The Oberoi Udaivilas, Udaipur

"Describe this place for us. Of all the Oberois, this is the mothership. Epic in scale, seamless in performance, it's glamorous, heavy hitting, and ethereal at the same time, right on the lake and wondrous to behold. It’s a jolt to the senses, a narrative in marble and sandstone, and reflects the country’s ongoing magnificence. Wow—sounds incredible. Is there a story behind it? There are 32 hotels operating under the Oberoi umbrella, but only four are Vilas properties, conceived by Biki Oberoi at the dawn of the millennium as a new breed of palace-hotel. Traditional in design and decorative detailing, the Vilas showcase Rajasthani craftsmanship with a modern practicality. The Oberoi’s obsession with detail and their guests’ experience cuts right through the corporate gleam. We love that. What can we expect from the bedrooms? Suites are set a little too far back from the lakeshore. Rooms with semi-private pools are less than half the size, but very satisfying, with a half-postered bed, a pretty jharokha (window seat), and Victorian-style tubs. A private courtyard (sealed with solid wooden doors) leads to a patio with views of Udaipur’s pretty lake; broad steps lead directly into a huge pool shared between a few rooms. Pretty nice places to crash, in other words. How about the food and drink? A huge choice at breakfast—Mr. Biki comes round to inspect the color of the yolks, which better be "sunrise yellow." There are just the two interlinked restaurants; dinner-only Udaimahal for regional dishes, while highlights at Surya Mahal include saffron-flavored polenta cakes topped with grilled vegetables and roasted tomato, or pan-fried salmon with saffron beurre blanc. The thali is a plate of succulent cubes of meat and paneer prepared in the tandoor, each little bowl filled with the chef’s choice of tasting samples. Yummy. Anything to say about the service? Highly anticipatory, with staff members encouraged to create unscripted personal additions for guests, such as gifts of metal-wrought tea lights or a pouch for your computer adaptors. Specify a special tea and you will find it waiting for you the next day; an empty toothpaste tube is replaced with the exact same brand. Amazing. What type of person stays here? Well-dressed, sophisticated, urbane. Got it. What’s the surrounding area like? Udaivilas is a pocket of loveliness surrounded by bird-filled trees and nature, although only a few kilometers from the City Palace and markets. The only hotel in Udaipur that competes is Taj Lake Palace, which offers a historic royal palace experience but with design and space limitations by which Udaivilas—built on the maharana’s former hunting grounds—is not constrained. That's quite a leg up. Anything we missed? There's a brilliant spa and an excellent bar, almost country club-like. Nice. And anything you’d change? Build a restaurant with a lake view. Fair request! So, is it worth it—and why? Udaipur is the city to spend time in after a Rajasthan road trip, and Udaivilas has the best location. After a few raw experiences in India’s chaotic cities, it’s like checking into a great restorative embrace." - Pippa de Bruyn