My husband spent two nights at the Taj Lake Palace — a hotel located on a lake in Rajasthan, India.
We were treated like royalty from the moment we arrived, and enjoyed the stunning views.
Although we loved our experience at the hotel, we'd like to explore a newer property next time.
For our 10th wedding anniversary, my husband and I decided to splurge — spending 2,76,748 rupees (roughly $3,330) — for a two-night stay at the Taj Lake Palace Hotel.
Located on India's Lake Pichola, the 18th-century palace once served as a summer house for the Mewar Royal family and was converted into a hotel in 1963.
My husband was especially excited to visit because it was a filming location for the 1983 James Bond film "Octopussy."
Here's what our stay at this beautiful hotel was like.
We were treated like royalty from the second we arrived at the hotel.
We took a private boat to the hotel, which sits white and pristine in the middle of the lake.
Upon arrival, we were treated to a shower of roses tossed like confetti by hotel staff from above — a royal welcome indeed.
The reception area, which includes a bar, is ornately decorated.
We checked in at the ornately decorated reception area, which also included a common sitting area, bar, and courtyard.
We were blown away by the beautiful courtyard.
While walking to our room, we were given a mini tour of the common spaces, the most beautiful of which was the central courtyard adorned with a pond and a lovely garden.
Our room was even decorated for our anniversary.
Our room, though small, was comfortable. It had a king-sized bed, elegant teakwood furniture, and an ensuite bathroom. We also had a lovely view of the lake.
We were welcomed to the room with a "Happy Anniversary" pillow, a small chocolate cake embossed with an image of the Lake Palace hotel, and a locomotive engine made of chocolate.
The Jharokha restaurant serves breakfast and lunch.
Located on the ground floor and easily accessible from the reception area, Jharokha serves a multi-cuisine menu.
Its lovely lattice-work windows really set the royal mood.
Though our first lunch here of Italian food was average, we enjoyed the breakfast on both days.
We treated ourselves to a spa treatment.
As a special treat, I booked a rather pricey couple's spa treatment for 26,600 rupees (about $320). Two therapists worked on us individually over twin beds.
After the treatment, we were treated to the bottle of sparkling wine that was included in the package and left to enjoy the bath covered in rose petals.
We also used the adjoining steam room and sauna.
Although we didn't get in the water, we enjoyed time by the pool.
Though we didn't have time to swim, we enjoyed watching the sunset from the poolside with champagne glasses in hand.
Our favorite meal was at the Bhairo rooftop restaurant.
Our anniversary dinner was booked at the Bhairo rooftop restaurant, which serves European cuisine.
Only open during the winter months, it offers stunning views of the lake at night, offset by the beautifully lit palaces and buildings opposite.
The Aravalli mountains can also be seen in the distance. The meal we had here was exquisite — definitely the culinary highlight of this trip.
I had the clear chicken soup as a starter and the ravioli with roasted pumpkin, nuts, and baked ricotta for my main course. My husband enjoyed the lamb cacciatore.
Although we didn't order dessert, the staff gave us a complimentary Belgian-chocolate fondant.
We were upgraded to a royal suite on the second day of our stay.
Because we were celebrating our anniversary, we were upgraded to a royal suite on the second day of our stay.
This suite was much larger than our original room and offered a view of the Jagmandir Palace on another side of the lake.
In addition to the large canopy bed and spacious bathroom, we also had a sitting area in the main bedroom in front of the TV.
And we got a separate sitting area in a nook surrounded by French windows.
For our final meal, we enjoyed local cuisine at the Neel Kamal restaurant.
For our last dinner, we chose to eat at Neel Kamal, the restaurant that serves local cuisine from Udaipur.
With its live music and stately décor, the restaurant certainly captured the essence of Rajasthan.
We ordered the traditional thali, which is a platter of local menu items, as well as some desserts.
We enjoyed our stay at the Taj Lake Palace.
Our two-day visit was short but very memorable. The staff was helpful and courteous.
We enjoyed being treated like royalty, but we also believe that one stay in this iconic hotel is enough. When we return to Udaipur next, we would love to explore some of the newer, more highly-ranked properties nearby.
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By: [email protected] (Noor Anand Chawla) Title: My husband and I paid $3,300 to spend 2 nights at a palace in the middle of a lake Sourced From: www.businessinsider.com/india-luxury-taj-lake-palace-hotel-on-lake-worth-it-2024-2 Published Date: Tue, 06 Feb 2024 18:12:48 +0000