Hotel Review: Taj Awadh, Lucknow

Strengths: It is a Taj Property, so a minimum amount of class & luxury is ensured

Weaknesses: Not centrally located, a bit on the expensive side

I stayed for 2 nights at the Taj Awadh for approx. Rs.5500 per night. This was a discounted rate which I got through my company. I guess the regular rate is somewhere in the range of Rs.7500 to Rs.8500 per night – which is more on the expensive side and if cost is your only concern you are better off staying at the Park Inn, Clarks Awadh or Gemini International which are centrally located from all areas of Interest and are more economical as well.

The Taj Awadh is located about 45 minutes from the airport and you will need to hire a cab to get the hotel. It is located in the Gomti Nagar area in Lucknow. This is not a central location and Hazratganj, Chowk, Residency and other attractions ate a good 20 minutes away. The hotel building is itself very beautiful, calm and serene. It is located in very quiet surroundings and the staff is very friendly and courteous. The interiors of the hotel are beautiful though if you look closely you can see that the hotel has not been maintained well in the last few years. When I last visited about 4 years back in 2005 (when I was studying in Lucknow) the hotel was in much better shape and was abuzz with activity.

The room was great and had all the amenities of a regular 5 Star accommodation. The hotel looks a bit like a palace and has only 2 storeys. All rooms overlook a beautiful garden which is will done up and is very beautiful. Room Service is prompt and the food is great, the breakfast buffer had a lot of variety (it obviously does not compare with Taj Lands End Mumbai) but was great none the less.

The dissapointment was the very poorly maintained swimming pool. It was pathetic to say the least, full of dirt and leaves and you are not able to swim in it at all. The gym was also not well maintained. However they have a very good spa offering a range of massages. My wife tried out one of them and found the experience very soothing and relaxing.

If being centrally located is important and being economical is not that important – I would definitely recommend this hotel. Other than the swimming pool, my experience was great. (I however has a soft corner for Lucknow as a city and Taj as a Brand – hence I would be a bit biased, but have tried to provide as honest a review as possible)