Most visitors to Agra are here for one reason only; to see the Taj Mahal. Where better to stay, then, than Amarvilas, where every room has a spectacular view of the Taj, just six hundred meters away?

This hotel, the latest in the Oberoi group’s series of reconstructed palace hotels, faced a number of challenges; it had to be restrained enough in its elegance so as not to attempt to challenge the Taj Mahal itself, and more prosaically, it was limited to just three stories—the Taj remains the tallest structure in Agra.

In this task it succeeds; Amarvilas is splendid, yet never ostentatious. Even its grand entry hall, topped with a gold and cobalt blue domed ceiling, is merely a frame for the postcard-perfect view of the Taj Mahal, visible through the vast windows. Rooms are the patented Vilas blend of meticulous traditional craftsmanship and attention to detail with the best in modern hospitality design, with the eye drawn, as always, to the view. Some rooms have views of the Taj from private terraces, some from the exquisitely crafted king beds, others even from enormous freestanding bathtubs.

Ayurvedic, Thai and Western spa treatments are administered, naturally, with one eye on that famous view, and the restaurants and lounge are built around wide picture windows. This is something of a one-attraction town, and it’s a quiet, contemplative sort of place, perfect for honeymooners and stressed-out executives alike. But what an attractio... more