HE Rambagh Palace, from Taj is a Jaipur icon with an intriguing past. Originally built in 1835 as a home for a royal handmaiden, this stately address swiftly progressed to imperial guesthouse, hunting lodge, royal residence and then the governor's house as the Maharajah of Jaipur took over the reins of the Rajasthan state administration after Indian independence in 1947. And nowhere is the elegance of this sprawling retreat more poignantly evoked than in the portraits of the late Maharani Gayatri Devi whose large, liquid eyes, offer a regal welcome to guests.

The 79 rooms and suites at this grand retreat are redolent of a princely heritage, the Peacock Suite overlooking verdant lawns where real peacocks strut trailing long turquoise tails. The 500sq ft Palace Rooms offer LCD TV, DVD, brisk WiFi, while Royal Suites offer butlers on call. Grand Royal Suites offer 1,600sq ft of traditional décor while the Grand Presidential Suites stretch to an elephant-swinging 1,800sq ft.

If swinging a tusker by the tail is too much of a chore, try your hand at elephant polo, or regular polo astride a horse. There is a Polo Bar for those who prefer to wax eloquent about their exploits without the toil of turf tussles. Dine grandly indoors, or catch the winter rays in the lawns as horsemen in full royal regalia ride by, pennants fluttering from their lances. A horse carriage is on hand for kids. Uniquely, this retreat manages to splendidly combine the lustre of one of the best Jaipur palace hotels with all the charm of a child-friendly resort.

The Jiva Grande Spa serves up wellness treatments by the acre with romantic snuggeries for couples. Baby-sitting services are available upon request and an astrologer is on hand to study your palms and divine the mysteries of your birth chart. If all this is not enough, dive into an indoor or outdoor pool, take in a folk dance or simply lie back and identify birdcalls. Peacocks are not the most elegant of warblers alas, but catch the wagtails, tailorbirds and red-crested bulbuls.