6 India Luxury hotels & resorts to immerse in local culture

As India celebrates 75 years of independence, the spirit of exhilaration pervades. A man of Indian heritage is the current Prime Minister of Britain, Indians helm globally renowned companies, and billionaires burgeon overnight across the country. Many have said that the next 100 years will be the Age of India.

This is also reflected in the Indian hospitality industry that survived the pandemic despite its devastating impact elsewhere. Domestic tourism flourished despite Covid-19, India beckons travellers with a spate of luxurious new hotel launches, each with its own personality and unique offerings, which present a fresh and exciting take on the vast, vibrant cultural heritage of its ancient civilisation.

Here are six hotels and resorts in India to cater to your luxury craving and yearning to explore the breathtaking landscapes and imbibe of the local culture in India.

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• Leela Palace Jaipur
• Six Senses Fort Barwara
• Raffles Udaipur
• Svatma Mayavaram
• Four Seasons Hotel Bengaluru
• Amal Tamara

Leela Palace Jaipur

This place is about unabashed opulence. Enormous, ornate chandeliers droop down on a swoon of silken cushions in t­he lobby.

Combining the magnificence of a palace and the intimacy of pooled villas, the glamorous Leela Palace Jaipur has hosted the city’s Royal Savai Man Singh Polo Tournament and Literary Festival, luring both the literati and the glitterati with its sensational soirees.

Chef Pushpinder Saini's North Indian cuisine incites gluttony at the hotel’s Sukh Mahal restaurant. He boasts that guests must gain a kilogramme a day at his restaurant. That doesn’t deter you from gorging on Shahi Gulab Gelato over private dining experiences.

You might be determined to exercise the calories off by ambling through the resort’s emerald-leaved gardens where sapphire-feathered peacocks strut on marbled mosaics. But most likely, the butlers in dapper powder-blue suits will hoist you onto buggies to escort you to your Royal Pool Villa, a rosy vision in that embodies Jaipur’s nickname, the Pink City.

The silk-draped Jharokha Bar serves cocktails that incorporate local ingredients. Must try on the menu include Fire On Ice and Essence of The Leela, which contain Rajasthani chilis and 24k gold-infused oil, respectively.

The enchanting Mohan Mahal restaurant is dressed in marble, mirror and murals. The gurgle of a fountain complements traditional musicians. And throughout your exploration of the hotel, the staff will treat you like royals, such is the Leela touch.

The Leela Palace Jaipur’s Royal Villa with Plunge Pool starts from US$1,050 per night.

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Six Senses Fort Barwara

Six Senses made its dramatic debut in India in this 700-year-old former fort, which its royal owners had restored for over a decade. The terraces of the suites offer a spectacular view of the undulating hills.

Every so often, a flock of pigeons flies across the cerulean sky like gray pearls. The experienced manager will take you back 1,000 years of India’s epic history.

The double room at Six Senses Fort Barwara starts from US$950.

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Raffles Udaipur

A private island mansion in the mystique of Lake City, Udaipur, this hotel is sophisticated, audaciously pricey, and accessible only by boat – ultra-exclusive.

Nestled amongst baroque gardens, the mansion receives you at the Great Hall atop stately stairs. This expansive space is spartan and sober with that signature Raffles colonial feel, while the gardens are a playground for designer Clive Gray’s fantasy.

Legend has it that once upon a time, a British merchant and his noble Indian lady were banished to this island for their forbidden romance. The Egyptian motifs adorning the lawns symbolise extravagant gifts the merchant presented to his beloved.

Parrots perch on your terraces whilst pink flamingos – one of the 87 wildlife species living on the island – are embossed on amenities.

Whilst The Long Bar and its Singapore Sling are synonymous with the Raffles hotel in Singapore, here it’s the quaint Writer’s Bar and the Udaipur Sling, with its thrilling tingle of local speciality laal maas bitters, that charms you stay and come back.

The double room at Raffles starts from US$1,000.

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Svatma Mayavaram

Svatma Mayavaram is the first-ever luxury space dedicated to Siddha, an esoteric Tamilian healing practice so ancient that it predates Ayurveda.

With just nine lovely rooms opening onto views of greenery and pooled pavilions, this quietly luxurious, vegetarian-focused establishment is an invitation to explore the culture of Tamil Nadu. Its spa offers wellness therapy that combines Siddha, naturopathy and a canny understanding of human nature.

The double room at Svatma Mayavaram starts from US$3,075 for seven nights.

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Four Seasons Hotel Bengaluru

Crisp, sharp, suave and teeming with expats – you would not have imagined this hotel is in India at first. Bengaluru’s reputation as India’s Garden City is articulated with undulating Ribbon Gardens and vertical gardens greening its gray facade.

The newest of India’s only two Four Seasons, the hotel’s grand launch was smothered by the pandemic, and now it has made a splash by unveiling one of the city’s priciest Presidential Suite. But all rooms boast floor-to-ceiling glass and the niftiest bathroom fittings.

The dark and brooding Asian restaurant Far & East on the 21st floor is the sexiest place to be seen in town, while the lounge-bar Copitas serves an award-winning menu. But the hotel’s best-kept secret is the glorious salad counter at the all-day dining restaurant CURE8. Lunch on salads so you can attack the dessert counter guilt-free!

The double room at Four Seasons Hotel Bengaluru starts from US$450.

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Amal Tamara

It’s the sort of place Ayurveda-aficionado King Charles would be spotted at. Owner Shruti Shibulal transformed her ancestral home on Kerala’s famous Lake Vembanad into a wellness voyage. The enveloping tranquility ushers you in, and the staff tailors your wellness journey using Ayurveda techniques. Its curative cuisine is also tailored to the guest’s individual constitutions.

Delectable Kerala delicacies are served with rigorous portion control – gluttony and mobile phones are prohibited at meals, and so too are coffee and tea.

This wellness journey instills self-discipline. But what could be more indulgent than having three therapists for treatments, which may involve massages with feet and wraps of elaborate concoctions from the in-house apothecary lab? A trip to the 600-year-old Dhanvantari Temple dedicated to the God of Ayurveda is imperative. The Amal also offers houseboat excursions that Kerala is celebrated for.

The double room at Amal Tamara starts from US$3,119 for seven nights.

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