We are going to Agra in a few days then on to Japiur. At the Oberoi hotel in Jaipur they have luxury tents which look like they will add another great element to the visit.

Any recommendations for luxury hotels in Agra, and any ideas if they ahve special features like the tents. i checked th Oberoi web site and th rooms look ok.
looking for something extraordinary.
Thanks

I don’t think you can do better than the Amarvilas in Agra. I would say that the rooms are not super luxurious compared to some of the other Vila properties they have, but they are very nice indeed, good size, quite comfortable and the best thing is their tremendous views of the Taj from both the rooms and the balconies. It is almost surreal to come out of the bathroom and be greeted with the Taj Mahal floating in front of your window. Sunrise is quite pretty, but it is best actually AT the Taj, but other times of day the view is wonderful. Go for as high a floor as is available to maximize your view. Public areas and gardens a very impressive, lovely pool area. They have a good spa as well. I believe they may have top floor suites which may even have bathtubs with views, that might be what you are looking for if you want something extra special (although the Taj is rarely lit at night.) There is nothing else I have seen in Agra which comes close.

They will drive you in a little golf cart about as far as you can go to the Taj in any type of motorized transport, you have to run the tout gauntlet of the last 100 yards on foot, but they will provide a “guard” to escort you to the actual Taj entrance– I personally would ditch them as it’s just silly, and walk on yourself.

moishe:

Going to Agra in a few days, eh...

Did you notice, while checking the rooms on the Oberoi web site, that the property is booked out 19th - 26th Feb?

and that the cheapest internet rate is a cool $730 a night + 5%?

we stayed at the sheraton which was perfectly adequate for our visit....in agra you are only there for one thing, visit the taj and not lux in a hotel

The Amarvilas are a lot better than "OK". The views, the location, the service, the pool area are spectacular.

Sitting on our balcony in the late afternoon, watching the pigeon flocks doing their acrobatics to the whistles of their trainers, seeing monkeys in the park beyond the hotel grounds, having parrots and eagles fly over us, all the while watching the red sun sink and the TAj looking in the background...one of my best travel moments!

I eagerly look forward to my third visit this May. To me, it is one of those "damn the cost, book me a room" kind of places.

I don’t mean to give the impression that the Amarvilas is not a good hotel, and I certainly think it deserves its 5 star rating (and there are many hotels in India which do not), but IMO comparing the rooms to the rooms in some of their other properties, I did not think it was as luxurious a room. As I said, it is a nice room and quite comfortable, it’s just that I don’t want to give the impression that you will walk in and sink into the carpets or have the exotic tent experience you can have at some of their other vila hotels.

I’m glad to see that someone on this board has been to Agra more than once, I thought I was the only one (4 times so far, it's one of the most underrated places in India; sure its got of lot of tourist crap, but that is easily missed).

I completely agree with you Cicerone.

I think one of the problems is that Agra is often a tourist's first stop in India, and it is just so overwhelming. They are often jet-lagged and experiencing complete culture shock. The touts around the Taj, in the shops, and 'workshops' where guides force visitors can also be so unpleasantly aggressive.

Plus, when all the common wisdom says that Agra is a pit, many people don't bother to explore further than the Taj and a few other monuments, then leave. Granted, there are plenty of magical spots in India, so it isn't like your trip won't be complete without discovering the real Agra, but it is right there.

I took your advice my last trip (in October) and dug a lot deeper. I'll admit, some of the "digging" was done from the comfort of our AC car, but even driving the old streets is a fascinating experience if you have a willing driver. We were there for two and a half days, and went to a lot of places off the tourist path. We also went walking, did some sitting and just looking.

After all the sensory overload in town though, the luxury of the Amarvilas was even more appreciated. As I floated on my back in the pool one morning, I was contemplating the beauty of my surroundings, and thinking how incredibly lucky I was to be there. An elderly tourist standing on the bridge above greeted me, then said "You have a look of absolute bliss on your face." I laughed, but had to agree!