Taj Mahal, New Delhi — Hotel in New Delhi

For a while, this was one of the properties we wanted to do a relaxing staycation (with club lounge access), especially after their recent extensive renovations. Located at the heart of Lutyen's Dehi, for a long time this was "The Taj" hotel of the capital. We finally decided to do this during the Independence Day long weekend which also happened to be our anniversary weekend. Armed with a couple of Amex Taj vouchers I got a reasonable rate for 2 nights in a Taj Club room. Like I always I tried to get in touch with the management over email. The listed GM Anmol Ahluwalia didn't respond, nor did Vedagiri Rajaram the resident manager. I even tried the hotel's generic email address that remained unanswered. On calling the front desk, I always got transferred to someone who had no clue about what I was asking! Eventually, I had to take help of another Taj property's GM to get connected. Very soon I now got a response from Mr. Vedagiri, claiming that my email never reached his inbox. The usual excuse! He replied with a possibility of upgrading to a suite and confirmed our early check-in request. Further coordination was supposed to be done by Mr. Shahjahan, the Front Office Manager. Incidentally, during our stay we met no one from the management. They only do their photo-ops with visiting dignitaries it seems.||We reached early and was checked in by the duty manager. We were walked in to our room that was a club suite facing the swimming pool below. Perhaps, the view of the secretariat would have been more interesting. These rooms had been renovated and it was clear how. Although the name suggested otherwise, these were basically junior suites with the in-between wall now gone. Instead a bigger bathroom had been partitioned out with a lockable door. The old bathroom was now a wardrobe and the toilet. The latter could be accessed from both the wardrobe and bathroom sides. The wardrobe had its own hanging rails and drawers while there was a separate set of wardrobes inside the room too. The minibar was there too but there wasn't an espresso machine in sight. That seemed an oddity in Taj's flagship hotel in the capital given other brands have them in hotels positioned several notches lower. There was a wraparound sofa, another sofa seat near the window and the customary foot sofa. However, nothing screamed luxury in the room. There was a smart TV in the room that was anything but smart. It required a staff to appear every time we wanted to view satellite TV channels. The renovated bathroom on the other hand was perhaps of luxury standards, where the bathtub and shower area were behind a glass door with a window looking outside. Double basins and a cramped toilet completed the setup. The toiletries from Forest Essentials were no more in small plastic bottles but were in big containers.||Since we arrived early and had access to the club lounge we went for the breakfast immediately after checking out our room. In my view the club lounge was the only praiseworthy venue of the renovated property. It had a buffet (3 times a day) complemented by a made-to-order a-la-carte menu which was also quite extensive. The service was good too although at times once crowded it faltered somewhat. The actual served food could have been better as is reflected below in the Machan review too. The tea selections were great but the drinks were ordinary except for some good Malbec wine one day. The preferred window-side tables get filled early, so go there well before any buffet starts.||The other food venue we tried because of our half-board inclusion was Machan. A lot has been already written and said about the new Machan. We found the food very ordinary and not worth the praise. Besides, because of its smallish size and apparent popularity (read "insta-worthy") getting a table by just walking-in was next to impossible even for hotel guests. It was Varun who accommodated us on the 15th night, who also gave his contact details. Tanvi served us the first night. On the second night it was much calmer. The service also became iffy as it seemed all the better staff had taken the day off. Although we were given a smaller a-la-carte menu to order from it was still quite extensive. Over 2 nights our order included the following: calderia soup, ebi tempura, mahi tikka, tang cu ji, chicken burger, kathi kebab, kozhi roast, ravioli, gosht biryani. Like I said nothing stood out and all of this was just passable in taste and execution. Breakfast here with its a-la-carte could have been a better affair, only if you managed to get a table, especially on certain busy days. It took us almost 30 minutes to get a table and the next day we just decided to head to the club lounge.||They served a bento-sized anniversary cake in our room. Nothing else was placed as a welcome amenity, no welcome note, nothing. Prem from the housekeeping staff would keep asking (quite annoyingly sometimes) to find out what else we needed. I guess the staff never understood that the best housekeeping quality is to anticipate guest's needs and not to keep on asking about it! On the day of our check-out, we kept getting calls from the front-desk (e.g. Prateeksha) and even visits to enquire when we would be checking out. This was inspite of our request on the first day itself for a slightly late check-out that was apparently confirmed by the duty manager right then.||The voucher redemption happened without a fuss. It was a altogether different matter to get the correct Taj stay points (which are Neucoins now) to get credited. It required multiple phone calls, emails to the hotel management and about a month to get the issue...

