Amidst Mumbai’s 21 million inhabitants, its undulating flyovers and construction sites, its salty air and tooting horns, the iconic Taj Mahal Palace hotel is an oasis of calm.
A grande dame of mythic stature, ‘the Taj’, as it’s affectionately known, is India’s second most photographed monument. It was the first hotel in the country to have electricity, as well as the site of the city’s first licensed bar. Its magical and enchanting setting has inspired artists, filmmakers and writers, from Salman Rushdie to Christopher Nolan, and George Harrison who took sitar lessons from Ravi Shankar here. As a symbol of wealth and progress, it was a target of Mumbai’s terrorist attacks in 2008. If this sounds like a lot of history to carry, it is – but unlike most famous heritage hotels, the Taj pulls it off with aplomb.
From its endlessly stylish interiors to its state of the art facilities, there is nothing faded about this hotel’s charms. It’s no wonder that celebrities and heads of state have all stayed here, everyone from Oprah Winfrey to the Dalai Lama, John Lennon, Barack Obama, David Beckham and most recently, Kim Kardashian. From the moment you step in and an aura-cleansing Tulsi Mala necklace is looped around your neck, you begin to be drawn in, captured by this unique place that’s in a world of its own.
The Vibe
As the final destination on a two month trip around India, the Taj offered more luxury and relaxation than anywhere I had been. The atmosphere is one of grandeur, though the crowd is so cosmopolitan that you feel that anything goes. You’ll need to keep your eyes open, as there is a lot to take in. From its floating cantilevered staircases to the semi-precious stones, inlaid in paisley patterns on the marble floor, the Taj is a feast for design lovers. Architecturally, it’s a perfect example of Mumbai’s Victorian gothic, Indo-Saracenic style. Bulbous onion domes loom over swooping Mughal, Rajput and Portuguese style arches wrought in the same iron the Eiffel Tower was built with. It’s truly beautiful to look at, and even better to spend a few days living in.
The Rooms
High on the fifth floor, overlooking the hotel’s magnificent courtyard and pool, my room was a pale olive and ecru sanctuary, and I felt like an old-world traveller inside. I gazed from my bed through the windows to the gorgeous brickwork outside, burying myself in the downy pillows and duvet. There’s a pillow and mattress menu available with alternatives, should you need them (though everything was so comfortable we didn’t want to change a thing).
If you can, book a room in the heritage wing (or Palace complex). There are 285 rooms and suites here, in addition to the 275 rooms and suites offered at the relatively newer, adjoining Taj Mahal Tower.
The Food + Drink
Breakfasts in the famous Sea Lounge are a highlight, with everything from masala dosas to American pancakes, spicy uttapam (a favourite) and an oozing golden honeycomb that provides fresh honey on tap. Get a window seat if you’re lucky, and you’ll be able to gaze at the Gateway of India as you sip your morning coffee.
If you only dine in once, Golden Dragon is a must. After hearing some local friends wax lyrical about the Peking duck, we saved dinner here for our final night. The lobster, chive and garlic dim sum were juicy and mouth watering, as were the imperial potsticker dumplings and the jumbo crab meat main. For dessert, we indulged in a theatrical strawberry flambé, set alight by our waiter, Manoj, and served with fresh vanilla ice cream.
The Little Extras
This is the sort of place where, when you’re not looking, someone will slip a beautiful bookmark between the pages of your book, or will wrap your sunglasses in a new microfibre cloth. After arriving with a bout of food poisoning picked up elsewhere, there was a charming hotel doctor on call to examine me and send whatever medicine was needed, while a constant stream of rehydrating sweet and salty lemonades and coconut water was delivered up to my room without asking.
And a visit to the Taj wouldn’t be complete without spending a few hours (or days) lazing by the swimming pool – a stand-out feature of the hotel. Guarded by red-stone lions and flower-filled urns, it’s surrounded by swaying palm trees that have pale fuschia orchids crawling up their trunks. At 29 metres long, the pool spans the width of the hotel’s courtyard. People come and go, constantly moving between the cool waters, the shaded sunbeds, and the relaxed seating area where you can grab something to eat. Hotel guests can join daily yoga classes on the lawn by the pool at sunrise. There’s a well-appointed gym and a spa, too, specialising in Ayurvedic treatments.
Worth mentioning also, are the guided heritage walks, during which a Taj alum will lavish you with history and anecdotes as they guide you through the hotel’s storied corridors and halls.
The To-Do List
Just beyond the hotel walls, are the buzzing streets of Colaba, Mumbai’s old British quarter. Vibrant and full of colour, the area is packed with fun bars, shops and restaurants to explore. Dodge the zealous street ear-cleaners and make your way via the Gateway of India to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya, still known locally as the Prince of Wales Museum. A Grade I Heritage site, the gardens and Indo-Saracenic building are worth seeing in their own right. Lose yourself for hours discovering some of the 50,000 artefacts of ancient Indian art, archaeology and natural history on show here.
Harvinder Chandigarh, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Fashion and textile lovers should try their best to arrange a visit to the Chanakya School of Craft, located in the city’s Lower Parel area, some 20 minutes by car from the hotel. A glistening treasure trove, the school is an inspiring non-profit initiative that teaches local women from underserved communities the finest age-old hand embroidery techniques. Master artisans and graduates regularly collaborate with world class artists such as Judy Chicago and Eva Jospin, as well as leading couture houses like Dior. After our visit to the school, we went for lunch at nearby Bombay Canteen, which opened in 2015 and quickly became a city icon thanks to its innovative and delicious menu, casual-kitsch interiors, and all-round good vibe.
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