New Delhi's Imperial was the first of the so-called "Four Maidens of the East," including the Strand in Rangoon, the Raffles in Singapore, and the Great Eastern & Oriental in Calcutta. Since 1934, the Imperial has remained the consummate grande dame hotel of New Delhi, and the birthplace of much of its nation's history; Nehru and Mountbatten met here to discuss the partition of India and the creation of Pakistan.
For more information: The Imperial
Located just a few hundred yards from the Taj Mahal, The Oberoi Amarvilas features a host of luxe amenities, not to mention one of the world's most famous views. Imagine Spain's Alhambra as a first class hotel: Moorish arches, Persian textiles, and Mughal gardens. The pool, however, is straight out of South Beach.
For more information: The Oberoi Amarvilas
At the apex of the Mughal empire, the Shah Jahan commisioned a structure to house the body of his second wife, who died giving birth to their fourteenth child. The world's most beautiful mausoleum was completed in 1648. Try to arrive in the morning or evening "golden hours" for the view at the end of the mirror-like reflecting pool. While most associate the Taj Mahal with its ivory-tiled mosque, the property includes an expansive charbagh, or Mughal garden, as well a magnificent final resting place of a favored servant.
The "Jewel of Jaipur" belongs to the Taj Hotels Group. The former residence of the Maharaja of Jaipur bears the confident air of an old-world aristocrat who's rich enough not to flaunt it. With the exception of a few premiere suites, the rooms here are discrete, muted affairs (though detailed with Jadpur antiquities) which overlook acres of sculpted gardens and the occasional itinerant peacock.
For more information: Rambagh Palace, Jaipur
A symphony of red sandstone and white marble, the Amber Palace has weathered four hundred years of foreign invaders (it sits atop the narrow valley leading to Jaipur) and the occasional coup. The star attraction here is the Hall of Mirrors, which can be illuminated at night by a single candle. It's a steep climb from the bottom of the valley, but painted elephant rides are available.
The Umaid Bhawan is located in a sleepy residential colony in Jaipur, the capital of India's desert state, Rajasthan. It was designed by an Englishman, the celebrated Edwardian architect Henry Lanchester, and makes for an excellent base of operations for exploring the legendary old quarter, or "Pink City."
For more information: Hotel Umaid Bhawan
A floating vision in the middle of Lake Pichola in Udaipur, Rajasthan, the Taj Lake resembles a palace set out to sea. Built in 1746 by Maharana Jagat Singh II, the Taj Lake Palace is justly famous for its lily pond courtyard. Visitors are treated like royalty; several of the butlers here are descendents of the original palace retainers.
For more information: Taj Lake Palace
Built in 1903, the Taj Mahal Palace and Tower in Mumbai has hosted maharajas, kings, presidents, movie stars, and the occasional lowly CEO. Set along the Arabian Sea, the hotel is a living museum, bursting with art and furniture from the colonial era.
For more information: The Taj Mahal Palace & Tower
Kerala, a lush confluence of canals, rice paddies, and tropical forests along the Malabar Coast of Southwest India, also happens to be the birthplace of Ayurvedic medicine. This historic spice port boasts several renowned spas.
Ananda, one of the world's most lauded destination spas, features over twenty treatment rooms dedicated to Ayurveda, Oriental, and European healing techniques. Guest residences look out onto the Ganges River, at the base of the Himalayas.
For more information: Ananda Spa