The Oberoi Udaivilas, Udaipur – a palace hotel on Lake Pichola with a gold-leaf dome and 175,000 mirrors

There’s a point in the arrival sequence at The Oberoi Udaivilas where the scale of what’s been built here fully registers. You’re on the banks of Lake Pichola in Udaipur – one of the most beautiful lakes in India – and the hotel that opens in front of you was constructed on nearly 200-year-old royal hunting grounds, references the architecture of a Mewari kingdom that ruled this region 300 years ago, has 37 domes including a lobby dome painted with 18-carat gold leaf, and a room called the Candle Room whose dome is decorated with 175,000 traditional Tikri mirrors that glow every night when staff light candles beneath it. This is not a hotel that arrived at its identity by accident. It was designed to overwhelm and it succeeds.

The January 2024 stay is in the Luxury Suite with Private Pool at 168,300 INR / $2,014 USD. For a Rajasthan palace hotel of this caliber with Lake Pichola views, Bill Bensley-designed gardens, peacocks wandering the grounds, and live Rajasthani music at dinner every night – that’s a price point that requires a proper breakdown. Here’s everything the vlog covers, which is everything worth knowing.

Udaipur – why this city and why now

Before getting into the hotel, Udaipur deserves its own paragraph because it’s the reason the Oberoi Udaivilas exists in the form it does. Udaipur is the City of Lakes in Rajasthan, India – a 16th-century city built around a series of interconnected lakes with a palace literally in the middle of Lake Pichola (the Lake Palace, now a hotel) and the City Palace complex rising dramatically from the eastern shore. It’s been called the Venice of the East, the most romantic city in India, and various other superlatives that for once are not obviously overstated.

The city is genuinely beautiful in a way that photographs don’t fully capture because the photographs can’t include the light. Rajasthan’s winter light in January – the month of this stay – is warm and golden and the way it hits the white marble and sandstone architecture around Lake Pichola at sunrise and sunset is one of the most photographed scenes in India for good reason. The Oberoi Udaivilas sits on the western shore of the lake with that light coming directly at it in the evening.

Best time to visit: October through March is the clear window – Rajasthan’s winters are mild, clear, and dry with temperatures in Udaipur ranging from 10-28°C. January (as in this vlog) is ideal. April through June is extreme heat regularly exceeding 40°C. The monsoon season July through September brings heavy rains and road complications. Winter is the answer and early booking for December through February is essential as this is peak India tourism season.

Getting there: Maharana Pratap Airport (UDR) is about 20-25 kilometers from the hotel. The transfer is covered at 00:34 in the vlog and takes approximately 30-45 minutes depending on traffic. The Oberoi arranges airport transfers – worth booking in advance rather than navigating local taxis for a first arrival in a new Indian city.

The arrival and the architecture

Arrival and check-in from 02:55 to 08:07. The arrival sequence at Udaivilas is theatrical in the way that the best Indian palace hotels understand – it’s not a hotel lobby, it’s a progression through architectural experiences designed to build anticipation before you reach your room. The approach through the main gate, the domed corridors, the fountain courtyards, the arched entrances – all of this is Mewari Rajasthani palace architecture executed at the scale of a 30-acre hotel property.

The lobby dome painted with 18-carat gold leaf is the first major interior moment and the footage captures why it stops guests in their tracks. The dome is large, the gold leaf application is dense, and the Rajasthani painting motifs covering the surface create an interior ceiling that takes several minutes to properly absorb. The nearby Candle Room with its 175,000 Tikri mirror dome is covered in the lobby section – the Tikri mirror work is a traditional Rajasthani craft technique and at 175,000 individual mirrors on a single dome the result when lit with candles below it is one of the more extraordinary interior spaces in Indian hospitality.

The corridors to the room from 05:38 to 08:07 are worth watching in full. The property is 30 acres and the path from lobby to suite involves tiled outdoor corridors, stone pavilions, garden views, and multiple architectural moments before you reach the room. The corridors themselves are decorated with pietra dura inlay work, carved stone details, and the arched forms that reference the historic palaces of the Mewar kingdom. This is not a hotel where you take an elevator from reception to your floor and walk down a carpeted corridor. The journey to the room is part of the stay.

