The Plaid Moose: Hotels, Resorts, and Palaces, Oh My!

This post is going to be a little different. The majority of the updates I've done thus far have addressed the lower standard of living that a large portion of India faces. What I haven't talked about is the other side - the extravagant and wealthy portion of the country and population. I have had the absolute PLEASURE of experiencing this firsthand.

Palace in Hyderabad

We have been staying in INCREDIBLE hotels since we arrived here in India. I'm talking as five star as they get. I have never stayed in hotels this nice in the United States. What impresses me more than the hotel itself is the staff. The staff will bend over backwards to help you here. They bring chocolates to your door in the middle of the afternoon. They dry your clothes for you (complimentary). The leave towel animals for you. They pack breakfast and lunch for you. They call to make sure your Internet is working okay. They do all of this with the biggest smiles on their faces. They are the bomb. My personal favorite has been Kenny in our most recent hotel here in Hyderabad. His opening line to me was, "If you need anything, Kenny is there." Is that not just the sweetest thing!?

Palace/hotel in Jaipur

The point of this post is to try to give you an idea of a totally different side of India that I have yet to speak about, regrettably because it is not that different than life in the US. I say regrettably because it really is unfortunate that I am much less shocked to see the affluent side of India than to see the way the less fortunate live in crowded slums. That's not to say I have experience living an extravagant lifestyle - I don't - but I have been blessed with an amazing life in an amazing country. A country where the wealthy/extravagant lifestyle is glamorized and showcased more often (aka every single show on Bravo, and most reality shows for that matter). One thing I heard repeatedly about India, prior to coming, was that the country is full of some of the greatest poverty and some of the greatest wealth in the world. Sounds pretty accurate to me.

Palace/hotel in Jaipur

India is full of amazing hotels, resorts and palaces. For instance, we had to opportunity to go to high tea at the Taj Palace in Hyderabad this past week. It was INCREDIBLE. For all of you interior design freaks....you would have died. We were also able to visit a number of other palaces that were just as jaw-dropping. A number of the readings we completed before the trip discussed the influx of affluent tourists to India and I can certainly see why. The country is booming with potential and it's already full of staggering wealth. In Branding India, the author gave an example of this when speaking about the area of Kerala, describing how affluent tourists have inspired world class resorts that are traditional in flavor but modern in amenities. This couldn't be any more accurate. So many of the places we have been or seen have been just that....a mixture of modern and traditional. It's pointless to try to explain how marvelous these places are - you won't understand until you see pictures. Luckily, I took enough pictures to last a lifetime.