It’s 21st century royalty beckoning you into its opulent environs at the swank new Leela Palace Kempinski Udaipur in India, part of the famed Leela Hotels & Resorts chain. Bringing alive the centuries-old romance of this City of Lakes, the grand palace hotel is a tribute to world famous Rajasthani craftsmanship and design with a sophisticated contemporary sheen.
Eighty luxuriously appointed rooms and suites in two wings open out to bracing vistas of the lake and heritage views. Unique features cover a sprawling, split-level, black and white marble courtyard, calming water bodies, and towering metal embellished domes with fiber optic glows.
Environmental harmony juxtaposes with modern, custom-designed linear expressions. Celebrated architect Bill Bensley and interior designer Jeffrey Wilkes, working with Madhu Nair, director of interior design and operations for the Leela Group, combine the best of local flavors and global finesse with their professional flair.
It’s a fascinating showcase of Rajasthani “Thekri” art in floral and freehand decorative motifs with intricately chiseled mirrors on plastered facades that greet guests everywhere they turn. Gold-leaf floral and paisley work, Mother of Pearl artifacts, and inlaid handcrafted white marble in teak wood elements create ornate flourish.
The interiors have the unique “Tarkashi” work with finely tempered brass wires, strips and motifs inlaid into dark wood. Guests discover handcrafted traditional crystal lamp shades, vases, finely chiseled marble radiating Rajasthani workmanship of the highest creativity. Silverine statuettes like the mythological Nandi bull and Lord Shreenathji (Krishna) in stunning relief stand out with exception.
Corridor balconies, verandas, and wall columns have used the highly eco-friendly buff-amber Jaisalmer stone blended with hand plastering “Ghutai” technique of rubbing in plaster and paint with handcrafted perfection.
It’s Rajasthan’s spectacular past recreated as spontaneous contemporary profusion in iconic hospitality.
