Judging from the pompous palace hotels dotted around Jaipur and its surroundings, the Rajasthani’s know a thing or two about luxury stays. However, the over-the-top combinations of velvet drapes and gilded pillars are not everyone’s cup of chai (it’s certainly not ours), so stumbling upon the newly-opened 28 Kothi brought a huge relief.
Set inside a beautiful villa in the quiet but centrally located Shivaji Nagar area, 28 Kothi’s five rooms offer a stylish respite from Jaipur’s chaotic city center. Once built as a haven for designers from around the world by the respected jewelry designer Munnu Kasliwal, his son (Sidharth Kasliwal, owner of The Gem Palace and Hot Pink) has now taken over, joined forces with Mumbai/New York hospitality group Honawar Hospitality and transformed the place into one of Jaipur’s most stylish stays. His fathers’ vision was coincidentally maintained, as the hotel still counts creatives, artists, and designers as their main clientele.
The Jaipur-based Lebanese designer Nur Kaoukji took the lead in the interior design and managed to strike the right balance between contemporary cool and maintaining an Indian identity. Thanks to the whitewashed walls, it’s the mid-century modern inspired furniture and the unique objets d’art that take the stage here. Parrots and palm trees are a recurring theme throughout the hotel, providing a quirky nod to the ‘exotic East’, with the wall painting in the library being an absolute stunner.
None of the five rooms are the same, and each one of them boasts a special feature, be it a stand-alone bathtub, private rooftop terrace or cozy reading nook. All of them, however, are decked out with luxurious little touches such as locally woven organic cotton bath towels, ayurvedic amenities from Kama and beautiful handmade water carafes by Anantaya.
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are served in the lush garden in front of the villa and are heavily focused on local, fresh ingredients and a strictly vegetarian menu. We loved the Rajasthani thali on the dinner menu, consisting of a set of fabulous curries and local treats. Whatever you order, do make sure you have dinner here at least once during your stay, as the dinner setup (including fairy lights and tables sprinkled with rose petals) is wildly romantic.
Tips
- Loved the homewares and accessories on display? We found a fair amount of them for sale at the Anantaya shop near the Narain Niwas Palace hotel.
- The incredibly friendly staff is happy to advise you on things to do in Jaipur, and are a fantastic resource of insider information.
- This is more of a boutique guest house than a 5* hotel, with services provided accordingly.
Info
28, Civil Lines Road, Shivaji Nagar,
Madrampur, Civil Lines, Jaipur, Rajasthan
+91 7665834022
http://28kothi.com
Rates start at US$ 130/night (including breakfast) – Check availability
This stay was hosted by 28 Kothi, but expressed opinions are 100% our own
