From Picture Palace to Backpacker Hostel: Inside The Hosteller BAM Udaipur, Artist House

Udaipur doesn't do subtle. Lakes hand the palaces a second, upside-down copy at sunset, old-city lanes fold into ghats without warning, and almost every building has a story it's happy to tell you. So it fits that one of the city's best ones starts with a film reel.

In 1942, a Picture Palace opened on Panchsheel Marg as Udaipur's first cinema. Today the same building is The Hosteller BAM Udaipur, Artist House, a backpacker hostel in Udaipur where Art Deco geometry, loud murals and a fresh crowd of travellers have given an old landmark a second run.

Book a bed here and you're in the next scene.

Quick answer: The Hosteller BAM Udaipur, Artist House is a backpacker hostel inside a restored 1942 cinema at Plot no. 1, Panchsheel Marg, Bapu Bazar, Udaipur. It has air-conditioned dorms (including female-only ones), private rooms, a shared pool open 8 AM to 7 PM, Wi-Fi and workation spaces, and it accepts pets in private rooms. City Palace and Lake Pichola are about 2 km away, roughly 25 minutes on foot.

From cinema to backpacker hostel

Every old building has a story, but some deserve a second act.

Picture Palaces like this one went up across Indian cities through the 1930s and 40s, built in the Art Deco style then spreading out of Bombay: geometric facades, sweeping curves, lettering made for a marquee. Udaipur's arrived in a city better known for havelis and temples than movie halls.

The Hosteller took the building on as a restoration rather than a teardown, and it opened as The Hosteller Artist House Udaipur in September 2023. It has since moved under BAM, the brand's smart-stay label, which is why check-in runs through the Glu app and your door opens with an OTP instead of a key.

The renovation kept the building's personality and added its own on top. A hall that once put strangers in rows to watch stories now puts them in the same common room to trade their own. For anyone comparing hostels in Udaipur, that's the difference a booking-page checklist can't show you.

Inside The Hosteller BAM Udaipur, Artist House

The building gives the place its soul. The interiors give it a personality. Murals cover the walls, geometric patterns run through the corridors, and the statement staircases still have something of a grand cinema entrance about them. The spaces are expressive without being precious, so it's easy to shift between sightseeing mode, work mode and doing nothing at all.

There's a shared pool, open 8 AM to 7 PM, which is the correct answer to a July afternoon or a day of walking the old city. Indoor games and common areas (open 24 hours) are where most of the hostel's conversations start.

Remote workers are covered too. Wi-Fi, power backup and workation-friendly spaces mean a workation in Udaipur can include a morning of emails and still leave time to catch the sunset.

Dorms and private rooms: what you actually get

The property holds a maximum of 95 guests, small enough that you'll recognise faces by day two. Here's how the two room types compare.

The dorm rooms in Udaipur here are built for the classic hostel setup with the practical details handled: lockers, charging points and blackout curtains give you a small private bubble in a shared room. Female-only dorms are available if you'd rather book into one.

The private rooms in Udaipur suit couples, workation stays and anyone who wants a door that closes on the day. The hostel's social spaces are still just outside it.

Every door, dorm or private, opens through the Glu app. Note there's no lift, so pack with stairs in mind.

A hostel near City Palace and Lake Pichola

Udaipur is a city where the surroundings are half the reason to visit, so location matters. The hostel sits in Bapu Bazar, and City Palace and Lake Pichola are about 2 km away: a walk of around 25 minutes through the old city, or a short auto-rickshaw ride. That makes it a practical hostel near City Palace for anyone who wants to build the palace into a day without turning the itinerary into a commute. Worth checking the exact route on Google Maps before you go.

Here's what's in range:

City Palace is the natural first stop, a sprawling complex of courtyards, balconies and galleries rising above the water. Lake Pichola is the reason most people picture Udaipur at all; a boat ride out towards Jag Mandir is the standard move, and worth it. Gangaur Ghat, on the lakefront, is the quieter option for watching the city go about its evening. Bagore Ki Haveli sits nearby and runs a folk dance show after dark, useful for a first night when jet lag is winning. Jagdish Temple, built in the 17th century, is a short climb of carved steps and an easy addition to any old-city walk.

For a longer list, see 7 things to do in Udaipur, the guide to Udaipur's historic old city and why it's called the City of Lakes.

Who this hostel works for? 

Solo travellers get the easiest deal. Solo travel in Udaipur is simpler when there's a common room where plans get made, and the female-only dorms and 24-hour reception help on late arrivals.

Couples can take a private room and keep the hostel atmosphere just outside the door. Remote workers get the workation setup, and pet owners get one of the few hostels that lets a dog or cat stay: it's a pet-friendly hostel in Udaipur as long as you book a private room. Groups of seven or more get a group discount on the booking page.

Good to know before you book

• Check-in starts at 2 PM and check-out is 11 AM. 
• Reception runs 24 hours, so a 3 AM train isn't a problem. 
• Silent hours are 10 PM to 8 AM, and visitors are welcome between 9 AM and 9 PM in common areas only, never in rooms.
• The hostel is 18 and over, with no exceptions, including for minors travelling with a guardian. 
• Alcohol isn't permitted anywhere on the premises (breaking that rule costs ₹2,000 or your stay), smoking is restricted to designated areas, and outside food is allowed in common areas and private rooms but not in dorms. 
• Carry a government-approved photo ID. 
• Foreign guests need their original passport and a valid visa. 
• Full prepayment is required before check-in, and parking is limited to ten cars.

How to reach The Hosteller BAM Udaipur, Artist House

From Maharana Pratap Airport, it's about 22 km and a 45-minute cab ride, depending on traffic. Udaipur City Railway Station is around 2 km away, so an auto-rickshaw or cab does the job. Coming by bus, Udaipole Central Bus Stand (the RSRTC stop) is roughly 800 metres from the hostel, close enough to walk with a backpack on.

The best time to visit Udaipur

October to March is the comfortable stretch: cool days, pleasant evenings, and the best conditions for walking the old city and the ghats. It's also the busiest season, so book early.

April to June gets hot, with afternoons regularly pushing 40°C, so plan sightseeing for mornings and evenings and save the middle of the day for the pool. 

July to September is monsoon, when the hills turn green, the lakes fill and the mood shifts. 

Our monsoon guide covers what to do when it rains.

If a night in a 1942 cinema sounds like your kind of detour, book The Hosteller BAM Udaipur, Artist House. Rooms fill early in winter, and groups of seven or more get the group rate.