Alila Fort Bishangarh
Bishangarh

Having only opened its doors in the Summer of 2017, Alila Fort Bishangarh, in the heart of Rajasthan, is already a popular spot for those looking to relax in a rural yet dramatic setting. Retaining its original structure of towering turrets and arched windows, it is the only warrior fort that has been converted into a resort.

Located at Bishangarh Village in the Jaipur District, Alila Fort takes pride of place, magnificently rising out of the rustic scrub terrain atop a granite hill and overlooking 360-degree views of the Rajasthani landscape below. The hotel is easily accessible from both Delhi and Jaipur (it is 3 hours’ drive Delhi and only 1 hour from Jaipur Airport).

After an intensive seven-year restoration, the fort had been restored to its former splendour by the eco-conscious Alila Group, but with a contemporary edge. When inside the hotel it’s clear that design is a key feature and every effort has been made to keep as many original features from this over two-hundred-year-old fort. Each of the 59 luxury suites and bedrooms are simple in design yet comfortable and spacious, with all the modern amenities we have come to expect.

Food is an important aspect for the hotel, and Chef Ranveer Brar, well known in India, has reintroduced age-old cooking methods from the Rajput culture. There are four restaurants for guests to choose from. From Alila’s rooftop restaurant, Nazaara, specialising in traditional cooking technique using sandpit cooking and BBQ meats, your eyes can stretch for miles over the surrounding landscape, and the sunrises and sunsets are simply sublime. Amarsar located in the former Maharaja’s bedroom is now a grand dining space, where breakfast, lunch and dinner can be enjoyed, and the windows and jaali screens are as they would have been hundreds of years ago. Maduveni is a new age inspired tapas bar with a cigar and cognac lounge, and Kachchawa Lounge is a relaxed courtyard area perfect for high tea, serving tea, cake and Champagne.

For relaxation within the hotel, there is a great value spa which offers a variety of indulgent and rejuvenating spa treatments, whilst the hotel’s swimming pool is located adjacent to the property next to a beautiful haveli, so when lying by the pool the fort looms over you and gives an impressive viewpoint, a fitting setting to this dramatic property.

To my mind, the greatest reward and luxury of travel is to be able to experience everyday things as if for the first time, to be in a position in which almost nothing is so familiar it is taken for granted.
Bill Bryson