The Oberoi Udaivilas, Udaipur
Udaipur, in the heart of Rajasthan, is a city of majestic palaces and beautiful lakes. Here, adorning the banks of Lake Pichola and standing witness to the historic City Palace, The Oberoi Udaivilas captures all the romance and splendour of a royal era.
The grand setting combined with palatial architecture and a beautiful spa offers an experience created exclusively for those who know t here is nothing like too much luxury.
Rooms and Suites
At the first level are sixty-three richly appointed Premier rooms, all with private walled courtyards, complete with silken parasols, table and chairs. Inlaid furniture, Rajput inspired decoration and marble bathrooms help to create a luxurious haven for our guests.
Nineteen Premier Lake View Rooms open onto the beautiful semi-private moated pool that meanders past the terraces. From here guests overlook either Lake Pichola or the wildlife sanctuary at the rear of the hotel.
Higher up, the Luxury Suites with Private Pool, Great Mogul, Orloff and Regent, each 1,150 sq ft, have private infinity pools and tented dining pavilions. These suites have an unrivalled view of the City Palace horizon. Here you will enjoy the privilege of private staff – your very own butler.
The jewel in the Udaipur crown is the Kohinoor Suite with Private Pool, 2,650 square feet of palatial comfort. With its fountained courtyards, massive private pool, sitting room with real fireplaces, and master suite with its own wooden sauna it is fit for Royalty.
Meetings
The idea behind Udaivilas is that a custom-built fake-old palace, on the shores of Lake Pichola just across from the city of Udaipur, can be as good as or better than the real thing. It’s an admirable sentiment, and judging by its execution, not unjustified—though built by local craftsmen in a more or less authentic Mewari style, the place gleams in the sunlight, spotless and meticulously perfect. If it’s gritty realism and messy history you want, after all, India suffers from no shortage: just go to Bombay and throw open a window. Udaivilas is a fantasy, an idealized India freed from any but the loosest historical context.
It’s also impossibly luxurious, which is the key to its appeal. It takes a lot to impress us, as the traditional concept of luxury becomes a bore upon a certain number of repetitions—but this kind of plush overkill is far from common. There are no fewer than nine swimming pools, for a start, some semi-private, and the humblest rooms here are vast enough to be sold as studio suites in most lesser hotels. Bathrooms are completely modern and the tap water is clean—a side benefit of building a brand new palace instead of retrofitting an old one.
The service is over-the-top as well, with staffers who literally drop everything to attend to your real or potential needs. The spa is an outpost of Singapore’s Banyan Tree chain—again, the latest in state-of-the-art luxury. And the cuisine is international too, with Thai, Mediterranean, and Western options alongside Udaimahal’s traditional Indian offerings. In a way, it’s the best of all possible hospitality worlds: Far East service (and spa), stunning traditional Indian architecture in a gorgeous natural setting, and first-class facilities quite up to the standards of pampered Westerners.
Udaivilas boasts
* Seven specially equipped meeting and conference rooms
* 21 st century audiovisual facilities
* Full secretarial services
* Attentive and efficient staff
* Majestic and serene surroundings
- all of which make it a spectacular venue for your business gathering.
Udaipur is approximately 1hr 45mins by air from Delhi and Mumbai and 55 minutes from Jaipur.
Guests are met at the airport by liveried staff in chauffeur driven cars.
Awards
Rated the 2nd Best Hotel in the World - Conde Nast Traveler, Readers’ Choice Award 2007
Rated the Best Hotel in Asia - Conde Nast Traveler, Readers’ Choice Awards 2007
Number 1 Hotel in the World - Travel + Leisure, 2007 Readers’ Poll
Top 100 Hotels in the World (Ranked 3rd- Travel + Leisure, World’s Best Awards Readers’ Survey 2006
World’s Top 25 Spas (Ranked 14th ) - Condé Nast Traveller, UK, Readers’ Spa Awards 2006
Hotel of the Year 2003 - Gallivanter’s Guide, Editor’s Choice Award 2004
Best New Hotel/Resort Discovery
(Ranked 3rd) - Gallivanter’s Guide, Award for Excellence 2005
101 Best Hotels in the World - Tatler Travel Guide 2006
Top Resorts in Asia (Ranked 6th) - Condé Nast Traveler, USA, 18th Annual Readers’
The Best Destinations of 2003 - Forbes Magazine 2004
Best Suites Award - Elite Traveller Award 2004
Top 50 Coolest New Hotels in the World - Condé Nast Traveller 2003
Hot List - Condé Nast Traveller 2003
101 Best Hotels: New Sensations - Tatler Travel Guide 2003
‘One in a Million’ Rating - Gallivanter’s Guide 2002
100 Fabulous Places for 2001(Ranked 12th) - Travel + Leisure 2001
