On two and a half acres on the quiet outskirts of the Blue City, a former interior design curator from Canada has turned a century-old haveli into one of Rajasthan’s most quietly extraordinary places to stay. Cathy’s home has been waiting for you.
There is a stone archway at the entrance to Sukh Sagar Haveli that frames the property like the first line of a very good story. You pass through it from the noisy residential streets of Chopasani Road into a world that operates entirely on different terms — green lawns, a swimming pool built from local stone, the sound of birds, two German Shepherds called Kali and Coco, and the old sandstone haveli at the centre of it all, dating back to the early twentieth century and entirely unbothered by the intervening years.
This is Cathy’s home. And understanding Cathy is understanding everything about why Sukh Sagar Haveli works.
The Story Behind It
Cathy grew up in Canada and spent years travelling to India for work — drawn back repeatedly by a country that had influenced her interior design practice from the very beginning. In the late 1990s she decided to stay, continuing her career as an interior design curator in a place that felt more like home than anywhere she had known. Jodhpur, with its blue-washed old city, its ancient fort, its desert light, and its artisanal culture, held a particular pull.
In 2002, she bought the Sukh Sagar Haveli estate. For nearly two decades she lived there, hosting friends and colleagues, gradually refining the house and its gardens into a space of exceptional character. Those friends, year after year, told her she should open it to travellers. Eventually, she listened. Sukh Sagar Haveli became a homestay — and everything in it, from the interiors to the menu, reflects Cathy’s two decades of accumulating, curating, and caring.
The name itself is a gift: Sukh Sagar means Ocean of Happiness in Sanskrit. It is, guests consistently report, an apt description.
The Property
The haveli sits on two and a half acres on the outskirts of Jodhpur — ten kilometres from the city centre, which is far enough to be genuinely quiet, close enough to reach Mehrangarh Fort within twenty minutes. The central courtyard, framed by the magnificent old structure, is the heart of the property. Bedrooms and living areas are arranged symmetrically on either side of the entrance, built around the courtyard with views over the lawns — a layout that gives every guest their own sense of space and privacy while maintaining the sociable, connected character of a home rather than a hotel.
The gardens stay green throughout the year. An organic vegetable garden at the back of the property feeds the kitchen. The swimming pool, built with local stone, is open from 8am to 7pm daily. Birdsong is constant. The dogs are friendly and permanent.
The Suites
There are six suites in total, each named and each distinct — no two rooms carry the same character or the same palette. All are decorated with the colours and richness of the Thar Desert: bespoke furniture and vintage textiles, interesting prints and paintings on the walls, one-of-a-kind pieces that carry the texture of Cathy’s years as an interior design curator in Rajasthan. These are not rooms that were decorated to look like Rajasthan. They are rooms assembled by someone who has spent decades living inside Rajasthan’s visual culture and absorbing it deeply.
The Haveli Suite is one of the largest, with views over the upper and lower lawns and the vegetable garden. It has a queen bed, a separate living room, built-in wardrobe with mini bar, a writing desk, and the rare pleasure of an outdoor shower option alongside the en-suite bathroom. The Heron Suite is the grandest room — king bed, living area, close to the pool, with views over the arched entrance gate. The Laxmi Suite sits on the upper lawns, a queen bed with a comfortable sitting area and a sense of elevation that makes the mornings feel different. The Green Suite looks over the upper lawns and vegetable garden, with a queen bed, separate living room, and the particular calm of a room named for the colour that surrounds it.
All suites include air conditioning, a safe, mini bar, complimentary Wi-Fi, and complimentary breakfast.
Eating Here
Breakfast is served between 8 and 10am — weather permitting, at a table set on one of the terraces so guests can eat in the morning light with the garden around them. The in-house chef prepares a small but thoughtful selection each morning using fresh, seasonal ingredients. As much as possible is homemade. This is not a buffet — it is the considered breakfast of a home that takes its kitchen seriously.
Dinner, served between 7 and 9pm, is where the Franco-Indian fusion of Cathy’s culinary identity becomes fully apparent. The specialty is Mediterranean cuisine, prepared with produce from the organic garden and nearby farms — a surprise in Rajasthan, and a genuine pleasure. An Indian menu is available on request. Meals are set menus, built around what is in season, freshly prepared in the home kitchen. Lunch can be arranged on request. Bonfires can be arranged in the evenings; barbecues at an additional charge.
