India’s hotels hit the headlines for tragic reasons a year and a half ago when terrorists targeted two of Mumbai’s most iconic properties. Now, both the Taj Mahal Palace Mumbai and the Oberoi Mumbai have reopened.
The Heritage Wing of the Taj has undergone a complete restoration, maintaining the historic fabric of the building while incorporating new design features. The Oberoi has a new Indian speciality restaurant, Ziya, a new bar and a refurbished Champagne Lounge.
The whole market is seeing an upswing, with many of the major chains expanding. The Oberoi Group will open a five-star property in Gurgaon, near Delhi, towards the end of the year, and The Leela Group will open the 260-room Leela Palace Kempinski New Delhi in time for the Commonwealth Games in October.
The Leela Group will open a further luxury hotel at Adyar in Chennai this year, and plans to develop new properties in Agra, Hyderabad, Pune and Ashtamudi in Kerala by 2013. These six new properties will double its number of hotels in India.
Hyatt Hotel Corporation will expand into 15 new Indian destinations over the next five years, opening the Hyatt Regency Pune, the Hyatt Regency Chennai and the Grand Hyatt Goa this year. Hyatt’s Andaz brand will open a hotel in Delhi in 2013.
Park Hotels, the boutique group, saw two openings this year. The 285-room Park Hyderabad (pictured above) is inspired by local jewellery and craftsmanship, reflected in the hotel’s design. The 20-room Park Pod in Chennai’s fashion district features a red mosaic lap pool, resident DJ and pop-art decor.
Those looking for authentic Indian heritage should check out Jodhana Heritage Resorts, a new collection of properties and tented camps in the Marwar region of Rajasthan.
Featuring the private retreats of the royal family of Jodhpur, guests can choose from a diverse range of royal experiences, including a magnificent 18th-century summer palace and art deco hunting lodge, colonial rustic retreats and royal tented encampments.
The first property to open in September will be the newly restored Ranvas Haveli, the former royal abode within the walled Ahhichatragarh Fort, Nagaur. The property comprises 10 palaces, former residences of the Ranis of the Maharaja of Jodhpur during the 18th century.
In Kerala, total relaxation will be on offer at Purity, a boutique retreat and Ayurvedic wellness spa in the backwaters, on the shores of Lake Vembanad. The resort will open in August, and the traditional kettuvallam houseboats that ply the channels will be able to moor up to drop off and pick up guests.
Oberoi city hotels
The Oberoi Grand, Kolkata
Kolkata was the home of the British Raj in India, and the Oberoi is a fine example of the grand Victorian building tradition. Entering from the chaos of the busy Jawaharlal Nehru Road, once the iron courtyard gates are shut you’re ensconced in a tranquil haven of grandeur, from the lobby’s vast chandelier and towering pillars to the spacious rooms, filled with elegant period furniture.
There are three classes of room and three classes of suite, some with private balconies, either overlooking internal courtyards or the city itself. The spirit of the Raj is well and truly alive in the Chowringhee Bar, with its billiards table, sporting prints and classic cocktail list, and the signature restaurant is widely regarded as one of the best Thai eateries in India.
This is a grand old hotel with a history as rich as that of the city in which it stands.
The Oberoi, New Delhi
This handsome high-rise towers above the lush green space of Delhi’s inner city golf club to one side and the heritage site of Humayun’s tomb to the other. It is popular with business travellers but has much to offer the leisure market too, from its convenient location right down to the expansive new pool area, perfect for a post-sightseeing wind-down.
Rooms are modern and sleek, and go up in class the higher the floor. The penthouse suites are exquisite and have hosted politicians and celebrities, and the hotel’s bar is buzzing. There’s sushi, yakitori, Italian and Chinese cuisine on offer, as well as Indian, and the patisserie in the basement is famed for its intricate cake creations.
The large spa has a stunning indoor pool and multiple therapy rooms offering a wide range of treatments. The lively atmosphere and sleek service suits Delhi’s status as India’s most cosmopolitan and multicultural city.
Taj boutique properties
Mahua Kothi, Bandhavgarh
Bandhavgarh National Park is one of India’s top locations for tiger safaris, and this lodge is just 10 minutes from the park gates. The location feels entirely secluded – from the veranda of the main lodge, guests can sip a drink and stare out across a sea of bamboo fronds, slowly shifting in the wind.
The 40-acre grounds are scattered with Mahua or butter trees, for which the lodge is named. Behind this wrap-around terrace, the dining room and lounge area has a long wooden table and comfortable seating in ochre and terracotta hues.
Accommodation is in one of 12 kutiyas, cottages built in the local vernacular with handmade roof tiles, exposed rafters and wooden shutters. This is rough luxe though, so there are sunken baths and soft linens to offset the authenticity, plus Ayurvedic massages available in-room or in the spa.
However, guests may desire nothing more than to mull over the day’s game-viewing from the comfort of their private balcony.
Usha Kiran Palace, Gwalior
As we walked under the ornately carved balconies of this stunning 120-year-old palace, rose petals fluttered down around us, scattered by the staff as a welcome.
This Taj property has 40 rooms, suites and villas furnished in a low-key traditional style, with high-quality silks and dark wood, and the restaurant serves delicious Indian cuisine.
It’s easy to feel as if this small property is your own private palace as you lounge by the pool, set in secluded gardens and surrounded by statues of lions.
In fact, a maharaja lives next door, in Jai Vilas Palace, and guests can visit the 35 or so royal rooms that are open to the public.
