A RAAS palace in Jaipur, once home to Maharaja Sawai Man Singh and Maharani Gayatri Devi, with a mint-condition 1950s Ford Thunderbird still parked out front. Just 13 rooms, it feels more palatial home than hotel. The Tiffany blue dining room is already mood-board famous; fresh flowers by day, candlelit courtyards by night, and staff dressed to impeccable uniform perfection.

Midway between Jaipur and Udaipur, on the edge of a lake with views across farmland to the Aravalli Hills, this chic safari-style campsite is immersed in nature. Enormous tents with verandas overlooking the water; 250 bird species within binocular range. Kayaking, wildlife safaris, and Ayurvedic treatments fill the days.

Around an 18th-century haveli in Jodhpur's old city, the RAAS group has built a stay that puts Mehrangarh Fort, floating 400 feet above the skyline, front and centre. Modern art alongside pink sandstone, polished terrazzo with flashes of Jodhpur blue. The Stepwell Suite is the room to book; the Stepwell Café has a private entrance from the hotel.