Rasai Jaipur’s sleeping cubes offer elegant minimalism in a vibrant country.
India’s north-western region of Rajasthan is known for its (literally) colorful characters: women in emerald-green and vermillion saris and moustachioed men with saffron-yellow turbans, standing out like jewels against the dry landscape. Its capital city, Jaipur, is replete with palaces and regal splendor, and nearby is the Rasa Jaipur.
Minimalist white cubes should be about as foreign to this landscape as men in pinstripe suits and bowler hats. But at the Rasa, situated in a green valley surrounded by hills, 40 of these 500-square-foot dwellings look strangely at home. The “tented rooms” provide unfussy, stylish accommodation, with wooden furniture and red stone bathrooms; a canvas curtain allows the air to circulate without compromising on privacy. High ceilings accommodate elongated four-poster beds, while rooms also have outdoor canopied pavilions with chill-out platforms.
Your cube feels palatial in a contemporary way; a modern-day counterpart (free WIFI) to the stone palaces and impressive forts of the “Pink City” a few miles away.
The restaurant is an architectural delight in itself, with the lofty vaulted ceiling offering an ecclesiastical vibe; in case you can tear yourself away to look at the menu, food is creative Indian.
For the adventurous, there are camel and elephant rides; for the sybarites, there’s this.
Rates from $200 including tax, and a haven of peace in a land of constant noise and bustle.
Places & Spaces is a travel guide that will inspire you to carve out a vacation on your calendar. All of the gorgeous locations and accommodations in our guide share our concern for the environment. From tent glamping to lavish built environments, fair warning, you’ll feel compelled to pack your suitcase.