The Savista haveli is a fully restored ancestral home of the present owners. It was originally constructed in 1901 as a country mansion by the then Kacchawa chieftain of the group of villages surrounding Savista. The family was part of the royal family of Jaipur, and endowed with both hereditary ownership of the land in these villages, and administrative, revenue, judicial and welfare functions. 1901 was the the year of the great famine, and the haveli was conceived as an alternative avenue of employment for the local population, since crop husbandry had failed.

The Savista complex has two wings – the haveli and the eastern court – set in 12 acres of land.

The haveli – restored in recent years – stands in its own grounds: a majestic and elegant structure that blends traditional architectural design with comfortable modern interiors. To the Western eye, it evokes shades of ‘Bauhaus’ architecture: clear lines, straight edges, smooth facades, Indian style pavilions, an absence of superfluous features, and a lightness and airiness that together produce a simple but powerful effect.

The haveli rises in two levels around a central pool-court, overlooked by balconies, decks and a rooftop terrace that girdles the entire complex. The 20-metre swimming pool is of environmentally conscious design, partially refilled each day with fresh, cool water that is continuously recycled to irrigate the surrounding gardens and farmland.

It houses 16 bedroom suites and is surrounded by gardens and a dense cover of ashoka, sheesham, karanji, khejri, gulmohur, and neem trees and shrubs of jasmine and hibiscus. The lobby, reception lounge, library, poolside lounge-cum-film viewing room, coffee bar and dining room are at the ground level, overlooking the pool-court on one side, and leading out to the tennis court and gardens on the other.

The library has a rich collection of over 4000 reference books on Indian history and society, religion, culture and travel, as well as fiction by Indian and international authors. It leads out onto the pool on one side and onto an amphitheatre surrounded by trees on the other, a space for performances, yoga etc. The film/projector room houses a DVD collection of Western and Indian films.

The first level has yet another large lounge that lopes across one entire length, with windows and doors looking into the courtyard on one side, and several sit-outs and decks that overlook vistas of tree-tops, sand dunes, and rolling cropland on the other. A music corner, and business center are also attached to the lounge.

The eastern court houses the gym, massage rooms, steam-sauna-jacuzzi facilities, bar lounge, main dining room, kitchen complex, and the gazebos and tents which serve as al fresco dining spaces. An open rooftop terrace runs across the entire length, offering a space for multiple activities. The whole is set within extensive gardens and surrounded by a grove of khejri, oleander, and ashoka trees.