Wellness and Extras
Yoga, meditation, and breathing sessions are available on request on the open terraces and in the serene courtyards — guided by trusted local practitioners. Massage treatments can be arranged in a quiet corner of the haveli. Airport and city transfers can be organised through the haveli. Cathy herself is, by universal guest testimony, one of the finest sources of recommendations in all of Jodhpur — for restaurants, yoga studios, textile workshops, private tours, and the quieter corners of the city that most visitors never find.
What to See
Mehrangarh Fort — one of the most spectacular forts in India, rising from a sheer cliff 125 metres above the old city — is twenty minutes away. The Jaswant Thada cenotaph, the step wells of the old city, the Clock Tower market, and the labyrinthine blue lanes of the Brahmpuri neighbourhood are among Jodhpur’s unmissable pleasures. The Mandore Gardens, ancient Marwari cenotaphs set in a forested park just outside the city, are one of Rajasthan’s most undervisited heritage sites.
For those who want to venture further, the Bishnoi villages surrounding Jodhpur — communities with a 500-year tradition of environmental conservation who protect the blackbuck antelope and the khejri tree — offer one of the most genuinely moving cultural encounters in Rajasthan.
Why It Stays With You
What guests describe about Sukh Sagar Haveli is a quality that cannot be manufactured: the feeling of being genuinely received by someone who loves the place she has made and is glad you have come to share it. Cathy is described variously as a perfect host, a thoughtful presence, the best part of the stay. Her German Shepherds Kali and Coco feature in nearly as many reviews as the rooms.
In a city of grand heritage hotels competing for the superlatives of Rajasthan travel, Sukh Sagar Haveli offers something rarer and more durable: a home, shaped by decades of one person’s taste, generosity, and love for this extraordinary city, quietly open to those who know where to look.
Plan Your Visit
Address: Prem Vihar Colony, Opposite Chopasani School, Chopasani Road, Jodhpur, Rajasthan — 342008 Phone: +91 291 2721789 Website: sukhsagarhavelijodhpur.com Instagram: @sukhsagarhaveli Facebook: /sukhsagarhaveli Booking: Direct via website · Also available on Airbnb (individual suites listed)
Host: Cathy (Interior Design Curator, owner since 2002)
Check-in/Check-out: Contact property directly for timings Reservations by phone: 10:00am – 7:00pm
Suites: 6 — Haveli Suite, Heron Suite, Laxmi Suite, Green Suite, and two additional suites. All with AC, safe, mini bar, en-suite bathrooms, and complimentary Wi-Fi. Included: Complimentary breakfast for two Dining: Breakfast (8–10am) · Dinner on request (7–9pm) — Mediterranean specialty with Indian menu available · Bonfire on request · BBQ at extra charge Wellness: Yoga · Meditation · Massage (all on request) Pool: Open 8am – 7pm daily Pets: Three resident dogs (Kali, Coco) and a cat — a beloved part of the experience No plastic policy: Drinking water treated on-site and served in glass
Getting There — Jodhpur Airport is approximately 10 km from the property — around 20 minutes by taxi. Airport transfers can be arranged through the haveli with advance notice. — Jodhpur Railway Station is approximately 10 km away — around 20 minutes by taxi or auto-rickshaw. — From Jaipur: approximately 340 km — around 5 hours by road via NH 62. — From Udaipur: approximately 250 km — around 4–5 hours by road. — From Delhi: approximately 600 km — around 10–11 hours by road or an overnight train. — Follow Google Maps to the property. Call ahead to share your arrival time — the team will be ready to receive you.
Nearby — Mehrangarh Fort: 11 km · Jaswant Thada: 11 km · Clock Tower Market: 9 km · Mandore Gardens: 12 km · Bishnoi Villages: 25 km · Jodhpur Airport: 10 km
Best Time to Visit: October to March for cool, clear Rajasthan days and spectacular desert light · Avoid peak summer (April–June) when temperatures regularly exceed 40°C.
