Mihir Ghar’s Sidharth Singh and his wife Rashmi (above) offer horse riding and cooking lessons

Your resort holiday has just been fine-tuned. Yes, the frills, the bells and whistles of a luxury holiday are very much in place — but it’s being garnished with the company and undivided attention of the resort owners.

Taking your holiday experience a few notches higher enterprising owners who are lending a personal touch. These players are pushing the envelope to redefine your vacation. And yes, they are hands-on: they’ll cook for you (sometimes straight out of cookbooks they’ve written), accompany you on treks (be it around Rajasthan’s rugged havelis or hamlets in the Kumaon hills). Some might take you on a jalopy ride (if not on horseback) to watch the sunset. You’ll have their unwavering attention till you check-out.

“Nobody wants a standard itinerary or luxury accommodation any longer. It’s the day of the bespoke holiday, which means that we customise vacations according to each client’s needs and interests,” says Jai Singh Rathore of Shahpura Bagh. It’s a palatial estate in Shahpura village in Rajasthan’s Bhilwara district.

There’s plenty to explore and different highs to enjoy at resorts across the country — with the hotelier showing you how, personally.

What a spread!

(From top) A royal tent at Ahilya Fort; Shatrunjay Singh in a jeep near Deogarh Mahal

Guests have more reason than one to flock to Ahilya Fort by the banks of the Narmada in Madhya Pradesh. Besides the picturesque 18th-century setting, it’s Richard Holkar, son of the last Maharaja of Indore, who is at the helm and draws repeat guests. A confirmed foodie, with him, the menu is never dull.

Holkar has crafted a special menu at Ahilya Fort taken mostly from his own cookbook. The tea served at the resort is sourced from an exclusive tea garden in Darjeeling while the coffee comes from Coorg and is specially roasted for guests.

Sarai at Toria, which opened last October with six independent cottages, is just a 30-minute drive from Khajuraho. Run by Joanna Van Gruisen and her foodie husband, Dr Raghu Chundawat, you can expect a very “personalised menu” here.

“The Indian cuisine we serve is planned by Raghu,” Gruisen says. Chundawat, a diehard foodie, fine-tuned the recipes that have roots in his family kitchen. It’s not an unusual sight to catch him supervising the meals or even cooking for his guests. Gruisen does her bit by creating new soups or salads or experimenting with desserts for the Continental menu.

At Deoghar Mahal, a 50-room, 17th-century fort, 150km from Udaipur, guests can join Rajasthani cooking classes. Built in 1670, this heritage property began operating as a hotel in 1996, run by owner, Rawat Nahar Singh II and his family.

The 70-something Singh is deeply involved in the day-to-day affairs of the hotel. Organic vegetables from the kitchen garden, homemade jams, marmalade, fresh plum puddings and breads make their way to the table.

A more interactive session at Tree of Life Resort and Spa, a 14 luxury-villa property in Jaipur, allows guests to indulge their culinary skills. Their ‘Chef in You’ programme allows guests to cook their own meals along with the chef. Trips to the local vegetable market with the chef is part of the deal. “It’s quite a hit with guests,” says owner, Himmat Anand.

Ajit Bhawan Palace has designer-owner Raghavendra Rathore’s (above) special touches

Go exclusive

Food apart, there’s plenty in store for guests at these resorts — and they can be sure the resort owners will be firmly by their side when they need them. Often, the resort has individual touches that are unusual either in the look, feel or design. At Sarai at Toria, a stunning eco-lodge, there’s always something interesting at hand. Chundawat, a tiger expert and conservationist, and Gruisen, a wildlife photographer, have a 15-year association with the region. “We studied tigers here for nine years and wanted to continue our conservation work and contribute towards local development too,” says Gruisen. The couple lives in the lodge during peak season, usually between October and April.

Being conservationists, they adhered strictly to eco-tourism principles when the resort was built. The building material was sourced locally to minimise carbon footprint. The cottages are made of mud while lime mortar has been used for the stone plinths in the brick kitchen and the store rooms.

