Review of Hotels in Northern India

During our trip to Northern India, from New Delhi to Agra and Udaipur, we had the fortune… Or misfortune of staying in 7 different hotels over the course of our trip to Northern India. In this post, we’ll give our opinion on each of the hotels we stayed in, as well as a few of the alternatives we looked at in the different cities.

Our hotel shortlist for our trip to Northern India:

New Delhi

• JW Marriot Aero City
• Four Points by Sheraton Airport Highway
• Hotel Westend Inn
• Claridges
• Taj Palace Hotel

Hisar

• Midtown Grand

Udaipur

• Radisson Udaipur
• Radisson Blu Udaipur Palace Resort and Spa
• Amet Haveli
• Taj Lake Palace

Agra

• Doubletree Arga
• ITC Mughal

Review of Hotels in New Delhi

JW Marriott Aerocity New Delhi

JW Marriott the luxury line Marriott brand of hotels, the JW Marriott Aerocity New Delhi definitely lives up to its name. Being located in the new Aerocity city district, right beside Terminal 3 of the Indira Gandhi International Airport. This beautiful hotel was where the family and friends of the bride were meeting before the wedding.

The hotel’s grand lobby with its stunning glass art work throughout is beautiful. The rooms are quite large and beds quite comfortable. The bathrooms even have sliding doors that open the bathtub area to the main room.

There is a spa, a small gym with a handful of equipment and a small outdoor rooftop pool, that we didn’t get to use, as the weather was too cool in the winter months in Delhi.

The highlight of the hotel had to be its lavish breakfast buffet, included with our stay. The buffet had a full western style set up with omelette stations, freshly baked pastries, fresh cut roasts and charcuterie; an Indian section with a “street vendor” cart, dosas and uttapam made to order, and a large variety of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes; even a full noodle bar where you can order your favourite Noodle soup or stir-fry. There was so much variety, we ended up coming back after the wedding.

Four Points by Sheraton New Delhi, Airport Highway

We decided to stay at the Four Points between our trip to Udaipur and Agra. The Four Points was a unique hotel. With a small narrow lobby when you first enter. The hotel continued with a series of long hallways with floor to ceiling windows on both sides. This provides great views of the property outside but made the building particularly cold during our December visit.

The hotel itself has some basic amenities, an outdoor pool, gym, dining area, bar and a few meeting rooms. Our rooms felt very cramped, once we got our luggage in the room. On top of that, the windows faced out to the back corner of the hotel, instead of the great views you’d see walking down the halls.

Although breakfast was not included, we were given vouchers that we could use towards its cost. The spread was quite good with a decent selection of both Indian and Western dishes, as well as a variety of freshly made hot items like eggs or dosa.

Hotel Westend Inn (A Unit of Shiv Glitz Hotels & Resorts LLP)

When we mention the misfortune of being in 7 hotels in Northern India, this would be the one we are talking about. Having our flight out of Delhi due to fog, we were ushered to Hotel Westend Inn, at 4 am to wait for our next flight.

Perhaps tainted because of circumstance, we would never book this hotel. The check-in process was a disaster, with none of the staff able to speak English; the porter who assisted us to bring our bags 3 doors down from the lobby stood awkwardly asking for a tip and the rooms filthy, covered in dust everywhere.

The final straw would be the buffet that we were provided, as a meal while we waited. Not only was the selection paltry, but the quality of the food was also horrible as well. Some of the items had even gone bad. We definitely would not recommend this hotel.

Claridges

This elegant colonial-style hotel is located in Chanakyapuri in the heart of Lutyens’ Delhi. This luxurious 5-star hotel has a history dating back to 1952, hosting many diplomats and government officials during their visits to the government offices nearby. The small 2 story alabaster building looks stunning as you first enter the property. The lobby is equally as beautiful with all marble floors and grand wooden staircases. The hotel definitely lives up to its name, with its sophisticated old-world service.

The downside to its old-world service is the building also felt “old world” with a few minor problems. The hotel’s large marble hallways don’t provide any sound reduction and we could hear the large wooden doors of other guests’ opening and closing. Conversations from down the hall could be heard as if they were right next door. The HVAC system also had issues, with the heat being broken in my mom’s room during our visit. The rooms also vary in shape and size, and although large, lacked a cozy feel with a lack of places to put your belongings.

As with most of the other hotels we stayed in, we had our breakfast at the Claridges. Breakfasts are typically served at Pickwicks, but as it was full, so they had us seated in their Dhaba restaurant. Based on the ambience of the typical Punjabi highway eatery, Dhaba was a unique experience, with colourful decorations all around, and even a bus in the middle of the restaurant.

