The former residence of the Nizam of Hyderabad

An hour flight from Mumbai is Hyderabad. It’s a 400-year-old city that’s quickly emerging as India’s Silicon Valley; all the big tech companies have offices there. Just 30 minutes from the airport, you will find one of the most incredible palace hotels in the world – Taj Falaknuma Palace. It was built by Nawab Vikar-ul-Umra, the former Prime Minister of Hyderabad and then bought by the Nizams. For two centuries (until Indian independence in 1947), seven Nizams ruled Hyderabad and H.H. the 6th Nizam had 17 palaces but he chose this one so you know it’s special. Here are 10 reasons why you would think so too:

A rose petal shower greets guests upon arrival

1. Arrival

Guests get picked up at the airport in a sleek, shiny, new Jaguar. Once you arrive at the palace gates, porters take your bags and guests are transported in a horse-drawn carriage for one of the grandest hotel arrivals on earth. When you reach the hotel entrance, you’ll be greeted with welcome drinks and cold towels before being escorted up the grand marble staircases where you’re showered with rose petals! It’s an incredible and unforgettable arrival. A beautiful receptionist gives you a traditional flowered lei and greeting before checking you in.

The former Nizam’s office is now used as the lobby

2. The property

If your jaw didn’t drop on the arrival, then it will once you tour the main building. They even have a resident historian to give interested guests a free educational tour. Before arriving, I saw pictures so I sort of knew what to expect but the photos didn’t do it justice and mine certainly don’t either. Highlights of the palace interior include 18 types of marble, 16 types of wood, and 10 types of chandeliers. The Gol bungalow was modeled after the White House on one side and Buckingham Palace on the other. There’s a palace library with 5,970 books and guests can actually read 150 of them.

The dining table seats 101 guests making it the world’s longest

3. Billiards and dining Room
Having a drink in the upstairs bar and playing pool in the billiards room alone would make for a memorable night. But if you have lots of cash, then host a dinner in the dining room since it’s the world’s most luxurious and has the longest dining table you’ve ever seen, seating 101 people. There are Victorian culinary scenes painted all along the ceiling so the Nizam could just point to what kind of food he wanted for dinner. The acoustics in the dining room are amazing. Natalie and I sat on opposites ends of the table (108 feet apart) and even though we could barely see each other, we were able speak in our normal voices and carry on a regular conversation.

Our room

4. Rooms
There are 60 luxurious guestrooms and suites all of which Her Highness Princess Ezra added personal touches to during the restoration project a few years ago. The palace might be historical but the rooms are modern with down duvets and pillows, flat screen TVs with satellite and a DVD player, Wi-Fi (costs $13 day), a marble bathroom with a deep soaking tub, separate shower, and Ploh bathrobes. Note: They don’t have any feather pillows but they do have a pillow menu. Guests can use their signature Jiva all-natural bath products in the room.

Indian sunrise

5. Views

The palace sits 2,000 feet above Hyderabad (though it didn’t feel like we were that high) and the sunrises and sunsets were unbelievable. Unfortunately, it must be from the city’s pollution because you rarely see a sun that red.

Pav Bhaji

6. Food
There are two main restaurants: Adaa which serves traditional Hyderbadi cuisine with high tables and low chairs (here’s a dish-by-dish post of one of my dinners) and Celeste that offers classical Italian and Mediterranean fare. Even though I was told the chef at Celeste was trained by the chefs at the Cipriani Hotel in Venice, I was still skeptical. After all, I’m half Italian so that right there gives me the right to be an Italian food snob. How could an Indian chef in India make authentic pasta? I’m glad I didn’t bet because I would’ve lost my shirt. If I didn’t know where I was, my palate would’ve sworn I was in Italy. Seriously. I also tried a dish called Corn Two Ways, which is salt and pepper golden corn kernels and a separate dish of baby corn with honey chili and it was out of this world.

Pastry tray

For breakfast they use the tables inside Celeste but if you get there early before it gets too hot, you can eat on the Jade Verandah, which has sweeping views of the city. The breakfast buffet has tons of local food like Upma and Poha and international options like banana pancakes and pastries that will tempt you to break your diet.

Welcome drinks

7. Drinks
I’m not a boozer so I didn’t appreciate their extensive list of alcohol but I do know their welcome drink alone is worth coming for. And don’t forget to try all the fresh juices and unique concoctions like orange with cilantro.

Local musicians

8. Local musicians
Once a week the hotel has a group of local musicians who are roughly between the ages of 16 and 23 who are so talented I’m shocked they don’t have their own CD. The hotel should fund it and sell it in the gift shop – I would have bought one.

Rebika

9. Service
There are 240 staff for just 120 guests. They are all friendly and considerate. For example, Natalie and I got up early to watch the sunrise. One of the gardeners saw us walking down a path with a sprinkler on and he ran ahead to re-direct it so we wouldn’t get wet.

