Alila Fort Bishangarh, Rajasthan
Rising from the plains about two hours’ drive north of Jaipur
surrounded by the silhouettes of the Aravalli Hills, Alila’s latest
Indian hotel looms into view like Rapunzel’s Tower, shimmering
above patchwork fields of golden mustard-seed and emerald wheat.
The transformation of this 230-year-old fortress into an
exceptional resort hotel took the best part of a decade. The bats
and civets were hell to shift and, further complicating matters,
Alila Fort Bishangarh’s 59 rooms and suites wrap around a central
keep so there are no straight lines, no open passages, no easy fixes.
The painstaking renovation gets the balance between antique
and modern just right. My suite, 306, features toffee-coloured
marble floors and heavy, brass-strapped doors secured by latch
and bolt. There are cornices and niches but also a daybed, and
double vanities in the marble- and granite-clad bathroom.
The hotel’s winning ways continue with a terrace bar
and dungeon spa, the rooftop Indian restaurant Nazaara and
signature dining room Amarsar, an ornate space of fluted pillars
and tikhri mirrorwork that was once a king’s bedroom. The
in-house cuisine was developed by TV chef Ranveer Brar, and
executive sous-chef Rajat Chandna oversees the three main
restaurants, including a poolside Mediterranean café. Brar’s
menu is trickier than it needs to be (are espumas and ginger
chèvre spheres absolutely necessary in a medieval fortress?) and
service was still scratchy when we visited, but the fort is unique
and staying here is so special that one forgives occasional nerves.
When not pretending to be minor royalty, guests embark
on hikes for home-cooked farmhouse lunches and to the studios
of local artisans. Bishangarh might just be the friendliest village
in all of India and these experiences are a highlight – perhaps
the highlight – of a stay at Alila Fort Bishangarh. Bishangarh,
Rajasthan, alilahotels.comThe Glenburn Penthouse, Kolkata
“The whole thing is meant to be like a gracious English
home in Calcutta – with certain characteristics of the city, like
shutters and louvres – but to be very comfortable.” That’s how
Melbourne-born designer Bronwyn Baillieu-Latif describes her
vision for the nine-room The Glenburn Penthouse, which
opened late last year. But in fact she undersells its appeal.
Baillieu-Latif is a wonderfully flamboyant figure who has
applied OTT touches throughout the hotel – parrots are a
favourite, so too flaming pink Russian sofas and the odd animal
print, all of which blends beautifully with the classic plasterwork,
parquetry floors (modelled on the Palace of Versailles) and
Burmese teak beds carved with flowers, lions and dancing nymphs.
Handcrafted on the top three floors of an ordinary office
building with extraordinary views over Kolkata’s MaidanAlila Fort
Bishangarh.
Right, from
top: Alila Fort
Bishangarh’s
spa; The Oberoi
Udaivilas, Udaipur;
The Glenburn
Penthouse.