We're having a look at:

The sheraton
Jaypee Palace
Gateway (Used to be called Taj view)
Hilton Trident

Has anyone stayed at any of those? Location wise are they all similar ?

we were very happy with the sheraton....spent 2 nites there

We're booked at the Trident for Dec. From Google Earth it appears to be about 3/4s of a mile from the Taj Mahal. We have a driver, so that's not a problem.

Of the 4, I would choose either the Gateway (get a Taj view room) or the Sheraton. The Jaypee is quite a bit out of town, and rooms are quite uneven; if you choose that hotel ask to see a few rooms before agreeing to one or get a Palace room. I would only take that hotel if I got a Palace room which are their newest rooms. I would also worry about service levels here, it is a very large convention hotel. The Trident has quite average rooms (although the lobby is nice), they were recently redone but IMO they don’t justify the price and are not very nice; its really a motel with a dressed up lobby. The Trident’s location is also not good, as you can’t walk to any interesting parts of town.

You can’t walk to the Taj from any of these hotels, which is not really an issue as you also can’t be driven up to the entrance to the Taj at all, as your driver has to drop you off about 100 yards from the entrance and you have to walk the rest of the way. There is a pedestrian zone around the Taj entrance. Not a hardship, except for the relentless touts, but fine once you get inside the gates of the monument. (Even from the Agra Vilas the little golf cart has to drop you off about 100 yards from the entrance, but they do have a person to escort you –absurdly – if you want it.)

The Sheraton has pretty grounds and a nice pool area. I believe they have recently added quite a good spa. I like the Gateway because it is in an actual neighborhood where you can walk out the front door and walk around and see something of the town, including some of the old town areas. In addition, their Taj view rooms actually offer some quite nice views of the monument. They have a pretty pool area as well.

If you can afford it, the Agra Vilas is certainly to be considered for its location and the quality of its rooms, service and lovely grounds, not to mention their really fine Taj views. Finally, I know that the Park Place hotel has received some good reviews on this board and on tripadvisor.com, see http://www.parkplaza.com/ I have not seen it. Location is OK, and I don’t believe that they have any Taj views, but it might be one to consider.

While the touts around the Taj entrance can be bothersome, don’t let that stop you from enjoying Agra, which does offer a lot to see and do beyond just the monument (which you should see at different times of day as the light does change it; sunrise and sunset are particularly beautiful). If you simply walk out of the pedestrian zone and into the old town areas surrounding the Taj, you will find that the touts disappear and you can wander the old town areas here unhindered.

Cicerone, you mean AmarVilas, not Agra Vilas, don't you?

Thanks everybody, we booked the Sheraton as we got the best offer 100Euros with breakfast.

The best luxury Hotel in Agra is Amarvilas - where the Premiere rooms with Balcony have aq nice view of the monument (Taj Mahal) - but it is high on price.

If you are looking for economy than the other hotels are better.

Jaypee Palace and Trident and also Taj Gateway shall be very economical - In Summer till Sep you shall be able to get it for about USD 65 to 70 (through a operator with special rates).

ITC Mughal shall be a shade more expensive - about USD 95/100 (till September)

Location wise Amarvilas is the closest to Taj Mahal. Other hotels mentioned are also not very far away - so it does not matter which you pick.

Be sure to see the Taj Mahal at sunrise and sunset - which are the best timings to see the monument in al its glory. Also Mahtab Bagh (across the river) - offers magnificient views of the Taj Mahal.

All the best

good choice clark.....go to amarvilas one nite for dinner...its quite fantastic to experience... the tallis specials are not all that expensive...

Ok Bob will do.

my wife had the meat tallis and i had the veggie....we shared them and they were very filling....

We stayed at the Gateway in June and the former name "Taj View" is very misleading.
The room was somehow 3* and the restaurant not very ambitious and lacking atmosphere.
If I go back I would only go for the Oberoi which is fantastic - but much more expensive than the Gateway.
We got what we paid for - obviously ;-)

SV