Jaisalmer, Rajasthan

At the edge of the Gadisar lake this beautiful sandstone hotel has uninterrupted views out across the desert sands, a monsoonal lake and the golden city, Jaisalmer. The breathtaking intricate designs on the façade of the hotel have been hand carved by local artisans, giving a palatial feel to this boutique establishment. This feeling is enhanced when you step inside each of the individually designed suites that inspire the magic of India.The name "Helsinki House" is a tribute to the city that gave Ali Khan (the owner) the opportunity to turn his childhood dream into a reality. Ali khan is living and working in Helsinki, Finland and he was born in a small village town 30km outside of Jaisalmer. He arrived in Jaislamer at the age of 7, to work for an uncle . This is a true rags to riches story of a desert boy who dreamed of one day building a hotel and through many years of hard work, a little bit of luck and a whole lot of charm, his vision has come to fruition.