Bill Bensley believes the world needs more whimsy, and he's certainly doing his part

But because it’s Bensley (and Anand), it’s no normal hotel. “We’re respecting the heritage, the bones of the place, of course. But it’s going to be something really unique,” he says, adding that the concept is an immersive retreat centred around dining. “It will be three nights’ minimum stay, and it will have the kind of regimental [quality] of a ryokan, where things happen at certain times. Think of it as a kind of ‘world according to Gaggan and Bensley’.”

As for the design, Bensley says his main source of inspiration for the project comes from local craftsmen, like shoemakers, and “people that make great things for the community”, he says. “It’s about keeping these crafts alive, which, I’m sure you know by now, is very important to me.”

Another project keeping him busy is Surya Sabha, a palace-slash-fort on the shores of Lake Pichola in Udaipur, India, which is being converted into a hotel. “It’s one of the most beautiful places in India,” he says. “It’s owned by the Marwari kingdom. Fascinating story: 400 years ago, the Marwari decided they had to stand out from all the other tribes, so they chose to worship the sun as their God and father, declaring themselves descendants of the sun.”

Bensley came up with original designs for each of the 99 guest rooms and suites, even writing a 700-page book detailing the fictional stories behind each one. “I imagined the hotel as a meeting place [for] the sun [deity], where various topics are debated,” he says. “For example, a debate between the value of the Marwari or the Rajasthani traditional headwear, as opposed to the English bowler; the Indian elephant and the British gnome. Then it goes into more serious things: there are chapters on places, customs, people, animals.”

Bensley is a fierce advocate for whimsy, believing with great conviction that the world needs more of it, and this fantastical style of storytelling is his way of connecting guests to the roots of a place. “Why not live in a fantasy?” he asks. “There’s a market for people who want to experience something meaningful, something magical.”

In something of a dream project, Bensley was commissioned in March to design the upcoming National Museum of Punjab. “It’s my first museum. Isn’t that cool?” he says with great enthusiasm, slamming his hand on the table as his voice grows louder on “cool”.

Similar to the approach taken at institutions such as the Museum of Natural History in New York, Bensley says, he and his team of artists and historians will build custom exhibitions to take guests on a journey through the region’s history and folklore. He adds, “There will be short films and contemporary art from around Punjab. It will be interactive, and more about storytelling than about antiques and artefacts.”

To immerse himself in the project and find inspiration, Bensley planned a ten-day itinerary through the region, exploring historically significant sites and connecting with local craftsmen throughout India and Pakistan. “Usually when I go in search
of inspiration in a destination, I’ll start in places of religion. Why? Because that’s where people put most of their community energy like architecture and art. So I always start with that,” he says. “My modus operandi is that, if I design for a place, I have to stand there; I have to feel it. It’s so important. You can’t just bulls*** about it. People will know.”

Bensley also revealed exclusively to Tatler that he is designing Villa Formosa, a Ritz-Carlton resort on China’s Hainan island. Details about the property are still very much under wraps, but what we do know is that the design celebrates an unexpected historical romance: the deep, centuries-old artistic connection between Mexico and China. “Villa Formosa is not a theme; it is simply something I love, built honestly,” he says. “There are deep parallels with Chinese culture— reverence for ancestry, pride in regional craft, food as ritual, celebration as identity.”

What is bringing the project to life is the resort’s lush gardens that Bensley personally began planting
11 years ago. “Palms have thickened. Canopies have found each other. Roots have claimed the soil,” he says. “The buildings now sit inside maturity rather than beside it.”

Bensley’s approach is not the easy way to do things. It takes time, grit and enthusiasm, which Bensley has in spades—even after over four decades in the business. It also requires dedication, as he dives deep into each destination’s history, culture and nuances to create a space that’s not only impressive, but also educational to foster a meaningful sense of place.

“It takes a lot of trust,” he says. “My job is to bring enjoyment to the world, and if someone can learn something along the way ... well, that’s awesome.”

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