Summer vacations mean only one thing in my mind, travel, explore make the most of the time you get with family. Agra, one destination that is on the itenarary of all foreign tourists is one place I have been dying to visit again. The only time I had been here before, was eons ago, on a school trip.
Double tree by Hilton is a relatively new property and one that I did not notice at first, till my travel agent suggested I book here.
The Property
The hotel has an open layout with the lobby opening onto a centre courtyard. The lobby itself had a lot of skylights letting in the sun during the day and keeping it bright and airy. The buffet restaurant had tables set up in the open centre courtyard, so you could eat out if you liked. Being summer, we chose to dine indoors but there were a number of foreign tourists soaking up the sun in the courtyard.
The swimming pool is on the second level and faces the Taj. There were a few sunbeds available and overall this was a small pool. There was also a fitness centre, spa and beauty salon. Unfortunately we had no chance to try any of this as we spent most of our time sightseeing.
The Rooms
A lot of hotels boast of a Taj View and are therefore all located on the same stretch. This is no exception. The room I booked had a Taj Mahal view. The hotel is very new, in fact the room we were given was never occupied before! They had opened only a few months back.
The room was large, and had a huge window overlooking the Taj. Of course it was some distance away and you did get the complete flavour of India – overhead electricity cables and haphazard construction all the way.
Being new, everything was obviously in the best condition. A small sofa and working desk was also very thoughtfully placed.
At some point during the evening, there was some leakage issue from our bathroom, on the floor below. They had to move us out of the room, but they upgraded us to a suite! I was thrilled to try out the other room as well.
The one bedroom suite was located just two rooms away from the earlier room – but unfortunately the Taj was visible at a weird angle and only from the bedroom.
The living room had a large seating area, dining table, side board and a single toilet attached, without a bathroom. The bedroom had the same facilities as the other rooms expect this one had a larger wardrobe and the bathroom had a tub. Both rooms had TV sets.
The Restaurant
There was only one operational restaurant and we had both dinner and breakfast here. The food was sensational without a doubt. The spread was huge and there were some really well thought out dishes. The indian food was complemented with its international counterparts. Cold cuts, cheeses and Italian fare was a delight – for both breakfast as well as dinner.
Service
I found the staff very helpful and friendly without being overly familiar. They were quick to help us move out of our room and the fact that they upgraded us proactively says a lot about their service orientation.
Overall Thoughts
My only regret is that I spent too little time in this beautiful hotel. I would definitely go back for more the next time I visit this beautiful and historic city.
Ratings
Location 4/5
Rooms 5/5
Service 5/5
Value for money 4.5/5