THE FACTS ABOUT UDAIVILAS

India

Udaivilās is a newly built Indian palace hotel in which everything works, so there is no peeling paint and considerably less old-world charm than a converted palace. In terms of comfort, Udaivilās is in a class of its own. The hotel, which has 87 rooms, occupies 30 acres of former hunting grounds on Lake Pichola facing Udaipur. Which means you get views of the city's 17th-century royal palaces - Jagmandir and Jagniwas. Once you have arrived at the hotel (by boat), you will be reluctant to leave: Udaivilās is a resort hotel with a superb Banyan Tree spa, two restaurants (one Indian, one international) and two large swimming pools. The structure is modeled on Rajasthan's crumbling Mewari originals: open-air corridors flanked by hand-carved stone columns, domes covered in gold leaf, hand-painted murals, pavilions and fountains. Even the smallest double would be defined as a suite elsewhere, and the bathrooms, with colonial-style hip-baths, are state-of-the-art. You can safely brush your teeth with tap water (a major plus in India) and the service is quick, willing and efficient. WHEN TO GO Rajasthan can be a cauldron pre-monsoon (April to June). Late autumn (October and November) is a happy balance between this and January's chilly nights WHICH ROOM TO BOOK Any of the 19 superior deluxe doubles fronted by a swimming-pool moat CONTACT Udaivilās, Haridasji Ki Magri, Udaipur, Rajasthan, India (00 91 294 243 3300; fax: 243 3200; www.oberoihotels.com; Oberoi Hotels 020 7222 0606). Doubles from US$388; suites from US$1,312