Nestled in the Aravalli Hills of the Udaipur area, RAAS Devigarh, an 18th century palace, holds a commanding position over one of the three main passes into its valley.
Devigarh invites visitors to experience this outstanding heritage property which has been transformed into one of the premier five star hotels in Rajasthan.
Much more than just a place to stay, Devigarh is a testament to the beauty and charm of old-world Rajputana, showcasing an array of decorative styles and landscaped gardens.
The palace was restored to its former glory in 1999 and converted into an all-suite luxury hotel.
The modern, minimalist design of its interior juxtaposes with the ancient and ornate architecture of its exterior.
This unique blend of old and new is encapsulated at its entrance, where two 12-foot blocks of uncut, white marble stand to attention.
These stones, in this raw and pure condition, are a comforting promise of the new and unrivalled experiences that lie in store for every guest at Devigarh.
Its construction was completed in the year 1760, under the reign of Rajrana Sajja Singh II.
The palace was originally built using locally mined marble, a practice that was followed once again during its restoration.
Known earlier as Delwara Fort Palace, the origins of the building lie long before its completion in 1760.
In recognition of his service to the famed Maharana Pratap of Mewar, the principality of Delwara was gifted to Rajrana Sajja Singh and his brother, Ajja Singh, following the battle of Haldighati in the year 1576.
The palace fortress, as it can be seen today, tells the tale of its brave and loyal benefactors, and with the coming of the modern era it has been transformed into one of the most spectacular luxury travel destinations of the region.
The restoration of the hotel was undertaken by a team of 750 people over a period of almost 15 years.
Finally, in 1999, Devigarh opened its gates to the public, offering visitors a blend of new-world comforts and old-world charm.
With amazing views of the region’s hill range and the countryside, RAAS Devigarh lets you soak in the tranquil landscape of Rajasthan, away from the bustle of every day life.
With spacious gardens and courtyards within the complex, visitors will find themselves lost in a timeless period, where the past and present merge to form an adventure like no other.
RAAS Devigarh offers visitors 39 unique suites to vacation in, each offering an experience unmatched by any other hotel in Udaipur.
Melding luxury and beauty seamlessly, each suite offers visitors their pick of modern facilities.
The Devigarh Suite caters for your every need, and does so in style.
The captivating golden bedroom extends onto a private sun deck and jacuzzi where guests can revel in the perfection of the most esteemed suite.
This complex includes a private black marble pool and room enough to enjoy a secluded dining experience beside it.
For a larger group, the Devigarh Complex combines this suite with one of the Palace Suites, which adjoins the pool area.
The theme of the complex is the divine bond between Shiva, Shakti, and his beloved vahana, Nandi, comprising the highest object of Hindu religion.
The Aravalli Suite offers guests a stay in the old Rajput palace which is both stately and authentic; boasting complete privacy and spaciousness, their designs incorporate ornate and traditional motifs which are carved beautifully across long stretches of wall and flooring.
Equally arresting are the views on both sides, one across the spectacular Aravalli hills and the other towards the impressive hotel interiors: the black marble Kamal Courtyard that depicts the image of a lotus in bloom, the Durbar Courtyard, and the Janana Courtyard.
Keeping in touch with Devigarh's aristocratic roots, the Palace Suites offer true luxury.
Every suite has a unique design and their marble interiors are adorned by combinations of semi-precious stones.
The pieces of modern artwork showcase the quality of the locals handicraft.
Matched in grandeur on the outside, guests are able to enjoy glorious views over the fields and mountains of the Rajasthani countryside and the quintessential village of Delwara.
The tranquil aangans (courtyards) adjoined to these rooms are a final flourish of regal magnificence that you will not want to leave behind.
The Garden Suites at Devigarh capture the serenity and majesty of the natural world.
Overlooking the palace's most beautiful garden, guests can lounge and relax in the seclusion of their private tented-terrace.
Inside, the suite showcases intricate green and white marble works.
The natural elegance of these rooms creates an atmosphere of peace and quiet that cannot be matched elsewhere in Udaipur.
Devigarh offers a range of local and international cuisine to suit all tastes, and in a range of settings that show off the hidden jewels of the palace.
Breakfast and Dinner are served in the restaurant, whilst Lunch can be enjoyed in the Bar.
The hotel's team can also serves you in your room, by the pool, or whichever part of the palace takes your fancy.
