The Best Hotels in India 2008

OBEROI UDAIVILAS

Udaipur, Rajasthan

The property: A truly palatial hotel, whose 87 rooms and suites occupy a 30-acre compound of soaring sandstone turrets and domes, marble arches, vast tiled pools, and painstakingly manicured gardens.

The location: Set right on the banks of sparkling Lake Pichola, the hotel overlooks both the Aravalli Mountains and the latticed towers of Udaipur's most beautiful historic landmark, the 16th-century City Palace.

Rooms to Book: Premier Lake View rooms have private patios, which lead to semiprivate swimming pools surrounded by cascading bougainvillea.

Don't Miss: A private dinner for two on the lake (literally, on a floating pontoon lit by flickering lanterns).

More information: Oberoi Udaivilas

From the article The Best Hotels in India 2008

OBEROI AMARVILAS

Agra, Uttar Pradesh

The property: An over-the-top fantasia inspired by Moorish and Moghul palaces, this hotel has 102 rooms and suites scattered among terraced gardens, spouting fountains, reflecting pools, and cushion-strewn lounging pavilions.

The location: A mere 600 meters from the singularly spectacular Taj Mahal.

Rooms to Book: Premier rooms with balconies allow for hours of gazing over the famous Taj.

Don't Miss: A cocktail on the patio bar—one of the only places where you can toast within view of one of the Seven Wonders of the World.

More information: Oberoi Amarvilas

From the article The Best Hotels in India 2008

OBEROI RAJVILAS

Jaipur, Rajasthan

The property: A sumptuous architectural hodgepodge that includes a centuries-old mansion, a recreated Rajasthani-style fortress (containing 54 guest rooms), and a collection of luxury tents and villas.

The location: A 32-acre oasis of sweeping green lawns, landscaped gardens, and lotus-covered ponds five miles outside the city of Jaipur.

Rooms to Book: The 14 Luxury Tents—actually more like opulent pavilions—have polished teak floors, claw-foot tubs, private slate patios, and even air conditioning.

Don't Miss: An Ayurvedic treatment at the spa, set in a converted 260-year-old haveli (mansion) where hand-painted frescoes adorn the walls.

More information: Oberoi Rajvilas

From the article The Best Hotels in India 2008

TAJ LAKE PALACE

Udaipur, Rajasthan

The property: A turreted, white-marble 18th-century palace—housing 83 guest rooms and suites—that seems to float atop the waters of Lake Pichola.

The location: A private island in the middle of the lake; guests arrive by taking the hotel's polished-wood, canopied boat from shore.

Rooms to Book: Luxury Lake Rooms don't just have stunning water views; they also have expansive marble terraces (with sofas and Oriental rugs) for enjoying them. Splurging?Go for the Sajjan Suite—with intricately painted walls and a marble bath that's bigger than most hotel rooms—or the Khusmahal Suite, where the bedroom walls are inset with breathtaking stained glass.

Don't Miss: A private dinner on the Mewar Terrace, with service by Royal Butlers.

More information: Taj Lake Palace

From the article The Best Hotels in India 2008

THE IMPERIAL
New Delhi, Delhi

The property : An ornate 1931 landmark that blends Victorian and Art Deco elements—both in its architecture and in the décor of its 274 rooms and suites.

The location : Right in the heart of the capital city, near the shopping district of Connaught Place—but set on three acres of elegant, palm-shaded gardens that provide a welcome sanctuary.

Rooms to Book : Imperial rooms are a great value (particularly Nos. 22, 23, 40, and 41, which overlook the lawns). Heritage rooms, however, are almost twice the size; many have beautiful parquet floors.

Don't Miss : Taking a guided tour of the property's extensive art collection, which contains India-inspired works by famed British artists like Thomas and William Daniells, William Simpson, William Hodges, James Ferguson, J.B. Fraser, and Emily Eden.

More information: The Imperial

From the article The Best Hotels in India 2008

RAMBAGH PALACE

Jaipur, Rajasthan

The property: Known locally as "The Jewel of Jaipur," this elegant, 1835 Moghul palace was home to royals (including the Maharajah or Jaipur) for more than a century before its 85 rooms and suites were opened to visitors.

The location: A 47-acre estate—complete with preening peacocks, marble porticos, shimmering pools, and ornamental gardens—right inside the city.

Rooms to Book: The themed Historical Suites, with their inlaid marble tile, carved wood daybeds, etched glass mirrors, and slowly revolving ceiling fans.

Don't Miss: G&Ts in the Raj-era Polo Bar.

More information: Rambagh Palace

From the article The Best Hotels in India 2008

TAJ MAHAL PALACE

Mumbai, Maharashtra

The property: Built alongside Mumbai's harbor, this imposing 1903 landmark is a mix of Moorish, Asian, and Florentine architecture—capped by a graceful, diadem-crowned tower that was added in 1973.

The property: Its waterfront location means that many of the hotel's 565 rooms and suites have stellar views of the Arabian Sea and the arched basalt Gateway of India.

Rooms to Book: Luxury Grande rooms in the Palace (otherwise known as the old wing) combine old-school ambience (French doors, silk curtains, ceiling fans) with modern conveniences (42-inch plasma TVs and rainfall showerheads).

Don't Miss: The lavish weekend brunch in the Shamiana restaurant; it's a Mumbai institution.

More information: Taj Mahal Palace

From the article The Best Hotels in India 2008