Hotels in Vadodara

Vadodara, still widely called Baroda, is the former capital of the Gaekwad princely state, and it wears that history more gracefully than most Gujarati cities. The sprawling Laxmi Vilas Palace, still home to the royal family, is the headline sight, while the Maharaja Sayajirao University and its respected fine arts faculty give the city a cultural, slightly bookish character. It is also one of India's great places for Navratri, when garba crowds fill open grounds night after night.

Champaner-Pavagadh, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the Statue of Unity are both within day-trip reach. This is a working city of around 1.4 million rather than a tourist town, with heavy traffic, punishing pre-monsoon heat and very little nightlife, since Gujarat is a dry state and alcohol requires a permit. Stay around Alkapuri and RC Dutt Road, where most business hotels cluster, for easy access to the railway station, restaurants and Vadodara International Airport.