The hotel's team have private dining options for parties of all sizes.
Room Service is available 24/7; if you should desire anything.
The hotel also has a dedicated spa menu, which offers a range of options to boost your health using the purest of ingredients and including medicinal herbal teas.
Whatever time of day, whether you're after a glass of wine on the balcony or a mid-morning chai masala in the lounge, the Bar is well-stocked for all occasions.
From its terrace, the sun can be seen setting behind the hills and provides the perfect evening atmosphere to enjoy over refreshing cocktails.
Open all day and late into the evening, the hotel's team serves fresh coffee, hand-squeezed juices, and many alcoholic options.
The wine list showcases the best of India's up-and-coming vineyards, as well as a carefully curated selection of international wines, right up to the finest of champagne.
A confined courtyard that boats a spectacular view of the skyline, the Durbar Courtyard offers diners a unique ambiance that is complimented by the soft sounds of the gently cascading water fountains.
This could function as a private venue for an intimate lunch, where diners can enjoy secluded moments with their loved ones.
It is also an ideal destination for evening drinks for 25-30, providing an open-air venue with enviable views.
Available for 10 guests or more.
The Hawa Gokra is another intimate setting for meals; available for up to 4 guests.
The room was originally built with many windows to harness the refreshing energy of the natural breeze and keep it cool in the summer.
This architectural element has the fortunate coincidence of also creating stunning views from the top of the palace.
Bedecked with roses and candles, it becomes a very special place to share dinner.
Janana Courtyard contains a modern fountain beside an ancient swing.
Enjoy local delicacies from the world-class kitchen in this open-air setting that is steeped in the history of Devigarh palace.
Janana means "Maidens", and the Janana Courtyard was once reserved as the women's quarters of the palace.
Now open to all, you will be welcomed by black-top tables, many candles, and an array of flowers.
A place for all seasons, winter visitors, in particular, will be delighted by the use of bonfires, placed for your comfort.
Available for 10 guests or more; 25 to 30 guests are ideal.
Offering clear views of Delwara village, the Lounge Balcony is ideal for couples or a family to enjoy a tailor-made meal.
Filled with fresh flowers and candles, the Lounge Balcony is supported on all sides by decorated marble pillars, while below, a ceiling mirror reflects the beauty that surrounds you.
The lounge balcony is a home for fine dining, good friends and good cheer.
Available for 2 guests or more; 6 guests are ideal.
A contemporary garden in the heart of Devigarh Palace, Phool Bagh, the Great Lawn, offers you an unforgettable backdrop of the palace to compliment your banquet; the trees of Phool Bagh, wreathed in sparkling lights, create a glittering landscape that mirrors the starry sky as a dinner venue for a large gathering.
Available for 50 guests or more; the hotel's team can accommodate 250 to sit down to dine, and 350 for a standing buffet.
No trip to the Devigarh Palace can be complete without a meal enjoyed with the backdrop of the setting sun.
Overlooking the Aravalli Range, this open-air terrace comes equipped with protective canopies to combat unforeseen weather conditions.
The ideal venue for breakfast, evening drinks, high-tea or dinner, as the pool calmly laps near you.
Available for 25 guests or more; 45 is ideal.
The Restaurant serves a seasonal menu, with ingredients home-grown and picked a stone's throw from the palace in the chef's garden; the Restaurant offers superb panoramic views over the surrounding countryside and the Aravalli hill range.
The clean, minimalist design is complemented by original wall paintings of Devigarh's former rulers and historic photographs of the palace.
The Roof Top offers diners an enclosed veranda with a private Jharokha (balcony) to enjoy their meal in.
Enjoy the best of the palace's cuisine under the stars, or sheltered from the sun under a canopy with cooling breezes.
The Roof Top gives diners a unique vantage point over Delwara village and this lush region of Rajasthan, a memorable venue for lunch, dinner, or just to raise a glass to the good life.
Available for 4 guests or more.
The Sheesh Mahal is a highly popular setting for meals; available for up to 4 guests.
This intimate room, with windows offering views from high over the Udaipur countryside, preserves the palace's history in the hand-decorated mirrors that adorn the walls.
Devigarh's kings once used this as a spot to entertain their queens and royal guests, now you can take their place.
When prepared with candles and flowers, the whole room glows warmly.
