Taj Usha Kiran Palace, Gwalior

When the Taj group uses the word “palace,” it’s best to take them seriously, we always say (and it says something about their selection that we actually do say it rather a lot). Taj Usha Kiran Palace, Gwalior, for example, is more than just an awfully luxurious hotel, though it certainly is that. First built as a guest house in preparation for a visit from a future King of England, it later became a residence for Gwalior’s ruling family — just the sort of institutional heritage the Taj hotels dine out on.

The building, needless to say, is an architectural treasure, and the nine acres of gardens certainly don’t hurt the mood. Rooms and suites are typically luxe, with the sort of interior character only a historic building can give you. The décor is clean and sparse in the rooms, more opulent in the suites, always tending towards antiques, and no corners are cut when it comes to physical comfort, especially in the self-contained villas ringing the pool.

A spa sees to guests’ bodily needs, and a fine Marathi/Nepalese restaurant to their gustatory ones. But as always, the cherry on top is the service — the staff at Usha Kiran, as in any Taj palace hotel, are impeccably schooled and anticipate guests’ needs with eerie precision.

How to get there: Conveniently located, the hotel is just 25 kms from the Gwalior Airport (GWL) and 3 kms from the railway station.