Taj Palace, New Delhi

The Taj Palace Hotel is an elegant, upscale business hotel that attracts tourists as well as corporate guests from around the world, owing largely to its relatively central location and large conference facilities. The lobby is an elegant marble space with golden fixtures, Persian-style throw rugs, and Mughal-inspired art on the walls. A stairway leads up to a mezzanine level with additional seating, large potted plants, and even a "jhula," or traditional swing bench for guests to lounge. Outside, the grounds are expansive, with large, impeccably maintained grassy lawns, manicured hedges, and a huge pool flanked with lounge chairs. The space is most happening at night, when the poolside Blue Bar, complete with alfresco sofa seating, opens up to the public. 

Other common areas include Masala Art, a contemporary Indian restaurant with low-key decor and lots of light-wood elements. Blue Ginger has a similar look, but with additions of blue and turquoise accents and glass panels that give it a slightly nautical look. There's also a high-end restaurant, Orient Express, inside a train car, but it's not really a place to hang out without reservations -- guests are more likely to be spotted socializing at the lobby Tea Lounge, which features upholstered wooden chairs atop large area rugs. While the vibe is generally professional, the hotel is also family-friendly, with babysitting services and special menus for kids. 

The Taj Palace is located in Chanakyapuri, Delhi's Diplomatic Enclave and home to most of the city's embassies -- the U.S. Embassy is only a five-minute drive away. There's not much within walking distance besides embassies, mansions, and other hotels, but the area is reasonably well-connected by road, and the Dhuala Kuan Metro Station, which connects to both the airport and the center of the city, is a five- to 10-minute drive away. Old Delhi Railway Station and Old Delhi's bustling market area -- Chandni Chowk -- are both a half-hour or so away by car, while Connaught Place, Gurudwara Bangla Sahib, and Jantar Mantar, can be reached in about 15 minutes to 20 minutes. New Delhi Railway Station takes 20 to 25 minutes to reach by car. Factor in about 15 minutes by car to India Gate or 20 to 25 minutes for Humayun's Tomb. South Delhi attractions such as the Lotus Temple and the Qutub Minar can take half an hour or longer to reach depending on traffic. The Indira Gandhi International Airport is about 25 minutes away by car. 

The Taj Palace offers a wide range of rooms and suites, all with elegant furnishings and colonial or traditional touches. All have Posturepedic mattresses, robes, slippers, flat-screen TVs with DVD players, kettles, minibars, and safes. All rooms have beautiful marble bathrooms with glassed-in rainfall showers and separate tubs, plus toiletries from Indian luxury cosmetics brand Forest Essentials. 

Entry-level Superior Rooms, Deluxe Rooms, and Luxury Rooms are all similar in size and amenities, with few differences beyond small decor touches. Taj Club Rooms are similar in size, but with added business-friendly amenities include meeting room access, free one-way airport transfers, and access to the Club Lounge with free breakfast and cocktails. All suite guests also get Club Lounge access. 

There's an even wider variety of suites, starting with Executive Suites, which have separate bedrooms and living rooms, and the nearly identical Taj Club Executive Suites, situated on higher floors. From here, suites get progressively larger, with Luxury Suites featuring original artwork by top Indian artists, Garden Luxury Suites that open onto a private garden, and huge Presidential and Garden Presidential Suites. The pick of the litter is the Tata Suite, named after the industrialist family who own the Taj chain. This enormous space features Murano glass chandeliers, an enormous, elegant meeting room, two palatial bedrooms, a fitness center, a spa room with a sauna and a Turkish bath, and a gargantuan grey-marbled tile bathroom with expansive city views, a wall-mounted flat-screen TV, and a big soaking tub as its centerpiece.

While rooms and suites generally get rave reviews, note that large events held here can lead to noise complaints at times. Also note that smoking and non-smoking rooms are available. 

The outdoor pool is enormous and surrounded by shaded lounge chairs. There's also a bubbling vitality whirlpool in the Jiva Spa & Salon, which also has a salt room and a variety of upscale beauty and wellness treatments, including facials, mani/pedis, and massages. Other amenities include a bright 24-hour fitness center with modern treadmills, each with its own TV, elliptical machines, free weights, and yoga mats. There's also an upscale boutique, Taj Khazana, which sells Indian gift items. The hotel also offers indoor and outdoor parking (for a fee). Families are well looked after here, with special meal options for children plus activities and babysitting options. 

There's a 24-hour business center with two meeting rooms with audiovisual equipment and a Club Lounge for Taj Club Room and suite guests, complete with free breakfast, tea, and cocktails. Business travelers and event planners have multiple meeting and banquet options at their disposal, which seat anywhere from 40 to 1000 guests theater style. Outdoor event space is also available, and the hotel is a popular venue for weddings, awards ceremonies, and major area events. Wi-Fi is free throughout the hotel, but there's an additional fee for high-speed access. The front desk has a offers car rentals, tour arrangements, safe-deposit, and 24-hour laundry facilities.

The Taj Palace offers a wide range of dining options along with 24-hour room service. Masala Art features North Indian cuisine including rich curries and meat dishes, and is open daily for lunch and dinner. The upscale Orient Express serves European cuisine in an elegant space that's designed to look like an old train car (hence the name), with rose- and gold-colored runner carpets and white-linen table cloth-topped tables set with fine china and stemware. Blue Ginger is another chic option, with blue and aquamarine interiors plus a menu focusing on Vietnamese fare. Kafe Fontana is open 24 hours, and has a wide range of cuisine types, plus a breakfast buffet. 

The lobby bar, Tea Lounge, opens early and stays open late, with pastries, teas, and coffees during the day plus desserts, sandwiches and salads, wine, beer, and whisky. They also do an afternoon tea with an Indian twist featuring finger sandwiches with mint chutney and masala chai instead of English afternoon tea.  Blue Bar, by the pool, serves all sorts of cocktails plus light bites, but it's only open in the evening.