Best Hotels and Resorts in India
Consider the Gold List the answer to the question our editors get asked more than any other: What are your favourite places to stay? Our 29th annual collection, passionately selected by our international team, reveals which seaside resort we return to every August and the cruise ship that gets everything right. Now all you have to do is pick the experience that’s right for you—and get travelling.
The Taj Mahal Palace — Mumbai, India
Livid at being turned away from the Watson’s Hotel—because ”dogs and Indians” were not allowed—Jamsetji Tata went on to build one of the finest hotels in the world. Great story, but not true. The architect who designed The Taj Mahal Palace jumped into the sea when he saw that they built it the wrong way. Terrible story, also not true. The book of mythology where these come from has many more stories and most of them are actually true. It is true that Mountbatten made his final address at this hotel before leaving the Indian shores. Also true that Sarojini Naidu held a suite for over a decade, retreating there when things soured at home. That a horse once walked up its grand staircase for a charity ball and a Maharaja nearly checked in a pet tiger! That the staff brought in the carpenters to fit all 6 ft 2 inches of Gregory Peck in the bed. That even today, Husain and Raza live on through their art. That matches are made over afternoon tea at the Sea Lounge; that Ronnie and his service was half the legend that is Wasabi; that many, like Shankar who retires in April after 40 years, are proud of it being their “first and last job”. First date, first deal, first meal for the parents to celebrate your first job—the Taj has been a part of many stories that roll up into the story of the great city which it crowns. Doubles from Rs33,000*; website —Salil Deshpande
SUJÁN Sherbagh — Rajasthan, India
I find myself heading to SUJÁN Sher Bagh over and over again as it abuts Ranthambhore, my favourite forest on the planet, teeming with wildlife and relaxed tiger sightings. The superlative camp recently upped the ante with a dynamic renovation, which opens it up to the expansive views of grasslands and a hill beyond. The vista can be enjoyed from a sprawling and stylish set of spaces that weaves in the bar, dining area, library, open-air deck, and a large outdoor pool. Hidden behind a grove of trees, brimming with birdsong and an occasional troupe of langurs, are twelve luxe temperature-controlled tents, including a royal suite and two imperial suites with their own pools in private compounds. At Sher Bagh, I never leave the forest. The elegant olive and beige tones, the campaign furniture, and the thickly grouped wildlife photographs keep me firmly under its spell. My safari-rattled bones seek sanctuary in the spa and the deeply talented chefs serve up delicious Rajasthani and international fare in atmospheric settings. A member of Relais & Châteaux, Sher Bagh is attuned to the highest standards of cosseting and spoiling, and their personalised service makes for an uplifting stay. There are surprises aplenty such as the porridge served from a copper cauldron with a tot of rum early in the morning en route to the jeep. Most of all, I love the genuine passion for wildlife shared by its staff, with locals making up 86 per cent of it. It bubbles up in their stories and anecdotes, and in the showing of the pugmarks of the tigers and leopards that occasionally slink by at night. It is a place alive with excitement. Doubles from Rs79,000*; website —Geetika Jain
ITC Grand Chola — Chennai, India
About a decade ago, the ITC built upon its presence in the South through this magnificent luxury hotel that channels the grand Chola empire. With 600 rooms spread across 1.6 million sq ft, 10 dining experiences, a ballroom that can take over 5,000 guests, and a 23,000-sq ft spa with 12 treatment rooms, it pays a fitting tribute to the scale of the medieval kingdom. Through its art and decor, it honours the aesthetic. Palatial doors, tall ceilings from where hang brilliant chandeliers, a grand staircase, and seemingly eternal corridors inspired by Chola temples all pair to build a stately aura. And yet, despite all the scale and the opulence, the ITC Grand Chola retains a personal touch. I have been here innumerable times and was left delighted each time over how the team of well-trained butlers remembers exactly what I like. Mornings unfailingly start with a cup of freshly brewed South Indian filter coffee. My meal at Pan Asian begins with a sashimi platter, just the way it did when I dined there the first time nine years ago. And at Avartana—which ranks among India’s top restaurants per Condé Nast Traveller—I know I can count on the French Press Rasam to deliver comforting flavours. The fact that all this luxury comes with an LEED certification for eco-consciousness is pure golden. Doubles from Rs16,000*; website —Ashwin Rajagopalan
