Qila Mubarak, the walled fort complex at the heart of Patiala, held within its zenana quarters — the sequestered women's palace — one of Punjab's most remarkable interiors, unseen by most eyes for generations. That inner world is now Ran Baas, The Palace, opened in 2025 after a three-year adaptive restoration led by conservation architect Abha Narain Lambah Associates, who transformed the 18th-century royal residence into Punjab's first luxury palace hotel without erasing the evidence of its age. Original frescoes survive on bedroom walls, horses and hunting scenes fading into whitewash beside crystal chandeliers and mirrored Venetian furniture. The great courtyard, its double-height arcaded facades lit amber against a Rajasthan-deep sky, retains the spatial logic of Mughal-influenced palace planning: rooms organized around a central hauz, the geometry of the inlaid marble floor still dictating where you pause and where you move. Thirty-five individually designed suites across three levels take Patiala's historic gemstone tradition as their organizing principle, each suite's palette drawn from a particular stone — deep sapphire velvet sofas and blue-inked archway murals in some rooms, ivory and gold in others, all sitting on black-and-white marble floors laid in patterns that echo the fort's own decorative stonework. The restaurant's double-height hall, its corbelled plasterwork intact and a brass ring chandelier overhead, seats guests beneath ceilings that no interior designer could commission today. Abha Narain Lambah's achievement is one of restraint in the most precise sense: knowing which layers of history to reveal, and which new elements can live honestly beside them.

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Ran Baas or Queen’s abode is nestled within the iconic Qila Mubarak complex commissioned by Baba Ala Singh the founder of Patiala in 1763. Restored to its former splendour, Ran Baas today embodies a harmonious blend of heritage, craftsmanship, and modern hospitality. The palace features 35 individually designed suites, each inspired by exquisite royal gemstones. These suites offer a unique narrative of elegance and charm—perfect for travellers seeking an authentic yet indulgent escape. Every corridor, arch, and courtyard has been breathtaking restored to reflect Punjab’s royal legacy with modern integration. The restoration pays homage to Punjab’s traditional craftsmanship, bringing alive an ambience steeped in nobility and timeless beauty.