Optimum Tara Palace

Being about 1 km on foot from the Taj Mahal was the one real advantage. The stay itself was awful. They refused to accept our online booking, don’t take credit cards, and the staff were extremely rude. The manager was no more helpful. Rooms were in terrible shape, with damp walls, dirty bathrooms and ACs that barely worked. The newer units only switch on and off at fixed speed and temperature, while the old ones barely work. The included breakfast was cold even though we ordered it. They provided two small bottles of water and no way to refill them, so bring your own. We were shown two rooms and then made to take one. We’d booked a single room, but its AC started dripping within 15 minutes. After we called reception, they began ignoring us. When we argued with the staff and manager, they offered another room with a broken bathroom light and told us to use one room for sleeping and the other for the bathroom. After more arguing, they moved us again, this time to a room with a terrible AC. Breakfast was delayed the next morning and served completely cold despite being ordered. A pathetic experience with the rooms, staff and service, though the location is great.

The hotel is in Tajganj, a handy base close to local sights and attractions, including the famous Taj Mahal. It’s a three-star property with a restaurant, and both parking and WiFi are free, so you can stay connected and come and go easily.

We stayed with our child, and cleanliness was zero. I guess the laundry, including the bed sheets and cushions, hadn’t been washed since COVID. There was no hot water or WiFi. Please don’t book this hotel.

The room design was very good, but my stay was a disaster and left me completely unsatisfied. There was no room service, the staff behaved badly, and the toilets weren’t clean. The flush didn’t work properly. If the electricity goes out, you’re left waiting because the hotel generator doesn’t work. It’s also very expensive.