The Renaissance of Rajasthan
India’s ancient (and largest) state is awash in stunning new high-end hotels—and so much more.
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Consider the domed and turreted palaces that took 22 generations to complete, their walls inlaid with rubies, jade, jasper, onyx and carnelian. Or the thrones hewn from single blocks of serpentine, the porcelain tiles studded with diamonds, and the life-size white-marble elephants standing sentry in jasmine-scented gardens. Few monarchies have ever matched the opulence of Rajasthan’s royal courts at their peak.
For more than a millennium, these unimaginable riches drew marauders from all corners—Arabs, Seljuks, Chalukyas, Mamluks, Mughals, and eventually, the Brits. Finally, in the early 1970s, an independent India stripped the royal dynasties of the last of their titles and much of their wealth. To endure, a few former maharajahs took the hotelier route: Jaipur’s Rambagh Palace went on to host Queen Elizabeth II and Jackie Kennedy, while illustrious guests of the floating Taj Lake Palace in Udaipur have included Diana, Princess of Wales, and (fictionally) James Bond, played by Sir Roger Moore, who arrived at the hotel disguised as a crocodile in the 1983 film Octopussy.
Both destinations are still considered among the world’s best, with $1,500-per-night rooms luxurious enough to stupefy even the wealthiest, but little of note had happened in the world of Rajasthan hospitality since the British secret agent slithered through the Lake Palace’s back door some four decades ago.
That all changed in 2020 with what proved to be a veritable boom of exclusive hotels. The influx began with the arrival of the Taj Fateh Prakash, a buttercup-yellow mini-palace with just 65 rooms perched above Lake Pichola. The following year, Six Senses raised the portcullis at Fort Barwara, a fairytale fortress with 48 suites—many with terraces and one, the Raja Man Singh, with a crescent-shaped swimming pool—as well as a rambling spa set in a former women’s palace that offers detox and biohacking programs.
Fevzi Ondu
There’s also The Johri, a five-suite, 19th-century mansion located in a jewellery market, cosier but no less beautiful than its palatial peers, with interiors designed by Naina Shah, a New Yorker of Indian descent whose embroidery company’s work has graced couture pieces by Alexander McQueen, Gucci and Dolce & Gabbana.
And bucolic Villa Palladio, with its exuberant, red, candy-striped interiors, has made magazine covers across the globe. “India lives in her villages, and we wanted guests to have an opportunity to experience what rural Rajasthan represents,” says the Italian–Swiss owner and longtime resident, Barbara Miolini.
“Rajasthan offers such a wide gamut of destinations and experiences, from ancient forts and palaces to colourful bazaars, the city of lakes, the craggy Aravalli Hills, and of course, the beguiling forests that Kipling wrote so fondly about,” says Tanya Dalton, managing director of UK-based India specialist Greaves Travel Limited. “Even now, no two of our itineraries are the same—and as the recent openings include many rural locations, like Fort Barwara, there’s a Rajasthan for everyone.”
Courtesy of Villa Palladio
Raffles likewise opted for a remote setting when it opened its first Indian property, Raffles Udaipur, which debuted during the pandemic (and, therefore, somewhat under the radar). Swanning across an 8.5 hectare island in the middle of Udai Sagar Lake, the modern-day Palladian palace has strong heritage vibes but all the fashionable mod cons, from swimming pool and tennis courts to cricket pitch and art collection.
And that was just the beginning, as Raffles is already working to unveil its next Indian property, Raffles Jaipur, set to open in July. “Located a one-hour domestic flight from Raffles Udaipur, our second hotel will lend itself well to visitors wanting to continue their journey further into Rajasthan,” says Omer Acar, CEO of Raffles and Fairmont, expanding the exploration narrative that’s seemingly everywhere in the area at the moment.
What we do know is that the Mughal-inspired citadel, ringed by the imposing Aravalli Range, will have 50 suites and rooms, many with private plunge pools, as well as a holistic spa and the popular Raffles amenities of a Writers Bar (featuring a bespoke Sling cocktail) and afternoon tea. Throw in the region’s 5,000 years of incredible history, wondrous architecture, head-spinning festivals, classic cars, polo matches, previously inaccessible historical sites and burgeoning leopard population—a rare animal-conservation success story—and 2024 is shaping up to be the year of Rajasthan.
