Another 290km/180 mile brutal, jolting ride to Jodhpur from Jaisalmer until finally, we thought our eyes were deceiving us and there was a mirage in the distance. A massive hunk of something loomed over the entire desert, and the closer we got, the larger it became until neither of us could believe what we beheld. This was the Umaid Bhawan Palace Hotel, a place that made our previous hotels look like little doll houses. A place that could almost put Buckingham Palace to shame. A 347-room palace that is one of the largest residences in the world and…this is where we were going to stay?

The Umaid Bhawan Palace is named after Maharaja Umaid Singh, grandfather of the present Maharaja of Jodhpur, took 15 years to construct, employed 3,000 artisans, and wasn’t finished until 1943. In 1977, the palace was divided into a royal residence (the Jodhpur royal family still lives here), Heritage Hotel, and museum. I wouldn’t say that anything of this magnitude could be called “homey” since it resembled a government building rather than a residence. but it certainly was imposing.

ex-Marine tentatively asked whether suites were available and could we possibly see one. What a question. Are suites available in a 347-room palace? The concierge showed us to the Royal Maharaj Kumar Suite for inspection…View image. A bedroom…View image, living room, balconies, .a dining room, higher than high ceilings…View image, oil paintings of the royal family…and an unusual and traditional manner of cooling. Instead of air conditioning, there was a tall concoction on the balcony constructed with grass mats or reeds that are kept wet with constantly running water to cool down the interior.

The concierge also showed us one other suite used by the Prince that had air conditioning but I wanted to try the uniqueness of natural cooling to see if it really worked. So, we settled into the Maharaja Kumar Suite feeling like interlopers. What does one do when you have a grandiose dining room? Order from room service of course, carried in by a turbaned servant, and enjoy views of gardens and courtyards.