Taj MG Road

Taj MG Road is a luxury hotel in Ulsoor with the best walkable position of the big hotels in this guide: MG Road is about a minute away on foot, the MG-Lido Mall is next door, Ulsoor Lake is a six-minute stroll and Trinity metro station is around five minutes away. It has 167 rooms, an outdoor pool with a poolside bar, the Jiva Spa, a 24-hour gym with yoga classes, three restaurants including Memories of China, a coffee shop and a nightclub. It suits travellers who want a full-service hotel at the centre of the city, with shopping, cafes and the old Cantonment streets on the doorstep, and who value a garden and a pool to unwind in after a day of Bengaluru traffic. Rates sit at the luxury level, but the walkability and the metro access can save a lot of time and taxi fares.

Vidhana Soudha is about 3. 9 kilometres away, and the Cantonment and Cubbon Park sights in this guide are a short ride. The airport is around 59 minutes by road in normal traffic, and much longer at peak hours, so allow generous time.

The hotel offers an airport shuttle for a fee, so ask when booking.Rooms and facilities: with 167 rooms, the hotel is large enough to have several room categories and a full range of services. Facilities include an outdoor pool with a poolside bar, the on-site Jiva Spa, a 24-hour gym with yoga classes, a garden, a hair salon, a 24-hour business centre, a 24-hour front desk, luggage storage, laundry and dry cleaning, a limousine service, bicycle rental and supervised childcare for a fee.

Free WiFi is provided in public areas and self-parking is free. Dining includes Memories of China, two other restaurants, a coffee shop and a nightclub. Buffet breakfast carries a surcharge, so check what your rate includes.Who it suits: couples, business travellers and families who want a polished base with a pool and a spa, and first-time visitors who want to explore the central districts on foot or by metro. It is a particularly good choice if your plans include the Cantonment heritage walk, the city palaces and evenings on Church Street and Brigade Road.

If you want a quiet suburban or garden setting, a resort on the edge of the city may suit you better.Good to know: check-in is from 2 pm and check-out is at noon, with early check-in and late check-out available for a fee, subject to availability. Bengaluru is pleasant most of the year, with the busiest hotel periods around the winter holidays and major conferences, so book ahead and compare rates by date. Ask for a higher floor if you want to reduce street noise.