Cold welcome towels

10. Jiva Spa
Upon arrival at the spa, they serve Vishuddhi chai (lemon juice, jaggary and holy basil), which I had to ask for seconds of. Then they escorted me to the locker rooms where they have hot and cold shower experiences, steam, and sauna. Everyone needs to wear disposable underwear while getting a treatment and my masseuse was a little fireball from Northeast India. After she washed my feet in warm water filled with rose petals, she then asked if she could wash her own hands. The massage was so good, all I remember is that she was so small that she got up on the table to massage my lower back, glutes, and inner thighs.

Good to Know

– Rack rates at Taj Falaknuma Palace begin at 38,500INR ($745) but you can find much cheaper deals through tour operators.

-The 8th Nizam is still alive and lives in Turkey. His daughter Princess Ezra lives in Santa Barbara, CA, and helped with the restorations.

Osman Ali Khan, Asaf Jah VII (the seventh Nizam) was the richest man in the world in 1940 and was on the cover of Time Magazine.

-The Palace took 22 years to design and 10 years to build.

-The word ‘Taj’ means monument of love.

-‘Falaknuma’ means ‘mirror of the sky’ which is why the princess insisted the exterior color be painted more than 100 times until it perfectly matched the color of the sky at dusk.

-The hotel can arrange for a local tour guide to take you to the nearby Chowmahalla Palace (built in 1720) and some other museums. The highlight of our tour was finishing at the Laad Bazaar where you can buy stone set bangles, which come from here.

-An unskilled worker in India makes just 10INR ($0.19) an hour.

-In Hyderabad, 60% of the population of Muslim and the other 40% is Hindu.

-Gas costs 73INR a liter ($1.41). Diesel costs 45INR ($0.87).

Chowmahalla Palace
Chowmahalla Palace
Welcome to Hyderabad
Welcome to Hyderabad
Taj picks you up in a JAGUAR!
Taj picks you up in a JAGUAR!
Cold water and towels
Cold water and towels
Entrance sign
Entrance sign
Palace entrance
Palace entrance
Up close
Up close
Horse-drawn carriage
Horse-drawn carriage
White horses whisk us to the palace entrance
White horses whisk us to the palace entrance
Almost there (The property is 34 acres)
Almost there (The property is 34 acres)
Welcome committee
Welcome committee
Welcome drinks
Welcome drinks
The former residence of the Nizam of Hyderabad
The former residence of the Nizam of Hyderabad
Falaknuma Palace has been leased by the Royal Family to the Taj Group
Falaknuma Palace has been leased by the Royal Family to the Taj Group
The property sits on 34 acres of land, 2000 feet above Hyderabad
The property sits on 34 acres of land, 2000 feet above Hyderabad
Our group
Our group
A rose petal shower greets guests upon arrival
A rose petal shower greets guests upon arrival
It's going to be tough to top this for the honeymoon
It's going to be tough to top this for the honeymoon
Rose petals scattered on the marble staircase add to the magic
Rose petals scattered on the marble staircase add to the magic
Welcome blessing
Welcome blessing
My new Bindy
My new Bindy
Rebika
Rebika
Entrance to the palace
Entrance to the palace
Palace at night
Palace at night
6:25am
6:25am
Indian sunrise
Indian sunrise
View from terrace
View from terrace
Courtyard
Courtyard
Falaknuma means "Mirror of the Sky"
The palace library holds 5,970 books
The palace library holds 5,970 books
The former Nizam's office is now used as the lobby
The former Nizam's office is now used as the lobby
Stained glass of Queen Mary
Stained glass of Queen Mary
Stained glass of King George
Stained glass of King George
Business center to check emails
Business center to check emails
Palace tour with historian
Palace tour with historian
11th edition of Encyclopedia of Britannica from 1910
11th edition of Encyclopedia of Britannica from 1910
Paintings of the royal family grace the palace walls
Paintings of the royal family grace the palace walls
The Queen's bedroom
The Queen's bedroom
Billiards room
Billiards room
The dining table seats 101 guests making it the world's longest
The dining table seats 101 guests making it the world's longest
The acoustics are so amazing you can have a conversation with the person on the opposite end without raising your voice
The acoustics are so amazing you can have a conversation with the person on the opposite end without raising your voice
Victorian culinary scenes on the walls allowed the Nizam to point to what he wanted for dinner.
Victorian culinary scenes on the walls allowed the Nizam to point to what he wanted for dinner.
The sun sets on Falaknuma Palace
The sun sets on Falaknuma Palace
Gol Bungalow modeled after White House on one side and Buckingham Palace on the other.
Gol Bungalow modeled after White House on one side and Buckingham Palace on the other.
Nizam Suite is the largest guest room on property
Nizam Suite is the largest guest room on property
The Nizam Suite's private pool
The Nizam Suite's private pool
Nizam Suite Master bedroom
Nizam Suite Master bedroom
Jasmine flowers by the handful
Jasmine flowers by the handful
Local musicians play daily
Local musicians play daily
Worker runs to turn off sprinkler so we wouldn't get wet
Worker runs to turn off sprinkler so we wouldn't get wet
Room keys
Room keys
Celeste serves classical Italian and Mediterranean fare
Celeste serves classical Italian and Mediterranean fare
Celeste dining room
Celeste dining room
Carrot, apple and ginger drink
Carrot, apple and ginger drink
Bottled water cover
Bottled water cover
Fresh bread at lunch
Fresh bread at lunch
Fried tofu with sweet chili sauce
Fried tofu with sweet chili sauce
Corn "Two Ways"
Natalie's Insalata Caprese
Natalie's Insalata Caprese
Spaghetti Pomodoro
Spaghetti Pomodoro
Oregano, chili flakes and fresh parmesan cheese
Oregano, chili flakes and fresh parmesan cheese
Jiva Spa
Jiva Spa
Fresh flowers can be found all over the spa
Fresh flowers can be found all over the spa
Vishuddhi chai: Lemon juice, jaggary and holy basil
Vishuddhi chai: Lemon juice, jaggary and holy basil
Cold welcome towels
Cold welcome towels
Every room has a butler
Every room has a butler
Our room door
Our room door
Our room
Our room
Desk
Desk
Living room
Living room
Closet
Closet
Bathroom
Bathroom
Bathtub
Bathtub
Soft robes
Soft robes
Shampoos
Shampoos
Amenities
Amenities
Fresh fruit
Fresh fruit
Bed is made each day for an afternoon siesta
Bed is made each day for an afternoon siesta
Breakfast buffet
Breakfast buffet
Indian specialties
Indian specialties
Buffet
Buffet
Buffet upclose
Buffet upclose
Upma and Poha
Upma and Poha
Pav Bhaji
Pav Bhaji
Local musicians
Local musicians
Banana pancakes
Banana pancakes
Fresh lweet lime and pineapple juice
Fresh lweet lime and pineapple juice
Champagne for breakfast
Champagne for breakfast
Pastry tray
Pastry tray
Pastry trolley
Pastry trolley
Chef making Dosa
Chef making Dosa
Dosa!
Dosa!
Could've had an omelet
Could've had an omelet

