The Oberoi Udaivilas, Udaipur

My husband and I love Oberoi Hotels and have recently returned from a trip to India which included Oberoi Gurgaon, Oberoi Udaivilas and Oberoi New Delhi. We were at Oberoi Udaivilas for seven nights and treated our holiday there as a rest and relaxation retreat between our stays at the two city hotels. The property at Udaivilas is absolutely magnificent and extends for acres ***** the waterfront of Lake Pichola. It’s truly like staying in the most sumptuous palace. We were very kindly treated to an upgrade to a luxury suite with private pool which was stunning and had the most wonderful views of the grounds and lake. We spent most of our time enjoying the facilities of the hotel including the spa pool, spa, bar, promenade, and restaurants Suryamahal and Chandni. The spa treatments were superb so much so that we booked several more than originally planned. Food is always a highlight at Oberoi hotels and this was absolutely the case at Oberoi Udaivilas. From the extensive breakfast buffet to the dinners at the hotel every night, the food experience was excellent. Chandni’s terrace is a particular highlight as is the nightly live entertainment for diners. Our stay preceded the opening of ‘Mewar by Vineet’ by a few days however we have no doubt this restaurant will be a huge success, having had the experience of Chef Vineet’s cuisine at Oberoi New Delhi. The absolute standout at every Oberoi is the people and Oberoi Udaivilas was up there with the very best. The Oberoi mantra of ‘the guest is everything’ prevailed throughout and we felt very honoured to be taken care of by such a wonderful team. Every single person we interacted with was superb and our particular thanks go to Aditya, Barasha, Kritika, Minesh and GM, Mohit, for making our stay so special. Also to the ladies in the spa for their fabulous treatments. Oberoi Udaivilas is widely recognised as one of the very best hotels in India and we absolutely endorse this view based on our experience. Our stay has completely underlined our view that the Oberoi Hotels brand is the very best in the world and we strongly recommend a longer stay that will allow you to fully experience everything this wonderful hotel has to offer.

Before I booked this trip I thought I would be going to a nice property, with decent service. Staying in Bombay, I thought it would be good to stay in property with large lawns so I could touch grass (metaphorically) But I didn’t anticipate at all, that this would be the best hotel stay I would have ever had, anywhere in the world. It started with small touches - immaculate welcome, orchestrated to perfection. In 10 minutes (or lesser) and without signing anything or giving our ids or standing in line, we were given an early check-in (10:30 am) and ushered to our room. What started as a WOW experience from check-in, only got better with fabulous service everywhere. 1. Housekeeping - Immaculate rooms, well trained team, not a lick of dust anywhere, no stain on any couch/pillow. All pillows puffed up to perfection. Everyday they would clean our room and so turndown service and it was perfect. 2. F&B - A huge thank you to many people - including Sara at Chandani (A breathe of fresh air!!), the pool boys (Fab!!), the F&B manager, all the servers and even trainees at the restaurants and buffet. Perfect service. Udaivilas is the only hotel that made perfect tea, according to my specifications, every single day! A huge thank you to the pool buys, for complimentary iced teas, Kathi rolls, mango, mocktails etc! They always went out of their way to keep us happy and overfed! 3. Property - Immaculate garden, helpful gardener’s who gave me flowers and lotuses, walked me through to show me the fruit trees, pointed me in the direction of peacocks and offered to take our photos many times! The exterior and interior of the property is so well maintained, it’s unbelievable that the property is 20+ years old. 4. Front office - Fab staff, great check-in and checkout experience. Smooth, brisk and well coordinated 5. Food - Amazing food! From the dal Kachori at breakfast to the perfect pasta at night. The chefs were ready to go out of their ways and make out of menu items for us. No request was too huge. I’m overwhelmed at the experience I’ve had. I have never been fussed over or taken care of at a hotel like I was at Udaivilas. Thank you for addressing us by our names, for chatting with us, for telling us about how the property functions, showing us around and always saying Yes, to every request. You have reinstated my belief in Indian hospitality. Having stayed at Taj Mahal Palace in Mumbai, and ITC Sonar Bangla in Kolkata , St Regis Mumbai, Alila Diwa - Goa, Kempenski Bali etc amongst other name brand hotels, I can easily say this is the best hotel in the world and for good reason! I am an Oberoi convert! (It was my first Oberoi stay!) Thank you, and I hope to visit other Oberoi properties soon.