Khem Villas

HOTEL OVERVIEW

Look, I’ve stayed at my fair share of places in Rajasthan, but Khem Villas just hits differently. When you’re driving through Sherpur – and honestly, you might wonder if your GPS is playing tricks on you because it feels pretty remote – suddenly these gorgeous villas appear like something out of a design magazine. The whole place has this understated luxury thing going on, where they’re not trying to scream “FIVE STARS” at you, but you can tell from the moment you walk in that serious money went into getting every detail right.

What really got me was how they’ve managed to feel authentically Rajasthani without going overboard with the maharaja theme park vibe that some hotels around Sawai Madhopur lean into. The architecture is beautiful – all those traditional arches and courtyards – but then you’ve got these incredibly comfortable modern touches that actually work. I mean, the bathroom in my villa was probably bigger than most hotel rooms I’ve stayed in, and the outdoor shower situation? Chef’s kiss. You know what’s funny though – despite being so close to Ranthambore (which is obviously why most people end up in this area), it feels completely peaceful here. No safari jeep noise in the early morning, no crowds of tiger-hunting tourists. Just… quiet. The kind of quiet where you can actually hear birds that aren’t crows for once.

The staff here really knows their stuff too, and I don’t just mean the usual “yes sir, no sir” routine. They actually helped us plan our Ranthambore visits in a way that made sense – suggesting times that would be less crowded, recommending which gates to try. Plus, and this might sound silly, but the food was genuinely good. Not just “good for a hotel in the middle of nowhere” – actually good. They’ve got this chef who does these incredible regional specialties, and breakfast on the terrace became this whole ritual I looked forward to. The only thing that’s slightly annoying is that you’re definitely going to need a car or their driver service to get anywhere – there’s literally nothing walkable around here except beautiful countryside. But honestly, that’s also kind of the point. If you’re looking for a place to decompress between tiger safaris or just want to experience what luxury looks like when it’s not trying so hard, this place delivers. The 9.3 rating isn’t just inflated review nonsense – it’s earned.