Review: Alila Fort Bishangarh – Yup, you’re staying in a restored 235 year old fort in India!

At a glance:

Perched on top of a hill in the countryside, the Alila Fort Bishangarh offers guests comfortable rooms and resort amenities in a restored 235 year old warrior fort.

What is actually is: A solid 4 star hotel in a restored fort about 1 hour outside of Jaipur.

What it is not: Fancy, polished or full-serviced.

Room: Heritage Room

Time of year: Fall

Scores:

Hotel Design: 85 – When you are trying to build a luxury hotel in a 235 year old warrior fort, there are definitely limitation on what you can actually do. There are some things that were very well done from a design perspective but some were missed opportunities. Our room was very comfortable and had a nice design to it. The rooftop where the dinner restaurant is could use some shade and umbrellas and perhaps a sundowner bar to better utilize the space.

Location: 87 – It’s a pretty stunning location perched on top of a hill with views of the mountains in the distance and the local village below. Located just 1 hour outside of Jaipur, it is a peaceful escape from the city.

Sleep: 89 – Very comfortable room and bed, with decent soundproofing. The sound of the birds outside was a mild nuisance though.

Service: 79 – Well intentioned and solid, but not as polished and professional as other hotels we stayed at.

Room Design: 89 – The rooms can vary here but we were very happy with our room’s design; it felt unique. We had a spacious separate seating area, the bathroom was large with a bathtub and shower, and the bedroom was spacious as well. The aesthetic had local cultural elements mixed with what you expect from a higher end hotel.

Room Amenities: 86 – Pretty good: Water was plentiful and replenished, there was a coffee machine and mini fridge, and lots of bath amenities like toothbrushes, etc.

Hotel Amenities: 72 – Some things were great and others a little disappointing. The pool was very nice but it was hard to find seating in the shade, the tea hour was great but dinner options were a little limited, the gym was pretty small, the games room seemed like an afterthought and could have used better ventilation. The food was decent but not as good as the what we had at the other hotels we stayed at on this trip. We found that what the menu listed ended up being a little different than what we served on a few occasions.

Vibe: 72 – It felt like some things didn’t live up to how the hotel hypes itself up.

Cleanliness/Maintenance: 70 – Overall, the room cleanliness and maintenance was excellent. The common areas of the hotel seemed to have some maintenance problems, i.e. the cushions by the pool were torn and really worn, and the hotel was fighting a losing battle with the flocks of birds.

Value / Extras & Perks: 69 – We booked a Hyatt Prive rate which included complimentary breakfast for 2, a room upgrade, and hotel credit. The cost of admission for this hotel is very high, and we felt like we did not get the same positive experience as other hotels on our India trip.

OVERALL: 79.8