Tailormade holidays to India - stay in a Palace Hotel!

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Released early in 2017 'Viceroy's House' is a new British-Indian drama production starring Hugh Bonneville as Lord Mountbatten and filmed at the Umaid Bhawan Palace in Jodhpur. Recreate your own experience with a tailor made holiday to include a stay in this wonderful palace! 

The Taj brand of hotels are well known worldwide for their standards of excellence and top service ... but in India there are some truly exceptional Taj hotels ... the Palaces!  Each of these is unique and offers a style and atmosphere of it's own and are amongst the 'Leading Hotels of the World'.

I was lucky enough recently to visit India again and stayed in three of the Taj Palace hotels in Jodhpur, Mumbai and Hyderabad.  Below are details of some of the places we can arrange for you to stay and 'live like a king'!

Umaid Bhawan Palace - Jodhpur

This place was truly amazing! We were greeted by regally dressed staff and exotic dancers, hosted dinner by candlelight on the terrace with entertainment in the beautiful gardens whilst the 'super moon' rose behind the palace! 

The Palace was built, between 1928 and 1943, for H.H. Maharaja Umaid Singh ji, Grand Father of our present Maharaja, who had benevolently commissioned a new palace in 1923 to replace Mehrangarh Fort as the symbol of a new Jodhpur and to give employment to the people of Marwar during the period's great droughts and famines. Perched high above the desert capital of Jodhpur, Umaid Bhawan Palace is the last of the great palaces of India and one of the largest private residences in the world - set amidst 26 acres of lush gardens.  After 15 years in construction, the 347 - room palace was finally completed in 1943 - and has served as the principal residence of the Jodhpur royal family since.

Within this huge sandstone monument, there are 64 hotel rooms and suites. Admire the private museum, play on marbled squash courts or enjoy a game of billiards in the panelled recreation room. Take an exhilarating drive through the enchanting city of Jodhpur in a vintage car, accompanied by your royal butler. Stop beneath the starry night sky for a divine grilled feast accompanied by the music of the desert. Experience the art of India's ancient healing wisdom in the romantic new setting of the Taj Spa (the spa here is wonderful complete with a 'sunken bath' style underground pool!)

Taj Falaknuma Palace - Hyderabad

From the minute we were met at the 'gatehouse' by horse and carriage to the final dinner on the terrace under the star filled sky, every moment of our stay at Taj Falknuma was a joy! 

Retrace the steps of Nizams, European royalty, enchanting Begums, distinguished Heads of State and walk the walk of Kings through this Palace in the sky. 2000 feet above Hyderabad, Taj Falaknuma Palace's 60 beautifully refurbished and lovingly restored rooms allow you to journey into the clouds and into the glided ages, where grandeur and excess is celebrated and savoured in equal measure.

Those who have revelled in its opulence have revelled in its large Venetian chandeliers, rare furniture, grand marble staircases and gurgling fountains, priceless statues, and objets d'art, stained-glass windows, unique sketches and murals encased in ornate frames, a world-class collection of crystal as well as the Mughal, Rajasthani and Japanese gardens personally conceived by the Nizam. The former residence of the Nizam of Hyderabad, Falaknuma Palace has been rightfully leased by the Royal Family of Hyderabad to the Taj Group of Hotels Resorts and Palaces with Royal Family members having personally supervised part of the Palace's refurbishment. Guest can now experience the famed Nizam's hospitality which was once the sole preserve of royalty.

The palace has one of the longest dining tables in the world and some truly stunning art pieces - the palace historian is a wealth of information and the surrounding gardens are full of bird life and tropical plants. The spa is beautiful with some unusual treatments and the bathrooms are supplied with local scrubs and soaps too - wonderful!

Taj Palace - Mumbai

‘The Taj’ as it is affectionately known is Mumbai’s first harbour landmark, it was built 21 years prior to the Gateway of India, it was also the site of the first licensed bar in the city.  The Taj has hosted Maharajas, dignitaries and famous people from around the world since it opened it’s doors in 1903. Today it sits proud on the waterfront looking over the Gateway and the ‘Bay of Bombay’ home to the Indian Navy for many years and keeping up it’s proudly colonial history, surrounded by other significant buildings and parks of the city.

Mr Tata, who designed the building had a vision that it would be India’s first luxury hotel and the Maharajas welcomed it as a luxury city home from home.  It is now over 100 years old and still hosts dignitaries but is also popular as a business and tourist hotel with many restaurants, a pool garden and a stunning view over the Bay of Bombay. 540 rooms and 44 suites offer luxury accommodation including the Presidential ‘Tata’ suite.

There are many world class restaurants within the hotel, we enjoyed a meal at 'The Souk' on the top floor of the new wing, a lovely mix of Indian and Middle Eastern food with fabulous wines!  The staff really were as delightful as the BBC programme and we loved being shown around this Bombay landmark and one of India's finest hotels. 

Taj Lake Palace - Udaipur 

The Vintage coupé glides to a stop at the lake’s edge. It’s hard to believe the floating vision in marble is real. Blink, and indeed, there is a luminous palace emerging from the mist. Suddenly you are in a boat, drifting ever closer and the reality doesn’t disappoint. With the Aravalli Mountains and city palaces as a backdrop one gets an impending sense of enchantment. Accommodations at Taj Lake Palace, are as delightful as the exterior. Every one of our romantic rooms holds a story and among the most compelling is The Chandra Prakash Suite, meaning Lustre of the Moon. The decorative gilt mouldings, sculpted marble columns, and fine fretwork screens impressed even the Maharaja who held court in this very room in the 1930s.

There are countless unique experiences to be had. Sail into a purple sunset on a 150-year old Gangaur complete with candlelight and resplendently dressed oarsmen. Indulge in a heritage walk with an escort followed by a glass of sparkling wine at the bar. Soak in the sounds and sights of the city as your royal butler accompanies you on a shopping trip. In this royal dream, anything is possible.

Rambagh Palace - Jaipur

Walk from room to room amongst rich textures, opulent furnishings and exquisite objects d’art. Step out into expansive, ornamental gardens arranged in brilliant symmetry. Retire to rooms that were once the sanctuaries of kings, princes and their guests. Rambagh Palace exudes an unmistakable sense of history. It’s an architectural masterpiece that transcends time.

Request the legendary Peacock suite, which overlooks the Mughal Terrace and the garden where the Maharaja used to celebrate "Holi," the festival of color and lights. Stage an evening of high romance in a private tent, illuminated only by torchlight. Indulge in a stately dining at the gilded Suvarna Mahal, formerly the palace ballroom. Enjoy a royal, feast and lounging under a star-speckled sky. Play Polo as the kings played it, or at a more leisurely pace on elephant back. Wind up the day’s activities in the sophisticated charm of the legendary Polo Bar. Rambagh Palace allows guest to partake of a wealth of experiences that resound with the memories, luxuries and extravagances of a bygone era that luckily, has not entirely disappeared.

To arrange a tailor made luxury holiday to India incorporating any of these wonderful hotels and others get in touch for the journey of a lifetime!