GENESIS OF THE TAJ

Designed originally by Indian architects Raosaheb Vaidya and DN Mirza, the foundation of The Taj Mahal Palace was laid in 1898 and built by Sorabji Contractor who also designed the famous central cantilevered staircase. The hotel opened its gates to its first 17 guests on 16 December 1903, even before the foundation for the Gateway of India was laid in March 1911.

DIAMOND BY THE SEA

With its Indo-Saracenic arches and distinctive red-tiled Florentine gothic dome, carved with Victorian Gothic and Romanesque details along with Edwardian touches on the roof, it is truly an architectural jewel. The massive 240-feet high central dome serves as an official daytime triangulation point for ships of the Indian Navy, to this day!

WITH MANY FIRSTS

It is India's first hotel to have electricity, American fans, German elevators, Turkish baths and English butlers. Mumbai's first licensed bar - the Harbour Bar (Bar License No. 1), India's first nightclub, an air-conditioned ballroom, an all-day-dining restaurant - Shamiana, the first Japanese restaurant Wasabi by Morimoto, and Sichuan restaurant Golden Dragon... it all began here! French designer Pierre Cardin held the city's first fashion show in the ballroom.

TRYST WITH HISTORY

During the First World War (1914-1918), the hotel was converted into a 600-bed hospital. Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Sarojini Naidu, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan and Sardar Patel would gather here for the freedom movement. Jazz, Ballet, Cabaret, Gala Balls stirred up Bombay's social scene between late 20s and early 50s.

ART AT THE HEART OF IT

The imposing edifice of the hotel is itself an amalgam of art and architectural styles that range from Moorish domes and Florentine Renaissance to Oriental and Rajput. The grandeur of the floating staircase leading up to the dome, the extensive art collection adorning corridors, public spaces and the grand suites, all help trace India's history and art scene since the mid-20th century.

EVERY SUITE TELLS A STORY

The lavish Bell Tower Suite evokes the romance of a seafaring sojourn. The Maratha and Lotus Suites have their own integral leitmotif, paying homage to the great warrior clan and the national flower. The Tata Suite celebrates the legend of the Tatas. The Rajput Suite reflects the splendour of Rajputana royals. The Ravi Shankar Suite commemorates the 1966 meeting of George Harrison and Pandit Ravi Shankar. 

GRACED BY THE WHO'S WHO

From royalties to dignitaries, the world-famous guests who have resided here and been awed by its legacy seem endless - King George V and Queen Mary, famed violinist and conductor Yehudi Menuhin to Jazz legend Micky Correa, George Bernard Shaw, The Beatles, Mick Jagger, Alfred Hitchcock, Zubin Mehta, the Dalai Lama, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and even Neil Armstrong! This list of eminent personalities continues to fill endless memory books.