Tuul & Bruno Morandi/Getty Images
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Show Stopping Fun
Robb Report Australia and New Zealand teamed up with Sydney Harbour Concours d’Elegance in late February to celebrate a weekend of fine motor cars on Cockatoo Island.
Robb Report Australia & New Zealand and Citizen Kanebridge, the new private members’ club brought to you by this masthead’s publishers, offers exclusive access to magical experiences and unrivalled networking.
This year’s Sydney Harbour Concours d’Elegance on Cockatoo Island did not disappoint. Our invited guests—including speakers Gerard Doyle, General Manager ASX Refinitiv Charity Foundation; Ant Middleton, the British adventure and TV personality turned hydration-drink disruptor and owner R3SUP; and Lex Pedersen, CEO of automotive investment firm Chrome Temple—enjoyed unlimited access to the three-day event and an elegant sufficiently of Champagne, wine and whisky, as well as an exquisite catered lunch inside the Citizen Kanebridge Private Members’ Lounge. They enhanced their experience by VIP transport to and from the mainland via superyacht.
The British-born event, which also has iterations at Pebble Beach in California and Hampton Court Palace in England, once again teamed up with the world’s most prestigious marques (among them Aston Martin, Bentley, Brabus, Genesis, Lamborghini, McLaren, Rolls-Royce and Porsche), to display their latest supercars alongside the pageant of owner-driven vintage vehicles.
On Sunday, Robb Report’s Editor-in-Chief Horacio Silva treated guests to a special preview of the winners of this our annual Car of the Year awards, showcased in our coming March 2025 issue. Our lips are sealed.
To learn how to become a member of our exclusive new community, visit Citizen Kanebridge.
Thank you to the following sponsors: Whisky and Wealth, Jacob & Co, Wine Selectors, Mulpha, Jackson Teece, Young Henry’s and Resup.
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Patron’s New Ultra-Premium Tequila Is a Reposado Blend That Punches Way Above Its Age
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In the whisky world, an age statement represents the minimum age of the liquid that’s in the bottle—in other words, a 10-year-old scotch may have liquid much older than that in the blend, but 10 years represents the minimum age. When it comes to tequila, there are also rules in regards to how it has to be labelled based on maturation, and like whisky that depends on the youngest liquid in the blend. The core of El Alto is an extra anejo tequila (the exact proportion isn’t revealed), meaning it was aged for a minimum of three years. But master distiller David Rodriguez decided to blend some anejo (aged one to three years) and reposado (two months to one year) tequila into the mix as well, making this an expression that is defined as reposado instead of extra anejo even though it has some ultra-aged liquid in the blend.
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This type of multi-aged tequila seems to be part of a growing trend, with a few other brands releasing similar high-end expressions including Cincoro and Volcan de Mi Tierra. Perhaps it’s a way of stretching supplies or a tactic to get consumers to dip their toes (or tongues, preferably) into another luxe tequila, a category that is growing every year.
This month Australians are getting an exclusive taste of the El Alto as this formerly USA-exclusive release is launching here with The Bacardi Group. You can find El Alto in selected hospitality venues and at Barrel & Batch for $298 as these chic spots that represent the “pinnacle of celebrating momentous occasions,” according to the brand.
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Umit Benan silk jacket, silk shirt, and linen trousers, all prices upon request; Dolce & Gabbana suede loafers, $1600; Girard-Perregaux 38 mm Laureato Sage Green in steel, $23,954.
Brunello Cucinelli linen shirt, $1500; Loro Piana linen trousers, $908; Zenith 37 mm Chronomaster Revival in steel, $13,987.
Anderson & Sheppard cotton jacket, $4,421; Gabriela Hearst cashmere turtleneck, $1,430; Louis Vuitton cotton jeans, $2n138; Tod’s suede sneakers, $1438.
