170 Best Hotels in India

Ensconced in a brick-red 19th-century haveli in Old City's Johari Bazaar (jewelers' market), this beautifully designed boutique hotel combines traditional Rajasthani design with contemporary touches. In keeping with its location, each of the hotel's room is named after a gemstone and is done up in the corresponding color, and features scalloped arches, antiques, and vintage furnishing. The extra-large bedroom is flanked by a living room, powder room, and bathroom—the latter stocked with luxury amenities. Food is largely modern Indian and vegetarian, beautifully plated and quite delicious. The Johri & Sons bar is popular with Jaipur's swish set and serves up inventive cocktails along with a small selection of bar snacks.

This homey, colonial-style bungalow offers unique-themed rooms (each is decorated in honor of local festivals and former principalities) with standard amenities. The large rooms are simple but clean with period furniture; bathrooms are quite basic. The restaurant serves Indian and Chinese cuisine—the Rajasthani food is better than other choices—and evening entertainment and dinner are organized in and around traditional thatched huts in the garden area.

Popular with repeat visitors to Kolkata, this hotel has pretty gardens and two cheerfully furnished wings with comfortable and spacious guest rooms. This hotel, which has a great downtown location and garden, gets a lot of business as a wedding venue.

The location of this lovely, ancient, characterful hotel, built into the walls of the fort, could not be better---the views are great. Rooms and public areas are tastefully decorated in traditional but elegant Rajasthani style and are comfortable. The warm and helpful owners, who are always around, harvest rainwater, making the property admirably eco-friendly.

This hotel, which lies adjacent to one of the most popular malls in the city, Lulu Mall, is a good choice for those who want to include shopping on their agenda. The gleaming, modern lobby has a piano and a massive antique clock; the rooms are spacious and have gorgeous views of the city. There's a seafood restaurant and two bars as well. The on-site spa offers a range of therapies, including ayurvedic massages.

Unlike the sober Dutch mansions nearby, the three-story Koder House sticks out due to its brick exterior's fire-engine color and slightly unusual, Portuguese-inflected architecture. The six eccentric, attractive rooms are filled with antique furniture, overstuffed armchairs, red coir carpets, and enormous bathrooms. The home was built in 1808 and originally housed Kochi’s most-respected Jewish family.

Especially surprising given its price, this hotel has some great features, including a wonderful lakeside location, rooms with private terraces, suites with Jacuzzi or steam room, an Upre restaurant, and a rooftop pool. The rooms are homey, though not strongly designed, and many of them have great views. There are various options, including deluxe rooms (best value) and suites. The small pool gives the place an edge over the neighbors, and the restaurant menu ranges from standard Indian fare to Mexican food, with a large, reasonably priced wine list.

In the heart of Kolkata's business district, this 19th-century heritage property was restored by Bharat Hotels Limited and turned into a classy business hotel with massive rooms in 2014; the property is well preserved with elements that highlight the building's history as a bakery. The 24-hour alfresco restaurant is very European, with pristine white decor and a global menu, while the old bakery equipment has been restored in another restaurant called The Bakery, which serves some old Calcutta favorites and a hearty breakfast.

Sumptuous lawns and views, grand terraces, palace pomp, and an interesting range of activities for guests—horse dancing, bagpiper recitals, puppet shows, snooker—are the highlights of Laxmi Vilas, a former palace constructed in 1911. Located on a gentle hill facing Pichola's sister lake, the Fateh Sagar, it was built by the worthy Maharana Fateh Singh, who constructed many of the mahals in this town. He also built the Connaught Dam as a small welcoming present for Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught, Queen Victoria's son who visited in 1889. Its rooms are large, many with lake views and window seats and attractively furnished in earthy colors with pretty wall screens. The hotel company has also undertaken social responsibility initiatives, including an employment program for acid-attack survivors and LGBT rights and awareness programs.

As the closest hotel to the temples, the Lalit has a great view of them—one you can enjoy while lounging in the manicured garden, sipping cocktails next to the pool. The interior has a colonial feel, with cream-color marble floors, traditional Indian tapestries and art, and teak and wicker furniture. It also has a world-class spa, a restaurant serving decent continental and Indian cuisine, and its own sound-and-light show and cultural performances. Ask for one of the temple-view rooms, though be prepared to pay extra for it.

