In a city that offers real palaces as hotel options, it is tough for any new hotel to match that royalty grandeur, opulence, and hospitality. Fairmont Jaipur took this challenge and has created its own mark as the Pink City’s Nouveau Palace.
Architecture and Amenities
Overlooking the majestic Aravalis, Fairmont beautifully blends the Rajputana architecture with intricate Mughal interiors. Because of the hotel’s attention to detail such as Jarokha inspired windows in guestrooms, traditional dome-shaped pavilions called Chatris scattered within the premises, and multiple layers of special color painted on the building exterior to make it look aged, one can easily mistake the hotel to be an ancient Rajput Fort.
On the other side, the interiors take inspiration from the Mughal era. Mini charbagh garden, walls adorning miniature paintings, and curated antiques and custom-made furniture fuse effortlessly with Rajputana exteriors. Spread across 3.5 acres of land, every nook and corner of the property is tastefully designed by blending royal influences with contemporary living, like the large chaupad board game shaped swimming pool, a 300-year-old door opening to a beautiful garden, intricate camel bone inlaid furniture in guestrooms, and the list goes on. The hotel also houses a fitness center, spa, library bar, cigar room, and really large Ballrooms and event rooms
The combination of hotel’s architecture, interiors, and amenities results in a beautiful rendition of a probable modern day palace.
Hotel Rooms
All the guest rooms in the hotel are fairly large. Our room size was about 550 sq ft and had the quintessential royal four poster bed with a walk in bathroom. The interior layout was modern styled whereas the furniture and room fittings had traditional influences. The room color palette was white, beige, and gold which along with the wooden flooring brought an earthy luxury comfort. The room’s large bathroom was equipped with a Jaipur stone bathtub and his and hers wash basin. The rot iron bathroom fitting, black and white marble flooring and pink stone basin and bathtub added that opulent royal touch to the bathroom making it the best feature in the room.
The hotel suites have a separate living room and bedroom. The room color palette is similar to other rooms. However, the suites offer an elevated view of lush Aravalis range and have some bespoke furniture pieces that take the royal luxury experience a few notches up.
Experiences
Fairmont transcends the royalty experience from the hotel’s appearance to the staff’s hospitality. On arrival, the heavy drum beat, Rose petals showers, and the song ‘padharo mare des’ being sung for us instantly lifted our spirits. There is nothing more luxurious than being treated like a royal guest!
We really liked the manner in which many different spaces were created within the property. While the large chaupad board shaped swimming pool stands out the most, other spaces such as cosy library bar – Aza, open-air seating beneath the Chatris, and small garden spaces all around the hotel give that intimate and peaceful time to its guests to enjoy. Also, the open spaces skillfully add Aravalis in the background that adds more serenity and splendor to one’s experience.
The royal experience is incomplete without a culinary treat. Here too, Fairmont does it little differently. The breakfast buffet at Zoya, their all day dining restaurant, has a wide-ranging Indian spread and also offers some traditional Rajasthani treats; the best part was a dedicated ‘chai’ tea counter. Any Indian would agree that morning sans that Chai cup is incomplete and thanks to Fairmont, we could sip our cuppa amidst the serene outdoor pool and garden and of course be enveloped by the Aravalis’ tranquility. The restaurant all day serves multi-cuisine specialties with addition of few Rajasthani traditional ones.
Our love for tea took us to Anjum, a dedicated tea lounge that is probably the focal and connecting space of the hotel. There are no walls and doors to Anjum which makes it very welcoming and relaxed. We tried the high tea service at Anjum, while tea was served with small pastries and cakes in a signature 3-layered tray, we were left wanting for some savory food options.
Zarin was our next stop for dinner. The maroon tone upholstery with dark wood furniture set a warm and formal tone. The restaurant states to serve Indo-Persian cuisine. In our views it was not fusion food of sorts but more of traditional Persian dishes served with the Indian touch. Another interesting dining option is the in-room Tiffin menu. We ordered for the traditional Rajasthani Tiffin that had hearty portions of Dal Batti, Gatte ki sabzi, Dal, etc.
Though lot of variety is added to the hotel’s food menu within the Rajput Persian theme, there is still room for improvement in the flavor and ingredients’ quality section.
The Hotel is a favorite pick to host large weddings and social events. If you are planning a luxury destination wedding then Fairmont is really a good choice. However, it is also a place to stay for that small weekend gateway in which you can tour the beautiful Jaipur city and also enjoy the serene mountains and modern palace luxury. Our two day visit seemed very short for the clever royal contemporary experiences created by Fairmont Jaipur and we left wanting to come back and find something new, again.
Where: Fairmont Jaipur
2, Riico, Kukas, Rajasthan 303101
Phone: 01426 420 000
Note: The critic was invited by the hotel but all the opinions expressed herewith are her own
