28/06/2024
Courtesy
Amet Haveli (), built during the rule of Emperor Maharana Jagat Singh II between 1734 and 1752,
On a prime location on the banks of Lake Pichola diagonally across the City Palace right opposite the Taj Lake Palace, this centuries old haveli has a past as storied as its royal neighbours.
Originally used as an imperial pied-à-terre, the manor—whose garden palace was designed by the same architect who created those of the Lake Palace and City Palace—was handed down from emperor to emperor before ultimately finding life as a boutique heritage hotel under the patronage of its present owners, Jaivardhan Singh and Aparna Jodha, in 1998. The place ran marvellously, with feverish footfalls all year round—so marvellously that, in due course, Singh and Jodha were prompted to pivot. With help from interior designer Noorein Kapoor (), they decided to add their own idiosyncratic stamp to the elegant structure, to not only make it their own, but also to bring it into the present.
When Kapoor stepped in for the redesign, there was, as she explains, “nothing terribly wrong with the place.” At first, anyway. “But then we noticed water from the lake had seeped through in places, and of course, some of the layouts needed optimising,” reflects the founder and principal of Mumbai-based Noorein Kapoor Design, who was entrusted to revitalise the lower level of the restaurant, the al fresco patio and bar, as well as the rooms by rotation. What didn’t need optimising, mind you, was its character, which, as she saw it, was her job to keep.
Photography: Courtesy
Words: original text by
Stylist: Our favourite Hotel .tours