In the most recent T+L 500, this property ranks #4. I'm not sure how that is possible, as I can't imagine a better hotel. Between us, our group had stayed at a number of the hotels in the top 100, and none were even close to the Oberoi. We were deciding between the Oberoi and the Taj Lake Palace, and a relative of one of our travel companions recommended the Oberoi. It was definitely the right decision.

The property is stunning, from the moment that you arrive by boat to the jetty, to the entrance courtyard, to the lobby, to the hallways, and finally to the room. There are incredible views of the lake and the city from many different vantage points in the hotel; my favorite was from a three sided nook in the bar. Interior design nuts will love this place. Most if not all common rooms have beautiful domed ceilings with unique embellishments for each one; I wanted to take all of the antiqued brass doors home with me; the tile work was beautiful; and the furniture and decorative items were all eye catching. In short, everything was in excellent taste.

We had a garden room, which was quite spacious, with a large sitting room and two beds. Large bathroom with a nice soaking tub.

Since we had a garden room, we sadly did not have the semi private pool outside of our room. Luckily, there is an infinity pool adjacent to the spa that has the absolute best views of the lake and the property's gardens. And the pool was never crowded, despite the fact that the hotel was full. There is also another pool, but that one does not have a view of the lake, so why bother? One note is that we stayed here at the beginning of January, and the water in the pool was cool but no problem for a dip.

The hotel is set on park-like grounds, with excellent landscape architecture. There are hammocks hidden around for lazing. Various wildlife runs about. There are no mosquitoes here (though there are plenty in Udaipur; this was actually quite the mystery).

The service here was excellent. We had a number of requests involving dinners elsewhere and transportation, and everything ran smoothly.

The spa is first rate. As a guy, I can't tell you about wraps or masks, but I do know and appreciate a good massage. I tend to prefer a harder massage, and the spas at many nice properties can be a bit gentle, but the masseuses at the Oberoi definitely packed a punch. Do not be fooled by their petiteness.

Their is a very strong aura of tranquility here. As noted by another reviewer, the hotel seems half empty most of the time, but when you go to dinner, you can tell that the place is actually full.

The bar here is open 24 hours, if you are a night owl.

If there was anything that was less than spectacular, it was the food, which was still quite good. For breakfast, there was a somewhat limited cold buffet, and you could choose one hot item for no charge; each additional hot item was extra. I thought this was a rather odd place to cut corners, as food is relatively inexpensive in India. Every other five star that we stayed at in India had an expansive selection and you could eat to your stomach's content. In addition, we ate dinner once at the outdoor restaurant, ordering the Indian and Rajastani thalis. While the food was good, we had better food at the Taj Lake Palace and also at the City Palace terrace. The food was expensive for India but moderate compared to the US ($50 for prix fixe).

We checked out the Taj Lake Palace for a meal, and although the food was excellent, I'm glad that we stayed at the Oberoi. The Taj certainly has historical interest, being an actual former palace, and the bones and structure are beautiful, but there is a bit of patina to the place, to put it euphemistically. Much of the decor seemed shabby and frayed (and from the 1970s); even the employees' uniforms looked a bit threadbare. There was a general sense that the place was not terribly well maintained (unlike other historical hotels in India, such as the Imperial). This was from what I observed from the common areas and the dining room, I did not see a guest room.

If there is any place that you should splurge in India, this is it.

During our travel to India, my friends and I stayed at the Oberoi Hotels in Delhi, Agra, Jaipur and Udaipur. Needless to say, the Oberoi hotels are all beautiful with excellent service. I have to say though that the Oberoi Udaivilas in Udaipur is exceptional, a truly a stunning property with spectacular views of the lake and surrounding areas. What an experience to arrive by boat and to be welcomed with a shower of rose petals as we entered the property. The service is impeccable..there is nothing impossible as far as the staff is concerned. they are there to please the guests no matter what time of day or night. if there is a rating beyond excellent, this hotel deserves it.

Stayed here for 3 nights with a group of friends and we all opted for the Rooms with Semi Private Pool. The hotel is fantastic as almost all Oberoi properties are. The rooms are very spacious with beautiful decor. Love their bathrooms. The rooms were overlooking the lake. Having a pool with an entry through your back door was amazing. The best part was that on either side of our room we had Deepika Padukone and Ranbhir Kapoor staying who were there for shooting of their forthcoming movie 'Yeh Jawani Yeh Diwani. so it was quite surreal to share the same pool with movie stars. The food we found was not THAT good, we preferred Ambrai Restaurant which is superbly located. The spa was great too. Overall an awesome 3 days in Udaipur.