Jaipur, Rajasthan, India

Buried deep in the narrow lanes of Jaipur’s old city, Samode Haveli is a thoroughbred Rajput mansion with an impressive historic patina. Its faded lemon-yellow walls enclose a feast of 175-year-old Rajput décor – at its most outrageously romantic in the dining room, where every paintable surface is festooned with traditional motifs. Some of the rooms have more of a heritage feel than others, but they’re all equally lavish and the pool is a dream, with its Moorish-tiled floor and regal daybeds resting under individual domed pavilions. The floodlit courtyard is the perfect venue for performances of traditional Rajasthani folk music and dance in the evenings, which you can enjoy over a cocktail.