Top 10 Luxury Hotels in India

With the Indian economy growing rapidly the new luxury hotels opening in the booming cities and vacation destination are barely able to keep up with the rising demand for luxury hotel rooms. That could be one of the reasons why the prices across these hotels are rather high when you compare it with the per capita income of an Indian. When Leela opened its new flagship hotel in New Delhi they claimed it to be the most expensive hotel in the country but a small study revealed that there are many contenders for the top slot. We are listing below ten of the most expensive hotels in India. It may not be the most definitive list as we have based the selection on the rack rates and the prices listed on their websites. Please find below our list of the most expensive hotels in India, starting from the priciest:

1. Taj Lake Palace, Udaipur and Rambagh Palace, Jaipur

Both these properties are palaces and residences of former Maharajas in the State of Rajasthan and are both being managed by the Taj Group of Hotels. A Luxury Double Bedroom, their most basic option, will cost you 36,000 rupees ($810), while the Grand Presidential Suite a staggering 600,000 rupees ($13,500) in either of the palace hotels. The Lake Palace located in the middle of Udaipur’s Lake Pichola is one of India’s most iconic hotels. It belongs to the Mewar dynasty whose descendants converted it into a hotel. Rambagh Palace was the former residence of Maharaja of Jaipur. It is considered the “jewel in the crown” of the Taj hotels in India.

2. The Leela Palace Kempinksi, New Delhi

The prices in the new hotel range from 25,000 rupees ($560) per night for the Grande Deluxe Room to 450,000 rupees ($10,000) for their Maharaja Suite, which boasts bulletproof windows for the security requirements of  the heads of state expected to lodge there. Conveniently located in the diplomatic enclave of Chanakyapuri, the Leela cost about 18 billion rupees ($405 million) to build. Captain C.P. Krishnan Nair, the chairman of The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts explained that the rates were relatively higher because of the above average investment that has gone into making the hotel.

3. The Oberoi, Gurgaon

The Oberoi Gurgaon is the latest hotel in the chain to open its doors for the guests recently.Here, prices range from 30,000 rupees ($680) a night for a single Deluxe Room to 300,000 rupees ($6,800) for the Presidential Suite. The hotel complex has a forest of its own right in the middle of a bustling city but the over all design of the hotel is contemporary and very modern.

4. The Oberoi, Mumbai

Oberoi has been one of Mumbai’s top hotels for decades now. It was a target of the terrorist attack in November 2008 but bounced back quickly with new design and security system in place. A Deluxe Room here costs 25,000 rupees ($560) and a Presidential Suite 300,000 rupees ($6,800) per night. The hotel boasts of views of the city’s famous bay as it is located just off Marine Drive.

5. The Oberoi Amarvilas, Agra and The Oberoi Udaivilas, Udaipur

Both the heritage properties are from the  Oberoi’s portfolio. In both resorts, Premier Rooms are priced at 35,000 rupees ($790) and Kohinoor Suites at roughly 250,000 rupees ($5,700). The Oberoi Amarvilas is located fairly close to the Taj Mahal and affords views of famous monument from its rooms. Udaipur’s Oberoi, located on the banks of the lake Pichola is inspired by the architectural tradition of Rajasthani royalty.

6. Taj Lands End, Mumbai

This is a relatively newer property of Taj Hotels in Mumbai. It is located in the city’s Bandra neighborhood. Deluxe Rooms here cost 23,000 rupees ($520) and the Presidential Suite 250,000 rupees ($5,700).

7. The Oberoi Rajvilas, Jaipur

One of Jaipur’s top resort hotels, the Oberois have very success fully recreated the majestic luxurious princely feel  of Rajput India. Rates start at 35,000 rupees ($790) for their Premier Room and reach 230,000 rupees ($5,200) for their Kohinoor Villa with Private Pool.

8. Taj Falaknuma Palace, Hyderabad

The hotel with a unique architechture used to be the home of the Nizam of Hyderabad who used to be the richest man in the world. His family now leases the palace to the Taj Group of Hotels and Resorts. Rooms cost 33,000 rupees ($750) for a Luxury Room and 195,000 rupees ($4,400) for the Grand Royal Suite.

9. The Leela Palace Kempinski, Udaipur

Leela has been drawn to the stunning beauty of the Lake Pichola and have created an opulent hotel on its banks. This is slightly less expensive than its Oberoi and Taj counterparts. Tariffs start at 26,000 rupees ($590) for its standard Lake View Rooms and reach 200,000 rupees ($4,500) for its Maharaja Suite.

10. The Taj Mahal Palace and Tower, Mumbai

It is a Mumbai landmark that predates the Gateway of India that stands in front of it. It took some serious damage during the terrorist attack in November 2008. But the country’s oldest and the best known hotel is back to business. Its least expensive rooms, the Superior Rooms, cost 21,500 rupees ($485) and its Grande Luxury Suite 170,000 rupees ($3,800).

As we had mentioned earlier it is not the most definitive and comprehensive list of the expensive hotels in India but a representative list of some of the best hotels in the country. One very obvious finding of our study was that the top of the hotel market in India is practically controlled by the three top hotel groups in India. You will notice that all the properties we have listed are owned and or managed by the Oberois or the Taj Group or some of the new properties created by Leela. Many of the hotels in the list are heritage properties owned by erstwhile Royalty whose decedents have converted the premium real estate to super luxury hotels and leased them to the large groups to run them as some of the most expensive hotels in India.