Hotel Shanti Palace

The hotel is not wheelchair accessible, and although the Dargah is within walking distance, getting around nearby is especially difficult for people with mobility disabilities. The surrounding infrastructure also needs attention from the municipal authorities. I was charged an extra Rs 1000 for a room with a refrigerator, though it had no cooler or freezer. My visit to Ajmer was meant to be a peaceful, spiritual experience, starting with blessings at Ajmer Sharif and visits to nearby places. Instead, within less than 24 hours I was uncomfortable. I arrived by cab from the railway station around midnight, and the staff were friendly and escorted me to my room. I had asked the owner and manager to let me check in at midnight on 11/10/25 and stay until 9 pm that day, a total of 21 hours. My booking showed checkout after 24 hours, but they kept calling me on my mobile from reception and made sure I left around 6 pm. I was sitting in the attached Riveria restaurant. The food there wasn't very good, though it was enough to count as food to satisfy hunger. The manager seemed like an old man, and our culture makes us feel we should respect him because of his age. I felt he didn't deserve that respect and was taking advantage of pilgrims and visitors. If you're staying in Ajmer for a long time, with or without family, a hotel like this can be very expensive. I hired their transport for Rs 1000, but it only covered places along the route to Puskar and skipped basic stops such as Dhai Din Ka Jhopda and Delhi Gate. The driver also didn't stop at Maharana Prathab smarak, apparently because I didn't take the camel ride where he had taken me. That camel ride seemed like a scam involving the camel riders' association, drivers, and hotel owners. They did arrange a Mujavar from Ajmer Sharif when I asked, which was good service. I paid less than Rs500 for all the Darga expenses, including the Mujavar, and there was no scam in that part. If you go to the Darga alone, I found that beggars may harass you more and theft can be a serious concern, so carry as little as possible. Being cautious might make a stay a little better, but people keep coming up with new ways to scam others. The hotel appears to operate under two business names, Hotel shanthi Palace and Regal Hotel, while also using Riveria Hotel as a common name. I believe this is done to evade taxes when they cross the threshold. I'm a legal professional, and this was my first step in my career. I also asked for a bill in my company's name for GST claims, but the manager didn't provide one. They made a cash bill for their own records and hid my details, which to me showed fraudulent accounting and window dressing. For FY 2025-26, the GST rates I have are 0% for rooms under ₹1,000 per night, 5% without Input Tax Credit for rooms from ₹1,001 to ₹7,500, and 18% with Input Tax Credit for rooms above ₹7,500. The 5% rate is reduced from the earlier 12% and is meant to make mid-range stays more affordable; hotels in that bracket can't claim ITC on goods and services used for those rooms. Hotels in the 18% bracket can claim ITC on purchases.

They wouldn't give me a bill even though I was paying Rs 2,000-4,000 for one room. At first they said there was parking at the hotel, but they left my car on the road in front, where a sign clearly said they weren't responsible for the vehicle. The staff were cool and helpful before taking the money, then their behavior was very bad. They also wanted an extra Rs 100 for paying by UPI. Better look for another place if you want a good stay.

Hotel Shanti Palace is the clean place I'd choose in Ajmer, and I think it's the best hotel in the city. The food is really good and affordable right there at the hotel. The station is about 2 km away, and all the locations are within a 2 km range. Don't pay attention to the negative comments if you're looking for a clean hotel.

The AC room didn't cool down at all. When I called staff, someone came in, switched it on and off with the remote, then waited 15 minutes to see if the room would cool. It still didn't work. I strongly advise everyone against staying here.