6 India luxury hotels with stunning architecture

India’s ultra-luxury hospitality scene seamlessly blends monumental heritage with world-class indulgence. Many of its most exclusive hotels are living historical palaces where guests are treated as royal extensions of the court.

Here are six of the most luxurious and expensive hotels in India, detailing the architecture, interior design, and history that make them worth their extraordinary price tags.

Rambagh Palace (Jaipur), from S$648 per night

Originally built in 1835 as a modest garden house for the queen’s favorite handmaiden, it evolved over decades into a royal hunting lodge. In 1925, it became the permanent residence of the Maharaja of Jaipur, Sawai Man Singh II. It was converted into India’s first luxury palace hotel in 1957.

A stellar example of Rajput architectural grandeur interwoven with Mughal influences. The property is famous for its intricate jali (pierced stone screens), sprawling sandstone balustrades, marble fountains, and impeccably manicured Mughal gardens. Interior Design: The interiors are unapologetically royal. Silk drapes, French chandeliers, hand-painted wall frescoes, and period furniture fill the suites. The Sukh Niwas suite features structured textured fabrics, crystal masterpieces, and gold-leaf details.

Take a direct flight from Singapore Changi Airport (SIN) to Delhi (DEL) or Mumbai (BOM) via Singapore Airlines or Air India (approx. 5.5 to 6 hours). From there, take a short domestic connection to Jaipur International Airport (JAI), which takes about 1 hour. The palace is a convenient 20-to-25-minute private chauffeur drive from the Jaipur airport.

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Taj Lake Palace (Udaipur), from S$605 per night

Commissioned in 1743 by Maharana Jagat Singh II as a summer pleasure palace, this striking structure sits directly on a natural four-acre rock foundation on Lake Pichola. Pop culture enthusiasts know it intimately as the floating lair from the 1983 James Bond film Octopussy.

Built entirely out of shimmering white Mewari marble, the palace architecture features distinct domes (chhatris), scalloped arches, and inward-facing courtyards designed to catch the lake breeze. It appears to float entirely on the water’s surface.

Designed to emphasize the surrounding water, the rooms are adorned with stained-glass windows, carved wood panels, and fine silk fabrics. Niches are decorated with traditional miniature paintings, and the inner courtyards feature blooming lotus ponds and intricate mosaic tilings.

Fly from Singapore to Delhi (DEL) or Mumbai (BOM). From either hub, catch a domestic flight to Udaipur’s Maharana Pratap Airport (UDR), which takes around 1 hour and 15 minutes. From Udaipur airport, the hotel will arrange a 40-minute drive to the private jetty on Lake Pichola, followed by a scenic 5-minute royal boat ride to the palace.

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Umaid Bhawan Palace (Jodhpur), from S$480

This massive palace is one of the world’s largest private residences (a portion is still occupied by the Jodhpur royal family). Built between 1928 and 1943, Maharaja Umaid Singh commissioned the project primarily to provide employment to thousands of farmers during a severe, decade-long drought.

Designed by British architect Henry Lanchester, it is a magnificent amalgamation of Beaux-Arts style, Art Deco, and classical Hindu architectural principles (Indo-Deco). Built using golden-yellow “Chittar” sandstone without mortar, it features a soaring 105-foot central dome.

The palace interiors are a masterpiece of Art Deco elegance. It features exotic woods, polished black marble floors, geometric patterns, and frescoes by Polish artist Stefan Norblin. The bathrooms are notoriously opulent, boasting bathtubs carved entirely out of single blocks of pink Italian marble.

Fly from Singapore into Delhi (DEL) or Mumbai (BOM). Take a connecting domestic flight to Jodhpur Airport (JDH), which takes about 1 hour and 20 minutes. The palace is highly accessible from the local airport, located just a 15-minute private drive away.

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Taj Falaknuma Palace (Hyderabad), from S$408

Translating to “Mirror of the Sky,” Falaknuma was built in 1893 by the Prime Minister of Hyderabad and later purchased by the VI Nizam, Mir Mahboob Ali Khan—reputedly the richest man in the world at the time. The Taj Group meticulously restored the palace over a ten-year period before opening it to guests.

Strikingly unique to India, this palace features a pure Palladian and Neo-Classical architectural layout designed by an Italian architect. Shaped like a scorpion with two expansive wings, it boasts a majestic facade wrapped in towering Corinthian columns.

The interiors reflect excessive European luxury. It features Venetian glass chandeliers, a ceiling mural in the grand hall painted to look like the sky, and an iconic 101-seat dining table carved from solid teakwood. The walls are wrapped in French leather tapestries and filled with the Nizam’s personal collection of rare books and crystal.

This is one of the easiest properties to reach from Singapore. Take a direct flight from Singapore (SIN) to Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (HYD) via Singapore Airlines or IndiGo (approx. 4.5 hours). From Hyderabad airport, the palace is a 30-to-40-minute drive, culminating in a traditional horse-drawn carriage ride up the palace hill.

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The Oberoi Udaivilas (Udaipur), from S$536

Unlike the others, Udaivilas is a modern property built from the ground up by the Oberoi Group. However, it stands on the historic 200-year-old hunting grounds of the Mewar Mewari royals on the banks of Lake Pichola.

A brilliant contemporary homage to traditional Mewari palace architecture. It is designed as a labyrinth of interconnected spaces featuring dramatic stone bridges, hand-carved domes, interlocking inner courtyards, and a semi-private moat-like swimming pool that wraps around the guest wings.

The design bridges heritage and modern luxury. The public spaces boast hand-painted gold-leaf domes and mirror-mosaic works (Thikri). Guest rooms feature hand-carved wooden furniture, fine Indian textiles, freestanding Victorian bathtubs, and direct access to the wrapping pool right off their private terraces.

Similar to the Taj Lake Palace, fly from Singapore to Delhi (DEL) or Mumbai (BOM), and transit onto a domestic flight to Udaipur (UDR). Upon arrival at Udaipur airport, the resort is a 45-minute private car ride. Alternatively, you can request the resort to pick you up by private boat from a lakeside jetty for a more dramatic entrance.

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The Taj Mahal Palace (Mumbai), from S$430

Opened in 1903 by industrialist Jamsetji Tata, this legendary flagship property predates the neighboring Gateway of India by over two decades. Legend states Tata built it after being refused entry into the city’s whites-only Watson’s Hotel, creating a hotel that would genuinely reflect Mumbai’s cosmopolitan ambitions.

A striking example of the Indo-Saracenic architectural style, blending Moorish, oriental, and Florentine design elements. Its most recognizable feature is the massive, 240-foot central red dome, which for decades served as the first marker of Bombay harbor for arriving ships.

The heritage wing features a central floating staircase made of ironwork, Belgian crystal chandeliers, and an unparalleled private collection of landmark Indian art (including works by Jehangir Sabavala and MF Husain). The design leans into a stately, old-world nautical elegance mixed with rich silk tapestries and dark wood finishes.

This is incredibly straightforward. Fly directly from Singapore Changi Airport (SIN) to Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (BOM) on Singapore Airlines, Air India, or Vistara (approx. 5.5 hours). From Mumbai airport, it is a 45-to-60-minute drive down south to Colaba via the scenic Bandra-Worli Sea Link.

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