Since olden days, the Maharaos of Kotah (as Kota was formerly called) had always lived in the medieval Fort inside the city. Wanting a modern palace for his personal use, Maharaja Umed Singh II settled for nothing but the best. He commissioned Sir Swinton Jacob, a distinguished officer of the Royal Engineers in the British Army, to design the building. As expected, Umed Bhawan came up in 1905 in the prevalent Indo-Sarcenic style. Plentiful supply of white Khimach and Pink Sandstone from nearby quarries helped, while Italian marble, among other things, had to be imported for flooring.

Each room appointed with the furniture originally created for the Palace. For example the bathtub in the Maharani Suite carved out of a single piece of pink marble.

Umaid Bhawan Palace provides Chamber of Princes with modern amenities for meeting, seminars and conference. For the larger conferences and get together there is the Rathore Durbar.