The breakfast was not bad, but the selection was a bit small. We thought it might have been because we were at the secondary restaurant, but looking back at Pickwicks on the way out, it was about the same spread, with a much larger pastries section.

Taj Palace Hotel

Also located in the Chanakyapuri district of Delhi, we were brought to the Taj Palace Hotel by our friend who wanted to show us where he had apprenticed as a young chef.

This beautiful 5-star hotel in Delhi is synonymous with timeless luxury and unmatched hospitality.

Our Hotel in Hisar

Midtown Grand

For our visit to Hisar for the wedding, we were lucky enough to stay in the Midtown Grand the hotel and banquet hall where the final night of the wedding would take place. Newly renovated at the time, the rooms at the Midtown Grand were absolutely immaculate, with contemporary design. Quite a bare-bones hotel, Midtown only had about 20-30, spread across 2 floors. On the top floor is Mustard, a local favourite for Multinational cuisine.

Our only complaints were about the Midtown was the spotty WIFI. It couldn’t be reached in some of the rooms and was only given as 20-hour allotments, with passwords written on small pieces of paper. As well, as a loud humming sound, perhaps a generator, emanating from a corner of the building, when we first arrived.

Hotels in Udaipur

Radisson Udaipur

For our 2 nights in Udaipur, our family chose to stay at the Radisson. Actually a misunderstanding from our tour guide, our family had originally asked to stay at the Radisson Blu. Instead, our guide booked this Radisson, as it was closer to the Old City and many of our destinations.

Sitting up top of the Lake City Mall, the rooms have stunning views of Udaipur and the Aravalli mountains in the distance. The rooms themselves are quite large and overall the hotel is quite nice, but both felt aged, with lots of wear and tear seen all around.

Surprisingly the best part of the Radisson was its breakfast. Although the quality wasn’t the best, there was tons of variety. With a wide selection of fresh juices, fresh eggs made to order and even an assortment of different sprouted grains.

Radisson Blu Udaipur Palace Resort and Spa

Our original choice of hotel to stay in Udaipur, the Radisson Blu is located on the banks of Fateh Sagar Lake. Its whitewashed domed buildings and landscaped gardens reflect the resort’s scenic setting. Featuring a beautiful two-tier outdoor pool and a full-service spa, many guests simply prefer to relax and enjoy the stunning lakeside views. 

Amet Haveli

As well as booking one of our dinners in Udaipur at Ambrai, we had considered staying on the banks of Lake Pichola on the grounds of the restaurant, also a hotel. The Traditional “HAVELI” hotel is actually a heritage site built between 1734-1752 A.D by the same builder of the famous Jag Niwas which is presently known as Lake Palace. The hotel maintains the ambience and decor of the Rajput era, having guests feel transported back into time.

Taj Lake Palace

We couldn’t make up a list of hotels in Northern India without mentioning the Lake Palace Hotel. Built-in 1743, as a summer palace for Maharana Jagat Singh II, Udaipur’s most famous attraction was converted to a hotel in 1982 by Bhagwat Singh, the successor to the throne of Mewar in 1955. Sitting on Lake Pichola, the hotel offers unparallel views of  City Palace, Aravalli Hills, Machla Magra Hills and Jag Mandir. The hotel’s 65 luxurious rooms and 18 grand suites capture the lifestyle and savoir-faire of Indian royalty. One of the most unique experiences is the Jiva Spa located on a boat in the middle of lake Pichola.

Hotels in Agra

Doubletree Arga

One of our favourite hotels on our trip around Northern India was, the Doubletree Agra was like an oasis in the desert. Entering the gates onto the property with lush greenery all around feels like a peaceful oasis escape from all the chaos of the Agra streets.

The hotel and rooms are roomy with elegant simplicity. When we arrive, guests are given the signature “Doubletree welcome cookie”, a comforting snack and a great start to our stay. The hotel even offered free nightly puppet shows for children, which Celine enjoyed.

Since the Doubletree is less than 3 kilometres from the Taj Mahal. You are even able to see the monument from the hotel’s rooftop infinity pool. What impressed us was the most was the breakfast buffet. Although not as expansive as the JW Marriot’s, the buffet at the Doubletree was of excellent quality. With more unique regional items.

ITC Mughal

One of India’s leading luxury hotel chains, ITC follows ‘Responsible Luxury’ as its guiding premise. The ITC Mughal was one of our alternative hotels during our stay at Agra.

Inspired by the heritage Mughal monuments, namely Fatehpur Sikri and Agra Fort, the ITC Mughal has been honoured with the Aga Khan Award for its architectural excellence.  The property’s acres of gardens bear the mark of the paradisiacal landscaping typical to Mughal gardens with the use of water channels, fruit and flower bearing trees and shaded walkways.