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The seating areas drive the layout, and consist of clusters of comfortable high-backed chairs and couches.

The newly opened Leela Kempinski Palace in Udaipur, the ‘Venice of the East’, exudes luxury, mysticism, modernity, and tradition, in a happy mix, feels Reilly J Nelson.

The first thing you will see when you pull up by boat to the levy at the newly opened Leela Kempinski Palace in Udaipur, is the fibre optic dome - the only one of its kind in India - glistening like a hundred stars above Lake Pichola.

You are caressed with a shower of rose petals as you enter the hotel lobby, which is ornately decorated with crystal chandeliers and large portraits of the Maharajas of old. Every inch of the Leela exudes luxury fit for a king.

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The Library Bar here is not your typical hotel bar. Once you cross the threshold you are transported directly into the study of a Maharaja.

A colour palate of deep purples and burgundy reds, coupled with dark wood and real silver, give the cozy space a royal air.

The lights above the bar are modelled after elaborately bejeweled crowns, and a framed picture of three young Maharajas in traditional dress, hangs to the left of the fully stocked bar, reminding visitors they are in the presence of royalty.

Designed by architect Bill Bensley, and interior designer, Jeffery Wilkes, the bar strives to bring to local heritage to life within its mustard-yellow Jaisalmer stone walls.

“I think it is as surprising as it is beautiful”, says Tamir Kobrin, the general manager, of the city known as ‘the Venice of the East.’

“You come here for the mysticism” To capture that mysticism, the five-star spa resort has drawn inspiration from everything local, from the intricately embroidered fabric to the tarkashi work - a local art form used in designing the handcrafted dark wood furniture.

The majority of items were handpicked by Wilke’s design team, while some come from the Nair family’s (the owners), private collection, and yet others have been donated by the family of the Maharana of Udaipur.

Thus, the Library Bar, replete with refinement and luxury, is a place to sip a cocktail or curl up with a good book, all the while channelling the king within you.