelled glass doors, niches studded with semi-precious stones, brocade panelling, ivory-inlaid furniture, original marble floors and Waterford crystal chandeliers. On Traveloka the property carries a 5-star rating and is reachable only by private boat across the lake, one of the most recognisable heritage hotels in India. Its layout still gives away its origins as a self-contained royal residence rather than a purpose-built hotel — interlinked courtyards, water-facing terraces and separate pavilions replace the single uniform block you'd expect from a standard lakeside resort.
Eighteen of the accommodations here go by individual names rather than tier labels — Grand Royal, Rang Mahal, Shambhu Prakash and others — a holdover naming convention from when these rooms were private royal chambers rather than hotel inventory to be sorted into a Deluxe/Premium ladder. The Traveloka listing counts 83 rooms in total across 2 floors: 65 standard rooms alongside those 18 named grand suites, and because each suite was restored to its own historical character rather than a repeatable template, décor, layout and lake-or-courtyard outlook change noticeably from door to door.
High ceilings and ornate glasswork define the Grand Royal Suite; some configurations also add a Jacuzzi tub, a marble-clad bathroom and chandelier detailing.
The "Palace of Colours" earns its nickname from the Rang Mahal Suite's layout: a separate living area, a bedroom with a four-poster bed, an opulent bathroom, and a sitting area facing out over Lake Pichola.
Named after Maharana Shambhu Singh, this suite pairs noble high-curved arches with European design touches, a nod to the Maharana's ties with British contemporaries of his era.
Palace rooms were never built to a standardised modern spec, so configuration, bedding and exact size vary by individual room or suite — the live availability calendar on the Traveloka listing is worth checking at booking time, since sizes, window placement and outlook can differ even within the same suite category. The specific photos and description shown for your selected room give the clearest picture before you commit.
A spa and steam room sit inside the palace alongside an outdoor swimming pool with sun loungers and a fitness centre, plus several restaurants and a café/lounge with a bar — all reachable on foot within the building itself. None of it, though, comes with a driveway: Taj Lake Palace occupies the whole of its 4-acre island, so there's no car park or land access of any kind, and every amenity is arranged around water rather than around a road.
Day-to-day needs are handled by a 24-hour front desk and concierge, free WiFi and LAN internet, laundry service, and express check-in/check-out. A conference centre and business facilities cover work travellers, and multilingual staff can arrange the mainland-leg airport transfer. Garden areas and a rooftop terrace round out the outdoor footprint of the 83-room, 18-suite property.
Breakfast inclusion isn't universal across room types, so check what's listed for your selected room on Traveloka before confirming. And because the island is reachable only by the hotel's private boat, build a short transfer window into your check-in and check-out plans rather than expecting a standard driveway drop-off — travellers with young children, reduced mobility or heavy luggage should confirm the boat-transfer logistics with the hotel ahead of arrival.
Udaipur's lake district is where you'll find Taj Lake Palace, sitting on its own island within Lake Pichola at a postal address of P.O. Box 5, Udaipur 313001 — a setting known for its royal-era architecture and water views rather than commercial development. The property's Traveloka listing puts it roughly 25 km from Maharana Pratap Airport (Udaipur Airport), with guests typically ferried between the mainland jetty and the island on the hotel's own boat. Travellers coming from outside India may want to compare routings and book flights to Udaipur on Traveloka alongside the hotel stay, keeping both legs of the journey organised in one place. From the palace, Udaipur's old city, City Palace and other Lake Pichola landmarks such as Jag Mandir sit a short boat or car ride away, making it a workable base for exploring the lake district on foot or by water. The Aravalli hills back the lake on several sides, and depending on their aspect, rooms and public areas here look out over either the water towards the City Palace complex or towards the surrounding hills.
Three restaurants, three distinct settings. Neel Kamal keeps to Rajasthani and North West Frontier cuisine in a royal Indian ambience, with Mewari chefs cooking from centuries-old regional recipes. From a rooftop above the waters of Lake Pichola, Bhairo serves contemporary European fare with an elevated, open-air vantage over the lake. Jharokha runs all day, from early morning into the night, mixing Indian and international dishes with panoramic views across the water toward the City Palace on the far shore.
For a fuller day of sightseeing built around meals, Traveloka's activities in Udaipur listings are worth a look for boat trips and city tours on the lake. Many guests treat the boat transfer itself as part of the experience, taking in the City Palace and Jag Mandir from the water on the way across since the palace can only be reached that way.
Few hotels can claim an entire island as their address, and that's the real starting point here: an 18th-century royal palace with 83 rooms and 18 individually themed grand suites, all restored in detail and run to Taj Group five-star standards, set in the middle of Lake Pichola with the Aravalli hills rising behind it.
Dinner alone makes the case for staying rather than just visiting — rooftop over the water at Bhairo, lakeside at Jharokha, or amid Mewari cooking at Neel Kamal. Heritage architecture and craftsmanship carried over from the Mewar era run through every suite, and the resulting sense of occasion is hard to match on the mainland.
Weighing this against other Udaipur options? Browse other hotels in India on Traveloka to see how a lakeside palace stay compares with mainland heritage properties on price and itinerary.
Because Taj Lake Palace only opens its doors from 14:00 and expects check-out by 12:00, and because the only way in or out is a private boat crossing rather than a taxi drop-off, timing here takes a bit more planning than at a typical hotel. A few things worth sorting out before you book:
Once your dates are set, you can start planning the rest of the trip from the Traveloka homepage, where flights, activities and other accommodation options are all searchable together.
Popular Facilities | Swimming Pool, Restaurant, 24-Hour Front Desk, Parking, WiFi |
Check-In / Check-Out Time | From 14:00 - 00:00 - to 12:00 |
Breakfast Availability | Yes, hotel has room that provide breakfast |
Available rooms at Taj Lake Palace | 83 |
Number of floors in Taj Lake Palace | 2 |
Another facilities in Taj Lake Palace | Limo or town car service, Bicycle rental, Poolside bar, Breakfast, Outdoor pool |
