The Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai

Character and identity

A 1903 gray-and-white stone landmark crowned with a red dome, the Taj Mahal Palace stands directly over Mumbai's harbour, facing the Gateway of India and the Arabian Sea. The architecture blends Moorish, Rajput and Oriental influences, and the property splits between the original palace wing and a modern tower, with around 560 rooms in total. Inside, expect a sumptuous lobby scented with the signature house fragrance, a leafy oval pool considered the best in the city, an Ayurvedic spa, and eleven restaurants and bars including Wasabi by Morimoto, Souk, the tea-and-cocktails Sea Lounge, and Harbour Bar, Mumbai's first licensed bar. Service runs warm, hands-on and quietly thorough.

Who's it for

Bottom line

The reason to come is the building itself and the service register inside it: few hotels anywhere combine this much living history with attentiveness this consistent. Pay up for a palace-wing room or suite, ideally one facing the Gateway of India for sunset over the Arabian Sea. The tower wing is comfortable but misses the point.