Once again, Jaipur has outdone itself with a new chic boutique hotel

On a trip to Zambia’s emerald mines, I was once told that every emerald, at some point in its life, passes through Jaipur. Even so, the city is the real gem. The historic city has mastered the ultimate trick: how to be theatrical and functional at the same time. One moment you are trying not to be fooled by a local seller passing off screen prints as block prints, the next, you are being shown a 75-year-old gota lace box that the owner will agree to sell to you because you called out his petty deceit.

And that is exactly how you find Abode Jaipur. Somewhere between an old mahal and a wholesale bangle store, a new hotel from well-loved chain that debuted in Mumbai in 2014, has opened its Art Deco doors. Tucked in Kishanpole Bazaar Road, a few steps from the famous Johri and Bapu bazaars, it sits amid the everyday chaos that makes Jaipur irresistible.

Hidden in plain sight, Abode’s signage in Hindi, much like the stores around it, can be easy to miss. The lane feels more commercial than romantic. Then the doors open and the mood shifts—monochrome floors, vintage furniture, a compact reception with a manual telephone, and a sense of Art Deco, which is back in conversation. Jaipur has a long relationship with Deco, and as the city, along with the rest of the world, celebrates the art movement’s centennial year, there’s been an urgent revival of older properties and newer, inspired buildings that echo historical elements without embalming them.

Abode is not new to this game. Over a decade ago, when the Colaba outpost opened in Mumbai, boutique hotels were rare and Instagram was still finding its voice. Yet the property drew crowds even at a steep price point, attracting a fashion-forward audience that used it as a backdrop for campaigns and editorials. Positioned diagonally across the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, Abode Bombay offered something radical for its time: shared bathrooms like European hostels, no restaurant, rows of Glucose-D biscuits with chai for a nostalgia kick, and a confidence that made it a credible alternative to grand hotels. Since then, the brand has evolved across cities and geographies, including Sri Lanka. Jaipur, though, feels like its most ambitious chapter so far.

Rajasthan, after all, is India’s hospitality capital. Palace hotels, destination weddings, A-list fashion shows, Jaipur Art Week, the Jaipur Literature Festival, and a growing social scene mean the city is constantly hosting a global crowd. Designers, buyers, and international brands who manufacture in Jaipur need access to markets, crafts, and conversations without the heaviness of heritage hotels. Abode fits neatly into this gap, with its only real competition being The Johri, just five minutes away.

Jaipur may be called the Pink City, but its walls are closer to sandstone than bubblegum. The colour itself is a historical improvisation, an attempt by Jaipur’s rulers to echo the red grandeur of Delhi’s forts using local stone and lime. Abode, housed in a 300-year-old lime-washed building, plays with this palette intentionally. Inside, the hotel reveals 21 rooms, including a suite with a swing, each room distinct in its design and amenities. It’s interesting to imagine staying there 20 times and having a different experience each time. Sage greens, yellows, and pinks appear as gentle atmospheric suggestions across room categories: Suite, Superior Luxury, Luxury, and Simple, with one Simple room designed to be fully accessible. It is considered design, with a wheelchair-friendly layout, space to park the chair within the room, handles in the bathroom, gentle doors, and bed heights designed for ease.

I visited Abode during the Jaipur Literature Festival, and mornings were a parade of guests in different states of readiness, some rushing to panels, some lingering over coffee. Breakfast is vegetarian, partly out of respect for the Jain owners of the building, and refreshingly local—fruits, cereals, breads, idli, poha, puri-aloo, fresh juices, tea, coffee. There is a small coffee spot for in-house guests serving Subko from Mumbai, and pour-over options in the rooms for those who prefer their caffeine-fuelled jitters in private quarters.

My room had a bathtub (handmade by coppersmiths in Moradabad, India’s Brass City), which in Jaipur feels like a much-needed indulgence earned after walking through the bazaars. The bath products are from Khaadi India, a practical choice that also feels culturally aligned. The shower is a top-head design, which may make some women slightly nervous about hair logistics, but everything else balances it out. Toiletries are available on request, linen is organic and sourced from Alka Mehra in Delhi, and bathrobes are block-printed by Rekh by Rohini Singh. The pomegranate motif appears alongside impish monkeys across pillow covers and robes, a recurring signature. The water bottles are earthen, which are going to be a cooling sight come summer. Some rooms have single beds and start at around ₹8,000, making them ideal for girlfriends planning a weekend escape that feels stylish yet budget-friendly.

There is a terrace area in development, which feels quirky without an in-house restaurant or dining options on the property. With a burgeoning crowd flocking to Jaipur, it makes commercial sense for boutique properties like Abode to open their spaces for private engagements and after-parties during art fairs and festivals. Now if they could reconsider the ‘no in-house restaurant’ policy, and perhaps, while we are on the topic, the signature fragrance of the hotel. Hotels and malls often want visitors to associate a scent with their spaces, but for sensitive and tired travellers, properties also need to feel like home without triggering allergies or a sensory overload with a gentle option.

What stands out most at Abode is the intention with which it is built. Restored over five years with Anagram Architects, the artwork and decor blend seamlessly with the arches and rhythms of the bazaar outside. Like when you’re on a group tour, and you bag the best room. Across the hotel, the visual language feels familiar rather than generic; where many hotels try to standardise rooms, Abode thrives on the difference. 

The lobby features work by Tarini from Cobalt Company. Clay works by Vandita Vijayvargiya of Clay County appear on the first floor, where a thoughtful library space hosts a curious mix of vintage artefacts and photo books collected locally. Photography by Bharat Singh from Jaipur Houses anchors the dining area in local memory. Suites feature pocket-square artworks by House of Badnore, inspired by Jaipur’s prints and textiles. Elderflower Designs led the styling, but the curation was collaborative, shaped by the owners Ashish Golcha and Nikhil Jain of Saksham Realtors along with Abedin Sham from Abode Boutique Hotels. Furniture comes from the Traditional Handicraft Center and features wood, rattan, and earthy tones. Art Deco pieces are locally sourced, with select memorabilia from Golcha’s collection, including a standout star-shaped lamp at the terrace entrance. Nostalgic tiles were acquired locally from nearby quarries.

Abedin Sham has mastered an alternative for discerning travellers. Abode Jaipur does not want to compete with palace hotels; it cannot. Instead, it offers something more personal, a hotel that understands the rhythm of its host city without romanticising its colonial history. It is close enough to Johri Bazaar that you feel its pulse yet insulated enough to feel calm. It is contemporary without being generic, local without slipping into performance, and thoughtful without being precious.

By the time I check out, I realise that Abode’s real achievement is not just design (although it is building on its vocabulary) but also its location and tone. It understands that modern travellers do not always want marble staircases and royal stories. Sometimes they want a cosy room that feels lived-in, coffee that tastes like home, art that provokes curiosity, and a city that begins right outside the door.

Address: 211, Kishanpole Bazar Road, Modikhana, Jaipur. For bookings, click here