Jaisalmer, Rajasthan · premium

Fort Rajwada

★★★★☆

Fort Rajwada was built in the late 1990s, but not in a modern idiom. The design came from a team that included the architects who worked on Jaisalmer's own restoration projects, and the building follows classical Rajasthani proportion closely enough that first-time visitors often mistake its age. It stands on the Jodhpur-Barmer link road, a short drive outside the walled city. That distance is an advantage. Jaisalmer Fort is a living fort with narrow, crowded lanes, and stepping back from it at the end of the day is welcome. The interior is built around a large central atrium in golden Jaisalmer sandstone. Carved brackets, jharokha balconies and stone screens run through the public areas. Corridors are wide and cool, which matters in a desert town. Rooms are generous and traditionally furnished, with arched alcoves and carved headboards. The Royal Palace and Terrace categories add more space and better outlooks. Bathrooms are conventional and well kept rather than designed. There is a large outdoor pool, an Ayurvedic spa and a multi-cuisine restaurant that does a reliable Rajasthani thali. Staff arrange desert safaris to the Sam and Khuri dunes, and the fort, Patwon Ki Haveli and Gadisar Lake are all ten minutes away.