Taj Mahal Palace and Tower

Five-star digs with a famous history
Word to the wise: If you can't afford to shack up here for the night like Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, you can still mingle at the many in-house bars and restaurants.
Reopened exactly a year after the 2008 Mumbai attacks that claimed at least 31 lives in the Taj alone, this century-old hotel is testament to Mumbai's resilient nature. Rumour has it the hotel came into being after wealthy industrialist Jamsetji Tata was turned away from Watsons, a fancy British "whites only" hotel, and built his own in a fit of spite. This version of events is hotly-contested, but the 22-storey hotel remains the city's most grandiose, having put up everyone from The Beatles to the Obamas over the years.
Built in Indo-Saracenic style and opened in 1903, the Taj sits proudly on Mumbai's harbor facing the Gateway of India - step inside to people-watch as Mumbai's jet setters, diplomats, Bollywood stars and business men mingle behind the domed fascade. While not as attractive as the main building, the nearby white tower is part of the hotel.

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