The Oberoi Udaivilas

Udaivilas was built in the manner of a Mewar palace and, twenty years on, has settled into its role so completely that guests forget it is modern. Across fifty lakeside acres, domes and chhatris rise above rippling courtyards, hand-painted frescoes and walkways where peacocks patrol at dawn. Across Lake Pichola, the City Palace and Lake Palace shimmer—the view that launched a thousand honeymoons.

Rooms sustain the fantasy with scalloped arches, dark wood and windows framed on the lake or gardens; premier categories open onto a remarkable semi-private moat pool that threads past their terraces, while suites add courtyards and butlers. The Oberoi service style—precise, gracious, quietly proud—is at its strongest here and repeatedly ranks among the world's best.

Evenings build to a ritual: sunset boat transfers, lamp-lighting ceremonies, dinner on terraces facing the illuminated palaces, traditional dance under the stars. The spa overlooks the lake, and the old city's ghats and bazaars are a short boat ride away. As a summation of romantic India, it has no serious rival.