Taj Falaknuma Palace

Perched on a hilltop above Hyderabad, this 60-room palace hotel still belongs to the city's royal family, which makes the Taj group's stewardship feel less like hospitality and more like custodianship. English architecture, French tapestries, and Venetian chandeliers fill the common rooms with an extravagance the guest quarters wisely dial back. Afternoon tea in the Jade Room alone justifies the dress code you'll instinctively impose on yourself. The Michelin Guide awarded it 3 Keys.