60 Best Hotels in India

Overlooking verdant rice plantations and the Arabian Sea, the Alila Diwa Goa is a cool open oasis of dark pitched roofs, breezy verandas, and serene courtyards. The first Indian venture for the Alila luxury chain, this stylish resort is designed to soothe and indulge—whether through pampering ayurvedic or Balinese spa treatments, lounging by its lovely paddy-facing infinity pool, going on custom local tours and activities, or catching a flick at its mini theater. The rooms all come with balconies and are fully loaded with modern amenities, including 55-inch LCD televisions. A shuttle service takes guests to and from nearby Gonsua Beach from sunrise until just after sunset.

This smart and luxurious property by the sea has enough to keep guests occupied both on- and off-site, from meditation and yoga sessions to cultural and culinary excursions—though you might choose to linger on your private balcony or patio (each room has one) with views of the sea, lagoon, or garden instead. The 45-acre property also has an excellent spa, a meandering pool (one of the largest in India), a children's play area where they can learn arts and crafts, and restaurants covering a broad spectrum of cuisines, including Goan specialties.

Set around a network of canals and pristine lawns, this lush 25-acre heritage resort is right on Lake Vembanad and is known for its palatial traditional villas fitted with ornately carved teakwood ceilings, colorful mythological murals, and open-air garden bathrooms with private pools. Some offer direct access to a 250-meter (820-feet) meandering pool. There are two main restaurants, an excellent ayurvedic center, and houseboats, as well as daily yoga, afternoon tea, and traditional dance performances.

Perched on a cliff, this large and luxurious hotel was designed by Charles Correa, one of India's most famous architects. The property houses the Kovalam Palace, the former summer retreat of the Travencore Royal Family, which has four opulent suites. Rooms have balconies that overlook either the sea or the garden. The enormous lobby, with a sloping roof, is lit by massive skylights. Golf carts take you around the 67-acre property, that has six dining options and three swimming pools.

Overlooking the sea, this rambling and simply beautiful resort, a top Kerala location that is built along a hillside, has an exquisite beach, lovely views, and a great deal of peace. Magnificent sculptures, hammocks, pools of flowers, and discreet stone fountains dot the meticulously maintained grounds. Most rooms are in restored wooden houses, each with an intricately carved facade, a domed wooden ceiling, open-air bathrooms, and ocean-view patios. Kovalam beach is about 15 minutes away by road. 

One of India's best resorts emulates the opulent lifestyle of the Mughal emperors, and each room has a breathtaking view of the Taj Mahal. Common areas are full of sandstone arches, glistening pools, and stone inlay detail copied from the Taj Mahal, and each spacious room is understatedly elegant, with teak floors and rich fabrics. If you don't stay here, at least stop by for an elegant meal or a drink on the terrace.

This fabulous 32-acre luxury retreat, 20 minutes outside Jaipur and set against a hilly backdrop, is a destination unto itself, whether you want to splurge on a private villa with its own pool, enjoy a spacious standard room, or revel in a romantic luxury tent with rich wood fittings on grounds that are home to hundreds of peacocks. Re-created to look like a grand heritage fort, the resort brings back to life a certain majesty and romance of another age. Honey-gold buildings, orchards, reflection pools and fountains set the tone, though the marble-and-stone carving blends well with the arid environment. Standard double rooms are minimalist in concept, but the real standout is the sunken marble bathtubs, which look out over private gardens.

On the edge of the Ranthambore Tiger Reserve, this resort, one of the best in all of India, is ideal for those who want to "camp" in sheer luxury. A ceremonial gateway leads to a magical lobby with beautiful frescoes and a splendid residential area, where sumptuous, romantic a/c tents evoke all the magnificence of the former royal lifestyle. The tents have teakwood floors, walled gardens, private decks, and claw-footed bathtubs as well as modern conveniences like televisions, DVD players, and electronic safes. The spa offers massages, scrubs, and ayurvedic treatments. The resort requests you to book your jungle trips in advance. Guided tours of the grounds can be arranged with staff.

In the very top bracket of the Goa resorts, the modern and sleek, 45-acre Hyatt has spacious rooms, great dining, an excellent spa, a library with 1,500 titles, a minitheater where you can watch movies, and the largest swimming pool in India (21,527 square feet). The thoroughly luxurious spa houses body scrub and massage suites, hydrotherapy facilities, steam rooms, and well-trained staff; it offers a full range of ayurvedic treatments. The sprawling group of restaurants in the hotel's food "village" adjacent to its expansive lobby covers a broad spectrum of cuisines, including Goan specialties (Casa Sarita), North and South Indian cuisine (Masala), and wood-fire pizzas and pasta (Da Luigi). Praia de Luz, a wine and tapas bar overlooking the Arabian Sea, is one of the highlights here.

