This 700-Year-Old Fort Houses India’s Most Royal Suite

Rajasthan, the desert jewel of India, has long been known for turning palaces into some of the most incredible hotels in the world. Now, the bar has been raised even higher with the most exclusive hotel suite in the country at Six Senses Fort Barwara, priced at INR 3.77 lakh ($4500) per night.

When a crumbling old fort is transformed into one of the country’s priciest destination hotels, there’s bound to be an interesting backstory.

Barwara was once a quiet town, known mainly to locals and a handful of devoted pilgrims who would climb 650 steps to reach the Chauth Mata temple perched on a nearby hill. While the temple was well looked after, the nearby fort was left to crumble for over 700 years. Fort Barwara, just 2.5 hours from Jaipur, served as a war post and hunting lodge. Its oldest part, the Kharbuja Mahal, got its name from the dome that resembles a watermelon. The fort also carries a bit of local legend—it was one of the first palaces built by the Chauhan kings around 700 years ago. Over the centuries, different rulers added the mardana for men, the zenana for women, and a few temples.

Prithviraj Singh, the grandson of Raja Man Singh and a descendant of the Jaipur royal family, took it upon himself to bring the fort back to life and restore its former splendour. After ten years of thoughtful design and restoration, with careful new touches, Fort Barwara was transformed into India’s first Six Senses property.

The fort has eight different types of grand suites but its the Raja Man Singh Pool Suite and the Rani Rajkumari Suites that go beyond. Designed like private quarters of Kings, they feel like mini palaces. In fact, Raja Man Singh Suite is often called the most royal hotel suite in India.

The Raja Man Singh Suite is also one of the priciest in any heritage properties across India. Tucked within the old fortress walls, this 279-square-meter suite has a private pool, two courtyards, a spacious living room, a study, a vanity and even a grand pool pavilion. 

The suite has a spacious living room, a dining area separated by a large swing, a bedroom with cozy bay window seating and a walk-in closet. The bathrooms, done in all-white marble, feature both open and closed shower areas, silver-coated double sinks and arched alcoves for storing small items. It’s designed to fit the lifestyle of a modern-day king or queen, keeping thins luxurious yet simple.

What truly surprises are the outdoor spaces—an indoor garden, an open-air dining pavilion and a courtyard with an outdoor shower. The terrace pool, which used to be part of the fort’s turret winds around an octagonal pavilion with several viewing points, ideal for leisurely swimming in circles, with the Aravalli mountains framed in the background like a live painting. 

New elements were added to enhance the space once the old structure was carefully restored. For the Raja Man Singh Suite, the ancient walls were preserved for their charm while the new walls were placed to create open spaces. The interiors are filled with earthy tones and wooden hues. If you look closer, you’ll notice touches of Indo-Mughal design, a style common among royal buildings in the region. With its courtyards, canopies and decorative alcoves, the suite echos the palaces of Jaipur, while the wall art and patterns hint towards the Taj Mahal.