5 Hotels in India Where Experiences Take Centrestage

As the world turns its gaze to India’s rising cohort of luxury-savvy millennials and Gen Z, the definition of indulgence is quietly evolving. They’re after what no Instagram grid can offer: a true sense of place.
Here’s a curated selection of five properties across India that go well beyond plush rooms and fine dining. So, the next time you’re scrolling through room categories and scanning restaurant menus, pause at the most overlooked tab: Experiences. Or better yet, call the front desk and ask the question most guests don’t.

Rambha Palace, Odisha
Rambha Palace is a 200-year-old heritage retreat set on the shores of Chilika Lake in Odisha, the largest brackish water lagoon in Asia. Revived by Sri Lankan architect Channa Daswatte, it blends colonial elegance with Odia soul. Between Konark and Puri, this tranquil palace redefines luxury through thoughtful design, history and unexpected experiences. Spoiler ahead!
One morning, you may sail silently across Chilika Lake to a remote island, where a freshly swept structure reveals a table set for two with crisp linens and English breakfast. Another afternoon, after scanning paddy fields for blackbucks, you’re guided to a watchtower. As you ascend, jazz floats from a radio, and at the top awaits Darjeeling tea perfectly timed with the sunset.
The most unexpected surprise unfolds between February and March, when endangered Olive Ridley turtles nest along nearby beaches. Though not on the official schedule, this rare spectacle can be arranged on request and is witnessed under moonlight with a naturalist, and from a respectful distance.

Evolve Back Hampi, Karnataka
One of the rare luxury properties in India, Evolve Back Hampi reimagines not just a palace but an entire ancient empire, Vijayanagara, through its architecture, cuisine and storytelling. It is a faithful reinterpretation of what Hampi, one of the most prosperous capitals of the world, might have looked like in its 15th-century heyday, sans the modern-day comforts.
The historical surroundings of Evolve Back are dotted with staggered temple roofs, intricately carved stone walls, musical pillars, grand colonnades, massive baths and market ruins from the 14th to 16th centuries.
As the first luxury resort in Hampi, Evolve Back offers guests an immersive way to explore this UNESCO World Heritage Site and return to a space that is remarkably similar to the historic sites. It blurs the line between past and present courtesy of an in-house historian, Nagaraja.
He leads walking tours along ancient trails like Vitthalapura and the Tungabhadra trek, connecting the Vijayanagara Empire to spaces within the resort. Even the dining experience is part of the narrative. Experiences like Katha (meaning "story") are set in a library of texts on the empire. The culinary highlight, however, is the Vijayanagara Thali – a curated platter inspired by fragments of the region's culinary past, rooted in local traditions and native vegetation. Expect banana flower curry, millet bread wrapped in banana leaves, and a variety of locally sourced seasonal curries.

Amanbagh, Rajasthan
In the world of hospitality, the brand Aman is renowned for creating exceptional guest experiences through destinations that grow authentically from their surroundings, allowing the landscape to take centre stage. Amanbagh is located halfway between Jaipur and Agra—one, the Rajput capital; the other, a Mughal hub of art and culture. Fittingly, Amanbagh brings the best of both worlds to its setting in Ajabgarh.
The experiences at Amanbagh draw from the desert landscape—whether it’s trying your hand at camel polo, a quirky take on the royal sport, or engaging with the local community of cattle rearers, basket weavers and potters who co-exist harmoniously with the presence of this ultra-luxury brand.
The Cow Dust Tour is an ode to the surrounding community. Just before sunset, as the cattle return home with their herders, the hotel arranges a jeep excursion through nearby villages, navigating past the herds and the golden dust kicked up by their hooves. The locals happily invite you over for chai, in their homes, and the property discourages offering money so as not to diminish their dignity. Instead, the front office can brief you on Aman’s community engagement initiatives, offering meaningful ways to contribute and feel that you’ve done your part.

Mary Budden Estate, Uttarakhand
At times, what you have in obscurity becomes luxury. Mary Budden Estate quietly reminds you of that. Nestled within the Binsar Forest Reserve, one of the last untouched wildernesses in the Himalayas, Mary Budden Estate was built in 1890. It is one of the few remaining colonial-era bungalows that existed long before the area was designated a protected zone. The estate, with its three-bedroom stone cottage and four wood-and-slate lodges, stands in all its British aristocracy-era glory.
Being located in the forest reserve, the estate must adhere to permaculture principles. Water is precious, waste is cyclical. A simple ritual, such as bathing, reconnects you to the rhythm of the forest.
On morning walks with the estate’s naturalist, you trace the contours of Darwin’s idea of evolution through Himalayan oak and pine. You learn how pine trees, found at lower elevations, are water consumers, while oak trees retainers.
The Wild Cat Brunch experience also begins after a short walk to a clearing. It's a DIY grill featuring fresh mountain ingredients, wild herbs, and spices laid out like a forager’s market.
The most immersive experience, the Hamlet in the Hills lunch, is a serious trek along the ridges leading to the smallest village in the region with fewer than a dozen people. An old cottage welcomes you with stone roofs, limewashed walls, and sky-blue windows. The setting is stark and stunning. Here, a traditional Kumaoni thali is served, warm and earthy, cooked over fire. It is the rarest kind of feast.

Sitara Himalaya, Himachal
Back in 2004, the Bollywood film Swades gave India two gifts. It showed us that the journey itself could be the destination. And it introduced us to Mohan, played by Shah Rukh Khan, whose anchor of luxury throughout his travels was his plush caravan.
At Sitara Himalaya, Anita Lal, founder of the iconic lifestyle brand Good Earth, beautifully weaves both metaphors into the guest experience at her remote mountain retreat.
Sitara is the only luxury property in India that offers caravan transportation on special request. The six-hour drive from Chandigarh to Rohtang Pass becomes a moving prelude to the design pilgrimage ahead, especially if you book the bespoke caravan. Think of it as a mobile salon with reclining seats, a daybed, a stocked pantry and even a private toilet, all styled in Good Earth’s signature botanical prints and luxurious textiles.
It sets the tone for what awaits. Sitara is steeped in a design language that feels both intimate and transcendent.
Every element at Sitara has intention. Tribal textiles sourced from nearby villages, hand-knotted carpets underfoot, silk-upholstered sofas, bronze sculptures, and walls woven with Varanasi silk create a dialogue between place, craft and memory. For design aficionados, it is a space that invites inspiration.
And the best part? Much of what you see, from cushions to ceramics, can be purchased and shipped directly to your home from the Good Earth website. It's very difficult to visit the Sitara Himalayas and not feel the urge to redesign your home.