cover picture credits: https://thebesthotels.org/hotel-taj-resorts-ID268396.htm
By the time we arrived at our hotel in Agra, it was close to 9 pm and the road leading to the hotel was pretty dark as well. We chose to stay away from the town area because we had initially planned to visit the Taj at sunrise with our morning ticket so it only made sense for us to stay in a hotel which is walkable distance from the Taj Mahal’s gate.
The Hotel Taj Resorts was relatively affordable in terms of rate but we chose it as it was only a 10 mins walk via the Taj East Gate Road. The hotel is located within a pretty small and aged building with only 4 storeys.
The lobby was pretty medium in size with an elaborately decorated counter for check-in. As it was just past Christmas during our visit, you can clearly see Christmas decorations still in place which is quite a disjoint from the Indian traditionally furnished lobby. There are some seats available for customers to sit while waiting for check-in and there is also a restaurant at the ground floor serving lunch and dinner.
There was only 1 staff at the check-in counter when arrived and he appears to be waiting for us with our documents. The check-in process was fairly easy and quick as no deposit or payment was required. There was also a father and son performer at the lobby waiting to perform for guests at a fee.
The staff carried our luggage to our room and the corridor reminded me more of a hostel than a hotel. The walls were pretty thin and we could hear guests from the rooms quite clearly as we passed by the corridor. We were staying on the 3rd floor which was the same level as the pool.
The room was very basic in traditional dark wood and marble flooring with some old school curtains and bed runners. There is enough space for the luggage as well as a seating area for having tea. There is also a cupboard for clothes and a small counter with complimentary bottled water and porcelain cups. The room is generally clean but the floor is extremely cold at night and slippers were not provided. The bed is not too soft or hard and provides reasonable support but the bed sheets are slightly rough although clean.
The bathroom is quite dark but quite a good size. Very basic amenities were provided like hand soap and toilet paper. The piping was also quite old and it takes a while for the water to get hot and the hot water does go off intermittently.
I was surprised to find that there is a rooftop pool on the same level the next morning while going to breakfast. The pool is more like a dipping pool and a short swim with many potted plants. You should be able to see the Taj from here if not for the fog in the morning.
Breakfast was included in the room rate and located at the basement. You will walk through a local marble factory store before arriving at the dining hall. This is probably the same hall used for weddings and events. Breakfast was self-service and has a limited selection by the time we headed to breakfast around 9 am. There was an egg cooking station where you can order the kind of egg you like and the rest like toast, curries, bacon are all buffet style. We were left with the egg station and some toast as most of the items already run out and we were also short on utensils.
Overall, the hotel is just good for their very affordable room rate providing basic room for sleeping over at night. Cleanliness is not a problem but amenities are what you would expect from a 3-star hotel. Service is generally ok and professional but the thin walls really do not block out any noise from other guests so for a light sleeper, this might be a problem. This would only be good for people who wish to stay really close to Taj Mahal.
Address: 538, Taj East Gate Rd, Near Shilp Gram, Forest Colony, Tajganj, Agra, Uttar Pradesh 282001, India
Room rates from SGD 58 per night
Bear Travels . Bear Eats . Bear Cooks 