RAJMAHAL PALACE

It’s no exaggeration to say the Rajmahal Palace is fit for a king: this luxury hotel is owned by the royal family of Jaipur, and counts among its past guests no less eminent a couple than Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh. While this Rajasthani palace is grand in a traditional way, with high archways and glittering chandeliers, the otherworldly interior design — rich with whimsical details, symmetrical shapes, and bold pops of color — looks as meticulously composed as a Wes Anderson film. It comes by its historical character honestly, of course — that’s the royal family’s own classic Ford Thunderbird out front.

The hotel’s spacious suites, enlivened with decorative handmade wallpaper and furnished with velvet armchairs and ornate wood-carved beds, are nothing if not full of character. Several feature separate drawing rooms; one has a full-service kitchen and a private patio with a heated plunge pool. Guests lounge by the Art Deco-style pool, wander through manicured gardens, drink in the Polo Lounge or the Bar, and dress for dinner at one of the hotel’s restaurants: the Colonnade, for upscale comfort food, and 51 Shades of Pink, for a more formal presentation of classic Jauipur cuisine.