Canali wool, silk, and linen tweed blazer, $4,011; Thom Sweeney silk shirt, $876; Paul Smith mohair trousers, $908; Church’s patent-leather loafers, $1,768; Parmigiani Fleurier 40 mm Tonda PF Micro-Rotor No Date Golden Siena in steel and platinum, $40,675.
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There was a period when Mahnaz Ispahani Bartos found it hard to hold on to a watch. The prominent collector and dealer often would post pictures on social media of the uncommon, sculptural timepieces she purchased for herself. But every time, clients of her eponymous jewellery gallery—New York City’s Mahnaz Collection—would hound her into selling them.
“They found those photographs, and they are just diligent in bothering me,” she says with a laugh, adding that some would simply persist until she changed her mind about letting them go.
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Photographed by Janelle Jones/Styled by Stephanie Yeh
Ispahani Bartos knows something about legacy. Born in Bangladesh—when it was still called East Pakistan—she grew up in a culture steeped in traditions of wearing and appreciating jewellery. She recalls her grandmother giving her earrings made from yellow gold, turquoise, diamonds, and Burmese rubies at age 7. (Too young to wear them, she put them on her dolls’ ears for safekeeping. Both were lost when her family fled the violence of the country’s 1971 revolution; the ship carrying their belongings, she says, was sunk by an enemy carrier.)
When she was a teenager, her mother gifted her one of Omega’s Grima-designed watches, which she still owns. That early introduction to rare design influenced her own collecting journey, which turned into her full-time job when she opened her gallery in 2013.
Photographed by Janelle Jones/Styled by Stephanie Yeh
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Penfolds Saves Best For Last with Show-Stopping Release with Creative Partner NIGO
Penfolds has just dropped their limited-edition 65F by NIGO Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz, a mouthwatering wine you need to nab now.
Though Penfolds holds many wonderful wines in its star-studded suite, their latest collaboration with NIGO is earmarked as a sure-fire collector’s item.
Retailing for $395 a bottle, the Penfolds 65F by NIGO is expected to sit snugly alongside the likes of Grange and Bin 389 as a standout single-vintage wine connoisseurs will vie for in years to come.
This prize wine isn’t just delicious and highly collectible, it looks the part. It features branding by artistic director and creative visionary NIGO, the founder of cult streetwear brands A Bathing Ape and Human Made, a pal of Pharrell Williams and current creative director of French fashion house Kenzo. For the box and packaging NIGO was inspired by the towering 65-foot chimney that prevails over Penfolds South Australian home, Magill Estate.
Penfolds archival material served as NIGO’s inspiration for the inclusions within the gift box and on the wine label. A chalkboard wine tag with coinciding chalk pencil pays homage to the chalk boards used in the original working winery at Penfolds Magill Estate and allows the opportunity for personalisation of the wine if used as a gift. The bottle label features a design which takes inspiration from the pressed bottle labels from the 1930-50s, and the tissue paper wrapping the bottle has been adapted from the Penfolds logo style used in the early 20th century. NIGO’s signature playful design style is emphasised with a chimney smoke wine stopper.
Inside it’s a classic embodiment of the way South Australian winemakers blend cabernet sauvignon with shiraz to stunning effect.
As a result this wine has a mouth-watering palate with plenty of fine grain tannins and silky mouth feel. A nose enriched with spicy nutmeg, cardamom and cassis is layered over blueberry compote and lush fig on a palate. There’s lots of blueberry soufflé, gamey tones and just a hint of fennel seed, with more complexity to come as the years fly by.
All the base wines were sourced from grapes grown in South Australia’s top wine regions of Coonawarra, Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale and Clare Valley. And while the 65F by NIGO Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz is being released now, it will continue to reward cellaring for years to come.
Penfolds first announced NIGO as its Creative Partner in June 2023, with the global release of One by Penfolds. This was closely followed by the launch of Grange by NIGO (the first takeover of Penfolds flagship red wine) in February 2024, followed by Holiday Designed by NIGO in October 2024.A classic for the ages.
Penfolds 65F by NIGO Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz 2021 is available globally from Thursday 27 February 2025 (RRP AUD$395.00 for 750ml). Available via Penfolds.com, at select Dan Murphy’s stores nationally and select independent retailers.
