Jaipur - Oberoi Rajvilas
Spring 2008
Frank's view 
'slick and faultless but a touch sterile'
Why visit the Amber Fort when you can live in it?
Well you can, courtesy of Oberoi’s Disneyland version in their Rajvilas hotel.
The Rajvilas sits on the edge of Jaipur, on the road to Agra and Delhi. Oberoi has decided to take inspiration from the heritage of the city and create its own interpretation of The Amber Fort, Jaipur’s leading tourist attraction. The hotel’s web site even describes the hotel as being in a ‘beautiful fort setting’.
There seems to be a pool of clever female dancers in Rajasthan who have become expert at dancing on stilts with seven pots on their heads. They are snapped up by all the top hotels (except the Lake Palace in Udaipur which plays Simon & Garfunkel Spanish guitar lullabies).
The first time you witness one of these dancers, it is actually quite impressive. The pots go on, one at a time, until the stack is taller than the dancer. However, by the time you’ve arrived at your third hotel, speculation arises regarding Velcro, magnets or even chewing gum. It's amazing how short-lived admiration is, as you devilishly contemplate smashing clay.
The Rajvilas has nine groups of six rooms, each built around a small courtyard with a water feature. This arrangement would work well for groups of friends where all parties know each other, but become a little tense where neighbourly relations are strained.
Rajvilas also offers tents, but if you view the images on the hotel web site you will see that these are effectively wooden framed rooms with a tent-like roof.
The Rajvilas is a slick hotel very much from the Oberoi ....vilas mould. You know exactly what you are getting. Unfortunately, and despite the Disneyesque fort approach, you could be anywhere is Asia, North Africa or the Caribbean. There is nothing here of the real India.
Oberoi Rajvilas
jaipur
+91 141 268 0101
http://www.oberoirajvilas.com/
Well you can, courtesy of Oberoi’s Disneyland version in their Rajvilas hotel.
The Rajvilas sits on the edge of Jaipur, on the road to Agra and Delhi. Oberoi has decided to take inspiration from the heritage of the city and create its own interpretation of The Amber Fort, Jaipur’s leading tourist attraction. The hotel’s web site even describes the hotel as being in a ‘beautiful fort setting’.
There seems to be a pool of clever female dancers in Rajasthan who have become expert at dancing on stilts with seven pots on their heads. They are snapped up by all the top hotels (except the Lake Palace in Udaipur which plays Simon & Garfunkel Spanish guitar lullabies).
The first time you witness one of these dancers, it is actually quite impressive. The pots go on, one at a time, until the stack is taller than the dancer. However, by the time you’ve arrived at your third hotel, speculation arises regarding Velcro, magnets or even chewing gum. It's amazing how short-lived admiration is, as you devilishly contemplate smashing clay.
The Rajvilas has nine groups of six rooms, each built around a small courtyard with a water feature. This arrangement would work well for groups of friends where all parties know each other, but become a little tense where neighbourly relations are strained.
Rajvilas also offers tents, but if you view the images on the hotel web site you will see that these are effectively wooden framed rooms with a tent-like roof.
The Rajvilas is a slick hotel very much from the Oberoi ....vilas mould. You know exactly what you are getting. Unfortunately, and despite the Disneyesque fort approach, you could be anywhere is Asia, North Africa or the Caribbean. There is nothing here of the real India.
Oberoi Rajvilas
jaipur
+91 141 268 0101
http://www.oberoirajvilas.com/
Be Frank: agree or disagree? What do you think?
