India's hotel scene is having a moment, and readers of Condé Nast Traveller UK have just crowned their favourites for 2026. Taking first place with a near-perfect satisfaction score of 99.89 is The Imperial, New Delhi — a colonial-era grand dame that edged out some serious royal competition. Just behind it, with 99.08, is Rambagh Palace in Jaipur, a former maharaja's residence, followed by Six Senses Rajasthan at 98.79.
The full top 20 reads like a tour of the country's most atmospheric addresses. There are domed palaces, 14th-century fortresses and manors still owned by royal families. Udaipur does particularly well, placing four hotels in the ranking: the fairytale Taj Lake Palace floating on Lake Pichola (94.83), The Leela Palace (97.34), the hilltop conversion Raas Devigarh (98.00) and Fairmont Udaipur Palace (91.88). Jaipur matches that with four entries, including Rambagh Palace, the boutique 28 Kothi (96.82) and the atmospheric Samode Haveli (96.91).
The big cities hold their own too. New Delhi lands three spots — the winner The Imperial, Taj Palace (97.79) and The Leela Palace (98.45) — while Mumbai counts two icons: The Oberoi (94.44) and the legendary Taj Mahal Palace by the Gateway of India (97.01). Elsewhere, the list rewards location-specific drama: The Oberoi Amarvilas in Agra (95.00) frames views of the Taj Mahal, BrijRama Palace (93.01) sits on the ghats of Varanasi, Taj Falaknuma Palace (93.29) looms over Hyderabad, ITC Grand Chola (93.17) brings Chola-dynasty grandeur to Chennai, and The Oberoi Cecil (92.00) is a colonial classic in the Himalayan hill station of Shimla.
A pattern worth noting for trip planning: the winners cluster in the north — Delhi, Rajasthan and Agra — which maps neatly onto India's classic 'Golden Triangle' circuit. You could realistically build an itinerary hitting half a dozen of these properties: Delhi for The Imperial, Jaipur for Rambagh Palace, Agra for Amarvilas, then push on to Udaipur for the lake palaces. Scores are all above 91, so there's no weak link even at number 20.
For travellers, this list doubles as a shortcut to choosing where to splurge. If you want old-world imperial history, The Imperial or the Taj Mahal Palace fit the bill. If you want to sleep like royalty, Rambagh Palace or Umaid Bhawan Palace in Jodhpur (97.77) — still home to the Jodhpur royal family — are the picks. And if you'd rather something smaller and more intimate, 28 Kothi and Samode Haveli prove you don't need a palace to score highly.
