DeviGarh, Rajasthan, Boutique, Luxury, Hotel, Udaipur

After years of restoration and re-building this Eighteenth Century fort palace is a place where past meets future. Guests are offered highly personalised service in a wonderfully sumptuous contemporary design.

Nestled in the Aravalli Hills, the Eighteenth Century DeviGarh Fort Palace in the village of Delwara, presides over one of the three main passes into the valley of Udaipur. Due to its strategic importance the principality of Delwara was awarded to Sajja Singh for his display of bravery and loyalty to Maharaja Pratrap during the battle of Haldighati against Mughal Emperor Akbar in 1576.

One of India’s few Boutique Hotels, DeviGarh will come as a very pleasant surprise to anyone exploring Rajasthan. A stunning two hundred-year-old hilltop fort-palace has been beautifully restored and finished differently in a very contemporary style. The concept of putting an entirely modern interior design within a traditional palace is unique in Rajasthan and works to excellent effect.

Just north of Udaipur, in the heart of the countryside, the fort is a rambling building, with spacious gardens and superb views, overlooking the surrounding hills and village below. The huge suites are well spread out around the building, arranged on different levels and in separate parts and all twenty-three command spectacular views. They are exquisitely decorated, predominantly in white marble with individual colour themes reflecting the rich colours seen throughout Rajasthan and because DeviGarh was not originally built as a hotel, each one is a different shape, size and design.

The restaurant is beautifully decorated - light and airy - and overlooks the pool and distant hills. Indian, continental and oriental cuisine, the chef’s superb creations are complemented by an excellent wine list and one can arrange private dinners almost anywhere in the palace - just name the place and time and a table will magically appear.

The attentive staff will arrange anything from cycling up into the Aravalli Hills and visiting Udaipur to relaxing by the pool, playing croquet or indulging in one of the many Ayurvedic spa treatments. The DeviGarh is a fabulous promise of the future for India’s best hotels.