Small design details, spacious grounds, and lake-view rooms with private patios just steps from the water make this large backwater resort sparkle. The traditional tile-roof buildings have ornate wooden carvings on the facades, while rooms have high ceilings, exposed wooden rafters, and decoratively tiled floors. The resort also has luxury one-bedroom and two-bedroom houseboats and floating cottages that can be booked for a day cruise or an overnight stay on Vembanad lake.

For flat-out, over-the-top luxury and sophistication, nothing in Goa can top this well-planned 49-acre resort that includes a golf course, private access to a secluded beach, and rooms varying in degrees of decadence. The two-story, salmon-covered villas are arranged along a winding artificial lagoon, with some featuring private plunge pools. Rooms and suites have elegant furnishings, marble bathrooms, and private balconies. The open-air lobby is reminiscent of a temple from the ruins of the town of Hampi to the west, complete with panel carvings---it is a wonderful place to spend a cool, quiet afternoon. The restaurants offer broad and diverse menus in beautiful settings. For a memorable experience, book a celestial dining experience in a glass pod.

Constructed within the boundary and adjoining the ramparts of an old Portuguese fort, this hotel has gorgeous views of the fort, sea, and beach. Most of the rooms face the ocean and are furnished with contemporary Goan-style dark wood and cane furniture. If you crave seclusion, stay in the exclusive (and expensive) villas tucked into the hillside behind the resort (these used to be a separate property, known as the Aguada Hermitage). The restaurants, recreational facilities, and spa at the Taj Holiday Village next door are open to Fort Aguada guests as well.

Set on 15 acres of manicured gardens, among hundreds of palm trees, the gorgeous Taj resort with a top-notch spa is easily one of the best places to stay in Kovalam. The rooms are decorated in traditional Keralan and Balinese styles. Golf carts can take you down to the gardens, a private beach, a seafood restaurant, and the lagoon. In this heavenly microcosm you have an opportunity to experience the best of Kerala—the scenery, local food, and wonderful ayurvedic treatments.

Isolated at the tip of Willingdon Island, this grand hotel offers a heritage sensibility and style with a stunning carved-wood ceiling in the lobby and a similarly styled bar with a harbor view. The rooms are divided between two wings: the Heritage Wing, which dates back to 1935, and the Tower Wing, which is more modern. All rooms and suites have wooden flooring and Kerala-style furnishings, with some offering views of the harbor.

This restored heritage palace provides the most luxurious accommodations in Varanasi, as it did in its heyday, when guests of the Maharaja of Benaras included Queen Elizabeth, Lord Mountbatten, Jawaharlal Nehru, and the king of Persia. The rooms, evoking that bygone era, are elaborately furnished with pieces from the maharaja's private collection—voluptuous four-poster teak beds with silk canopies, Victorian-style armoires, antique bathtubs. There's a pool with ghatlike steps, a golf course, and manicured gardens amid fields of marigolds, jasmine, and mango trees. The signature spa treatment is based on the ritual purifying bath once performed on royalty for special occasions. Rooms are named after patrons who once stayed in them, so if you want to live a bit like the queen of Bhutan once did, ask for her room.

Although not as luxurious as some of its neighbors, this backwater resort with pretty white bungalows with terra-cotta roofs is set on a lovely 13-acre property that has ponds, lush coconut palm groves, and a small lagoon running through it. The rooms, each with their own patio, are spacious, stylish, and furnished in muted colors. High ceilings, wood trim, and solid-wood furniture give them a substantial feel.

In a quiet location off the main road near Candolim, this resort from the Acron Hotels group resembles a classy Portuguese mansion and is competent and professional in its service and facilities. The property overlooks verdant rice fields and an imposing whitewashed church behind busy Candolim. A free shuttle service transports guests to nearby Candolim Beach, and the busy Calangute stretch is a short taxi ride away. All rooms come with balconies—ask for a pool-facing one.

This enchanting palace and village complex has several intriguing perks—like a pool with waterfalls and caves; a lobby stuffed with atmospheric royalty-related memorabilia, such as portraits of maharajas, spears, and heads of deer; and even a garage full of royal vintage cars available for rent. The individually styled rooms are a funky mix of contemporary designs and traditional Rajasthani fabrics and artifacts; some even have trees growing inside. The prettiest rooms are located within round hut-style thatched cottages with mud-walled verandas that have swings. Attached baths are large with tubs and loads of sparkling granite/marble. In peak season nightly outdoor dinners feature live entertainment. Horseback riding, village tours, and safaris can be arranged. While it's located a good 10-minute tuk tuk ride from the Old City, this place still puts you close to boutiques, coffee shops, and restaurants.

