A hotel with soul in beautiful Udaipur

This is the fifth instalment of our trip to India. Here you can find part one, two, three, four, six, seven and eight.

In Mumbai and Jaipur, we chose chain hotels which, while maintaining a high standard, were at the same time a bit soulless. This meant that we had high expectations for the hotel in Udaipur, which we deliberately chose for its unique character. What we had no idea, however, was that we would be part of a gigantic art project that far exceeded our expectations.

When we arrived in Udaipur, we were probably a bit worn out by all the impressions that India had given us so far. The country is really fantastically exciting with all its smells, sounds and crowds of people, but it also makes you a bit dull after a while. What really got me over the edge was the last night in Jaipur when we couldn't get hold of an Uber. After waiting quite a while for someone to take our drive, we made the not entirely thought out decision to take an auto rickshaw instead. The trip took close to an hour with non-stop honking, exhaust fumes, smells and not least a constant feeling that oh, how lucky we were not crushed under that car. We arrived at the end, completely broken and tired but at the same time happy that we survived.

In that way, Udaipur was a nice change. The city is known as the Venice of Asia and is by Indian standards a small quiet town with only five hundred thousand inhabitants. Read more about the city in future posts.

Even when we arrived at the hotel, we understood that this would be a special experience. The house was built for a nobleman and physician who was also a member of the royal court of Mewar. It is somewhat unclear what happened after he left earth life but when the current owner took over the house had been abandoned for some time. The most common thing these days is to keep the outside as it looked when the house was built and then modernize the inside, but instead the owner chose to invest huge money in hiring local artists for the renovation. The goal, as we understood it, has not been to restore to the original, but rather to fill the house with styles and works that are typical of the region.

The examples above are work in progress but there are also a number of spectacular rooms that have been completed. Nice that, unlike the Nordic white and fresh, they dare to use "little" colors.

In addition to the hand-painted rooms, a number of other techniques typical of the region were also used. When you see it from a distance, you might think that it is machine-made replicas of the more famous works, but when you look closer, you realize that everything is handmade. Admittedly copies, but still handmade, which gives a more genuine impression.

When it comes to the room itself, it was of a slightly simpler design but clean and fresh, which is still the main thing. You probably could have called it a junior suite with a little goodwill, as the room also had a small alcove with a beautiful view of the water.

Up on the roof there is a nice patio with a view of the city, the canals and the lake.

We were a bit skeptical about the restaurant as it looked a bit makeshift but it turned out they cooked excellent Indian food and we were more than satisfied the times we ate here. The only thing that you could possibly complain about was that at breakfast it was quite chilly, which required both a sweater and a jacket so that you wouldn't freeze. It is certainly a completely different matter in the summer when the temperature is much higher.

At the very top of the house there is a sun terrace where you can enjoy the sunset. We also received an excellent mojito which further enhanced the experience. The starting picture is also taken from the terrace.

Then we have this with the service. I don't think we have ever been so well looked after as at this hotel. They really put their whole soul into making sure we had the best possible time. They may not have had the professionalism of the luxury hotel but it was replaced with a very genuine and personal commitment. It was everything from them accompanying us to show us the way to various attractions to fixing everything between heaven and earth.

We also got to know a very nice guy who was studying to become a miniature painter. This technique is something that is very typical of the region. We learned that those who are fully learned apparently only have one brush on their brush to be able to paint the improbably small details. Incidentally, his teacher was one of the people who renovated the hotel. In later posts from City Palace we will show more examples of miniature painting. He also gave us a very special guided tour through the city where we got to see a bit more of the parts that tourists might not find on their own.

Perhaps the best example of their willingness to help us was when we were going to a dinner at Leela Palace. Just before we were about to leave, the sky suddenly opened up. It was true that it was only a few hundred meters away to the pier where the boat went, but with fine clothes it still felt like a bit of a challenge. We considered postponing dinner but the owner came to our rescue. He guided us between paint cans and canvases to a back door. We tried to explain that while we could use his shortcut, we couldn't go through the rain. However, he told us to take it easy and not worry which turned out to be a good strategy as he arranged for us to step straight into a rickshaw from the back door. He had also called the guards at the boat dock which was probably lucky as I don't think that many of their guests came with this type of vehicle. The driver probably didn't think we were smart, but it's still fun to look a little respectable when you're going to a fine dining restaurant.

The only way to get to the hotel is, as you probably already figured out, by boat. It is an impressive sight when you round the small headland and catch sight of the hotel itself.

From a distance, everything looks old, but when you get closer, you realize that all the materials are modern and that very little of the old remains. Instead of carefully renovating, everything has been replaced with new.

As this was the last night of our trip, we wanted to do something special. We had insanely high expectations for both the environment and the food, but it was unfortunately a big disappointment. It felt like they only focused on surface and there was really nothing genuine or special. The food was quite mediocre, which further lowered the rating. We may sound terribly spoiled, but given that it was by far the most expensive meal of the entire trip and also a five-star luxury hotel, one should still be able to expect a higher level.

We think our experience shows the importance of putting a little soul and commitment into what you do. We would choose Bloom Boutique over Leela Palace any day of the week regardless of price. Given that the latter is also three to five times as expensive, we think it is obvious which one to choose.

Bloom Boutique is by far one of the most memorable hotels we have stayed at and we recommend anyone who wants a personal and unique experience to give it a chance.