Bangali Tola Varanasi, India
Price
$$$
Rated for
Heritage Local LuxeOutside the door
The house
BrijGanges sandstone citadel
Private wooden boats deliver you from the river to a carved sandstone atrium filled with live classical sitar music.
What it’s good at
Remarkable
An 1812 sandstone palace on Darbhanga Ghat, restored with Maratha bastions and an early 1918 elevator shaft.
Remarkable
Guests arrive by private wooden boat along the Ganges, steps from the evening Dashashwamedh Ghat prayer ceremonies.
Notable
Private riverboat transfers, rooms dressed in Banarasi silk, and multi-course royal thalis served on silver platters.
What they say
Michelin Selected
Michelin
UK Readers' Choice Awards – India
Condé Nast Traveler
2025
the building was first a fort, then an aristocratic residence, and now, as a luxury hotel, its interiors span any number of eras and styles.
In a lively part of town
Where things happen: restaurants, shops, people.
Set directly above Darbhanga Ghat, the property sits a short walk along the riverbanks from the nightly Dashashwamedh Ganga Aarti.
The rooms
Rooms feature local Banarasi silk textiles, hand-frescoed ceilings, and marble baths, with bastion suites framing wide views of the ghats.
The spa and yoga
Kashi Wellness Spa offers Ayurvedic shirodhara treatments, and morning yoga gathers on the rooftop overlooking the Ganges.
Darbhanga Restaurant
Sanskrit-inscribed copper chandeliers hang beneath frescoed ceilings, where multi-course vegetarian Banarasi thalis are served on silverware.
At the table
Open-air stone terraces host candlelit dinners draped in marigolds, overlooking the river and ancient temple spires.
How it began
Built in 1812 as a Maratha riverside fort, the palace once housed one of South Asia's earliest rope-and-pulley elevators.
Good to know
Stay here
BrijRama Palace
Choose your dates to see every room and rate, and book in a few steps.
Add dates to see the price for your stay.
Or book with
Booking.com ExpediaWe may earn a commission when you book through Booking.com or Expedia. It never decides which hotels we include or how we rate them.
Varanasi
More like this
Taj Nadesar Palace, Varanasi
“Neoclassical maharaja palace”
The app
Like this one? There are so many more.
Swipe any city’s hotels and heart the ones you love. The app gets your taste.
Our shorthand
How we rate hotels.
The medals
Gold
Extremely rare. Sets the global standard.
Silver
Brilliant execution. And we’re picky.
Bronze
They did this well. You’ll notice.
Listed
A defining trait. Makes the hotel what it is.
The eight vibes
Design
Built around a vision. Even the door handles have a designer.
Luxe
Cared for at every turn. The bath is drawn before you ask.
Local
It could only be here. You wake up knowing where you are.
Social
Where the city goes out. The bar is full and the night is young.
Heritage
A building with a story. Once a palace, a monastery, a station.
Wellness
You leave feeling new. Rest, sweat, soak and sleep like a stone.
Classic
The city grew up with it. Same rituals, same regulars, same bar.
Resort
A world of its own. Something to do from breakfast to nightcap.
The scene
Lively
Where things happen: restaurants, shops, people.
Central
Well-located: walkable to some things, a short ride to more.
Quiet
Away from the crowds. Getting around takes intention.
Secluded
A place apart: the property is the destination.