Furniture covered with silver, and walls that mirror the luxury of the room, the Silver Lounge offers diners an opulence that has made it one of the most desirable places to eat around Udaipur.
Candles are set up across each table to create a mesmerising ambiance, and the quality of the food matches that of the setting; available for 4 guests or more; it's ideal for 15 to 20.
An old Sanskrit word denoting Mother Earth and her ever flowing curative energy, the sacred essence of ila is echoed through age-old beauty rituals, the rejuvenating power of touch, and divine smells chosen to promote biological change and harnessed from an incredibly rare level of organic purity.
Renowned for their earth-to-skin ethical, environmental and sustainable practices, ila directly source wild harvested ingredients, many from India herself.
Enjoy Rajasthani damascene rose otto oil, jasmine from Tamal Nadu, sandalwood from Mysore and tuberose - which helps to connect to the soul light - from Himachall.
Each is chosen for its ability to nourish not just the skin but the heart.
Few other brands work at such a profound level.
Every cream, oil, scrub, mask, candle and fragrance is created using minimal processing and is hand blended in a meditative atmosphere in the British countryside.
Treatments are an active education in India's healing arts, intuitively combining beautifully evocative music with the likes of Marma massage techniques, subtle chakra cleansing and herbal poultices.
Alongside ila's traditional therapies, and exclusive to Devigarh, the spa's team also offers ila's Devi Blessings, a bouquet of nine extremely special 2 hour treatments designed to calm adrenals and recalibrate the entire central nervous system.
3, 6 and 9 night Blessing packages are also available.
The unique Himalayan Salt cave perfectly supports ila’s treatments.
Naturally enriched with over 84 minerals, the healing properties of these beautiful untainted pink crystals are said to cleanse the body, balance hormones, improve sleep and reduce muscle tension.
The spa's also offers a Bless You Food Menu, which accompanies our extremely special 2-hour Blessing Treatments, available in the ila-only spa.
Guests can dip into this menu as they like, or opt for an immersive spa package experience.
The food on this menu is designed to be healthy, nurturing and balancing, using the purest of ingredients and including medicinal herbal teas.
Devigarh offers a world-class spa with a heart, run by authentic British brand ila.
The treatments, and the products, honour the purity of nature and the power of ritual. They are about celebrating love and life. They are about allowing your true beauty to shine.
The hotel offers a wide range of recreational activities, both indoors and outdoors and suitable for all ages; there are guided excursions beyond the palace available for those who wish to explore the area.
These promise to take you on memorable journeys through Rajasthan's rich cultural history.
Lake Pichola and Lake Fateh Sagar, the two lakes of Udaipur. These often include a closer look at the island-set Taj Lake Palace and Jagmandir Island Palace.
If you have a day to spare and want to really delve into the heart of Rajasthani history, a visit to Chittorgarh is a must. As it is a long drive, be sure to drop in at Sawaryaji temple on the way back.
City Palace is the largest palace complex in Rajasthan. Though it was originally made up of 11 palaces constructed over four centuries of successive rulers it is well-known for the uniformity of its design.
Delwara village epitomises the rich history of Rajasthan state. Each successive ruler built their own temples worshipping different gods and over time these accumulated. Even today every street in Delwara has at least one temple.
Eklingji is a 1000-year old temple complex dedicated to the god Shiva. It is an ideal choice for your first journey to explore Hindu religious practices, as the temple is usually not too crowded and in remarkably good condition.
The museum provides highly interactive storytelling, which would be great for children, and some fascinating stories about the power struggles and human sacrifices of 18th Century Rajasthan.
Nagda, the abandoned capital of the Mewar region, is an ancient group of temples dating from the 7th century, situated beside an ever-expanding lake covered by a floating forest of lotus flowers.
There is also a zoo, which they call the Sajjan Garh biological park. Recommends a visit, as though there are still a few animals, they are not all in an active condition.
High up in the Aravalli hills, overlooking Udaipur, is the Monsoon Palace, Sajjan Garh. You will need to take a car, though, it's too steep for bikes, and the road up is not safe for walking.
Nathdwara is famous for its Krishna temple which is home to Shrinathji, a 12th century idol of Krishna and the temple's namesake.
RAAS DEVIGARH
NH8Near Eklingji TempleDelwaraUdaipurRajasthan 313202India