4 Of The Subcontinent's Most Distinctive Lodgings.

India’s palatial hotels routinely top rankings of the world’s ultimate addresses. Kendall Hill checks into four of the subcontinent’s most distinctive lodgings.

- Kendall Hil

Amanbagh, Rajasthan

This modern Mughal palace in a fertile valley about two hours’ drive northeast of Jaipur redefines accepted notions of serenity. The elegant symmetry of architect Ed Tuttle’s design, wrought in marble, sandstone and dozens of domes and set in idyllic grounds shaded by eucalypts and palms, immediately casts a spell. Guests are welcomed with a sung prayer to Vishnu that echoes around Amanbagh’s stone reception hall like a mantra. Staff tie blessings to guests’ wrists and offer infusions of fennel, basil and ginger from the organic garden.

The 37 suites are capacious pavilions split between bathrooms – each with baths carved from single chunks of Udaipur green marble – and supremely comfortable sleeping quarters. The effect of so much stone – pink Rajasthani and Makrana marble (as seen in the Taj Mahal), Dholpur sandstone, and Udaipur green – is timeless and sublime.

There are no televisions but also no shortage of entertainment. Perhaps lamplit dinners on a courtyard above the pool or in a silk-curtained chattri canopy set with a maharajah’s banquet of tandoor-roasted chicken with rice and dhal makhani. Join yoga classes, camel polo or evening aarti rituals; submit to spa sessions or arrange excursions to the abandoned city of Bhangarh, its sandstone temples and royal residences the inspiration for Tuttle’s design. And there’s wildlife spotting in Sariska Tiger Reserve, about 45 minutes’ drive away.

Amanbagh’s appeal lies in such “undiscovered experiences”, says general manager Karin van Zyl. “None of it is scripted for us. Every day is different because of what’s happening in the villages. We might have five Jeeps go out but all on different roads – to see weddings, funerals, the okra harvest, a baby goat being born.” Ajabgarh, Rajasthan, aman.com