The Taj Mahal Palace Hotel is a five-star hotel located in the Colaba region of Mumbai, Maharashtra, India, next to the Gateway of India.
Part of the Taj Hotels, Resorts and Palaces, this hotel is considered the flagship property of the group and contains 560 rooms and 44 suites. There are some 1,500 staff including 35 butlers. From a historical and architectural point of view, the two buildings that make up the hotel, the Taj Mahal Palace and the Tower are two distinct buildings, built at different times and in different architectural designs.
The hotel, which many claim offers the highest level of service in India, has hosted many notable guests, from presidents to captains of industry and stars of show business.
The hotel's original building was commissioned by Tata and first opened its doors to guests on 16 December 1903.
It is widely believed that Jamsedji Tata decided to build the hotel after he was refused entry to one of the city's grand hotels of the time, Watson's Hotel, as it was restricted to "whites only". However, this story has been challenged by some commentators that suggest that Tata was unlikely to have been concerned with 'revenge' against his British adversaries. Instead they suggest that the Taj was built at the urging of editor of The Times of India who felt a hotel "worthy of Bombay" was needed.
The original Indian architects were Sitaram Khanderao Vaidya and D. N. Mirza, and the project was completed by an English engineer, W. A. Chambers. The builder was Khansaheb Sorabji Ruttonji Contractor who also designed and built its famous central floating staircase. The cost of construction was £250,000 (£127 million today).
During World War I the hotel was converted into a hospital with 600 beds.
The Taj Mahal Tower, an additional wing of the hotel, was opened in 1973. It was designed by Melton Bekker.