Christina L.
Google
We stayed here to experience Gwalior, and while the greeting, food, and public spaces were pleasant, the stay itself was extremely disappointing. The primary purpose of a hotel is to provide a comfortable room to sleep in, and on that front this property failed completely.
During our trip we stayed at several comparable hotels (the Oberoi and BrijRama Palace, for example), all of which exceeded this property by a thousandfold in service, room quality, and care.
Room Issues:
We were first shown to a room with no windows—musty, dark, and feeling very much like a converted storage space. I refused it immediately. We were then given a “suite,” which also had no windows except one in the bathroom. Not wanting to keep complaining, we reluctantly accepted it. This was a mistake.
My initial suspicion that something was wrong with the ventilation proved true; I woke up with significant sinus issues that I only experience around mold. The shower drain was completely clogged, flooding the entire bathroom. We discovered this at midnight, and not wanting a maintenance team in our room that late, we had to lay down towels and slog through them just to use the toilet.
Noise and Disturbance:
The “upgraded” room was located directly next to the restaurant, where a group of guests were yelling, squealing, and singing at 1 AM. We had to complain multiple times before management finally intervened.
Response From Staff:
The most disappointing part was the hotel’s attitude. When we reported our issues, we were repeatedly told, “We are sold out.” Yet our travel companions had lovely rooms with windows, and as we walked the grounds we saw numerous rooms that were clearly unoccupied. The hotel felt like a ghost town—so the “sold out” explanation felt untrue.
When we shared how poor our experience had been, the Front Desk Manager and General Manager offered apologies and excuses, and then announced that they would call the general managers at our remaining hotels to “ensure the rest of our trip went well.”
To be honest, it was baffling. If they cannot provide a basic, comfortable stay at their own property, why would we trust them to influence the quality of our stay elsewhere? And instead of taking responsibility—such as offering compensation for the sleepless night, the mold exposure, or the unusable bathroom—they offered nothing meaningful.
Bottom Line:
For the price point and the Taj name, this was unacceptable. Our stays at the Oberoi and Brij hotels were outstanding in comparison. Based on this experience, I strongly recommend choosing the Oberoi or Brij properties instead. This particular Taj location needs significant improvements before it earns the brand name it carries.
