Bundi Vilas

Built into the ramparts of the 300-year-old Garh Palace, Bundi Vilas is a wonderfully restored haveli (townhouse) and is regarded as the place to stay in Bundi. Accessed by foot from the heart of the walled city, a 40-foot soaring stone archway marks the entrance to this beautiful, intimate hotel.

The seven individually designed rooms with original stone pillars and jali screens (lattice stone windows) retain many original features. Otherwise, they have been updated with air-conditioning and modern bathrooms. All rooms are decorated in traditional style with block-printed fabrics, hand-crafted furniture and miniature paintings showcasing the best of Rajasthani craftwork. Whilst no two rooms are the same size, some are smaller and not brightly lit. At the Bundi Vilas, we always request rooms 106 or 107, as these top-floor rooms are the largest and brightest among the seven rooms. However, guests must be aware that these rooms are designed to open onto the terrace, where meals are served and hence can be noisy around breakfast and dinner time.

At the Bundi Vilas, breakfast and lunch are taken in a sunlit upper-floor room while pre-dinner drinks and sumptuous dinners are served on the rooftop terrace that has stunning views of the old town with its deep blue houses and the Jait Sagar Lake. Bundi Vilas is an ideal base for exploring the charming, laid-back town of Bundi with its fascinating fort palace, exquisite murals in the Garh Palace, and the elaborate stepwells dotted around the town, going beyond the usual tourist trail.