Rawla Narlai

The setting

Narlai is a temple-dotted village in Rajasthan's Pali district, and Rawla Narlai, once the residence of the local chieftain, sits at the heart of it, beneath a vast granite hill the hotel says is 850 million years old. The location is the quiet trump card: the hotel describes itself as equidistant between Jodhpur and Udaipur, which makes it the natural overnight between the two, except most guests find one night is not enough. The Rathore family behind it (The Ajit Group, who also run Ajit Bhawan in Jodhpur) opened the 17th-century retreat to guests in 1996, and the family's portraits still hang through the courtyards.

Rooms

There are 32 rooms arranged around flowering courtyards, from 420 sq ft Grand Heritage Rooms with private verandahs up to the Narlai Suite, over 2,000 sq ft at the property's highest point, with a terrace looking across the village. Marble, local limestone and Rajasthani textiles do the decorating; a newer contemporary wing holds the Luxury Grand Heritage rooms, with stone bathtubs in the bathrooms.

The table

The blue-and-white Jharokha Café handles traditional Indian and international cooking through the day, the J-Bar pours rare vintages and signature cocktails, and there is rooftop dining under the stars. The one to book, though, is the Stepwell Soirée: a four-course dinner at an 11th-century stepwell, reached by bullock cart, with Jogi musicians and lamplight, the hotel's signature evening.

Beyond the gate

This is leopard country. The surrounding Godwar belt shelters leopards, sloth bears, caracals and over 130 bird species, and the hotel runs jeep safaris with its own naturalists and trackers. Gentler options: riding one of over 50 Marwari horses through the countryside, climbing Elephant Hill's 750 steps with a local Rabari to a 300-year-old statue, village walks past ancient Jain temples, or a visit to the Kumbhalgarh camel dairy. A small spa works with local ayurvedic products and traditional Indian techniques.