253 Best Hotels in India

On a 500-yard-long spit of outstretched private land, surrounded on three sides by the waters of the Arabian Sea and Otter Creek, this beautiful, small property has attentive service and comprises five elegant beach houses and three tents that are separated from the mainland by the saltwater creek—access is via a private bamboo footbridge. The beach houses sleep between two and six persons, depending on the house; each tent sleeps two in a double four-poster bed. The property is closed May through September.

Just a few minutes on foot from the Gateway of India, the Fariyas is a solid midrange hotel, well located in Colaba. It has a small marble lobby with glass chandeliers and brass ornaments. The rooms, with contemporary furnishings and wood floors, are inviting, though pricey given the lack of luxury. Ask for a room with a sea-facing view.

The main reason to stay at this dramatic-looking royal retreat is to avoid taking on the twisting round-trip between Ranakpur and Udaipur in one day, because it's just a short drive from the Jain temple. It offers traditionally decorated, enormous rooms; some of the suites have Jacuzzis. Interestingly, it is not native to Ranakpur. It once stood neglected, outside of Udaipur, and brick by brick—65,000 in all—it was migrated to this new, prettier location in 2002. The honeymoon suite has a traditional wedding swing-bed hung from the ceiling and needs to be booked in advance.

Environmentally friendly, community-minded, luxurious, and with an interesting backstory, this is one of Udaipur's notable boutique hotels, perched atop a hill adjacent to the Monsoon Palace. Originally in Bhilwara, around 160 km (100 miles) away, this small palace belonging to the Kelwa Rajput family was moved here, stone by stone, in 2007 and reconstructed using the Vedic architectural principles of Vaastu Shastra (think Indian feng shui). Antique doors and windows were also utilized. Rooms have elegant dark-wood furniture and pastel frescoes depicting concepts of Vedic science and are very large. The hotel has a water recycling plant, and windmills and solar panels produce electricity. The hotel has three pools, and the highest pool is one of the best with spectacular city views, as does the hotel's main restaurant. There's an interesting collection of vintage cars on the grounds—one of them is parked in the main portico.

Located a couple of miles from Sarnath, this hotel is clean, well-lit, and welcoming with contemporary interiors. Apart from Cilantro, the in-house restaurant, there's a rooftop bar with continental offerings, as well as a swimming pool. This property feels slightly more business-like than others, but remains a good option if you're planning to spend most of your days outdoors.

This century-old, somber red fort in the dusty village of Luni is now a heritage hotel offering a real get-away-from-it-all experience. It has spacious courtyards and delightful rooms that have small, arched windows called jharokhas; Rajasthani-style furniture and fabrics; and old photographs. Many of the small rooms have stairways leading to an alcove or to the bathroom. The waterwheel—now a fountain in the bar—was originally used to channel water around the fort. The restaurant has a fixed-price Indian menu. Consider a night here if you are driving from Udaipur to Jodhpur.

The hotel might not be particularly convenient, but its architecture and interior design are interesting, and the suites are quite luxurious. Inside, French-style features are blended with historic Marwari touches: the large entryway once belonged to a 16th-century haveli from the local fort. Standard rooms are Western, with contemporary furnishings, but take a suite and you'll get frescoes and antique beds with pure silver bedposts. The restaurant, Sonal, serves à la carte Indian, Chinese, and continental food, and the rooftop bar is good for sunset and fort views. Bathrooms could be better.

This bright yellow heritage building has charming rooms with four-poster beds that are set around a stylish central courtyard. Near the beautifully tiled pool, there's an ancient mikvah or natural spring used for Jewish rituals---it is one of the last to exist in Kerala today. 

Extremely popular with businesspeople because of its central location between South Mumbai and the western suburbs, India's tallest hotel—33 stories—has a luxury rooftop bar that is one of the city's hottest (and most expensive) nightspots. Earth tones and warm colors are the order of the day throughout the hotel, from the marble and wood lobby to the spacious rooms: the standard rooms come in three sizes, from 385 square feet to nearly 600 square feet, while suites range from the living-room-bedroom-double-walk-in-closet setup to the massive Presidential Suite.

