An exquisitely restored 300-year-old haveli in the heart of Udaipur’s old city, Madri is a shining example of modern design being intelligently integrated into traditional structures, creating a hotel that’s a sheer pleasure to be in.

Designers and architects are often blending the old with the new, but rarely have we entered a place and been so immediately impressed with both the concept and execution of a place. From the cavelike entry that blends with other properties on the narrow street, the reception leads to a small flight of stairs cut in clean lines of slate-grey Kota stone that lead to a beautifully lit inner courtyard of whitewashed walls and jaali screens. The overall impression is of seeing ancient beauty anew.

Everything in the haveli comes out of this central courtyard, with stairs that wind up through two floors of rooms before surfacing out on a spacious roof terrace and restaurant, crowning the old city and giving unbroken, spectacular views of Udaipur and the surrounding hills.

Madri, a design collaboraton between French owner Cesar Chuffart and local architect Monish Paliwal, has been six years in the making, and, though completely functional, is still considered a work in progress, with a pool being built in the coming year.

What’s ultimately so great about Madri is that, for all it’s style, it’s in no way pretentious or uncomfortable. The service is especially friendly, with local artist and current manager/director Rajesh Soni, who hails from a family of distinguished artists and works with renowned photographer Waswo X Waswo, making sure guests are well looked after in this cool “space to live” that’s actually liveable, comfortable and fun, and which blends into the incredible old city while standing firmly apart from the crowd.