The 230-Year-old Alila Fort Bishangarh Is The Luxe Weekend Getaway Of Your Dreams

Less than five hours away from Delhi lies the Alila Fort Bishangarh that has been redone into a hotel while keeping the original fort interior and exteriors intact {still has the chambers and narrow battle routes}. Perched upon a granite hill, Alila Fort Bishangarh offers a 360 degree view of the picturesque Aravali Hills and is luxury at its best.

On first glance, Alila Fort Bishangarh looks like one of the striking castles from Game of Thrones. Influenced by the Jaipur Gharana and British architecture, this warrior fort has two-metre thick walls and ancient wall openings used for fire arms during battles.

After a drive through the Bishangarh village, we entered the fort premises and received a grand welcome at the arrival courtyard that has a seating lounge, a gorgeous infinity pool, a fully-equipped gym and a cosy cafe. An uphill ride from the courtyard will take you to the main Fort area and boy, will you be impressed! The Alila Fort Bishangarh has 59 stately suites, all of which are fit for kings. Each room is styled differently with classy linens, intricate ceiling designs and antique desks, but all offer unearthly views of the Rajasthani landscape, have a 42′ LCD TV, great WiFi connection, mini bar and enough amenities to make it difficult for you to get out of the room.

Our city-drained soul actually had the best nap in weeks at the amazingly comfy bed in the suite and don’t even get us started about the bathtub. It could certainly be a second bedroom in itself {that’s how vast and luxe it was}.

Alila Fort Bishangarh has four themed restaurants – Amarsar, an all-day dining restaurant, Nazara, an outdoor dining venue with spectacular view, Madhuveni, a bar, cigar room and wine cellar and the Kachawa lounge that serves the three Cs {Champagne, coffee and cake}.

Candle-light dinners at Nazara were what we looked forward to every night {when it was not raining}. Soothing monsoon winds, flavourful meals under the night sky and the company of your loved ones here is sure to give you a dining experience like never before. Coming to the food itself, we were blown away by the Amuse Bouche and all the desserts that were served during our stay. The Berry Sangria with crispy Pizza, the refreshing masala Guava juice with Chatpata Samosa, soft Canadian Pancakes with bacon and cream and the Matcha Pastry with a berry reduction, mango puree and cream, were some of the dishes that we couldn’t stop raving about. Also, make sure that you try Chef’s special Charcoal Risotto that’s creamy, has a nice smoky taste and is cooked to a level of perfection that will make any person fall in love with it {even those who don’t like risotto}.

Alila Fort Bishangarh also has a lot to offer in terms of local experiences. One can undertake pottery, visit a manual carpet weaving household, enjoy home-cooked meals at a local Rajasthani home and more. It’s the perfect weekend getaway to pamper yourself and take the much needed break from the city.

Tariffs: Starting at INR 14,000 per night {variable according to dates and availability}.

Find more information at their website.