Rambagh Palace, Jaipur

Once a guest house for Rajasthan's royalty, this sprawling palace hotel is now part of the Taj group and caters to roughly the same demographic with better Wi-Fi. The public spaces set a high bar with their antique grandeur, but the standard rooms feel like a renovation project; the suites, with garden views and butler service, are where the old-world aristocratic fantasy the whole place is selling actually shows up.