Amarvilas: At the Foot of the Taj Mahal

The “wet living room” in the shade of a pavilion in the main pool.

The straight lines of the main pool, with its intersecting lap pools, are softened by clusters of poolside furniture, stone sculptures and pockets of plants.

Large shallow waterbeds in the saltwater pool are ideal for keeping cool while pursuing the ultimate tan.

In the main pool, we included our now much-copied idea, originally created for rock icon Mick Jagger’s pool in Bali, of a wet living room with armchairs, couch and coffee table. The gardens are accentuated with custom-designed Indian stone sculptures, some colossal, crafted by the skilled artisans of Rajasthan, which took six men more than five years to complete. A major problem that we continue to have here is with the annual monsoons; the winds bring the salt water into the resort, killing off a lot of the plants. Bamboo mat screens are erected each monsoon season to try and combat the problem.

Blazing torchères—here representing our signature of fire—are placed on the beach wall at the west end of the larger of the lap pools, in between a series of sandstone heads. Although we ordered only four of these heads, the contractor mistakenly supplied 14. We were happy to line up the extras on top of the wall.

Instead of the usual small pebbles, smooth ostrich egg-size stones in the gutter frame the edge of the curvaceous saltwater pool.

Our drawing for the mustached Indian cat rat shown at the edge of the saltwater pool in the photo above.

Our drawing of one of the many sandstone medallions sprinkled throughout the gardens.

A close-up of the sculptural edge of the saltwater pool.

The semicircular curve of the spa pool is repeated in the waterfall edge of the lily pond. The ponds keep everyone but the gardeners off the lawns.

A dramatic “chaddah wall” –a legacy of Mughal gardens where water was scarce and was thus celebrated—blocks both the views and noise of the city beyond at the lobby level, one floor up from the street. A series of overlapping concave, spoonlike impressions carved into panels of sandstone allows only a small amount of water to run and bounce off the wall, creating a delightful dancing effect. Dressed in a perfectly pressed and starched white uniform, a doorman —at my request—throws water about from the pools in front of the wall.

Visible from the lobby, a purposely unfinished sculpture of a beautiful Indian woman graces the main lawn.

UDAIVILAS SETTING NEW STANDARDS

Occupying 30 acres (12 hectares) of former hunting grounds on the banks of Rajas-than’s stunning Lake Pichola, facing the city of Udaipur, the old Rajput capital of Mewar fabled for its 17th-century palaces, Udaivilas is a newly built Indian palace hotel. But there is nothing “bling” about this palace, voted by the readers of Travel and Leisure as the best hotel in the world in 2007. Udaivilas appears as though it has always been there. Even though it is totally new, built from modern bricks and mortar, it is steeped in history. Its landscaped gardens, massive fortified walls and gates, profusion of domes, cupolas, arches and pavilions, grandiose tiled courtyards, decorative fountains and reflecting pools, open-air corridors flanked by handcarved stone columns, hand-painted murals, inlay and sumptuous interiors re-create the style of the palaces of the Mewari princes, said to have descended from the Sun God who ruled Rajasthan some 300 years ago. The vision of veteran hotelier P. R. S. Oberoi, chairman of the Oberoi Group, who wanted to build an “ancient palace” using vernacular methods within a specifically Mewari environment— but one which guests did not realize was new!—and with all the comforts of the most sophisticated city hotel, minus the “bling, ” Udaivilas is clearly not just another palace. Every detail here, except for the wireless connections, is traditional and opulent. A labyrinth of underground service tunnels also allows staff in golf buggies to whiz fresh and ever so hot meals to rooms. Guests are left to walk undisturbed at ground level without the constant passing of laundry, engineering, room service, and guest delivery buggies. Mr Oberoi has clearly set new standards for the hotel industry with the addition of this new prince of a resort.

Although many guests arrive at the hotel by boat, those who arrive by car pass through a fortress-like gate before alighting at the huge gate to the left and walking around this open courtyard, with its beautiful sunken garden filled with a stylized marble lotus, before entering the lobby.

Against the backdrop of the Aravalli Range, topped by the ruins of the Monsoon Palace, and the spectacular City Palace, a gondola silently navigates the waters of Lake Pichola.

Painters of the Mewar School specializing in miniatures produced colorful and exquisitely detailed wall murals like this in the traditional style for the corridors and walls of suites. Elephants, camels, kings, processions, warriors, and other aspects of the lives of Udaipur’s maharajas are all featured. We were constantly amazed at how Indian craftsmen could interpret and execute our patterns for paving and tabletops.

Rooted in Mewari traditions, the sun motif figures prominently in the resort, here formed from a shield and daggers.

A typical Rajasthani overlapping star motif made of inlaid marble greets guests just outside the arrival gate.

Our drawing of an elephant sculpture.

This exquisite marble panel was obtained from one of the rambling antique “farms” on the outskirts of Delhi.