Peacocks wander the gardens freely. This is not a marketing claim or an occasional occurrence. The vlog shows them at multiple points and they’re a consistent presence on the grounds – the 40% wildlife sanctuary designation on the property’s total area is the formal context for what is essentially a large, well-maintained habitat that happens to include a luxury hotel.

The Luxury Suite with Private Pool – room tour

Room tour from 08:07 to 19:28 – over 11 minutes, appropriate for a suite at this price and this property. The Luxury Suite with Private Pool is the featured category at $2,014/night and the footage covers it comprehensively.

• 🏛️ The architecture of the room itself – arched ceilings, pietra dura inlay detailing on the walls and furniture, the Rajasthani color palette of deep jewel tones against white marble and sandstone. The room doesn’t look like a hotel room that has been decorated in an Indian style. It looks like a palace chamber that has been fitted with modern amenities. The distinction is real and visible in the footage
• 🛏️ Bedroom – the bed is dressed in natural fabrics – cotton, silk, linen – in Rajasthani colors and patterns. Handcrafted furniture throughout. The ceiling above the bed carries the arched Mewari detailing. Floor-to-ceiling views to the private terrace and pool
• 🛁 Bathroom – marble throughout, full soaking tub, separate rain shower, dual vanity. The Oberoi bathroom standard is consistently high across the group and Udaivilas is the flagship Indian property. The scale and finish quality reflect that
• 🏊 Private pool – the suite terrace has a private pool with views toward Lake Pichola and the surrounding landscape. In January the pool is heated and usable. The terrace extends the suite living space outdoors with seating and garden views
• 🦚 Views from the terrace – depending on villa position, views encompass the lake, the City Palace, the Sajjangarh Monsoon Palace on the distant hill, and the garden landscape of the property itself. The vantage points on the western shore of Lake Pichola are the reason the Oberoi was built here
• 🎨 Detailing throughout – the handcrafted furniture, the mirror work accents, the brass fittings, the fabric choices – all of it is site-specific rather than generic luxury hotel procurement. At 87 rooms the Oberoi group has put genuine design attention into each room category rather than scaling a template

The property information and map section at 19:28 gives a useful overview of the 30-acre layout – worth watching before exploring the grounds because the property is large enough that understanding the geography helps you find things without spending 20 minutes looking for the spa.

The pool and spa

Main pool at 20:12, spa and gym from 21:15 to 25:34.

The main pool is positioned within the property’s garden landscape with views across to Lake Pichola and the surrounding hills. In January the light on the pool in the afternoon hours is the specific golden Rajasthan quality that makes everything look better than it is. The pool is properly sized and the surrounding pool deck has the same architectural detailing as the rest of the property – carved stone, arched pavilions, the Mewari aesthetic applied to outdoor leisure space.

The spa is covered in proper detail from 21:15 – five minutes of coverage showing the treatment rooms, the spa pool, and the overall facility. The Oberoi spa program across the group uses Ayurvedic treatments as the foundation – this is the appropriate treatment philosophy for a Rajasthan palace hotel and Udaivilas delivers it with the same quality standard as the rest of the property. Separate spa pool, steam facilities, treatment rooms built with the same architectural language as the main building. The gym section is honest – properly equipped for a hotel of this size and positioning, nothing excessive.

The lobby bar

From 25:34 to 27:32. The lobby bar at Udaivilas occupies a space that uses the arched Mewari architecture as its setting, with views across the gardens and toward the lake. The bar serves both cocktails and a selection appropriate for pre-dinner drinks in India’s legal drinking context – Rajasthan allows alcohol and the Oberoi operates a full bar service. The footage shows the atmosphere of the bar in the evening and it’s one of those hotel bar situations where the setting does most of the work: carved stone arches, candlelight, the sound of the fountain courtyards outside, a view of one of the most beautiful hotel gardens in South Asia.

Dinner – Suryamahal and Udaimahal

Dinner from 27:32 to 32:31. The hotel has two restaurants and both are covered:

🏛️ Suryamahal – main dining room

The primary dining venue serving international cuisine. The setting is under the blue painted domes of the main dining hall – massive, atmospheric, decorated with the same Rajasthani craftsmanship as the rest of the property. The room can accommodate a significant number of guests but the scale of the domed ceilings means it doesn’t feel crowded even at capacity. International menu executed at the Oberoi standard.

