The best hotels in India
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How we choose the best hotels in India
Every hotel on this list has been selected independently by our editors and written by a Condé Nast Traveller journalist who knows the destination and has stayed at that property. When choosing hotels, our editors consider both luxury properties and boutique and lesser-known boltholes that offer an authentic and insider experience of a destination. We’re always looking for beautiful design, a great location and warm service – as well as serious sustainability credentials. We update this list regularly as new hotels open and existing ones evolve. Find out more about our editorial standards and how we review hotels.
Ahilya Fort Devi MaheshwarhotelThe Ahilya Fort Heritage Hotel Maheshwar
In Madhya Pradesh, the state at India’s heart, this 18th-century sandstone fort on the banks of the Narmada River was restored by the descendants of Queen Ahilyabai Holkar, the monarch of the Maratha Empire. Since its partial conversion to a hotel by Prince Richard Holkar in 2000, it’s become a place to sink into the slower, spiritual side of India – on birdsong-filled terraced gardens over-looking the river or in the fort’s 250-year-old Ganesh temple, with its enormous bell suspended from an ancient champa tree. Nineteen rooms are scattered over six buildings and intricate maze-like ramparts. The vivid hues of Maheshwari saris enliven the calming palettes of whites and pastels.
Today’s prince is intimately involved, designing and planting the hotel gardens and insisting on conscious hospitality, from strict rules around plastics and waste water to supporting the local Rehwa Society, which has revived the dying art of Maheshwari hand-weaving, especially for saris. Lunch salads from the organic garden and thali suppers are served in surprising nooks: in the garden, under a lush canopy of vines, or on a rounded rampart. The afternoon tea service, aboard a hand-poled wooden boat drifting along the river, is a treat. Unfailingly gracious staff can arrange magical excursions, from sunset and sunrise cruises to village walks, temple visits and riverside arti prayer ceremonies. Every morning, 11 Brahmin priests perform the ancient Lingarchan Puja, a Hindu blessing ritual, near the covered breakfast mandap – just one of many moments to treasure here. Shunali Khullar Shroff
Villa Palladio JaipurhotelVilla Palladio Jaipur
This boutique hotel, a third Jaipur project by Swiss Italian hotelier Barbara Miolini and her Danish design collaborator Marie-Anne Oudejans, is a riotous ode to Rajasthani craftsmanship and colour, especially hot red. On the outskirts of the city, it is as much a bijou cabinet of curiosities as a retreat, with strikingly white crenellated walls above red awnings and a delicious confection of carved stone trellises, block-printed fabrics, hand-painted walls, and checkerboard-marble courtyards with bubbling fountains. Nine dollhouse-like rooms – including four on grounds dotted with rosebushes and jasmine and palm trees – come richly patterned in red and white with gold accents, each with plush beds, block-printed bathrobes, and soft Jaipuri slippers. Clear blue skies and the forested green hills of the lesser Aravallis are picturesquely framed in the multilobed arches of the breakfast terrace, and candlelit dinners are brightened by starlight. There’s a meditation room, a library, a small two-bed spa offering Tibetan treatments, and the sun-warmed pool with its candy-striped pool house and pavilion bar. At night, the gorgeous dining area overlooking the grounds serves up delicious Indian and Italian dishes. Divya Mishra
hotelThe Leela Palace
One of the originals of the Leela group, The Leela Palace Chennai is spot-on for so many reasons. For starters, it nails the location. Set in nearly five acres of prime seafront in the heart of the city, the hotel offers proximity to business and leisure destinations as well as the feeling of being away at a seaside resort. The designers have made every use of the setting and provided a significant number of sea-facing rooms. Restaurants China XO and Jamavar – the former serving Cantonese-focused fare and the latter dishes from India’s north and south – are easily among Chennai’s best. Even if gold isn’t your colour and over-the-top opulence is not your style, you’ll still love the thoughtful and impeccable butler service that has me returning time and time again. From around £127. Prasad Ramamurthy
AMIT PASRICHAhotelRaffles Udaipur, India review
Set on a 21-acre island on Udai Sagar Lake and surrounded by the Aravalli Range, the first Raffles outpost in India is all about taking it easy: Think long breakfasts over multiple cups of French-press coffee, massages at the sprawling spa, and custom cocktails at the Long Bar. Plus, it has the kind of service that warrants repeat visits. (This is Raffles, after all.)
