The Taj Mahal Palace & Tower

India
Asia

The Experience

Originally completed in 1903 and overlooking Mumbai's landmark Gate of India and the Arabian Sea, the Taj is a red-brick, Victorian-era, East-meets-West architectural triumph--even if the surrounding district bears little of the same splendor. Although not immediately apparent, the hotel is actually divided into two wings, its original Heritage Wing and the 33-year-old modernist Tower Wing. The real thrill is staying in the Heritage Wing. Accessed via a tiny entry, it fans out like an elongated, elegant cross, capped by endless Moghul-styled arches and a monumental neo-Florentine dome.

The Rooms

As might be expected, Tower and Heritage wing rooms offer very different guest experiences. Skip the former, which are anchored around business guests, and head straight for the latter--the Palace rooms. Along with original paintings and antiques from throughout India, these include Italian marble bathrooms with "rain" showerheads and many feature next-generation Japanese "massage" toilets. And since you've made the correct wing selection, don't get the wrong view: Request one of the Arabian Sea. Upgrade to a Luxury Grande room for mod-cons like a 42-inch plasma, surround sound and internet access, and go for the suites to get private butlers, outdoor terraces and split-level designs.

The Service

This is a hotel where attention to detail is taken to extremes--an attendant solely to push the elevator call button; bellboys appearing out of nowhere to open taxi doors even before you've paid the fare; calmly confident reception staff who know your flight has been delayed well before you do. And the staff are everywhere, in teams of twos and threes when you're only expecting one--yet still never obtrusive or obsequious. If only the rest of India would work this smoothly.

The Highlights

As might be expected, the Taj has been repeatedly renovated since 1903, and its latest addition is the chain's signature Jiva spa. Just off its grand swimming pool--watched over by hard-carved gargoyles and now featuring wifi--the spa is a subterranean lair of traditional Indian treatments and therapies paired with ultramodern relaxation and fitness facilities. Up above, there are five restaurants as cutting-edge today as the Taj was when it originally debuted--from Pure, India's first high-end organic eatery, to Wasabi for Japanese and the Souk for high-end Middle Eastern. The Harbor Bay, Mumbai's first watering hole, continues to lure tipplers, though nothing quite competes with a stroll around the bustling Harbor itself. If you're here on work, you're in luck--a high-definition video-conferencing facility opened in summer, 2008.

 

Find Hotel Deals on Yahoo Travel»