The Oberoi Udaivilas

The Oberoi Udaivilas sits on the banks of Lake Pichola in Udaipur, Rajasthan, across 30 acres of landscaped gardens. The City Palace stands directly across the water, which gives wedding photos a royal backdrop without leaving the grounds.

Udaipur is known as the City of Lakes, and a boat trip on Pichola takes in the City Palace and Jag Mandir, the marble and sandstone palace on the lake's southern island. Inside the resort, two temperature-controlled pools with Mughal-inspired design, the Asmi spa and The Promenade, a lakeside bar for sundowners, make it a self-contained retreat. India's tourism board names September to March as the best time to visit Udaipur.

The main indoor space is Chandra Mahal, which works as one hall or splits into two, with a pre-function area and views of the marble lotus. Combined, the hotel lists it at 70 for a seated dinner, 85 for cocktails and 110 theatre style, so it suits an intimate dinner or a welcome party. The Cocktail Room takes a smaller gathering. The hotel also promotes lakefront weddings with views of the lake, palace and gardens, using indoor and open-air function areas. Ask the team which lawns and terraces are used for ceremonies, about legal and symbolic options, music timings and whether the whole property can be booked for your dates.

Rooms run from Premier Rooms up to Luxury and Kohinoor Suites with private pools, and several categories have semi-private pools or City Palace views. The hotel does not publish its total room count, so ask the team before you set the guest list, and look at other hotels around Lake Pichola for a bigger group. Guests can join a Rajasthani cooking session with the chef, take private yoga or learn miniature painting. Dining includes Suryamahal, Chandni and Mewar by Vineet. Maharana Pratap Airport is about 27 km away, roughly 45 minutes by car, and the hotel recommends arriving by its private boat.