Mihir Garh

Mihir Garh, the Fort of the Sun, was built by the family behind Rohet Garh on Mali Nathji ka Dhora, a dune dedicated to the warrior god hero of Marwar. More than a hundred carpenters, craftsmen and artisans from the region worked on it for two years; it was finished in 2009. The fireplaces were made by women from Khandi and Haji villages using cow dung and clay, the furnishings were bought in the Jodhpur region, and the floors use a plaster technique the hotel says only one man in the area still knows.

There are nine suites, each over 1,700 square feet. The ground floor Aalishan suites have a private courtyard and plunge pool; the first floor Shandaar suites have a terrace and an open-air jacuzzi. Both are named after stallions of the Rohet stables. An infinity pool looks over the Thar scrub, and the spa holds two treatment rooms in a walled garden.

Rain falling on the fort is collected in a cistern and filtered, waste water is recycled, and solar heating supplies hot water. Village safaris, first run by the family in 1988, ride out from here, along with Marwari horses, shikar dinners and cookery workshops.