 Wysłany: Wto 18:00, 10 Gru 2013 Temat postu: There's Another Taj Mahal to Visit In India |
|
| There's Another Taj Mahal to Visit In India
In The News5 Vacations to Blow Your Tax Refund The Best and Worst of US Airlines'Oblications' Cost Traveling Public BillionsFlight Diverted Over Movie ComplaintThe longstanding rumor about the Taj Mahal Palace and Tower goes something like this: A very wealthy man was once denied a room at a premier hotel in the city formerly known as Bombay. Instead of getting angry, the man got even by building his own hotel, an enormous palace for Indians, British and everyone else.The Taj neither confirms nor denies the rumor. It's certainly good for business if people believe this romantic tale of "take that!" triumph over rejection. But one fact is undeniable: The hotel became and remains the place to stay in Mumbai.Sure, there are other luxurious hotels, including a few other Tajs; plus the city's most recent addition of a Four Seasons. But at the end of the day, the best place to lay weary heads on extrahighthreadcount sheets is here."I've stayed at the Oberoi and the Intercontinental," said Tony Schulp,[url=http://www.sport.fr/sponsoring/uggpascher.html]ugg hommes[/url], one of the many business travelers, mainly from the United States and United Kingdom, who stay at the hotel. "But I much prefer this place. It's busier and you always meet people."And not just any people. Famous People. Celebrities.Forget Hollywood, New York and Vegas. If you have ever wanted to see a celebrity up close, head to Mumbai.Last fall, this reporter found herself working out in the hotel gym next to Mick Jagger, who was on the elliptical machine just a few feet away. Madonna is apparently not as accessible; the Material Girl had enough clout to close the hotel's gym for her private afternoon workouts. When Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt filmed last year's "A Mighty Heart" in India, they were swarmed by paparazzi outside, but retreated each night to the Taj.Since Jamsetji N. Tata opened the hotel in 1903, it has drawn some of the most famous people in history, including former President Bill Clinton, Jacqueline Onassis, Margaret Thatcher, George Bernard Shaw and Prince Charles. Today, the hotel is part of the Tata Group, whose annual revenues are over $11 billion.Unlike other mustsee cities around the globe full of tourist attractions, Mumbai's list of attractions is short. Most everyone sees the Gateway of India monument and its neighbor, the Taj. The Taj actually arrived about 20 years before the Gateway and was the landmark for ships entering the harbor.Outside the Taj, guests are practically accosted by men selling enormous balloons and the endless honking of taxis is stressful enough to require a large glass of whiskey (yes, the ice has been filtered for foreigners).But inside the hotel is a sanctuary from the chaos, where daily room rates start at about $300."It's not publicized as so, but it's almost like an art gallery," said Kirti Dhingra, the hotel's public relations manager."We're Bill Murray in 'Lost in Translation,' running around this big hotel and being really far away from home," said Christian Colson, 39, a film producer who was in town making the Mumbaibased movie "Slum Dog Millionaire." |
|