Built into a steep cliff and in a style similar to the area’s tea plantation bungalows, this luxury hotel offers sweeping views of Munnar Valley; that is, when it’s not engulfed in a thick mist. The bright and colorful rooms all offer mountain views and some have private terraces. There are two restaurants—one of which is completely enclosed in glass—a bar, a gym, a coffee shop, and an ayurvedic spa.

Conveniently situated between Fort Kochi and Jew Town, this luxury hotel with its landmark clock tower features an atrium-style lobby with marble flooring and a large trompe l’oeil paying homage to the building’s original occupants---the East India Company. The light and airy rooms are decorated in a British colonial style with wooden floors, bright patterned area rugs, and intricate wall mouldings; suites add sitting areas and balconies with prime views of the waterfront. 

The best reason to stay here is the hotel's proximity to city sights and access to a lovely garden barbecue restaurant out front. The rooms are simple, with no extra frills or great views, but clean and up to mark—some have lemon yellow accents and some have bold pink accents. There's also small lobby where you can relax for an evening cocktail. Set in the grounds of the vintage car museum and at the edge of Gulab Bagh near City Palace, this property is managed by the HRH group that runs many of the city's royal hotels.

This cozy haveli hotel, inside the 11th-century fort, is run like a homestay by the family who owns it, and makes for a special stay. Rooms, each quite different from the next with special names—Rising Sun Room, Sweet Purple Rooms, Opium Room and so on—with window seats, carved stonework and carved wood furniture, are accented in bright hues according to their theme, and are at different levels.

The terrace, where one can lounge about and watch Jaisalmer's spectacular sunsets/sunrises is the best spot to position yourself in this hotel.

Calicut's premier hotel is frequented by airline crews and wealthy Omanis, who come for lengthy treatments at the well-regarded ayurvedic center. A beautiful wooden ceiling with exposed beams caps the lobby, and rooms are posh, with wooden floors and touches of wood trim. They are furnished largely in soothing whites and creams, with silk curtains. Some quarters have a leafy view; others overlook the pool.

Like most Ginger hotels around the country, this hotel is functional and oriented to the business traveler, with clean rooms.

Set in Kochi’s bustling antiques market, this luxurious boutique hotel has a unique policy: if you like any piece of furniture or artwork in the hotel—all collectible antiques—you can purchase it. The eight rooms, which are spacious and offer views of Lake Vembanad, are individually decorated with antiques from all over India and constantly changing as new inventory arrives to the hotel’s own antique store, Heritage Arts. There’s also a restaurant, swimming pool, and small garden.

Walk into the lovely sea-facing lobby, where you can watch and listen to the crash of waves along the rocky shores, and you will find it hard to leave this upscale Western chain hotel with all the plush trimmings expected in a five-star establishment. The rooms are elegantly furnished in a contemporary style—try the bay-view rooms for sea-facing balconies. The lounge, a coffee shop during the day, becomes a popular nightclub on weekends. It's just a few minutes on foot to the beach, although this is very much a city hotel, not a resort.

A great location at a decent price is the main selling point of this nine-story, low-frills hotel, but room standards (and views) vary, so opt for one of the 10 deluxe rooms, with central air-conditioning and in-room amenities like coffeemakers. Their bathrooms are passable, but could be cleaner. Eighth-floor rooms have a nice view of the Taj Mahal hotel and the Gateway of India, but the rest are not much to write home about. The rooftop restaurant, Cloud 9, serves Indian and Mumbai-style Chinese food—the Indian is better. Rooms in the sister hotel, the Garden, next door aren't quite as nice.

Built of golden sandstone, this hotel away from the city center is spacious and elegant, and the rooms, with balconies, are arranged in haveli-style blocks around a series of small interior courtyards with skylights and fountains. Interiors feature traditional Rajasthani motifs and large, lovely windows; the suites are spacious and worth the price. The property includes two restaurants, a bar, a swimming pool, and a small spa. The hotel, popular with foreign tour groups, is run by IHCL under the SeleQtions brand (the same group that runs Taj Hotels).

