Taj Falaknuma Palace Of Hyderabad

Royal Retreat with Timeless Romance

Reimagining luxury requires more than opulence — it demands reverence for the past paired with an elegance that resonates today. At Taj Falaknuma Palace, grandeur has not only been preserved, it has been reawakened. Here, India’s legendary hospitality is elevated into a modern, romantic experience that feels timeless, cinematic, and deeply personal.

Perched 2,000 feet above Hyderabad on 32 acres, the palace was built in 1894 by British architect William Ward Marrett for Sir Nawab Vikar-Ul-Umra, and later became the residence of the 6th and 7th Nizams — rulers once among the wealthiest men on earth. Today, under the custodianship of the Royal Family of Hyderabad and the care of the Taj Group, this former royal home opens its doors to travelers who wish not just to visit history, but to live inside it.

The experience begins at the palace gates, where a horse-drawn carriage leads guests through sweeping lawns. The distant muezzin’s call from Mecca Mosque sets a spiritual rhythm, heightening the sense of arrival. Falaknuma — meaning “Mirror of the Sky” — feels suspended between worlds.

Escape And Experience Exceptional Luxury

Where Royal History and Modern Luxury Converge

Inside, the restoration led by Princess Esra, wife of the 8th Nizam, revives a level of craftsmanship rarely seen today. Hand-painted frescoes, carved ceilings, marble corridors, and Venetian chandeliers glow beneath soaring arches. The famed Jade Room, adorned in Chinoiserie flourishes, once held one of the largest jade collections in the world. The Nizam’s Dining Hall, glittering with Belgian crystal and a legendary banquet table, still whispers of royal feasts. Even the palace library — with its teak and rosewood ceiling inspired by Windsor Castle — envelopes guests in quiet, scholarly grandeur.

Legendary Dining in an Imperial Setting

A Palace in the Clouds Above Hyderabad

n contrast to the ceremonial spaces, the 46 rooms and 14 suites embrace a softer, more intimate beauty. Antique furnishings, Italian marble baths, and Turkish carpets create private retreats where history feels personal rather than distant.

Days unfold in languid rhythm — afternoon tea in the Jade Room, leisurely walks in the gardens, or restorative treatments at the Royal Jiva Spa. Evenings are devoted to culinary indulgence at Adaa, where dishes from the Nizam’s royal kitchen are reinterpreted in exquisite, slow-crafted courses, and Celeste, offering elegant Italian and Mediterranean cuisine beneath domed ceilings and soft lamplight

In the cooler winter months, breakfast on the Jade Verandah is a ritual worth rising early for — peacocks in the garden, sunlight over the city, and a calm that feels worlds away. It is here, in these suspended moments, that the palace reveals its true gift: the ability to stop time, if only for a little while.

Taj Falaknuma

Opulent Luxury

At Adaa, menu items from the royal kitchen prepared for state Banquets are recreated and updated to offer diners a taste of traditional Hyderbadi cuisine. Guests can also dine on exceptional classical Italian and Mediterranean fare at Celeste. I highly recommend arising early and enjoying breakfast at Jade Verandah, open only during the winter months. Wake up with the palace peacocks and the sounds of the city in the distance; it is a marvelous start to a day at the Taj Falaknuma Palace Hyderabad. Taj Falaknuma Palace Hyderabad.