India (Frommer's, 4th Edition) - Keith Bain [72]
Capitalizing on the desire for totally individual boutique-style lodgings, CGH Earth (www.cghearth.com; our favorite chain in South India), has been purchasing, building and/or skillfully renovating heritage properties throughout the south, and staffing it with locals usually with one of their highly trained managers at the helm. Their properties are so unique, and their standards generally so high, that—should your entire South India itinerary comprise only their properties—you will return home delighted.
Of course we all knew India had “arrived” when the ultraluxe Amanresorts entered the fray with Amanbagh, arguably the finest resort-style property in India, but the pace was first set by the Vilās properties, owned by India’s very own, very fabulous Oberoi chain. Besides the Vilās properties (the best of which is Amarvilās in Agra, though many rate Udaivilās in Udaipur as their top choice), Oberoi runs some of the very best city hotels, as well as several spa resorts in key tourist destinations and a luxury backwater cruiser in Kerala. As with the three Aman properties in India (including their exceptional new hotel in Delhi—probably our favorite city hotel in the country), Oberoi hotels and resorts attract top dollar, but you can generally count on superb service and attention to detail. Best of all, you can often get great discounts on room rates by reserving in advance over the Internet (www.oberoihotels.com). Note that Oberoi also operates a tier of smaller, less opulent hotels under the Trident banner; aimed principally at business or family travelers; trained to Oberoi standards, service in these hotels is excellent and they usually offer very good value.
India’s other famous hotel chain is the Taj (www.tajhotels.com), with an enormous inventory of properties, particularly in South India, where Oberoi is largely absent. Quality varies somewhat (and service does not match that of the Oberoi group), but comfort is generally guaranteed, particularly in big cities and resort destinations—the best properties are the Taj Mahal Palace in Mumbai (less so the adjoining Tower wing), Rambagh Palace in Jaipur, Lake Palace Hotel in Udaipur, and Umaid Bhawan Palace in Jodhpur. They also offer comparatively excellent service and facilities at their hotels in smaller cities such as Aurangabad and Chandigarh. At press time, the Taj group is rolling out an extensive rebranding campaign, and has introduced several new identities (often used for existing properties); these include The Gateway (usually middling, unexceptional hotels) and Vivanta by Taj (very exclusive business hotels). Taj also operates a budget chain, Ginger (see City Hotels below for more on this).
Safari experiences have changed dramatically since the Taj group launched Taj Safaris, teaming up with acclaimed South African conservation group &Beyond (formerly CC Africa). Their first luxury safari lodge, Mahua Kothi, at the Bandavgarh tiger reserve in Madhya Pradesh, is a sublime, sexy property with some of the country’s best guides. They already have three more lodges in Madhya Pradesh—at Kanha, Panna and Pench—and are planning more in the next few years. Meanwhile, Amanresorts’ tented lodge at Ranthambhore, Aman-i-Khás, remains superlative.
Don’t think that India’s high-end hotel sector is anywhere near saturated. The Four Seasons opened its first hotel in Mumbai in 2008, and it is among our favorite city hotels in the country (with an interesting location, brilliant concierge desk, and good community development programs). And two fairly low-key local chains have emerged: Ista Hotels (now in Amritsar, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad) and O Hotels (currently in Pune and Goa) both offer pretty good homegrown luxury, and are likely to expand their portfolios in the next few years. One Indian chain that is aiming to compete with Oberoi and Taj is The Leela, which has teamed up with Kempinski and, having sorted out its service standards, is scheduled to open many large, luxurious, environmentally conscious hotels in the next few years.
HOMESTAYS All over Kerala (and a