Oriental Fairy Tale: Villa Palladio Boutique Hotel near Jaipur

Barbara Miolini's nine-room boutique hotel near Jaipur is an idyllic corner next to a bustling Indian city, where luxurious gardens, shades of red, the play of ornaments, arches and painted columns create an amazing mix of local and European cultures

Photo

Atul Pratap Chahan

Going on a trip, we are all waiting for new impressions and a memorable atmosphere. And hoteliers accept this challenge, coming up with unusual designer interiors for new hotels. This is also the case with Villa Palladio Jaipur, a boutique hotel in India that reinterprets the traditional palaces of the maharajas with Rococo and Italian elements.

The concept and interiors of the boutique hotel were conceived by entrepreneur Barbara Miolini and Dutch fashion designer Marie-Anne Oudejans, a duo who had already opened the bright Palladio Bar, one of the most photographed buildings in Jaipur.

Photo

Atul Pratap Chahan

Located among lush gardens, the nine-bedroom villa is modeled after the grand hotels of the XIX century. "I wanted the hotel to have a feeling of excitement, anticipation of something unexpected, mystery," says Barbara Miolini. Thanks to the bright shades of red, fantastic floral and geometric patterns, visitors will have a real explosion of emotions. In addition to sight and touch, other senses are fully involved here: the hotel is filled with the aromas of roses, jasmine, champa flowers, and the ear is delighted by the melodious murmur of fountains and the chirping of birds.

Photo

Atul Pratap Chahan

Photo

Atul Pratap Chahan

Photo

Atul Pratap Chahan

The secluded estate in which the villa building is located is located at the foot of two hills next to Kanota Lake, a 20-minute drive from Jaipur. Barbara Miolini discovered this place when she was looking for an idyllic corner where she could escape from the chaotic, noisy Jaipur, where she had lived for 15 years before.

She always wanted to open her own hotel, but the search for a country house turned into a more ambitious project. "I wanted to share my vision of hospitality with the whole world," explains Barbara. After the renovation of the house built in the 1980s, the hotel opened its doors to guests in September 2022.

Photo

Atul Pratap Chahan

The designer's intervention was limited to the reconstruction of the existing building, the addition of a large veranda at the back and the construction of a new pool house, as well as work with the landscape — the garden was redesigned in the style of Mughal residences, with strict geometry and fountains on the central axis.

Photo

Atul Pratap Chahan

For the interiors of the villa, a sensual palette of shades of red was chosen (from dark crimson and cherry red to watermelon pink). This echoes the dominant colors of Jaipur, known as the "Pink City". Another source of inspiration was the color of the purple cardinal robes in Rome. To this expressive palette, paintings and ornaments were added, which combine Mughal, Moorish and Italian motifs, multi-layered arches, traditional for Rajasthan architecture, as well as Rococo furniture made by local craftsmen.

Red occupies a central place in the interiors of the hotel, starting with wall paintings and inserts in the flooring, ending with furniture, upholstery and carpets.

Photo

Atul Pratap Chahan

Photo

Atul Pratap Chahan

Four-poster beds, embroidered sheets, inlaid marble floors and hand-made lattice screens in the rooms and suites enhance the feeling of a fairy tale that hotel guests get into. Featuring octagonal bedrooms, high ceilings and private terraces, the rooms at Torre Belvedere overlook the villa's garden.

Photo

Atul Pratap Chahan

Photo

Atul Pratap Chahan

Photo

Atul Pratap Chahan

Next to the pool, hidden behind a hibiscus hedge, there are striped upholstered deck chairs under bright red awnings. In the same part of the garden there is a beach house and a bar serving campari-based cocktails, aged in the hotel's signature red color scheme.

Photo

Atul Pratap Chahan

In addition to relaxing on the terrace, by the pool or at the bar, guests can go to the spa or meditation and yoga room overlooking the gardens. The culinary team of the hotel adheres to the "farm to table" philosophy, growing vegetables and herbs for the restaurant in its own organic vegetable garden next to the villa.

Photo

Atul Pratap Chahan

Photo

Atul Pratap Chahan

Elena Igumnova
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