Hi. Has anyone stayed at Oberoi Udaivilas or the Leela Udaipur. Please let me know about your experiences and which hotel you consider to be the better option of the two. Thanks, Brett.

I've stayed at the Oberoi a couple of times. I love it; it's probably my favorite hotel anywhere. The rooms are huge and beautifully decorated, and the staff amazing. I really love the location, though some people say being on the lake makes it too far to walk into downtown. Their cooking demo was fun, and my daughter said the yoga class was wonderful as you do it overlooking a nature park with animals and birds all over.

If you can afford to splurge on a pool room, do it. We had lunch served at our table outside and spent a whole afternoon dunking in the water, watching the birds and animals on the grounds. One of my most relaxing travel days ever!

Oberoi often has specials that really bring the price down. If you will be staying at several Oberois, their multi-night rates are very good, and usually include things like massages, cooking or yoga, etc.

The Oberoi Udaivilas was the one splurge hotel on my trip to India. It was an wonderful experience, probably the closest I'll ever come to staying in a palace! I can't compare it to any other hotels in Udaipur but you really can't go wrong with the Udaivilas

The Udaivilas is a lovely hotel with excellent service, my main issue with it is the location which is not convenient for sightseeing, IMO. It is on the opposite side of the lake from the old town. I don’t think the hotel boats run very frequently (and if the lake level is low they don’t run at all), and therefore you have to take a taxi or rickshaw into town. Otherwise, it is a very nice hotel and has some good lake and city views. I can’t get past the total ugliness of the Leela from the outside (which almost ruins some of the views from Udaivilas, esp at night as the Leela is rather garishly lit), but the public areas I have seen are quite nice. It has only a marginally better location than the Udaivilas, as it is a bit closer to town, but still on the other side of the lake.

You might also look at the Taj Lake Palace hotel, out on its own in the middle of the lake. This has been redone and I understand is quite nice now. Read some reviews. I have stayed there in the past (pre redo) and found it to be utterly romantic.

If you can bear to be away from the lake, the other hotel to consider is the Devigarh, which is my #2 favourite hotel in the world. (If it had a beach it would be #1). Fantastic fortress setting, and the best service you can imagine. In the lovely hill area outside of Udaipur, in a charming village; accessible to country walks or horseback riding. It is about 30 minutes by car to Udaipur, so for first-time visitors to Udaipur, it is not always ideal. But a beautiful setting and great hotel.

The Taj Lake Palace is definitely at the top of the arc. Right from the time you report at the boat jetty reception area, you are given a marvellous service. The ladies are waiting for your arrival & show you in under the crimson Mewar canopy. The recently redone rooms, meals & the service is first rate. The views add to the charm of staying at the Lake Palace.
Hotel Udai Vilas is obviously, as a flagship of the Oberois, a wonderful modern hotel with well appointed rooms, great food & service. It locates in a much bigger complex & you could take walks in the lawns & pathways around. The spa is one of the best of it's kind.
It is difficult to make a choice between the two of these.
You could enhance the pleasure of staying at Udaipur by even putting up in Trident hotel, which is much cheaper. They have excellent pool facing rooms. You could also enjoy a dinner on the 'shikara' boat right in the middle of the lake.
Happy travels!

Seeing your initial choices, I'd put in another vote for the Taj Lake Palace. Its definitely the best in Udaipur. The other two hotels that I usually recommend are the Trident and the Lalit Laxmi Vilas Palace.

I've not personally stayed at the Udaivilas, but from what I've heard and what I know about the Oberoi group, you can't go wrong with it.

no one ever mentions the sheraton??? comments about it??