Bujera Fort
Relaxed Rajasthani
Hills, palaces and lakes
Pale pink, poised and palatial, Bujera Fort has blossomed in the Aravalli Ranges like some kind of exotic wildflower. Speaking of which, the hotel has magnificent Mughal gardens, the centrepiece of which is a monochrome-tiled pool, flanked by immaculate lawns and paths, plus a cluster of sun loungers. Try thalis in the restaurant, sip cocktails in the library and use this new-build fort as your launchpad to Rajasthan’s considerable cultural charms.
Facilities
Rooms
14, including four suites.
Checkout
11am, but flexible, subject to availability. Earliest check-in, 2pm.
More Details
Rates usually include Continental, full English or Indian breakfast.
Also
Bujera Fort’s relaxed refinement stems from its clever owners, Richard Hanlon and Trish McFarlane. Richard is an acclaimed interior designer, who sourced Indian furnishings for Firmdale favourite, the Ham Yard Hotel in London.
Free Internet Access
Laundry
Spa
At the Hotel
Gorgeous Mughal gardens; soft-ball tennis court; spa with yoga room and two treatment rooms; library; drawing room; boutique; free WiFi throughout. In rooms: desk; Kama Ayurveda bath products.
Our Favourite Rooms
Who wouldn’t want to wake up in a master suite with marble bathrooms – two per suite, natch – and crackling fireplaces? If you’re travelling in a group, book the Cottage, which has three bedrooms, a pretty private garden and two sitting areas, one of which is alfresco. Guests staying here will spend most of their time outdoors, cooling off in the plunge pool or dining in the chatri's shade.
Poolside
Prepare to feel your eyes pop and your jaws drop at the sight of Bujera Fort’s regal, marble-lined, monochrome-tiled pool, the star of the hotel’s dreamy, flower-filled gardens. There’s also a plunge pool by the Cottage.
Spa
Unwind at Bujera Spa, where masseuses melt muscles knots and treat skin to fragrant unguents in body treatments. Still wound up? The house physiotherapist will ease any residual stress.
Packing Tips
Silks and scent to waft around the manicured environs in; a thirst for tea. The hotel has a stash of on-loan sun hats.
Also
Afternoon tea here is a highlight: expect feather-light lemon cake and an array of teas, served in shiny silver tea pots and delicate bone china.
Children
Over-12s are welcome (younger Smiths can stay by previous agreement with the hotel); there’s a fleet of bicycles that they can borrow.
Gallery
Food & Drink
Top Table
In warm months, pick a table in the Dining Pavilion, set in a shaded veranda in the gardens and decorated with colourful textiles and furnishings. Head inside for the Dining Room when the temperature drops; sit next to your favourite European antique.
Dress Code
Aim for relaxed refinement: light, loose layers (cashmere for winter). Add silks and scent by night.
Hotel Restaurant
Bujera Fort’s food, served in an airy dining room open to the gardens, comes with your nutritionist’s approval: healthy, light dishes put the focus on local produce (the majority is home-grown; the rest is recruited within a 20-mile radius) and the current season. Instead of a set menu, dishes are adapted to guests’ tastes; lunch has a European bent – caramelised-garlic tart, cheese-and-cauliflower soufflé, for example – whereas Indian flavours dictate dinner (expect thalis a-go-go). Living up its farm-to-fork philosophy, the hotel makes its own jams, marmalades, cakes, biscuits and more; ghee and oil are used minimally.
Hotel Bar
There’s a bar in the library, but drinks can be served wherever you like: by the peaceful pool; in the emerald gardens; around blazing braziers on the courtyard in cold months...
Last Orders
Meals and drinks are served when you want them (within reason).
Planes
Bujera Fort is a 45-minute drive from Udaipur airport, which connects to Delhi, Mumbai and other major cities in India. Hotel transfers can be arranged (£20 each way).
Trains
City Station in Udaipur is 8km from the hotel, a 20-minute drive. Transfers with the hotel are £10 one way.
Automobiles
Only the most fearless tourists self drive in India – the rest hire a driver and let them navigate the chaotic roads; get a chauffeur and wheels from Udaipur car hire (www.udaipurcarhire.com). From Udaipur, take the Dudh Talai road around the lake to Sisarama Bridge, then follow the blue signs marked for Bujera Fort.
Worth Getting Out of Bed For
Challenge your companion to a game of tennis on the court or have a board game battle in the library. Perfect your downward dog in the yoga room and have a massage in the spa. If you want to go home with a thali or two under your belt, sign up for a culinary masterclass with Bujera Fort’s chef. Set off on a walking tour of the local villages or hills (borrow bicycles, if you’d rather wheel around). The hotel can also arrange cycle tours, trips to City Palace, shopping excursions in the old city (don’t miss Ganesh Emporium, a kingdom of textiles), sunset cruises on Lake Pichola to Jag Mandir island and outings to an array of temples, including Nathdwara, Eklingji, Ranakpur, Chittorgarh and Kumbhalgarh Forts.
Earn or Redeem Points with World of Hyatt
This Mr & Mrs Smith hotel participates in the World of Hyatt loyalty program. As a member, you can earn and redeem points and enjoy exclusive benefits for qualifying nights. .
