Hem Guest House

The rooftop was nice and the view was good, though it didn’t look like the rooftop in the pictures I’d seen. Water was sometimes unavailable, but the staff only needed to turn on the pump. We also had a lot of leaking water in the toilet, and the flush didn’t work properly. At 11:30 p.m. the guesthouse guys started playing loud music. They stopped after we said something.

It’s in the market, down tiny lanes, so don’t come by OLA/Uber. The rooftop view was the one good point, but the photos don’t match the rooms, which weren’t clean. There was no dustbin, and the geyser often didn’t work. The restaurant wasn’t clean, and I’d advise against trying the food. Staff weren’t trained, though they did give us a free pickup from the station, saving 150 Rs. Better to spend 500 Rs more at another hotel than save a few bucks. Worst hotel of my whole Rajasthan trip.

We left right away after finding a much better guesthouse. The owner wasn’t there when we arrived, which was no problem, but the rooms were really unclean, especially the disgusting toilets and bathroom. The bedsheets and pillow covers looked like they hadn’t been cleaned for ages. Avoid Hem Guest house!

The terrace gives a great side view of Mehrangarh fort, and the brothers and the one assistant, caretaker or chef were helpful. But the place felt unsafe and badly run. The combined toilet and bathroom was cramped, with exposed iron pipes sticking out of the walls, nails in the floor, and a high chance of slipping. Cement had been put around the nails, but they still hurt. There was no stool for bathing, so standing meant risking the nails or scraping against the pipes. A fall there could cause serious injuries. The stairs from the second floor to the roof were just as dangerous. I slipped coming down even though I was careful, because the steps were too small for your feet. The old doors had un-oiled stoppers too. My mom cut her finger opening one, and I had to oil the stopper on the first floor. The building is deep inside the old city, beside a temple where prayers start every day at 7:45 AM with drums and big bells, so peaceful sleep isn’t possible. The neighborhood closes early and is hard to get around. Outside the premises was filthy too. I had no time to find somewhere else, or I’d have left. The restaurant was way too expensive, for example, a small plate of poha cost RS 130. There’s no normal drinking water, so they make money selling pricey packaged water. The place used to be better as a pure guest house, when the family lived there and their mom cooked. Now the family has moved elsewhere and the whole home is available to guests. The cook knows very little, and only a small portion of the menu is available. He complains there aren’t enough cooking tools, which is true. It seems it was better when their mom used to cook. Why risk your life by staying here? Stay away until the owners take note and make it livable.