🪘 Live Rajasthani music and dance

Every dinner service includes live Rajasthani folk music and dance performance – covered in the dinner section and this is the detail that makes dinner at Udaivilas an event rather than just a meal. Traditional Rajasthani musicians and dancers perform beneath the blue domes every night. This is not a once-a-week feature night. It is the standard dinner experience at this hotel. At midnight the dome is described as being at its most atmospheric with the candles lit. The vlog dinner footage captures the performance quality and the combination of the architectural setting with live traditional music is one of the more genuinely memorable restaurant experiences available at an Indian luxury hotel.

🍛 Udaimahal – Indian specialty restaurant

The Rajasthani and North Indian cuisine restaurant – the food destination for guests who want the regional cooking done properly rather than the international menu. Dal Baati Churma, Laal Maas, Gatte ki Sabji, the Rajasthani pantry executed by chefs who understand the cuisine at its source. The right choice for at least one meal on a multi-night stay.

Breakfast

From 34:54 to 41:25 – nearly seven minutes of breakfast coverage, which is the right amount of time for an Oberoi breakfast. The Suryamahal breakfast spread is extensive: Indian and international stations, live cooking, fresh pastries, a full fruit selection, the chai and coffee operation, and the same domed setting as dinner. The Indian breakfast options are the specific reason to eat properly here – freshly made parathas, idli, dosa, the full subcontinent morning spread done at a hotel with chefs who take this seriously. The breakfast section also catches the morning light on the Lake Pichola views, which makes a strong argument for not sleeping through it.

The gardens

Garden tour from 41:25 to 43:30. The gardens were designed by Bill Bensley – the Asia-based designer known for extraordinary hotel landscape work across Southeast Asia and South Asia. The 30-acre property with 40% designated as wildlife sanctuary produces gardens that don’t look maintained in the manicured hotel sense. They look inhabited – by peacocks, by the natural Rajasthan flora, by the kind of layered planting that takes years to establish. Multiple vantage points through the gardens look across Lake Pichola toward the City Palace and Sajjangarh. Walking the gardens in the morning before the day heats up is one of those simple pleasures that the property makes easy and memorable.

The boutique at 43:30 and business center at 45:14 are covered briefly – the boutique carries Rajasthani crafts, fabrics, and locally sourced items rather than generic hotel merchandise, which makes it worth a look on checkout day.

The price and the points situation

The Luxury Suite with Private Pool came in at 168,300 INR / $2,014 USD for the January 2024 stay. For the flagship property of India’s most respected luxury hotel group, on Lake Pichola, with a private pool suite, in peak season – this is a fair price. Standard rooms start significantly lower.

Rate context by season:

• 🏆 Peak season (December-February) – highest rates, best weather, full programming. Book 4-6 months in advance for suite categories
• 📉 Shoulder season (October-November, March) – excellent weather, lower rates, good availability. March starts warming but remains pleasant
• 🌡️ Summer and monsoon (April-September) – significant discounts available but the heat and monsoon make this a compromised visit for most travelers

The points angle for Oberoi:

• 🏨 Oberoi One loyalty program – The Oberoi Group’s own program. Points accumulate on stays and can be redeemed at Oberoi properties across India, Egypt, Morocco, and other countries
• 💳 Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts – Amex Platinum FHR covers Oberoi properties including Udaivilas. This adds complimentary breakfast for two, room upgrade eligibility, noon check-in, 4pm late checkout, and a $100 property credit at the direct rate. On a $2,014/night stay in January the complimentary breakfast alone is meaningful – the Oberoi breakfast is a billed extra when not included
• 🏨 Virtuoso network – The Oberoi participates in Virtuoso, adding the same benefit layer through a Virtuoso advisor at no extra cost over direct
• 💳 Pay with transferable points – Amex Membership Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards, and Citi ThankYou Points can offset hotel charges through their travel portals at varying rates

Frequently asked questions

📹 Video by ST Travel