1995
The land is acquired
Mrs. Mamta Periwal identifies and acquires a piece of land in the foothills of the Aravallis, Udaipur. The vision for what would become The Royal Retreat begins here.
About The Royal Retreat
Where art, architecture, and nature come together
A contemporary luxury retreat in Udaipur, built over three decades of vision, craft, and an enduring belief in the art of hospitality.
The Retreat
More than a place to stay
The Royal Retreat was conceived with a single idea: that a great property should offer more than comfort. It should offer a sense of place, an atmosphere that stays with you, and a quality of experience that makes you want to return.
Set in the foothills of the Aravalli Range on the outskirts of Udaipur, the retreat was designed to bring together contemporary luxury with the natural drama of the landscape. Every space was built with intention, from the rooms and suites to the dining venues, event grounds, and art-filled corridors that connect them.
The Vision
Built to gather,
designed to linger
The Royal Retreat was imagined as a destination for gatherings of all kinds, weddings, family stays, quiet escapes, and celebrations of every scale. The vision was to create a property that felt as comfortable for a couple spending a weekend as it did for a family celebrating a milestone.
That demanded spaces with different energies, different scales, and different purposes. The result is a retreat that can host 2000 people for a grand wedding and feel intimate to a guest staying alone.
The Story
Rooted in craft,
shaped by place
The design of The Royal Retreat draws on the craftsmanship and material traditions of Rajasthan, reinterpreted for a contemporary context. Stone, wood, hand-worked metal, and locally sourced textiles feature throughout the property.
The art collection grew alongside the property itself, with works commissioned from regional artists alongside international acquisitions. Art is not decoration here. It is structure, mood, and meaning. Every surface, corridor, and space has been considered.
Know the Legacy
Our journey
From a piece of land in the Aravalli foothills to one of Udaipur's foremost luxury retreats, built over three decades.
1998
A farmhouse takes shape
The land is developed into a farmhouse, laying the physical and philosophical foundation for the hospitality venture that would follow.
2004
Guest house with 10 rooms
The property opens formally as a guest house with 10 rooms, welcoming its first guests and establishing The Royal Retreat as a hospitality destination in Udaipur.
2008
Conversion to a full resort
The property is formally converted into a resort, expanding its offering to include larger venues, event spaces, and a broader suite of guest services.
2010
60 rooms
The resort reaches a total inventory of 60 rooms, establishing a meaningful scale while maintaining the personal character that defined its early years.
2015
A new generation joins
Dushyant Periwal officially joins the family business. Over the following four years, he leads the doubling of the resort's room inventory and begins laying the groundwork for Enigma.
2018
Enigma opens in Udaipur
The first Enigma restaurant opens in the heart of Udaipur, overlooking Lake Pichola and the City Palace. It quickly becomes the city's destination for a luxury fine-dining experience.
2020
Enigma Royale at the resort
Enigma Royale opens at The Royal Retreat. A 16,500 sq ft glass building across four floors, serving four distinct cuisines, it becomes the culinary and architectural centerpiece of the property.
2022
Creating benchmarks
The Royal Retreat continues to set new standards in hospitality, with expansion plans underway for The Royal Retreat Jaipur, and properties in Goa and Bera, Rajasthan in planning and development.
Our Philosophy
What we believe
a retreat should be
Three principles that shape every decision, from architecture to service.
Space Over Spectacle
Luxury is not about volume. It is about breathing room, unhurried time, and spaces that ask nothing of you except that you settle in.
Art as Architecture
Every surface, material, and installation is considered. Art is not layered on top of the retreat. It is part of the structure itself.
Built for Gathering
The Royal Retreat is designed for people to come together. For families, for celebrations, for quiet moments, and for everything in between.
Key People
The people behind
The Royal Retreat
The Royal Retreat is built on decades of combined expertise in hospitality, art, finance, and event management.
Chairman
Hemant Periwal
From a family rooted in Kalimpong, Hemant Periwal moved to Udaipur in the early 1960s, where he would go on to build one of Rajasthan's most celebrated art and culture institutions. He founded Mayur Arts in 1974 with a starting capital of Rs 300, initially exhibiting Tibetan and Nepali arts and handicrafts. His deeply trained eye and instinct for authenticity built a global clientele over the following decades that included Mick Jagger, Paul McCartney, and the King of Morocco. World-renowned museums also sought his expertise on antiques.
In 1993, Mayur Arts expanded to its current location in Udaipur. In 1995, Mr. Periwal acquired the land in the Aravalli foothills that would become The Royal Retreat, laying the foundation for the family's entry into the hospitality sector. His belief in handmade craftsmanship and regional artisanship remains central to the aesthetic identity of the property, where award-winning artisans across miniature painting, Pichhwai paintings, and marble and wood sculpture continue to find a platform.