The Ritz-Carlton Pune — India
There’s a certain allure to this hotel. You could peg it to the gilded opulence that greets you at every turn: chandelier-spangled interiors, Greco-Roman figurines, colonial-era prints and portraits of Peshwas, Pune’s erstwhile rulers. There’s also that fulfilling decadence of The Ritz-Carlton high tea and the soothing cocoon that the spa offers. If you are travelling on business, it blends the convenience of being in one of Pune’s corporate zones with access to the sort of facilities that approximate having an office away from the office. But its thoughtfulness and attention to detail make for hospitality gold: small touches such as the physical intimacy kit placed among the in-room amenities or having your clothes steamed or ironed within the hour. The in-room smart TVs have the coolest motion sensor clickers. Outside of the rooms, the Ritz has a strong F&B game, which even the locals swear by. On a packed Wednesday night at the inventive Japanese restaurant Ukiyo, I had a succulent yellowtail carpaccio paired with a smoky, tea-infused negroni. The yellowtail, mind you, was specially glazed with a gluten-free soy reduction to accommodate one of my several food no-nos. Then there was the 36-hour pickled arvi at the rooftop Indian restaurant Aasmana—I would go again just to have that. The sunset views are a plus. At the end of the day, what you really want from a hotel is a good bed. As a sufferer of chronic back problems, for its mattresses alone, I could place this property on the Gold List. Doubles from 22,000*; website —Prasad Ramamurthy
The Oberoi Udaivilas – Udaipur, India
Way before experiential became every hotelier’s buzzword of choice, Udaivilas, the biggest of Oberoi’s five resorts, was love-bombing its guests with adventures offering a taster or full immersion in Indian heritage. From tandoor cookery to tabla recitals under the stars, Udaivilas—the ultimate “destination hotel”—encourages the culturally curious to get under the skin of the Subcontinent. My own experience at its launch 20 years ago was an out-of-body awakening: Orange light appeared before my closed eyes as warm oil poured onto my forehead (the third-eye chakra), releasing a lifetime of emotional baggage. My introduction to place and practice was eased by the sanitized perfection of the surroundings in Udaipur, India’s most romantic city, which is defined by the fairy-tale extravagance of its palaces. Whether floating in the pool spa suspended over Lake Pichola, wallowing in a checkerboard “step-well” pool, surrounded by gold-leafed cupolas, or ascending stairways that lift the gaze to heaven, Udaivilas’ guests experience the perfect marriage of spiritual and sensual. Built on former royal hunting grounds overlooking the Aravalli Hills, swathes of this 50-acre property remain a wild peacock- and deer-filled sanctuary, with the rest now landscaped gardens. Running water threads through fountain-studded courtyards into a wraparound pool you can swim in, with the vast expanse of water reflecting open skies or the flickering light of nocturnal flares. Doubles from Rs51,500*; website —Catherine Fairweather
The Leela Palace Bengaluru – India
In the mid-2000s, a friend and I would brunch on Sundays at Citrus, The Leela Palace Bengaluru’s all-day diner. For hours we would drink sangrias, people-watch, and nibble through the buffet. Salads, cold cuts, roast chicken, and multiple helpings of dessert. The atmosphere was always festive, quite unlike the idea of a staid business hotel. But the Leela has never fit that mold. Aesthetically it’s a mish-mash of styles: Art Deco architecture meets colonial furniture meets South Indian temple art meets Rajasthani artisanal craft (in strong doses). Over 20 feet-tall sandstone pillars, 24-carat gold leaf accents, crystal chandeliers, floral frescos, hand-tufted carpets, and elaborate flower arrangements. And somehow, it all works. Back then, given its proximity to the old airport the hotel, it was popular with corporate visitors to ‘India’s Silicon Valley’. The airport’s moved since, but the clientele hasn’t. On a recent trip, I noticed laptop-totting techies doing Zoom meetings at breakfast and local families fill out Jamavar, the hit Indian restaurant, at dinner. While not too much has changed (thank God brunch hasn’t) some changes are welcome. The hotel generates almost all the electricity it needs from its own wind farms and offers visitors charging points for electric vehicles. A bottling plant is in the works as are other measures to conserve natural resources. So, while gold may be its dominant color, this Leela’s heart is a good shade of green. Doubles from Rs.28,430*; website —PR