Our stay at the Taj Mahal New Delhi was exceptional and the perfect end to a two week stay in India. The hotel is beautiful and has a wonderful sense of calm outside the hustle and bustle of Delhi. Security is excellent for entering the hotel. We arrived very early at 9.30am and despite this check in was efficient and we were given our room immediately and not made to wait. We had a Taj Club room, so were able to access the club lounge immediately for breakfast. The room was lovely and spacious with a huge bathroom. I feel awful for not remembering the name of our room housekeeper as he was excellent and the best we had in India. We stayed in (Room 505, Oct 31-2nd nov- so I hope the management team can kindly find out who this was). He had noticed that my husband had used the shaving kit and so left out additional products for him that evening. He left a teddy for the kids and a lovely note. The room was made up a least twice a day and as soon as we called or asked. Thank you so much for looking after us. The hotel had some wonderful events on while we were there. The children's Diwa decorating run by Arpeta and Priyanka. This was wonderful and at no additional cost. There was a wonderful Diwali party with a great cultural show and food and again at no additional cost. The hotel went out of their way to really celebrate Diwali. They also hosted a Halloween party for children with food, again all included. We were meeting with friends in the Delhi but did not want to miss out on spending time at the hotel. The hotel were excellent at accommodating this when we asked if they could visit. They were happy for the children to join in the sessions also. They were so welcoming and the best we have ever come across. It meant that we could meet our local friends at the hotel and not worry about arranging other places to meet them. The pool area is excellent and welcoming. Durgesh and Ganesh provided an excellent level of pool service and looked after us so well. Vijay the manager was also very welcoming and chatted to everyone at the events run by the hotel. The service through out this hotel was exceptional. A gentleman was always at the elevator and greeting everyone. They had excellent memories for which floors guests stayed on. Such a lovely and warming gesture. Finally I come onto the club lounge. The lounge was excellent in every way from food, ambience and service. Breakfast was al la carte with great choice. Afternoon tea had a good variety and choice was held daily between 3-5. Every evening they had canapes and drinks in the lounge. The food quality was excellent and almost like a meal. Children were not allowed in the lounge between 6.30-8.00 but allowed after 8.00. The food is supposed to end at 8.00. Our kids often came up at 8.00 and the team were so wonderful and always made them a plate and had their drinks ready. They got to know exactly what we liked to drink and when and did not even ask but bought it across immediately. The team at the Club lounge was excellent and I can not commend them enough. We had the pleasure of being hosted by Laxmi, Ajay, Anurag, Varun, Swetha, Surinder. Suraj made some excellent drinks for us also. I spent such a long time deliberating where to stay in Delhi as I wanted to stay a lovely hotel where the service would be great, somewhere to relax following a very hectic sightseeing trip in India. I was not disappointed and am so glad that we stayed at the Taj. The hotel and service were exception. I can not fault them in any way. Thank you to all those that I did not get the names of, especially those around the reception area, concierge, security. You all made our stay so memorable. I would highly recommend this hotel and...

I haven’t visited the Taj Mahal personally, but based on several reviews and images, there are a few disappointing points. Many travelers mentioned that the place gets extremely crowded, making it hard to enjoy peacefully. The entry ticket prices are higher compared to other monuments in India. Some visitors complained about long queues, especially during weekends and holidays. Reports suggest that the area outside the Taj Mahal is not very clean. Street vendors around the site often bother visitors to buy items. Parking management seems to be poorly organized according to online reviews. Some travelers said that guides overcharge tourists for basic information. Online reviews also highlight that food and water inside the area are very expensive. People mentioned that there is a lack of proper dustbin facilities around the premises. Some images show worn-out walls and lack of maintenance in certain sections. Reviews suggest that security checks take too long, especially during peak hours. Tourists complained about misleading prices for photography services. Many foreign travelers said they were overcharged compared to locals. Locals around the site reportedly push aggressively to sell souvenirs. Some visitors claimed that the surrounding streets are very congested. According to several reviews, online ticket booking services often fail. People mentioned poor mobile network connectivity inside the premises. Some images online show littering issues during festive seasons. There are reports that drinking water stations are insufficient. Many travelers complained that the washrooms are not well maintained. In several reviews, tourists suggested improving air quality around the area. Foreign visitors reported communication issues due to lack of proper English-speaking guides. Some tourists felt unsafe at night due to poor lighting around the complex. A few reviews claimed that several areas are overcrowded with photographers. People complained about unclear signboards and lack of proper directions. Many reviews highlighted slow entry because of heavy manual checking. Ticket counters reportedly lack proper queue management. Several travelers shared dissatisfaction over poor wheelchair accessibility. Reviews suggest that staff behavior can sometimes be rude. Tourists mentioned lack of enough shaded spots to relax. Overpricing of snacks and bottled water is a common complaint. Several reviewers suggested better seating arrangements for elderly visitors. Some online posts say drainage near the surrounding roads is poorly maintained. A few travelers complained that paid parking tickets are sometimes not honored. There are complaints about aggressive touts offering “priority access” for money. Online reviews suggest that photography restrictions are confusing and unclear. Several people mentioned lack of medical aid facilities nearby. Some reviews criticized poor crowd control during sunrise and sunset timings. Overall, based on these traveler reviews and images, the management needs to improve cleanliness, crowd control, and pricing to enhance the...