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13 Comments On "10 reasons to stay at the Taj Falaknuma Palace in Hyderabad"
  1. D.E.|

    Thank you so much for sharing about this. Was looking for Taj Faluknama which I’ve heard about. Liked the ten points a lot and the pictures accompanying it make it a wonderful review.

  2. Imran Sha|

    This is a great review or a beautiful palace. DO you by chance have a video from this visit? Also, would you be okay sharing 1 or 2 high definition pictures from your selection? I’d like to have 1 printed on a wall mural in my room. Cheers!

    1. Imran Sha|

      ‘great review OF a beautiful palace’ I meant

  3. m.m.rao|

    wat is approximately dinner cost for 4 members at adda or celesta

  4. Yeshwant Umralkar|

    Thanks for the review.
    Just returned after spending three days at the Falaknuma Palace. The grandeur of the place leaves you breathless. Hats off to Taj Group for the tenacity in restoring this gem to its original pristine beauty.
    Agree with all the ten points that make it worth one’s while to stay here at least once.
    One wishes Princess Ezra took upon herself the restoration of the Chomohalla palace which is another Indian gem waiting to be polished.

    1. Mir Azam Ali|

      It is reply to the last para. Princess Ersa has already started the restoration work of the Chowmahalla Palace and it is due to her dedicated and continued efforts , the Chowmahalla Palace was awarded the prestigious UNESCO Asia Pacific Merit award for cultural heritage conservation in March, 2010.

  5. Mir Azam Ali|

    No doubt Taj Falaknuma Palace is really very nice place to visit . But I am sorry to point out that Princess Esra is the wife of 8th Nizam and not his daughter as it has been mentioned under the head “Do you know” 2nd para above.

    1. Mir Azam Ali|

      Please minor correction in place of head “Do you know” read “Good to Know”.

  6. Peepul|

    Princess Esra Birgin is the 8th Nizam’s first wife not his daughter.

  7. praveen|

    It was really beautiful. It is one of the place that every one can see.

  8. Chander Ramchandani|

    It’s a great writeup. We’ll use it as a guide for a visit to Taj Falaknuma next month. The ten reasons to visit writeup is excellent
    & is a good guide.

  9. Naveen kumar|

    Fabulous hotel in HYD

  10. Mani|

    it is very nice post, thank you for sharing with us.

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