Inside The Oberoi Rajvilas's New Luxury Tents

At some point, most of us stop wanting to see more during a travel and seek out wanting to feel something that's impressionable. You've done the temples, the archaic forts, stood in the exact spot where the guidebook instructed for the perfect view and of course, photographs of the same places that already exist in ten million different versions on the internet.

So, what is it that makes one experience some place? Especially Jaipur, the Pink City that's at least three centuries old and has with all its grand forts, vibrant bazaars, intricate craftsmanship, and centuries of architectural splendour always promised more than just a peek into the old world. The Oberoi Rajvilas, set within 32 acres on its outskirts, will give you a reason to not only see the Pink city but also a reason to experience it in the best way possible.

Rajasthan and grand encampment are synonymous since the Rajpur maharajas turned tented camps into mobile palaces as they moved through places during war time. Of course, these tents were no ordinary. They were as luxurious as one could imagine a royal tent looking like. The Oberoi Rajvilas that holds landscapes gardens, pools, hand-painted gold leaf murals, traditional stone carvings, thikri and mirror work and a lot more design details inspired by the region's royal past, alongside its signature experiences has introduced a collection of new accommodation offerings designed for guests seeking greater privacy and immersion in the culture of Jaipur.

Travellers can enjoy royal tented living, reimagined through a contemporary lens — sunken marble bathtubs, locally crafted textiles, brass accents, and floor-to-ceiling mechanised glass that floods the space with morning light.

The tents sit within secluded gardens on the resort's 32 sprawling acres, each approached through its own private entrance — no shared corridors, no chance encounters with other guests. The interiors do exactly what great design should: they offer you a place to be, not just a place to sleep. A sunken marble bathtub. Textiles woven by Rajasthani craftsmen whose families have been at this for generations. Brass accents that catch the afternoon light without trying to. And those floor-to-ceiling mechanised glass windows that open the tent to the garden, the sky, the unhurried movement of the resort's more than a hundred resident peacocks.

Outside, the private pool is temperature-controlled, because of course it is, and the alfresco seating is arranged for the particular pleasure of doing nothing in a beautiful place.

Guests at the luxurious property can expect floating breakfasts, private high teas, garden dining, yoga at an hour of their choosing. Not only that, Oberoi Rajvilas have a carefully curated programme of cultural experiences to immerse guests into the culturally diverse and flourishing creative community encouraged by the current Maharaja Sawai Padmanabh Singh and his family.

Guests can meet miniature painters whose intricate techniques have been passed down through generations, learn the art of traditional block printing which is celebrated by fashion designers around the world, or watch lac artisans transform heated resin into colourful handcrafted bangles using centuries-old methods. These experiences offer a deeper connection to Jaipur's creative heritage and the communities that continue to preserve its traditions today.

The Hidden Peacock

The peacock at The Oberoi Rajvilas is not a metaphor that anyone has forced. It arrived on its own terms — dozens of them crossing the lawns at dusk, trailing iridescent indifference — and the resort has had the good sense to build around it. Nowhere is this more apparent than at Rajwada, the property's new bar, which opened this summer and is already one of the more compelling places to drink in Rajasthan.

The name itself is a statement of intent. A rajwada is a royal palace, a seat of power, a place where decisions were made and stories were told and the night was given its proper weight. The bar with olive green, peacock blue, sandstone beige deploys this inheritance with a restraint that is rather regal. Much like the peacock itself, Rajwada unfolds in layers — subtle, poised, and quietly expressive. The cocktail menu is storytelling by another name.

At the centre of Rajwada's identity is the "Hidden Peacock" — a concept built around the idea that the most magnificent things do not demand your attention. They wait for it. The cocktail menu is, accordingly, an exercise in storytelling by another name: its drinks that reference Rajasthan's royal past, that use regional botanicals and spices with the confidence of a kitchen that knows its larder, that arrive in a considered presentation that rewards a second look.

Indoor spaces and a seamless outdoor extension mean Rajwada adapts to the evening mood. At sunset, with the gardens turning gold and the peacocks settling for the night, there is nowhere in the city — perhaps nowhere in the country — where a drink tastes quite like this.

So, after a long day of touring around the city and witnessing its colourful architectural splendours, a safari at Jhalana Leopard Reserve and a shopping spree at the local markets, when the day is done, there is a tent to return to. A pool that reflects the Rajasthani sky. A bar that knows when to be quiet. In a city preparing to celebrate three hundred years of itself, this feels exactly the right way to experience it.