The 101 guest rooms and suites come with private gardens or pools (or both). If you’re a) a sucker for views and b) a fan of peace and quiet, you should book a room on an upper floor, facing the south. They may not have pools, but you’ll have views of the lake, its avian population (including flamingos that are the hotel’s unofficial mascot), and the hills folding away into the distance. Plus, you’ll be insulated from the cacophony of Indian weddings, which the hotel is a popular venue for. Don't miss the nearly 12,000-square-foot spa, offering Ayurveda and aromatherapy-centric treatments with products from Australian brand Subtle Energies. The all-natural, cruelty-free products use ingredients like Kashmiri lavender, 24-karat gold, crushed pearls, neem, and wild turmeric. I particularly loved the de-stressor massage – the staff was well-trained, asked all the right questions, and left me with an overall feeling of wellness when I left. Prasad Ramamurthy
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Rahul Kizhakke VeettilhotelMementos by ITC Hotels, Ekaaya Udaipur
Breakfast by the lake, yoga under the stars, bird watching, nature hikes, outdoor movie screenings – no demand is too high at Mementos by ITC Hotels. The hotel, which is the first under ITC’s Mementos brand, promises mental souvenirs you’ll be tapping into days after your vacation. The hotel is situated 50 minutes from central Udaipur, but therein lies its charm. It’s a perfect alternative for travellers looking to spend time in the countryside, away from the thick of the throng yet within easy access to the historic centre. The 117 villas and suites start from 500 square feet and, depending on the category, come with either terraces, gardens, private plunge pools, or all of the above. All rooms offer a view—some overlook the valley, while others the lake. They are sumptuously decorated with golden accents simmered by a muted colour palette. Some bathrooms come with Victorian-style bathtubs that sit under sunroofs or the warm glow of a chandelier. For meals, there’s the ITC signature Royal Vega, where your silver thali gleams with recipes from the kitchens of maharajas of the past. At Kebabs & Kurries, feast on perennial favourites such as galouti kebabs, dal Bukhara, and nihari. But before you settle down in one of these restaurants, note that sunset drinks are de rigueur by the infinity pool at the Rock Bar. From £300. Shradha Shahani
Himanshu LakwhanihotelFirst in: Sitara Himalaya
At an altitude of 8,200 feet, 14 miles below the Rohtang Pass and on the way to the ancient Buddhist valleys of Lahaul and Spiti, Sitara Himalaya is a glorious showcase for the Good Earth aesthetic. The splendour of the interiors is immediate. Nothing here is standard issue. Tibetan rugs, ornamental blue and white china, a bold brass work by Vikram Goyal, hand-painted murals of hummingbirds and mountain passes, vases of flowers, and the earthy smell of juniper berry incense. On one wall, two embroidered Chamba Rumal panels, sewn by local women, depict scenes from the story of Krishna. A beautiful, dedicated library space is painted in homage to Buddhist monasteries. Wake up in the morning to a view of a glacier on one side, a waterfall on the other and behind you the very spot where it is believed thousands of years ago the great Indian sage Rishi Ved Vyas meditated for 12 years before inscribing the eternal cosmic wisdom into the four Vedas.
Food here follows a journey through the Himalayan ranges: tender tandoors and chargrills from the Khyber, decadent Wazvan from Jammu and Kashmir, Anglo-Indian dishes from the hill stations, and Dham Thali from Himachal Pradesh. For a deep and immersive well-being retreat, the ‘Svasthi’ area, set at the highest point of the property with astounding views of the Himalayas, is an authentically designed hideaway rooted in the concepts of the Vedas. The gorgeous hot water plunge pool is scented with Himalayan Deodar, the infrared sauna with pretty walls made of bricks of Himalayan salts, detoxifies and relaxes the central nervous system and the steam room is energised with rock crystals. Daisy Finer
Taj Madikeri Resort & SpahotelTaj Madikeri Resort & Spa, Coorg
$Located in the Western Ghats, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Taj Madikeri is set at the crossroads of Coorg’s wildlife sanctuaries. The hill town property falls under India’s historic Taj Hotels group, credited with opening the nation’s first luxury hotel – The Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai – at the turn of the 20th century. Not a single tree was felled in its making. In fact, more were added, as dozens of trees that would otherwise have been cut down were brought in from outside the property. The 63 stand-alone cottages and villas – with more in the works – are well-spaced across the steep landscape, each surrounded by greenery and panoramic views. The hotel has four restaurants and a bijou bar and can organise open-air dining experiences across the property – from the forested Buddha Garden to the 101-candle-lit amphitheatre encircled by a large lotus pond. Coorg’s waterfalls, highlands and lakes have led it to be called the Scotland of India, but even that title doesn't convey how special it is. Above all, savor daybreak here. As you listen to the soft patter of rain against subtropical fronds and the sweet schoolboy trill of a Malabar whistling thrush floating through the morning mist, the serenity of Taj Madikeri Resort & Spa simply sings. Julian Manning
