Jaipur hotel gets ready to give Clinton a glimpse of Rajput lifestyles
SMEETA MISHRA PANDEY

NEW DELHI, MARCH 19: Standing amid 32 acres of greenery, beautiful gardens, pools and fountains in the Rajasthani countryside, eight km from the Pink City, Raj Vilas is the creme de la creme when it comes to premium hotels. And now, the Raj Vilas staff are working round the clock to give the US President ``a feel of the lifestyles of India's legendary Rajput princes.''

Two days before the most powerful man in the world walks into their hotel, an expert team from the Oberoi, Delhi, has flown into Jaipur to oversee the last-minute preparations at Raj Vilas. Though every little detail has been looked and re-looked into a dozen times now, the experts want to leave no stone unturned in ensuring that everything's in place, just perfect, to welcome US President Bill Clinton on the evening of March 22.

All the rooms in the hotel have been booked from March 21 to 23 for the US President, daughter Chelsea and other American delegates. The rooms are in clusters of four and six, located around tranquil courtyards; air-conditioned Rajasthani tents that boast of bathrooms with teak floors, and romantic villas with private swimming pools. The four-poster beds and sunken marble baths overlook private walled gardens.

The air-conditioned luxury tents have embroidered interior canopies, old-style baths and outdoor decks. But where the President is expected to relax is none other than the grand Royal Villa, that houses two living rooms, a bedroom and two bathrooms. The hotel authorities hope the President will be impressed by the fine craftsmanship on display here.

The kitchen staff at Raj Vilas are busy going over a grand menu that has been specially prepared for the presidential visit. ``We are arranging a special buffet for the presidential delegates,'' said a Raj Vilas staff in a telephone conversation with The Indian Express. ``We hope the President himself will also take a bite. But he might just have his own cooks take over.''

The special menu draws upon what the Raj Vilas chefs call `fusion cooking'. ``We will have a little bit of both, a combination of Continental and Indian cuisine,'' disclosed a Raj Vilas chef. ``The American delegates will have a choice. Those who want to experiment can do so, the rest can stick to the American fare.''

Also being spruced up for the visit is the Raj Vilas Spa complex that is known for its holistic, ayurvedic and western relaxation and beauty treatments. The hotel's boutique and Rajwada library bar will also get a final nod of approval from the expert team before D-day dawns.

``Apart from the cleaning and polishing that is being done over and over again, the only other thing happening now at Raj Vilas is setting up of hi-tech security equipment,'' said a Raj Vilas staffer. ``One group has been here for two weeks, fitting bugs and strange devices into walls, corners and doors. Yet another security team has arrived today.''

Identity cards have been issued to all staff members at Raj Vilas. ``We are expected to carry it with us at all times,'' said a Raj Vilas kitchen staff. ``But what I am really looking forward is cooking for Clinton. It will give our biodatas the greatest facelift ever.''

Copyright © 2000 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.