Best Hotels in India, October 2026 The India Hotel Edit

India is a country of extraordinary regional diversity. In Rajasthan, intricately carved stone, painted havelis, and centuries-old forts reflect the histories of those who built and inhabited them. In its cities, textile markets and flower stalls bring colour to everyday life, while culinary traditions and the use of spices vary considerably from one region to another. Architecture, food, and landscapes change dramatically across the country, giving each destination its own distinct identity.

Our selection reflects this diversity through its hotels, from Jaipur’s bustling streets and quiet palace courtyards to the Himalayan foothills and wilderness areas home to Bengal tigers. Each property offers a different perspective on India, whether through its architecture, natural surroundings, or connection to local history. Here are our hotels to know in India in 2026.

Raffles Jaipur

Jaipur, Rajasthan, India From $429

Raffles Jaipur is an unapologetically ornate interpretation of Rajasthan, filled with domes, chhatris, carved stone, mirrored ceilings and hand-painted details that borrow from the region’s palace architecture without trying to disappear into history. Many rooms and suites have private plunge pools, while rooftop spaces look toward the Aravalli hills and the interiors lean into jewel tones, marble and elaborate craftsmanship. It is more fantasy palace than quiet heritage hotel, making it a strong counterpoint to Jaipur’s smaller havelis.

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Amanbagh

Rajasthan, India From $900

Amanbagh feels like a Mughal palace hidden inside a green oasis at the foot of the Aravalli Hills. Pink marble, sandstone, scalloped arches and domed pavilions rise among palms, fruit trees and flowering gardens, while the 40 suites and pavilions open onto private courtyards, terraces or pools. Beyond the resort, the landscape turns ancient and atmospheric: Bhangarh’s ruined city, old temples, rural villages and Sariska’s tiger country are all within reach, making Amanbagh feel less like a Jaipur extension and more like a gateway into a older Rajasthan.

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Hotel Irada Pune Wine Country

Patas, India From $520

Hotel Irada transforms a former private manor into a 32-room retreat at the centre of a 66-acre working winery, surrounded by roughly 4,000 acres of reserve forest and grassland. The original neoclassical structure has been reworked by AD100 studio Humming Tree with mid-century furniture, Indian craftsmanship, contemporary art and vintage pieces sourced from Les Puces in Paris. Beyond the interiors, the estate revolves around wine: vineyard walks, cellar visits and tastings sit alongside forest trails, wildlife, racquet sports and the Nyāsa wellness programme.

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The Taj Mahal Palace

Mumbai, India From $370

The Taj Mahal Palace opened in 1903 on the waterfront of Colaba, in south Mumbai, directly opposite the Gateway of India and overlooking the Arabian Sea. Its red domes and Indo-Saracenic architecture have made it one of the city's best-known buildings, and the hotel has hosted royalty, writers and heads of state for more than a century. The original Palace wing holds most of the historic rooms, decorated with antiques and Indian art, while the Tower wing, added in 1973, has a more contemporary feel. Guests have access to several restaurants, a Jiva Spa rooted in Indian wellness traditions, a fitness centre and a pool. The galleries, cafés and Art Deco buildings of Colaba and Fort are all within walking distance.

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The Oberoi Vanyavilas Wildlife Resort

Rajasthan, India From $510

The Oberoi Vanyavilas sits just outside Ranthambore National Park, offering a far more glamorous take on the traditional safari camp. Guests stay in lavish triple-canopied tents with teak floors and Rajasthani details, while the neighbouring reserve offers the chance to search for Royal Bengal tigers in the wild. Gardens, an observation tower and old-world service give the property a distinctly romantic character.

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Taj Lake Palace

Lake Pichola, Udaipur, Rajasthan, India From $400

Taj Lake Palace stands on an island in the middle of Lake Pichola, in Udaipur, and appears to float on the water. It was built in the 18th century as a summer palace for the Maharanas of Mewar and was first known as Jag Niwas. Today it is run by Taj, which has kept its marble courtyards, fountains, carved arches and royal suites, many with painted walls and stained glass. Guests arrive by boat, and the views stretch across the lake to the City Palace and the Aravalli hills. Meals can be taken by the lily pond, beside the pool or on the rooftop, and the Jiva Spa offers treatments rooted in Indian wellness traditions, including one on a boat moored on the lake. The palace also appeared in the James Bond film Octopussy.

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Anvaya

Chhattarpur, New Delhi, Delhi, India From $240

Anvaya is a six-room boutique hotel on the southern edge of Delhi, next to the Asola-Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary and the village of Fatehpur Beri. Its curved, sunshine-yellow walls get their colour from the architect's experimental use of lime extract in the plaster and paint. Each room is named after a local tree, such as Neem, Banyan and Gulmohar, and looks out over the forest canopy. The kitchen runs on a zero-waste approach, with organic produce from the hotel's own farm, and the gardens are kept with an efficient irrigation system. Guided nature walks in the sanctuary can bring sightings of leopards, striped hyenas, jungle cats and hundreds of bird species, and the Aravalli hills, India's oldest range, are close by for hiking.

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The Kumaon

Kumaon Himalayas, India From $430

The Kumaon is a ten-suite mountain retreat high in Uttarakhand, overlooking valleys and the snow-covered Himalayan range near Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary. Designed as a series of minimalist pavilions, the property is especially memorable for its dramatic cantilevered dining room, while stone, bamboo, timber and local craftsmanship tie the contemporary architecture back to the region. Its small scale and extraordinary altitude make this less a conventional Himalayan hotel than a quiet architectural observatory for the mountains.

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Aman-i-Khás

Sawai Madhopur, Rajasthan, India From $1,980

Aman-i-Khás is a ten-tent wilderness camp on the edge of Ranthambore National Park, created around the rhythms of safari rather than the conventions of a resort. Each soaring canvas tent has separate sleeping, bathing and lounging areas, while the camp itself stays deliberately intimate, with a stepwell-inspired pool, spa tent, communal fire and meals served beneath the trees. The real reason to come is the wildlife: early-morning and afternoon drives head into tiger country with Aman naturalists, turning the stay into one of the most refined ways to experience Ranthambore.

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