The Leela Palace Jaipur

The Leela Palace Jaipur stands on a nine-acre estate on the Delhi road, well away from the traffic of the Pink City, with the Aravalli hills on the horizon. It is a new building made in the manner of the old royal mahals, its white facades worked with jaali screens and silver-trimmed chhatris that mix Rajput and Mughal forms. The corridors are laid in marble with parchin kari inlay, the walls glint with thikri mirrorwork, and frescoes tell stories from Rajasthan's past. There are 200 rooms, suites and villas, from the Palace rooms up to villas with plunge pools or private courtyards, and the Maharaja Suite with two terraces, its own pool and an eight-seat dining room. Jamavar serves royal Indian cooking, the Aravalli Dining Room handles everything else, and the Peacock Lounge and Jharokha Bar fill the evening. Each night at dusk the inner courtyard hosts the dharohar, a gathering of Rajasthani musicians, dancers and folk artists, after which dinner moves outdoors by the pool. A spa, a pool and a wellness centre round out a palace built for slow days between visits to Amber Fort and the old city.