Er. Neha Godbole: India’s Most Expensive Hotels

1. Taj Lake Palace, Udaipur and Rambagh Palace, Jaipur.

The number one spot for the country’s priciest hotel is a tie between two Taj palaces. A Luxury Double Bedroom, their most basic option, will cost you 36,000 rupees ($810), while the Grand Presidential Suite a staggering 600,000 rupees ($13,500). Rambagh Palace, the Maharaja of Jaipur’s former residence, is considered the “jewel in the crown” of the Taj hotels in India. The Taj Lake Palace, one of India’s most iconic hotels, belonged to another dynasty, the Mewar, and is famously located in the middle of Udaipur’s Lake Pichola.

2. The Leela Palace Kempinksi, New Delhi.

Prices start at 25,000 rupees ($560) per night for the Grande Deluxe Room and reach 450,000 rupees ($10,000) for their Maharaja Suite, which boasts bulletproof windows – a nod to the heads of state expected to lodge there. Located in the diplomatic enclave of Chanakyapuri, the Leela opened its doors to guests earlier this month and cost about 18 billion rupees ($405 million) to build. In an interview with NDTV, Captain C.P. Krishnan Nair, the chairman of The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts, said cost was no consideration when building the hotel. (He added karma will help them break even.)

3. The Oberoi, Gurgaon.

The latest Oberoi opened its doors in Delhi’s business suburb of Gurgaon roughly at the same time as the new Leela. Here, prices range from 30,000 rupees ($680) a night for a single Deluxe Room to 300,000 rupees ($6,800) for the Presidential Suite. The hotel complex, which is strikingly contemporary in its design , includes its own forest.

4. The Oberoi, Mumbai.

Located just off Marine Drive, overlooking the city’s famous bay, the Oberoi is one of Mumbai’s top hotels. A Deluxe Room here costs 25,000 rupees ($560) and a Presidential Suite 300,000 rupees ($6,800) per night. Mumbai’s Oberoi, a target of the November 2008 terrorist attack, has since been completely redesigned with a particular focus on security.

5. The Oberoi Amarvilas, Agra and The Oberoi Udaivilas, Udaipur.

Another tie, this time between two Oberois. In both resorts, Premier Rooms are priced at 35,000 rupees ($790) and Kohinoor Suites at roughly 250,000 rupees ($5,700). The Oberoi Amarvilas has a pretty special USP: rooms with a view of the Taj Mahal, which is just a few hundred meters away. Udaipur’s Oberoi, inspired by the architectural tradition of Rajasthani royalty, is located in a stunning natural setting overlooking the city’s lake.

6. Taj Lands End, Mumbai.

This is Mumbai’s other Taj, located in the city’s Bandra neighborhood. Deluxe Rooms here cost 23,000 rupees ($520) and the Presidential Suite 250,000 rupees ($5,700).

7. The Oberoi Rajvilas, Jaipur.

One of Jaipur’s top resort hotels, the luxury tents and rooms of this Oberoi aim to revive the princely feel of Rajput India. Rates start at 35,000 rupees ($790) for their Premier Room and reach 230,000 rupees ($5,200) for their Kohinoor Villa with Private Pool.

8. Taj Falaknuma Palace, Hyderabad.

This used to be the home of the Nizam of Hyderabad, whose family now leases the palace to the Taj Group of Hotels and Resorts. Rooms cost 33,000 rupees ($750) for a Luxury Room and 195,000 rupees ($4,400) for the Grand Royal Suite.

9. The Leela Palace Kempinski, Udaipur.

Another opulent hotel on the banks of Udaipur’s Lake Pichola. This is slightly less expensive than its Oberoi and Taj counterparts. Tariffs start at 26,000 rupees ($590) for its standard Lake View Rooms and reach 200,000 rupees ($4,500) for its Maharaja Suite.

10. The Taj Mahal Palace and Tower, Mumbai.

Anyone who’s anyone who comes to Mumbai is likely to stay at this Taj, one of the country’s best known and oldest hotels. Its least expensive rooms, the Superior Rooms, cost 21,500 rupees ($485) and its Grande Luxury Suite 170,000 rupees ($3,800). Predating the Gateway of India which stands in front of it, this is a Mumbai landmark in its own right.

*How did we come up with these rankings? We looked at room rates online for India’s big brand luxury hotels for the period roughly stretching from June to September, when they are usually cheaper. While some had fixed tariffs, in some hotels rates varied. For these, we looked up prices on different days and averaged them. Although prices are subject to taxes and special offers, we based our rankings on rack rates. For each hotel, we looked at prices for their cheapest and most expensive rooms and averaged them to establish where to place them on the list.