Rural and old-fashioned, this cozy, memorable heritage hotel is the best place to stay in the city and is still home to descendants of the former maharaja of Bharatpur. The palace, a two-story rambling haveli built in 1887, sits on 50 acres of mustard and wheat fields. The interior blends Mughal and Rajput styles—each room is different, and many contain fireplaces, old brass beds, antique furniture, original tiles, and painted walls. Cheaper rooms, still pleasant, are smaller with newer furniture. The Keoladeo Park is 3 km (2 miles) away and the hotel organizes Jeep safaris or excursions.

This attractive contemporary hotel is a decent choice, with the trappings of a luxury property, but offering reasonable prices. Rooms are cheerful and sleek, without being too resort-y, and every room is designed around a central garden and has a pool view and either a patio or a balcony. Ground-floor rooms are the best, as they open directly onto the garden, so you can walk out of your room and dive into the pool---and what a pool: huge, with a waterfall and a food pavilion.

An exclusive hotel at an exclusive address, The Lodhi is over-the-top luxury all the way, starting with the private pool nestled on the balcony of most of the rooms. Standard rooms are more than spacious, and the suites are massive. There are also service apartments, the rate for which is negotiable. Calm and quiet grandeur is the theme, with dark wood and soothing neutral tones. With excellent dining options, plus a spa and hammam, you might not want to leave the grounds.

The well-priced rooms—all with Rajasthani decor and period-style furniture—are the main reason for heading to this Bani Park haveli-hotel. While it might not be a real Rajasthani mansion, the comparatively austere lodging does still lend the haveli atmosphere---though there are more traditional offerings closer to the city. Enter through an ornate gate, and the main hotel, embellished with all the Indo-Saracenic touches, is just beyond, where the rooms face a central courtyard. The royal deluxe rooms, only a shade more expensive, are decently large with big bathrooms.

Run by the Oberoi group, this is one of the city's oldest hotels, occupying a classic Raj building, with high-arched windows, deep verandas, grand old trees, pleasant lawns, and a quirky interior with huge rooms and bathrooms. Opened in 1903, before New Delhi even existed, this is outside the boundaries of Old Delhi, but with a Metro station adjacent, it's a speedy, air-conditioned ride from both Old Delhi and Connaught Place.

This strictly ayurvedic resort is quieter and even closer to the water than its neighboring sister property, Somatheeram Beach Resort. Its simple, circular brick cottages are neatly arrayed on ascending terraces—the rooms inside are small, with red oxide floors. "Special" cottages have better sea views. Alcohol is not permitted.

Like something out of a fairy tale, this rambling 300-year-old palace-hotel at Gandhi Chowk with comfortable, neat, and clean (but not luxurious or memorable) rooms has a breathtakingly beautiful carved exterior that incorporates turrets, arched doorways, windows, and balconies. Its wedding-cake-looking Badal Vilas is the tallest structure outside the fort and includes the Tazia Tower, a delicate five-tier pagoda carved by Muslim craftsmen; each tier has an intricately carved balcony.

Abutting the eastern wall of the City Palace, this haveli from 1910 has been refurbished into a design-forward boutique hotel with an expansive central courtyard. Each spacious room has a foyer in striking blue or terracotta with tone-on-tone chandelier, a large bathroom with custom-made toiletries, and a light-filled bedroom in neutral colors and a contemporary four-poster bed. The overall look is pared down and modern with touches of Rajasthani motifs and architectural elements. A highlight is the rooftop pool with cow-head fountain spouts and sweeping views of the Old City and the City Palace (which looks particularly enchanting after sunset). The restaurant offers both indoor and outdoor seating and serves North Indian cuisine with a focus on Mewari and Rajasthani classics. The hotel organizes offbeat experiences like a breakfast trail in the Old City, curated shopping tours, and a champi (vigorous head massage) by the pool.

Fluttering eucalyptus trees frame an alluring resort of tile-roofed cobblestone cottages, some of them two stories, offering memorable views of Mattupetty Lake. The cottages are well-spaced in this family-owned property, allowing each privacy. Pine furniture adorns each of the rooms, and the overall decor is a mellow green and white, with eucalyptus trees etched on the walls. The two-bedroom cottages have a living and dining area.

