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| Worth Your Time |
A Royal Villa in Jaipur
Aline Sullivan
08/02/2004
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Rajvilas, located approximately 150 miles to the southwest
of Delhi, owes its splendor to the vision of Oberoi, who built it in 1997 using
local artisans. The hotel recreates the glamour and style of princely life
without a trace of the kitsch that mars so many of India’s palace and fortress
hotels. Oberoi, owner of the 19 posh hotels in the multinational group that
bears his name, makes his home in a nearby, and similarly renovated, hilltop
fort.  Those who want to spend time here in the style of true rajputs
(Sanskrit for “son of king,” a landowner caste that claims it is descended from
a ruling warrior class) will pass on the hotel’s 54 deluxe rooms and even its 14
luxury tents. With teak furniture and lavish bathrooms, they are eminently
appealing, but opt instead for the Royal Villa, patronized by visiting
celebrities, prime ministers, presidents and other modern-day rajas.
The
Royal Villa is truly a world apart, even within the luxury of the Rajvilas. It
is separated from the rest of the hotel by a small moat bridge and fragrant
gardens.
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