Mere minutes from the gate of Ranthambore Tiger Reserve, this fully tented camp is glamping at its best with expansive Mughal-inspired tents. Each apartment-sized tent (108 square mt [1,162 square ft]) is done up in warm colors and classic furnishing with a king or twin bed, oversized day bed, twin writing desks, and a large bathroom with bathtub, shower area, and smart toilet. There's also a separate seating-dining area and a private sundeck. Meals are a mix of Indian and international cuisines, mostly made with produce from the camp's own organic garden. Apart from wildlife safaris with a trained naturalist, fort treks, horse-riding, and a cruise on the Chambal River are also on offer. After an adventurous day, relax in the stepwell-style swimming pool or indulge in traditional Ayurveda-inspired treatments at the spa.

You'll find thatched cottages and Portuguese-style bungalows nestled in lush palm trees at this beachfront property. Most accommodations have a private balcony with sea or garden views. Hammocks are scattered around, inviting you to plonk yourself down for a relaxing afternoon. There is also an in-house beachfront multi-cuisine restaurant, L'Atelier, that serves Goan specialties.

Spread across 9 acres, Pushkar’s loveliest and most expensive hotel has an outdoorsy lodge feel and there are golf carts to get around. Many of the cottages, with their beehive-shape tiled roofs and cobblestone walls, have private side patios and open-air showers set in greenery. Rooms, furnished with delicately etched tree murals and rich silks, have an understated and modern elegance. There are better priced rooms in the main hotel building, but they lack locational charm.

The main draws of this basic resort sandwiched between the roar of the Arabian Sea and the ripple of a backwater lagoon are its ayurvedic treatments and serene surroundings. The midsize rooms, in a whitewashed, one-story building, are simply furnished and well maintained, with cane furnishings and private sitouts (patios) facing the lagoon. A two-minute walk gets you to the public beach. It is 4 km (2½ miles) north of Kovalam, on the way to Trivandrum.

A seriously steep walk downhill through green environs brings you to a clutter of whitewashed, terra-cotta-roofed cottages, clinging to the slope, where you get a bird's-eye view of tea plantations for miles around, including workers' settlements and a small blue-roofed church. These snug, modest cottage rooms, with parquet floors and interiors done in soothing creams and white, and their verandas, are peaceful and make great spots to catch the valley action.

This six-story high-rise beachfront hotel is a good choice for those needing easy access to the airport, but not much else. Its chief assets are its big, bright rooms, every one with a direct view of the rolling ocean.

Named after the former hunting lodge of the Maharaja of Jaipur (which still stands in ruins inside Ranthambore Tiger Reserve), this boutique resort features traditional Rajasthani architectural influences like arches and jharokhas as well as a large baoli or stepwell-style swimming pool. The wildlife motif runs throughout with hand-painted murals of tigers, leopards, and other animals adorning the walls of common spaces. Rooms sport modern decor and are set around a large lawn; lower-floor rooms have private plunge pools while those on the upper floor come with views of the Aravallis. Cuisine is a mix of Rajasthani and international fare as well as healthy, vegan, and gluten-free options. The on-site Sansha spa offers indulgent treatments that are great post-safaris, and evenings feature folk performances, bonfire, and guided stargazing sessions.

A golf course, eight dining options, and private access to the beach add to the mix of this cheery resort, which is spread out over 23 acres. The atrium lobby is a fusion of cathedral and piazza, with wrought-iron garden benches and huge arches and beams. Rooms are big and cozy, and many have lovely views out over the Arabian Sea.

On a dense coconut plantation, just a two-minute walk (about 500 yards) from Bogmalo Beach and a 5-km (3-mile) drive from Dabolim Airport, this charming little resort with spotless, airy rooms, and a small swimming pool is run by friendly staff. Unlike many of Goa's mid-range resorts, it succeeds in creating a mellow vibe, despite the occasional noise of planes from a nearby Indian Airforce base.

This serene Kerala backwaters resort, bordered by the lake and the backwaters on three sides and crisscrossed with canals and footbridges, is dotted with bungalows, private pool villas, and mansions. Ettukettu, one of the restaurants here, is painstakingly reassembled from parts of an approximately 300-year-old Kerala tharawad (traditional house). The hotel has a butterfly garden.