The Taj Mahal Palace

"First impressions?First, you take in the outside: The Taj Mahal Palace is a 1903, gray-and-white stone, red-domed wedding cake of a building that stands over Mumbai’s harbor. When your taxi pulls up through the throngs of families and tourists who choke the roads near the Gateway to India arch and you’re ceremoniously welcomed by doormen in traditional silk kurtas, you have that pinch me feeling of Wow, I’m really staying here? You’re in good company, as everyone from George Bernard Shaw to Barack Obama has spent the night here too. (Security is extra tight, as the Taj was the site of a terrorist bombing in 2008.) You enter the sumptuous lobby, with its clusters of seating warmed by the glow from blood-orange silk lampshades, carried forward on the delicious scent of florals and spices—the signature Taj fragrance that’s piped into all the public spaces (I meant to ask if I could buy a bottle; it was that bewitching). What's the crowd like there?Well-heeled internationals and well-to-do Indian families. Because the Taj is such a landmark, there are tourists and locals who come and go from the hotel’s restaurants, shops, and bars, as well as the daily Heritage Walks around the property. But some parts of the hotel are off-limits to non-guests, so you quickly leave the bustle of the lobby behind. How about the rooms?There are 55 rooms and suites between the recently refurbished old palace building and a modern tower wing (stay in the palace if you can!). Every room is decorated differently, drawing from Mogul, European, and Anglo-Indian styles. At the high end there are some fascinatingly quirky ones, including the Ravi Shankar suite, decorated with photos of the Beatles in India: George Harrison took lessons from the sitar master here. We were in an eclectically decorated three-room suite in the palace, directly overlooking the Gateway arch—a magical view, as you watch the sun set on the Arabian Sea beyond it. Even if you don’t stay in the palace wing, you’ll have to make a point of checking out the grand stairwell at the center, with its wrought-iron balustrades and sky-blue cupola. Take the vintage elevator up to view it from the top. While over there, peek into the giant ballroom, too. What else about the hotel is memorable?The Taj has the best pool in Mumbai. Especially after a sweaty day of touring the city, returning to this gleaming blue oval—surrounded by pink and orange color-blocked chaises and a gin cart that makes the rounds—is just plain heavenly. (The pool area also has a full-service restaurant, Aquarius, with afternoon sitar music.) And don’t miss afternoon tea with both English and Indian treats in the gorgeous Sea Lounge, with black-and-white tile floor, velvet and damask armchairs and tinkling piano music. (In the evenings it becomes a cocktail bar.) And you could spend all afternoon browsing the hotel’s shopping arcades, which include luxury boutiques like Louis Vuitton, the largest English-language bookshop in the city, and Raj-era institution Burlington’s, where I scored a gorgeous Nehru-collared silk brocade jacket. There’s a sizable spa, too, specializing in Ayurvedic treatments. How about the food?The hotel has a dozen restaurants, bars, and cafés, including Wasabi by Morimoto, Souk for Tagines, and Kraft Masala for Indian. We only had time to eat at at the latter, and when the waiter learned that we had a long flight very late that night, he had chef Sangwan make a couple of light dishes, like idli dosa, sautéed spinach, and non-spicy array of lentil dals. (There’s also a palatial Starbucks, if you miss your American-style coffee, but you should definitely try La Patisserie, a gorgeous classic confectionery.) What else stands out?The service here was impeccable and consistent—warm and thoughtfully attentive, without being overbearing. We arrived in the early morning, and we were installed for tea in a jewel box of a lounge until our room was ready. We’d planned almost nothing before our arrival, and the concierge was very hands-on organizing a car and driver for the day, and suggesting a tour route and lunch stop. A short time before dinner, a butler showed up at our door to give us foot baths in copper bowls full of flower petals. At night, he appeared again to draw a bath in the suite’s large marble tub. Bottom line: worth it, and why?Oh, 100 percent. One of the most memorable and beautiful hotels I’ve ever stayed in." - Sebastian Modak