Four kinds of place, and they are not ranked
Almost everything you will be offered in India falls into four categories, and choosing badly between them does more damage to a trip than choosing badly within one.
The palace. A former royal residence, now a hotel. Rajasthan has most of them. Scale, ceremony, grounds, and a certain amount of theatre. Marvellous for two or three nights and heavy for ten.
The haveli. A merchant's townhouse, usually in the old quarter and usually small. Courtyards rather than lawns. You are inside the city rather than above it, which is either the whole point or the whole problem depending on the traveller.
The camp. Canvas, but not camping. These are put up for the season beside a park or out in the desert and taken down again. Some of the best rooms in India are tents.
The lodge. Near a wildlife park and built around early mornings. Judged on its naturalists far more than its furniture.
A good two weeks usually uses three of the four. A fortnight of only one is the commonest mistake there is.
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