It's a unique stay at the well-located Gordon House, where the quirkily themed rooms, ranging from sunshine-yellow Mediterranean to minimalist Scandinavian, are a total departure from other, more somber, rooms offered by most hotels in the city. Downstairs on the ground floor, you'll find All Stir Fry, its signature restaurant, and Havana Cafe and bar, a South American–theme watering hole. Should you find those wanting, step outside the hotel and you'll find that you're surrounded by some of Colaba's nicest restaurants.

A palatial 18th-century house renovated to meet new-age demands, Guleria Kothi has all the trappings of an eclectic stay. Wooden furnishings meet old sandstone walls and flooring, while views of the Ganges follow you wherever you go. There's an open-air eatery as well as a rooftop restaurant for fine dining. If you ask, the team will arrange sufi nights in the courtyard and yoga in the meditation room. Some room configurations feature four beds, ideal for families and groups.

Family-owned and -operated, this hotel in a 200-year-old sprawling haveli preserves many of its original features, including carved stonework, striking Bundi School of Painting murals, and other artwork, making a stay here like living in an art gallery. The hotel sits at the base of Bundi's fort and has fantastic views of the palace, the fort, and the city, especially from the higher-level floors and rooftop terrace, where meals can be served. Rooms are individually styled and contain antiques, paintings, books, and old photographs.

Set 2 km (1 mile) from two of Trivandrum’s top sights—Padmanabhaswamy Temple and the Kuthiramalika Palace Museum—this seven-story business hotel offers wonderful views of the city and is known for its incredible staff and service. The warm rooms feature large picture windows, comfortable beds, and modern bathrooms with walk-in rain showers or bathtubs while suites add a living area complete with a sofa bed. There is a bar, a restaurant, a gym, and an outdoor swimming pool. The hotel also has EV charging facilities.

Comfortable and large but somewhat bland rooms are available in this modern block hotel a few yards from the sea. Each executive room has its own balcony and affords excellent views of the beach and the rippling Arabian Sea. The service is warm and attentive, and rooms have all the modern amenities. There is a local temple nearby.

The chief advantage of this international chain is its uniform service and friendly vibe, and the private access to Mobor Beach is a blessing after the crowded beaches of North Goa. Spread over 25 acres, the hotel has a large pool that encourages long, all-day soaks, a poolside bar with excellent snacks, and comfortable, if generic, rooms. It's also a popular wedding venue, and there are plenty of colorful, if loud, weddings here during the November--January wedding season.

This hotel occupies a 200-year-old restored Portuguese country house on an inland lane, and its lovely pool, lush garden, and simple, well-maintained rooms make it a well-priced place to stay in Anjuna. The multicuisine restaurant is a step up from the shack restaurants that line the beach.

This boutique heritage hotel, furnished with antiques, is in the heart of the town, with great views of the palace and fort. It offers a range of tastefully decorated bright-white rooms, from simple budget accommodations to elegant suites, and many have window seats to take advantage of the views. The rooftop restaurant on-site also has good views of the lake and Bundi's Old Town, but the food itself is mediocre.

A 10-minute drive from the main group of temples, this is a clean and tastefully decorated hotel, and though it lacks personality, it does have an excellent range of sport and leisure options, including swimming, cricket, badminton, tennis, and jogging. Most of the rooms have views of the 18 acres of green lawn and gardens. Yoga instruction is available on request, and the basement spa provides Ayurvedic massages.

Still the residence of a well-to-do family, this guesthouse has small, beautiful rooms with quirky charm, and classical Indian concerts are often held here. There is a great veranda overlooking the river and Assi Ghat, and inside, there is a Shaiva shrine and 14 guestrooms. Delicious dinners, served under a galaxy of lamps and chandeliers, are Brahmin-style vegetarian. Book months ahead for peak season.

You won't feel cramped inside this hotel where the crisp and modern standard rooms are 220 square feet. The best rooms overlook the pool, but many others have good views of the city. The hotel also houses a popular nightclub and a pastry shop.