Fateh Garh

Most heritage hotels restore a building where it stands. Fateh Garh did something stranger: a heritage structure was moved stone by stone and pillar by pillar to a hilltop on Udaipur's edge, then rebuilt largely by hand from recycled stone and wood. The result is the Fateh Collection's flagship, a 56-room palace in the Aravalli ranges with what the hotel calls 360-degree commanding views, about 5 km from the city centre.

Hand-built, and it shows

The rebuild was done on Vastu principles, on a deliberately low-technology platform, and the rooms follow suit: recycled stone walls, hand-woven textiles, and views down to Udaipur's lakes. Five categories run from 300 sq ft Renaissance Rooms and 350 sq ft Heritage Chambers up to four balcony suites, plunge-pool suites with a private turquoise pool and butler service, and a single Honeymoon Suite with a jacuzzi under a hand-painted domed ceiling. The owning Kelwa family lives on the property and describes itself as deeply committed to a sustainable world, which fits the hotel's claim to be a pioneer of responsible tourism here.

Transplanted stone by stone, pillar by pillar, and literally hand built with minimum machine

Dinner on the ridge

Two restaurants share the hilltop, Baradari with 117 covers and Prasadham in the lobby with 69, plus three private dining spots including the Sky Walk. There are two pools, one of which the hotel says featured in Conde Nast Traveller's Six Sexiest Pools in the World list, after the property itself appeared on the magazine's 2009 Hot List; we have not verified either claim independently. Add vintage car rides, jeep safaris and an archery range, and this reads to us as the group's most complete property. Note it is also a major wedding venue with terraces and lawns to match, so ask what else is on when you book. We have not stayed; it is firmly on our list.