At a completely different level, at Ajit Bhawan Palace in Jodhpur, it’s hard to miss fashion designer-owner Raghavendra Rathore’s signature touch in every space. The resort, a mansion built by Maharaja Ajit Singhji of Jodhpur, has in the past hosted celebrities like designer Calvin Klein. Rathore (who lives on the adjoining property) and his brother, Suryavir Singh Rathore, personally look into the day-to-day functioning of the resort.

“My brother and I look at the design and the service aspect of the business from a holistic point of view,” says Raghavendra. The interiors include antiques and photographs from family archives.

Attention unlimited

Toria Lodge and (above) the owners, Joanna Van Gruisen and Dr Raghu Chundawat; (below) Shahpura Bagh resort, owned by brothers Jai Singh Rathore and Shatrujeet Singh, is a royal homestay

The owners are leaving nothing to chance and are omnipresent in every way. For instance, if you arrive at the

The spectacular Sarai at Toria Lodge and (inset) the owners, Joanna Van Gruisen and Dr Raghu Chundawat; (below) Shahpura Bagh resort, owned by brothers Jai Singh Rathore and Shatrujeet Singh, is a royal homestay

Tree of Life Resort and Spa, Anand, formerly head honcho at Kuoni Destination Management, makes sure your wish-list at the resort is efficiently fulfilled. And that could be anything — preference in food to activities.

The work is often divided between the couple or the siblings who own the resorts. So, at Sarai at Toria, Chundawat oversees the kitchen and on-site personnel management while interior décor, housekeeping, reservations and bookings are Gruisen’s baby.

Between Rathore and his brother, the work is equally divided. He says: “We have portfolios that we manage independently.”

At Deoghar Mahal in the Aravallis, Nahar Singh II and his family split the chores. Senior Singh, an art historian, regales guests with historical facts of the place, while his wife oversees the kitchen. His eldest son, Veerbhadra, heads operational management while the younger son, Shatrunjay, assists in managing and marketing the property. Their wives, Namrata and Bhavna, look after the interiors.

Feeling at home

At Deoghar Mahal it’s easy to feel a part of the Singh family. As Shatrunjay, puts it: “It’s like an extended home and guests are part of the family.” The Singhs live 150 yards away so they can oversee the property efficiently. Nahar Singh II has even crafted a two-hour walking tour — improved on with suggestions from guests like William Dalrymple.

One of the top treats here is a jalopy ride to a nearby village. Shatrunjay, who has about 30 vintage cars, prefers to drive. They make it even more special for honeymooners with a romantic drive to the dunes for a candlelit dinner.

(Top) The stunning Rohet Garh Palace; (above) Himmat Anand offers the ‘Chef in You’ activity at The Tree of Life Resort and Spa

Sidharth Singh is another rehotelier who divides his time between his two properties — Rohet Garh that opened in 1990 in Pali district off Jodhpur and a newer property called Mihir Garh, a stunning nine-suite luxury mud fortress, 17km from Rohet Garh. Singh treats his guests to bird watching expeditions, picnics and village safaris. He also offers riding lessons to them, while his wife, Rashmi supervises the kitchen and the interiors and even squeezes in time for cooking lessons for guests.

It’s a similar passion that drives Dieter Reeb of Kalmatia Sangam Himalaya Resort, a colonial-style resort (offering cottages with splendid vie-ws) in the heart of the Kumaon hills in Uttaranchal. Reeb leads his guests to a nearby village while the meals are cooked under Geeta, his wife’s strict supervision.

Shahpura Bagh, about eight hours away from Delhi, and sprawled over 45 acres, has a history that stretches back to 1630 and has everything that a royal homestay should offer. Rathore and his elder brother Shatrujeet Singh are known for their personalised service.

Shahpura Bagh has stylish interiors and a wonderful setting (with hammocks and charpoys), a pool with 8,000sq ft of deck space to relax and sunbathe and meals cooked with vegetables from its organic kitchen garden. Guests are pampered to the hilt according to their interests — there’s boating, a village safari, photography and trekking. Rathore also promotes local artisans by giving them monetary support and helping them market their products.

He says: “Often, our guests find their interactions with the local artisans even more satisfying than a hearty meal at the resort.”

So, if you’re looking to be pampered on a holiday, head to the resort that catches your fancy. It’s just going to be about you.