A 10-minute walk from the Golden Fort, this 18th-century haveli exudes old-world charm and is owned and run by descendants of the Maharaja Kesri Singh, who ruled over Jaisalmer during the 1700s. Rooms vary in shape, size and style; most of them contain antique furniture and authentic family portraits, but quite a few lack windows. Built of compact golden sandstone, the property sits bang across the Jaisalmer "0" milestone (from where distances are measured), and has two small courtyards, fountains, and a lounging area with interesting, quirky antiques, trophies, and portraits.

The huts at Nada Brahma all have sea- or garden-facing private balconies, hot showers, and king-size beds, just steps away from Patnem Beach. The fusion food in the open-air restaurant is excellent, as are the classic cocktails at the bar.

Built in 1928 by a commander for the Jaipur army as a vacation home, this sprawling heritage hotel, where peacocks strut through the expansive lawn, evokes visions of days past. The rooms are brightly decorated in traditional style, and the lobby begs travelers to sit and admire the grand architecture. Meals, including a breakfast buffet, are available in the lavish dining room; for dinner, you're best bet is to walk across the lawn to Bar Palladio for classic cocktails and its Mediterranean menu.

This beachfront budget hotel on Kovalam’s main beach offers private sea-facing balconies in every room that let you see all the action—people strolling, sunbathing, swimming, and fishing—on the bustling Lighthouse Beach. The building is a bit drab, but air-conditioned rooms are spacious, with high ceilings; all are simply furnished. Suite rooms are a better bet, with large white-and-green tiled bathrooms.

Roughly translated "a hidden dwelling," Nilaya is aptly named: this hip, hilltop retreat away from the beaches is etched out of laterite stone and enhanced with mosaic and ceramic tiles in a Goa-meets-Gaudi tableau. It's so remote that visitors who choose to leave the hotel will require taxis to do almost anything. But there are heavy incentives to stay: daybeds by the pool, healthy and flavorsome food, an excellent cocktail list, and an elevated view of the distant sea. For your stay, you can choose between a boutique room, a suite, or a tent; all have double beds. 

A fork in the road branches off to a mile-long, bumpy road that leads to a spice plantation holding this small resort that emerges like a little paradise from the undergrowth. The whitewashed cottages with thatched roofs lie perched on a hillside, each of them featuring well-lit, attractive rooms with colorful highlights. The hotel’s glass-and-bamboo-fronted reception building also houses a spa, a bar, and a restaurant. A variety of wildlife lives in the forest surrounding the property.

Built in the 1970s, this Western-style high-rise was completely renovated when Novotel took over in 2009, and the spacious lobby and large rooms now have a modern, sleek feel. White, gray, and black marble abounds, and the rooms have LCD TVs with laptop connectivity and a modern brown and beige color scheme. The best standard rooms have limited views of the beach—but this doesn't add all that much to the atmosphere.

Located close to the airport, this luxury hotel has a colorful, art-filled lobby and clean, modern rooms. The vibrant---though not garish---color palette continues to their main restaurant, O Cafe, that overlooks the large swimming pool. There's a spa and a salon onsite.

Luxury and stellar service are the hallmarks here—every floor has a butler who will make reservations, collect your laundry, shine your shoes, supervise the room cleaning, and bring you chocolates. The service is diligent, subtle, and simply perfect. The outdoor swimming pool, a cool, shamrock-shape oasis, offers a spectacular and secluded vantage point of Marine Drive and the Arabian Sea.

One of the most elegant hotels in the country, this Victorian landmark in the center of town provides impeccable service. The restaurants are grand, albeit old-fashioned, and the contemporary-style rooms are spacious with well-appointed bathrooms. The best rooms overlook the interior courtyard and pool.

Just opposite the Chinese fishing nets, this 1837 Dutch heritage building, a former brokerage house, features 13 tastefully decorated rooms with bright walls, antique fixtures, and contemporary Indian artwork. The rooms have views of either the fishing nets or the courtyard. Guests can dip in the elevated pool or read under a canopy of tall trees. The restaurant serves local seafood dishes as well as wine and beer.