Taj Mahal Palace & Tower

Taj Mahal Palace & Tower Review

Looking past the Gateway of India to the Arabian Sea, the Taj's stunning brown stone exterior sports rows of jutting white balconies and Gothic windows. Onion domes on the corner turrets echo the high, central Italianate dome. The first hotel in what is now a pan-India luxury chain, this Victorian extravaganza was built in 1903. Foreigners and wealthy Indians choose this hotel over other fancy hotels in town because it's a beautiful and regal landmark—one worth visiting even if you don't plan to stay here. A less expensive 19-story modern wing ("the tower"), which throws in some Moorish elements, rises next to the older wing. Every corner of the older building is exquisitely decorated, often with antiques (for which the hotel's decorator scours India) and always with warm, tasteful colors. Rooms and suites in this building, some of which surround small, quiet interior verandas, retain their Victorian character with high ceilings, pastel colors, antiques, and cane furniture. Rooms facing the harbor are extremely attractive. Rooms in the the tower are slightly less expensive and spacious, but a bit unremarkable for their price. Furnished in maroon and subdued oranges, they have a tiny sitting area.