The Oberoi, Mumbai

Mumbai may surprise you — it's a forward-looking, cosmopolitan, international city, modern where New Delhi is historical; and its hotels reflect this fact. This is, after all, Bollywood, home to India's film and entertainment industries (as well as its financial center), legendary for its nightlife, and known around India as the “Manhattan of the East.”

The Oberoi is one of a very short list of candidates for the top hotel in town; it has played host to many visiting celebrities and heads of state, and of course innumerable stars of the Indian silver screen. There are any number of reasons for its success, but forced to pick one, we would put money on the service — genuflecting butlers and quick, efficient bellmen scramble after your every need, giving every guest some variation on the royal treatment. This is a level of service that may seem excessive, but when one considers the level of sensory overload one is likely to encounter just outside, the appeal of the Oberoi is clear.

To call Mumbai a crowded, busy city would be to comically understate the point. Reasons for visiting are nearly infinite, from business to shopping to sightseeing and beyond — but no matter what awaits out on the bustling streets, it is comforting to know what kind of quiet, elegant hospitality awaits within the hotel.