Chief Advisor
Mamta Periwal
An alumna of the fabled Maharani Gayatri Devi School, Jaipur, and a master's graduate in English Literature from the University of Delhi, Mrs. Mamta Periwal is the original visionary behind The Royal Retreat. In the early 1990s, she fell in love with a piece of land in the Aravalli foothills of Udaipur and envisioned an abode of warmth, care, and hospitality rooted in the natural surroundings and aesthetics of Mayur Arts. That vision became the founding idea of the property.
Her strategic foresight also drove the decision to build a land bank for the company, with an eye toward eventual growth into a hotel chain. That thinking has since resulted in The Royal Retreat Jaipur being under active construction, with Goa and Bera, Rajasthan, in planning. A philanthropist by nature, Mrs. Periwal is also actively involved in supporting the local community of Bari, Udaipur, working to improve medical and educational infrastructure for its residents.
Managing Director
Dushyant Periwal
Educated at Mayo College, Ajmer, which included academic exchange programmes with Oxford University and Schule Schloss Salem in Germany, Dushyant Periwal went on to pursue Hotel Management at Ecole Hoteliere de Lausanne and its affiliate campus, Ecole Hoteliere Lavasa. At 20, he represented India in the Accor Take Off Pan Asia Competition, held in Singapore, and led his team to victory against five competing countries. It was an early signal of the entrepreneurial instinct that would shape his career.He joined the family business in 2015 and over the following four years doubled the resort's room inventory. Driven by his passion for art and creativity, he launched the Enigma restaurant chain: Enigma opened in 2018 in the heart of Udaipur overlooking Lake Pichola and the City Palace, and became the city's destination for luxury fine dining. Enigma Royale followed in 2020 at the resort itself, a 16,500 sq ft glass building across four floors, serving four distinct cuisines with architecture that is a landmark in its own right. A third Enigma is in development at the upcoming Royal Retreat Jaipur.
Dushyant also founded WDNE in 2010, now the in-house event management company at The Royal Retreat. Over more than a decade, WDNE has conceptualised over 200 weddings at some of India's most prestigious properties, including Taj Jai Mahal Palace Jaipur, Jag Mandir Palace Udaipur, City Palace Udaipur, and Oberoi Hotels, among others. WDNE also runs Rolling Hills music festival, a series of Enigma Club Nights, and the annual Indian Rainbow Holi event, and has expanded to Jaipur, Gujarat, Mumbai, and Chennai.
Director, Sales & Marketing
Ayesha Kutar Periwal
Born and raised in Mumbai, Ayesha Kutar Periwal completed her Hotel Management degree at Ecole Hoteliere Lavasa. Her interest in Sales and Marketing was clear from the outset. During her business internships at Four Seasons and Grand Hyatt Mumbai, she was immersed in some of the city's most influential PR events and gained first-hand experience in developing strategic marketing campaigns for hotel chains. She channelled those learnings into building the Sales, Marketing and PR departments at The Royal Retreat from the ground up.
Over the past five years, Ayesha has driven significant growth for the property through the weddings and MICE segments, while simultaneously working on brand positioning, social media presence, and participation in national and select international hotel marketing platforms. Her vision is to build The Royal Retreat into a nationally recognised hotel chain, competing with the established leaders of India's hospitality industry on its own terms.
Group CFO
Rajiv Joshi
With an MBA in Finance from the Poddar Institute of Management, Jaipur, and a career spanning over two and a half decades in the banking sector, Rajiv Joshi has been a trusted and integral part of the Royal Retreat family for more than twenty years. As often noted by Mr. Hemant Periwal, Mr. Joshi is not only a professional pillar of the organisation but a part of the Periwal family itself.
He has specialised in investment, foreign exchange, micro finance, agriculture finance, macro finance, and import-export arenas throughout his career. At The Royal Retreat, he leads the execution of group strategic planning across investments, acquisitions, foreign exchange, and import-export for both the hotel group and the handicraft business. His knowledge and wisdom have been central to shaping the company's financial capacity and long-term trajectory.
What Defines Us
Four things we
never compromise on
1
Intentional Design
Nothing at the retreat exists without a reason. Every space, material, and detail was chosen with purpose.
2
Personalised Service
Service here is attentive without being intrusive. The best hospitality is the kind you barely notice.
3
Scale with Intimacy
We can host a wedding of 2000 and a dinner for two with equal care. Scale never diminishes quality.
4
A Sense of Place
Udaipur is not a backdrop. It is part of the experience. The retreat exists in relation to the landscape.
Also at The Retreat
More to discover
Dining
From curated cuisine to immersive spaces, dining here is an experience in itself.
Your Journey Starts Here