Best Hotel Accommodations Near Taj Mahal in Agra India
There are more modern and up market lodgings along Fatehabad road, southwest of Taj Ganj, while the leafier Cantonment area and the adjacent Sadar Bazaar have places to suit every budget, as well as offering a convenient location more or less at the centre of the city.Hotel Amarvilas Agraò€“ Easily the loveliest (and the most expensive) hotel in Agra, this luxurious Oberoi resort offers the closest you can get to the life of a Mughal emperor in contemporary Agra. The whole place is virtually a work of art in its own right, constructed in a serene blend of Mughal and Moorish styles around a drop-dead gorgeous charbagh-style courtyard water garden- particularly magical by night. Rooms are sumptuously designed, with all mod-cons, and most have jaw-dropping Taj views (in pricier rooms you can even regard the mausoleum through large picture window whilst lying in the bath). Facilities include a large pool (guests only), idyllic terraced gardens, a pretty spa, two very smart restaurants and a very chichi bar. From US$600.
Hotel The Host Agra ò€“ One of the cheapest places in town. It looks a bit run-down from the outside, but rooms ò€“ though small and mainly windowless ò€“ are clean and perfectly comfortable; most have air-coolers and all have cable TV, and there"s also a fine view of Taj from the roof.
Hotel Raj Agra ò€“ New Taj Ganj guesthouse with clean and comfortable air-cooled and a/c rooms set around a large courtyard ò€“ very good value, though the atmosphere is rather lifeless and the rooftop restaurant was still under construction at the time of writing.
Hotel Shah Jahan ò€“ Centrally located, with a wildly varying selection of rooms ranging from the reasonably pleasant to the decidedly shabby ò€“ though promised renovation sand improvements may have led to a general smartening up by the time you read this. There"s also a rooftop restaurant and well equipped cybercafÓ© downstairs.
Hotel Shanti Lodge Agra ò€“ The most popular backpackers" place in Taj Ganj, with a lively atmosphere and superb Taj views from the rooftop restaurant. Rooms (some with a/c and Taj views) are a very mixes bag: those in the old block are poky and run down; those in the new annexe around the back are larger and smarter.
Hotel Sheela Agra ò€“ Easily the best budget hotel in Taj Ganj, in a secluded and peaceful setting inside the no-pollution zone and only 200 m from the Taj (though you can"t actually see it). The clean and spacious rooms are ranged around a lovely little garden, with fan, air-cooled and a/c options. The dependable restaurant is another bonus, while a friendly Alsatian dog adds to its charm
Hotel Sheela Inn Agra ò€“ An offshoot of the excellent Hotel Sheela, this newest guesthouse occupies a plain modern building slightly up the road from its older relation. There"s a range of fan, air-cooled and a/c rooms (some also have cable TV): all are bright, spotlessly clean and very comfortable, though the whole place is a bit lacking in atmosphere.
Hotel Shyam Palace Agra -Ò This rather dog-eared establishment has large but slightly shabby rooms plus a peaceful courtyard garden that doubles as a low-key restaurant. Comfortable enough, though a touch more than most other places in the area.
Hotel Siddartha Agra -Ò After the Sheela, this is the nicest guesthouse in the Taj Ganj, set in a central but surprisingly peaceful location near the West Gate. Rooms fan or air-cooled) are plain but clean and spacious, arranged around a leafy courtyard with a tranquil little cafÓ© in the middle.
Hotel Taj Plaza Agra ò€“ A slightly more up market alternative to the nearby Taj Ganj guesthouses, this small modern hotel has a range of clean, bright air-cooled and a/c rooms with cable TV; the more expensive ones also have good Taj views. Prices are a bit steep, though Rough guide readers are promised a 40 percent discount on published rates.