The obsession with the Lake Palace Hotel started early for our group. Jonathan rented and watched multiple times the Bond feature Octopussy. Wishing we could simply drop off a balcony and float down among the unfurling folds of a saree, we all decided the Lake Palace Hotel was a definite, must-stay hotel for our time in Udaipur.
We arrived late the first night. At the jetty, porters took our bags and we were led to a boat waiting to transport us to the island palace. Sitting like a confection castle in the middle of the Lake, we soon disembarked at its landing and our feet were showered with rose petals as we ascended the stairs. Inside, specialty teas were served for our personalized check-in process.
Yet, once in our suite, we realized that, though quite charming and gorgeous, the rooms weren’t particularly wonderful. Perhaps we had been spoiled by the fantastic accommodations in Jaipur for I instantly felt a let down in the new set of rooms. It wasn’t that they were not spacious or luxurious, they were. They simply were not the unique experience of Jaipur. So, after a day or so of haggling and waiting for the staff to do anything, we switched to the standard lake facing rooms (which weren’t much smaller by the way) and settled into our remaining nights at the palace.
Once moved, we quickly fell into the hotel’s otherworldliness. Each morning a man would greet the sun playing light melodies on a flute. The music gently roused us from our slumber. Throughout the day we enjoyed the spa, the sights, and the lotus pond (the same one around which Octopussy held court). Riding to and from the Lake Palace was dreamlike. Traveling by boat to your hotel provided a sort of barrier between yourself and the world, making it the ultimate escapist fantasy.