Laalee

Laalee might quite possibly be the artsiest boutique hotel in Jaipur, but that’s hardly surprising given the owner, Shan Bhatnagar, is an artist. Despite that though, you’d expect art, but not the sheer quantity that Laalee houses. Right off the bat, I’m amazed by the fact that not a single wall’s left unadorned: traditional Pichwai art with lotus and cow motifs; paintings of Lord Krishna, his gopis, and the rest of the ensemble; a massive painting of Shrinathji in the double-height lobby with two staircases. It’s a full-scale flamboyance, a head-on Pichwai takeover, all courtesy of Shan. 

Laalee sits at the edge of the walled city – it’s where Jaipur town first began spreading beyond the four original gates. What you get is a modern neighbourhood that harkens back to older days – it’s close to everything you’d want to visit, yet blissfully removed from the honking, dust, and relentless traffic of the city centre. It is, after all, the posher, everyday bit of Jaipur. Not touristy at all. 

Why stay at Lalee

Don’t mistake the artistic flourishes for a lack of competence. Though once a private residence, Laalee needn’t hide behind the lavish storytelling to prove its worth. Sham and his wife, Devyani (a stellar chef) have refined the place to near-five-star standards, and sure, you may find yourself craving a patch of neutral wall, but Laalee owns the fact that it’s a maximalist’s dream. With the candlelit terraces, rose petals flung around, and Manganiyar music drifting through the night, and you barely notice the lack of a view. Not that you miss much. Shan’s painted his own imagined cityscape on the terrace wall anyway.

Most of the nine rooms in the hotel look much the same, except for the rooftop suite, which comes with a private terrace. Some rooms are Pichwai-clad from floor to ceiling, and all of them are kitted out with bedding, crockery, and lamps from luxury Indian decor brands, all designed specially for the hotel. Like most boutique hotels in Jaipur that began life as homes or mansions, the bathrooms lean compact. There’s no Dyson hairdryer or freestanding tub, but there’s more than enough happening outside the bathroom walls to keep you occupied.

Where to eat at Laalee

The food here’s seriously underrated. Devyani’s a chef, so you can imagine that the meals are top-bloody-notch. Ideally, you’d have at least one meal a day here, including the coffee made from rocket espresso from Milan. You can eat at the alfresco space on the ground floor alongside the pool, the indoor dining room, the library bar, the coffeeshop, or the terrace. 

The menu’s diverse, and includes a lavish eight-course tasting menu that hops from  Italian-style baadal jam to a Lebanese-leaning chaat with hummus and sumac. The winter thali lifts recipes from Devyani’s grandmother’s old notes, including an anti-nausea chaat masala she invented specifically for Devyani’s childhood road trips to the mountains. You’ll also find reimagined Kayastha favourites like gram flour samosas and hot, crispy jalebis. If you’re a cocktail connoisseur, you could consider hopping on over Native Cocktail Bar, which is a short drive away.