On our next visit to India, we won’t be staying in a shabby guesthouse, nor will we blend in with the crowds of Japanese tourists flooding the Hyatt Hotel in Bombay. Instead, we’ll indulge in a stunning gem in the Rajasthan region – the Taj Lake Palace Hotel, situated in the heart of Lake Pichola in the town of Udaipur. This is, in fact, a palace built around 250 years ago by Maharaja Jagat Singh, an architectural masterpiece made of white marble, resting peacefully on the tranquil waters of the lake.
The hotel, considered one of the most romantic in the world, offers its guests a wide array of small pleasures: a romantic candlelit dinner by the rose pool, personal service from a “butler” with British colonial manners, traditional dancers and musicians, Indian spa services, and if you wish to be alone, just the two of you—enjoy a private sunset dinner on a luxurious raft anchored meters away from the hotel. The grand palaces along the shore will make you feel like actors in an Indian movie, standing in a true historical museum. As you savor the delicacies of Indian cuisine and French champagne, you’ll hear in the distance the evening prayers of the Indian pilgrims, the Puja rituals, and the ringing of bells—all that’s needed to take your soul far away from the cares of this world. You’ll reach the hotel itself on a 150-year-old ceremonial boat—a unique experience in its own right.
The hotel is adorned with marble curtains and statues of Indian deities, offering 66 rooms and 17 luxurious suites, priced at amounts comparable to the annual GDP of a small Indian village. A “modest” room will cost you around $400 per night, but you didn’t come here to stay in a room without a view of the lake! That’s why you’ll opt for one of the spacious suites, priced up to $2,500 per night. If you’re truly shameless, you can splurge on the presidential suite for $7,500 per night, which is about 11 million rupees, a staggering sum in developing India. But the truth is, you can still feel like a Maharaja without spending a fortune; any room with a lake view will do the trick.
Taj Lake Palace, Lake Pichola, Udaipur, Rajasthan, India
Email: lakepalace.udaipur@tajhotels.com
Phone: +91 294 2428800
In short: A royal Indian experience worth every cent.
Price: $400–$7,500 per night.
