Luxury Hotel: The Taj West End, Bangalore, India

Bangalore is at the heart of India’s IT boom, the Bollywood version of Silicon Valley. Well maybe in terms of business but not as far as luxury hotels go. Bangalore has much better options in that department: and one of the best is The Taj West End Bangalore.

The Taj West, Bangalore, India

Opened in 1997 as a boarding house for a maximum of 10 respectable gentlemen by an Englishwomen Mrs Bronson, this low-rise hotel defines the notion of an oasis in the center of a noisy, busy city. Fortunately for the lover of beautifully restored colonial architecture and expansive manicured gardens, The Taj Group makes it a habit of retaining the unusual in their hotels and this is no “me to” fake colonial manor. This is the real deal.

The hotel is still petite, though not boutique, with 91 guest rooms and 26 suites scattered around the original main building which houses the grand porticoed entrance, restaurants and bars.

Located on Race Course Road, opposite the Turf Club, The Taj West End is, as it always has been, the place to be seen in Bangalore. The roll call of guests from the past include everyone from Dame Peggy Ashcroft, who stayed while filming A Passage to India, to modern Bollywood stars

Eating options include the hotel’s new Masala Klub, a restaurant with a DIY stone-grill. Cooking your own food is back to the 1970’s in the west but in India its a new and unusual innovation. The Taj also features the Blue Ginger, Bangalore’s only Vietnamese Restaurant: and one of the better Vietnamese meals you will find this far west of IndoChina.

For a truly historic experience choose a room in the Heritage Wing which dates from 1905. The spacious rooms feature high-ceilings and long louvre windows overlooking the wide veranda. The Taj group seems to have the knack with service and the rooms also feature 24-hour butler service and fresh flowers daily. The large marble bathrooms have fantastic deep tubs and a great view of the spectacular gardens. Its not all history though, with all rooms equiped with flat screen TVs and the wing includes a modern business centre as well. Wi-fi meets English colonial!