The Luxe Rise of Jaipur

With a wave of new luxury hotels, and its ascent as a destination for art, fashion, culture, and design, is the Pink City reclaiming its place as India's premier luxury hub?

- BY SMITA TRIPATHI

RICH WITH A sprinkling of fair musk-rose blooms: And such too is the "R grandeur of the dooms". British Romantic poet John Keats immortalised these lines in Endymion. The said ‘grandeur’ is eponymic to Jaipur, a royal city which has been a byword for opulence.

Maharajas held court in sprawling palaces, artisans perfected the delicate art of meenakari, and the city drew nobles, traders, and travellers in search of jewels and spectacle. Over time, its splendour was preserved in sandstone façades and storied hotels, but its reputation as a living luxury capital faded, eclipsed by newer destinations. Now, the Pink City is staging a striking return. Consider this: In the last 12 months alone, marquee hotels such as Raffles Jaipur, Mementos by ITC Hotels, and Anantara Jewel Bagh have opened in the city. And if that wasn’t enough, Jaipur has a formidable pipeline that includes Ritz-Carlton, Sofitel Legend Sukh Bagh Jaipur, Waldorf Astoria, Conrad, and Signia by Hilton—all slated to open before the decade’s end. These new entrants will sit alongside Jaipur’s existing grande dames, such as Rambagh Palace (managed by IHCL), The Leela Palace Jaipur, The Oberoi Rajvilas, etc.

According to hospitality consulting firm HVS AN-AROCK, Jaipur has about 7,800 branded hotel keys. Nearly a quarter (or 1,900 keys) fall in the luxury segment and over 1,800 luxury keys will be added in the next five years—nearly 37% of the total pipeline of over 4,900 rooms across 30-plus hotel projects. the luxury segment, and the bulk is dominated by midscale, upper midscale and upscale developments," as per Hotelivate, a hospitality consulting firm.

"The city already has a strong base," says Akash Datta, managing director for South Asia at HVS ANAROCK. "What's striking is that despite this depth, the pipeline remains robust."