misha2

At $526 a night in December, the Amarvilas resort is something I'll keep in mind for a future trip. I have heard such negative things about the Sheraton. So, which of the above two would you consider for a one night Agra stay? Or, is there something else out there that you would suggest.

Cicerone

I would certainly pick the Taj View over the Trident Hilton. I have already given you a report on the Taj View in another post, it is quite a nice hotel I think. The Trident is IMO not really anything special and the location is not great. I was kind of surprised when they gave me a tour a few weeks ago and told me that the rooms I was seeing were the redone rooms, they looked like they needed to have a redo....The lobby gives you the impression that you are entering a modern hotel, but then the rest of the hotel is quite old. It’s like a US motel that has seen better days, IMO.

It is a shame you only have one night, as there is a lot to see and do in the area, I hope you are planning to see Fathephur Sikri. Don’t be surprised if you don’t like Agra, as you may not have time to really see the quieter, traditional old town bits that are away from the tourists touts which surround the entrance to the Taj and sometimes the Agra fort. If you have any time, take a half hour or so to walk around the narrow pedestrian streets to the south of the entrance gate (right as you exit the Taj gate), or head to the Friday mosque which also has an old town area around it which is basically never visited by day trippers and is tout-free.

Bonita

Hello! Greetings from a American living in India.
I just left the Hilton in AGra two days ago with my group i am leading..The Taj View was sold out in our dates and instead we stayed at the HIlton..It is a defiante downgrade.

The Trident HIlton is just a very average property and also, presently under renovation as well!

I have stayed in almost all the five stars in Agra. I would choose almost all over the hILTON, including the Taj View, the Mughal Sheraton, and even Jaypee Palace..Hope that helps..

Any questions feel free to drop me a line at [email protected]

Oh, I am presently with my group in Varanasi, just arrived today from Khajurhao where i was at the lovely Taj Chandela and this evening we are at the Taj Ganges.

vp_singh

Both the Hilton & Taj View are very good properties. The Trident Hilton rooms have been renovated recently and are resplendant new. The Taj view rooms are a little old but the hotel makes up for it in terms of a wonderful restaurant. For individual travellers these are nice properties. For groups I feel, The Jay Pee & the Mughal Sheraton could be ok.

misha2

Thanks to all of you. I had thought the Trident might be the better choice based on Frommer's reviews. But, I guess I'll stick with the Taj View for now.

Cicerone thanks for the detailed info about things outside the tourist track. Are these walks pretty safe?

Thanks also Bonita and VP.

Cicerone

Yes, the walks in the old town areas would be quite safe. Personally safety is really not an issue in India. There is the odd crime happening to tourists, but statistically things like purse snathcings are much rarere than in US or European cities. I travel alone in India a lot, and have walked a good bit of Agra on my own as well. You do much better meeting people on your own or with just a few people than with a large group anyway. (Of course common sense should not go out the window, don’t walk around with an open purse, carry large sums of money, or go with anyone if you feel the least uncomfortable just to be polite, etc.)

I just read the Frommers’ reviews of both hotels and think they are accurate and fair, except that I think the views of the Tag from the Taj view are actually better than described; it is interesting to see them across the low old city landscape and the Taj really is not THAT far away. I would agree that the service at the Trident is probably very good, as Oberoi does run good hotels. I have eaten in the Taj View and the staff who gave me the room tour seemed quite young and energetic, so IMO the overall service at the Taj View would be fine, and you are only talking about one night.

To describe the rooms at the Trident as “resplendent” is something I just don’t understand. First of all, it’s a 3 star hotel, so to use that word when describing a 3 star hotel is excessive hyperbole to begin with (if such a thing exists). Secondly, the poster is either being paid by the Trident, or has never actually seen the Trident, or has never seen really beautiful hotels to use such a word. I love a good hotel, but can’t really think of one to which I would apply the word “resplendent” when describing it; perhaps the word “sublime” might be applied to some things like the pure white marble lobby of the Peninsula in Hong Kong.

misha2

Thanks. Interesting. It makes me doubt other Frommer's reviews.

vp_singh

The Oxford dictionary meaning of ‘resplendent’ is "bright & colourful in an impressive way”, and that is exactly how I would rate the refurbished Trident-Hilton rooms. As for my being on the pay roll of the Trident hotels…I guess when such words are used on an august forum, speaks volumes on the intellectual impoverishment of the post! Anyways, to each his own.