Inside Arq: The Leela Palace Udaipur's Latest, Most Exclusive Hideaway

You may need to learn a few secret handshakes just to get in, we think

- By Niraj Kakade

If you ever took a hole puncher to a blank sheet of paper in school, you've basically got a bird's-eye view of Udaipur—a patchwork of lush green hills punctuated by glimmering blue lakes. And right there, the pièce de résistance among those little “holes” is Lake Pichola, which, I’ve been told, is the calmest of them all. On its shores stands The Leela Palace Udaipur, already an icon of Indian luxury and a go-to for fairytale weddings (hello, Parineeti Chopra and Raghav Chaddha’s recent bash). But if you thought The Leela had already reached its zenith, think again. They’ve just unveiled Arq at Pichola—a space so private, so refined, it’s practically a secret handshake among the elite.

So, where do you go when you've already hit the top of the luxury ladder? The Leela's move is doubling down on luxury but without the noise. Arq is their answer to the question: What if luxury wasn't about flash, but pure experience? One hour's flight from Mumbai, and you're in a world where decisions only revolve around cocktails and whether to swim before or after breakfast.

Arq is a collection of private villas designed for those who want more than a pretty view—they want privacy, personalization, and just the right amount of decadence. Brass-inlaid wooden floors? Check. Traditional Thikri mirror work? Of course. Enough lapis stone to put your marble countertops to shame? Naturally.