The Taj Mahal Palace Mumbai

The pool is great, and the breakfast was great too. The rooms are very comfortable and the service is good. An amazing hotel with a lot of history, and a must choice when visiting Mumbai.

The story behind the Taj is what makes it so remarkable. Jamshedji Tata reportedly conceived the idea after being refused entry to Watson’s Hotel in Bombay because he wasn’t European, an insult to his self-respect. Harish Bhat also writes that an 1865 Saturday Review article asking when Bombay would get a hotel worthy of its name struck a chord with him. Back then, the city had no hotel to rival those in Europe or the West, which Tata had seen on his travels. His family questioned the plan. When he announced in 1889 that he would build a grand hotel in Bombay, his sisters protested, with one asking why he was building a hotel when he was already setting up a science institute in Bangalore and an iron factory. The foundation was laid by Jamshedji Tata, and construction took about 14 years. The hotel opened to guests in 1903. He sourced materials and equipment around the world, searching markets from London to Berlin. The Taj was India’s first hotel with a carbon dioxide ice plant to cool rooms. Its lift came from Germany, fans from America, and ballroom pillars from Paris. The total cost reached 26 lakh rupees. Rooms were priced at Rs. 6 a day, about the same as comparable hotels, but only 17 guests arrived on opening day, and numbers stayed low for the next few days. The expense caused Jamshedji financial strain, and some people even called the hotel his “white elephant.”

The sea-facing rooms have lovely views, and the hotel sits right across from Gateway of India. There’s plenty to do on site, with 9+ restaurants and bars, a spa, pool, gym, and heritage walks. The grand old building, lavish rooms, and high-end amenities make it feel like a special stay. Staff are mostly polite, and service is strong, with many guests appreciating the hospitality and attention to detail.

The hotel has a lot of history and a beautiful setting right across from Gateway of India. Staff were friendly and attentive, and the shared spaces were kept up well. The c lounge was nice, and we tried Loya and cafe by the pool, though the food didn’t give us the depth of Indian cuisine or hospitality we’d hoped for. Breakfast was just okay. The rooms were the bigger letdown. Heritage-side rooms had no soundproofing, so noise carried, while the tower rooms felt old, a little rusty, and noticeably small. The shared areas were also crowded much of the time, apparently with visitors coming in to look around, which made them less comfortable for hotel guests. Worth visiting for the history and atmosphere, but I wouldn’t recommend staying in the rooms.