hotelAnopura Jaipur
Anopura offers a peek into life in rural India. Expect open fields, cobbled paths, dairy farms, and cattle sheds, against a stark landscape and hugged by the Aravalli mountains. Comforts of modernity – think private pools and air conditioning – blend seamlessly into the rustic setting of the villas with uneven flooring, thatched roofs, and antique home accessories. Each of the older villas is unique in its design, but the architecture harks back to traditional homes in the region. Complete with thatched roofs, courtyards, and private pools by which charpoys are reimagined as daybeds, the villas are filled with antiques that Baheti has collected over the years. The vibe is of a Jai Wolf single, an easy blend of simplicity and sophistication without the soulless manicured experiences of large hotel chains. If leopard safaris, countryside hikes or birding walks aren’t your scene, you can entertain yourself (or your little ones) with a pottery or weaving class within the estate. The resort also encourages you to explore its dairy farm and livestock sheds where they’ll nudge you to milk the cows or hang out with the goats but also remind you that they’re pets and not food. Abhishek Mande Bhot
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Hajra Ahmad/Shakti HimalayashotelFirst Guest: Thiksey House, Shakti Himalaya
Your aircraft will likely loop a few times before it is cleared to land at Leh, one of the highest commercial airports in the world. But you won’t complain; the view out of the window is one to behold – white, crumpled peaks that eventually give way to a camel-coloured mountain desert. There's a local Ladakhi saying: “Where the road ends, the Shakti home begins.” And while that is somewhat of an exaggeration, it paints a fairly accurate picture. The Thiksey House was added to Shakti’s circuit of homes in Ladakh in 2023. Each house in Ladakh has a name, and this one is called Togar. It has been kindly leased from a local Ladakhi family, who built it in the 1980s. With poplar for beams and willow and hay on the roof, it retains the original bones. In the true spirit of a home, each house is reserved for one set of guests at a time.
The four rooms are all on the first level, accessed through a flight of stairs. In the foreground is farmland dotted with cattle and horses. In the background are the trans-Himalayas, snowcapped from November through May. All rooms bring you these scenes – but the prized ones are the two that frame the Thiksey Monastery like a 15th-century work of art. The interiors offer few distractions: no Nespresso machines or mini bars, no gaudy petit fours, no televisions, no freestanding baths – in fact, there are no tubs at all. All of this is perhaps to hint that your gaze should be way beyond, or deep within. The kitchen at Thiksey House is headed by Chef Yeshi Lama, a monk who traded his robes for an apron, and now makes some of the best aloo parathas around. The menu skews continental during the day (salads, pastas, and pies), and turns Indian at night. Guests usually spend some part of their time outdoors – hiking or biking – which is where the picnic hampers roll out. One day, you're enjoying warm chickpea falafel under the pink blossoms of an almond tree; the next you could be enjoying a home-cooked casserole on the slopes of a hill. Salil Deshpande
Himanshu LakhwanihotelFirst in: Raffles Jaipur
While it might be among the smaller hotels in the brand’s portfolio, Raffles Jaipur is replete with a sense of place and an inherent sumptuousness that is a throwback to its first outing in Singapore in 1887. Ensconced amid a luxury mile in Kukas village on the outskirts of Jaipur, which houses big hitters like Leela, Taj, and Le Meridien, the property’s size plays to its advantage in a city crowded with sprawling destination wedding hotels and larger-than-life palaces. The rooftop is a wide open space with an infinity pool lit by giant mashaals and feels like the royal baths of yore. The adjacent bar and dining area have several enclosed chattri-style domes. Tucked into a niche, a stylish cigar lounge offers a space to retreat with a book and a snifter of fine cognac. The rooms and suites across eight categories fan out around long verandahs, each a private oasis with a balcony facing away from the main road and an outdoor tub or private pool.
The food across the hotel is a mix of global and Indian flavours along with local Rajasthani fare including street food classics like the mirchi bada, laal maas, and more. And then of course there's the Raffles signature, the gin sling, with every property around the world adding local flavours to the tropical tipple. Here is includes a hibiscus infusion and a generous dash of Chandrahas, a local brew with a regal lineage that combines over 80 herbs. The result: a terracotta pink cocktail that matches the walls of its home city. Diya Kohli