Umaid Haveli Hotel & Resort

Umaid Haveli calls itself "a piece of Royal Art and Design", and for once that is a description rather than a boast: the hotel at Kukas was handcrafted and painted by Rajasthan's artisans, pairing heritage looks with modern comforts among the Aravalli hills. It belongs to the same family group as Umaid Bhawan and Umaid Mahal in town, and at 55 rooms and suites it is their big out-of-town house.

Rooms with the hills in them

There are just two categories, both generous. Royal Deluxe rooms are 350 sq ft with walnut-polished furniture, Rajasthani wall paintings, a separate bathing cubicle and space for a third bed; the 450 sq ft Royal Suites add a large single bed, recliners, painted ceilings and views over the hills and garden. All rooms carry VRV air-conditioning, rain showers, minibars, tea kit and an indoor balcony seating area.

Miniature paintings so fine the hotel suggests a magnifying glass.

Eating happens at altitude or under art. The rooftop Umaid Hill View Restaurant serves multi-cuisine food with wide Aravalli views; the ground-floor Umaid Maharaja seats a hundred under miniature paintings of Rajasthan's kings applied straight onto the walls, detail the hotel says is fine enough to need a magnifying glass.

Two pools and a walled garden

There are two swimming pools: a fifth-floor terrace pool facing the hills and sunset, and a 60 by 30 foot garden pool, both open 7am to 8pm. A 1,000-square-yard walled garden hosts badminton, mini cricket and volleyball with kit from reception; the 500 sq ft gym overlooks the garden, and the in-house spa runs Ayurvedic therapies (Abhyanga, Shirodhara, Potli massage) from noon to 8pm with same-gender therapists only. Yoga packages happen on the lawns.

The location trades city bustle for reach: 10 minutes from Amber Fort, 13 km from central Jaipur on a straight six-lane highway, and about 4 hours' drive from Delhi, which makes it a natural first stop on a Delhi–Jaipur run. The hotel points evening guests at the Amber Fort sound and light show and walkers at the hills behind.