Mumbai: Taj Mahal Palace and Tower Hotel

Right across the street from the Gateway to India stands India’s most famous hotel. It is one of the grandest in all the world, The Taj Mahal Palace and Tower. This heritage, five-star, luxury hotel is historically known as the Taj Mahal Hotel or simply “the Taj”.

View from Mumbai Bay by Yamini vijay lawhate

As you enter the Taj Mahal Palace and Tower Hotel, you’ll notice a high level of security. This is because the hotel was one of the main targets of the 2008 Mumbai attacks. There are high security bomb walls, private security and metal detectors. However, the way that they are disguised or woven into the fabric of the hotel you almost don’t notice them.

Luxury and Sophistication

Once you enter the hotel though you are overwhelmed by the level of luxury and sophistication. This is seen in the lobby areas, adjoining hallways, and restaurants and gift shops. This five-star hotel serves as a playground for the international rich. It also attracts the rising young affluent Indian upper class.

While outside the bustling streets are loud with the sounds of traffic and the crowds at the adjoining Gateway, inside you don’t hear a sound. The air is fragranced with a scent that seems to be a combination of Mandarin oil and the open sea. Everywhere is opulence. Huge crystal chandeliers, giant vases of bright colorful flowers, and a sense of luxury which is a combination of the British Raj and modern opulence.

The people that populate this space seem to be almost from another planet. Money seems to be no issue for them. There’s a sense that they live on an elevated plane far above most normal humans.

Yet for such a world-famous, five-star hotel and its sense of wealth and opulence, the price of a small room at the Taj Mahal Palace and Tower Hotel is actually not that far out of reach. With a current exchange rate of 71.5 Indian rupees to one US dollar, the price for their simplest room comes in at around 302 US.

A Grand History

Opened in 1903, the Taj Mahal Palace and Tower Hotel has a deep and amazing history. It was established and built by Jamsetji Tata, the founder of the Tata Group, one of India’s largest conglomerates. The hotel has played host to a wealth of royalty, political figures, and world-famous entertainers. King George V of Great Britain stayed there during his visit to India. He was the first British Monarch to ever visit India in 1911. American US presidents such as Bill Clinton and Barack Obama have stayed there. Rumor has it that in the hotel’s Ravi Shankar Suite, the famous Indian musician taught George Harrison of the English group The Beatles how to play the sitar in 1966.

When it first opened, the hotel was the first in India to have electricity, American fans, German elevators, Turkish baths, and English butlers. Later, the Taj Mahal Palace and Tower Hotel also had the city’s first licensed bar and India’s first all-day restaurant. Initially in 1903, it charged Rs 13 for rooms with fans and attached bathrooms. Rooms with full board cost Rs 20. During World War I, the hotel was converted into a military hospital with 600 beds.

The Mumbai Attack

On November 26th, 2008, the hotel became famous for another much darker reason. It was attacked by a terror group, Lashkar-e-Taiba, which also targeted many sites in the Mumbai area. This attack resulted in the capture and death of many hostages. The final death toll of the attacks was 167 people. The casualties were mostly Indian citizens. However, westerners carrying foreign passports were specifically targeted. During the three-day siege of the Taj Mahal Palace and Tower Hotel itself, the results were the destruction of the hotel’s roof and many of the public areas of the hotel. The siege ended when Indian commandos finally killed the terrorists barricaded in the hotel. At least 31 people died at the Taj. The attack on the hotel served as the subject of the 2018 movie, Hotel Mumbai starring Rav Patal and Arnie Hammer.

So if you find yourself at the Gateway of India, please cross the street and enter the Taj Mahal Palace and Tower. Wander around and treat yourself to a sense of luxury that you will not find in many places in the world. Even if you can’t afford to stay at the hotel, treat yourself to High Tea in the Sea Lounge. It will be a memorable experience.