India (Frommer's, 4th Edition) (222 page)

Rd. no. 2, I.T. Park, Gachi Bowli Hyderabad 500 019.
040/4450-9999.
Fax 040/4450-8888.
www.istahotels.com
. 160 units. Rs 15,000 premium; Rs 16,000 deluxe; Rs 19,000 luxury; Rs 25,000 deluxe suite; Rs 33,000 luxury suite; taxes extra. All rooms include breakfast; except for premium, others offer complimentary Wi-Fi, transfers, cocktails, and laundry. AE, DC, MC, V.
Amenities:
2 restaurants; bar; tea lounge; airport transfer (Rs 1,100); concierge; currency exchange; doctor-on-call; health club; heated pool; room service; spa with steam and sauna. In room: A/C, TV, minibar; Wi-Fi (Rs 120/hr., Rs 600/day).

ITC Hotel Kakatiya Sheraton & Towers
Not as opulently over-the-top as Taj Krishna, this hotel is billed as the best business hotel in town. Public spaces are smartly decorated in a vibrant and culturally evocative assortment of objets d’art typical of the region—decorative silver
bidri
pieces, detailed frescoes, and elegant furniture in rich fabrics. Guest rooms are wonderfully spacious; even the cheapest corporate rooms are large and nicely finished (twins only). The best views are of Hussain Sagar Lake, the city, and the pool (book a room with a number ending in 01, 03, 05, 11, 17, or 19 for the least obstructed view). The atmosphere here is one of down-to-earth sophistication. Staff is friendly and helpful, if not always on the ball.

Begumpet, Hyderabad 500 016.
040/2340-0132.
Fax 040/2340-1045.
www.welcomgroup.com
. 188 units. Rs 16,500 executive club double; Rs 23,500 Sheraton Tower; Rs 30,000 ITC One; Rs 26,000–Rs 70,000 suite. Tower rooms and suites include breakfast and happy hour. AE, MC, V.
Amenities:
3 restaurants; 2 bars; tea pavilion; patisserie; airport transfer (Rs 2,300); concierge; currency exchange; doctor-on-call; health club; pool with Jacuzzi; room service. In room: A/C, TV, minibar, Wi-Fi (Rs 300/hr., Rs 600/day).

Taj Krishna
Situated in the
upmarket suburb of Banjara Hills, Hyderabad’s most luxurious hotel has some of the city’s most exclusive restaurants (see “Where to Dine,” below), its best nightlife option, and proximity to shopping outlets. Fashioned to emulate the opulence and (sometimes high-kitsch) style of an Indian palace with sumptuous arches,
zardozi
(embroidered) panels, cuddapah stone with mother-of-pearl inlaid marble pillars, its lobby is packed full of ornately engraved mirrors, rococo marble statues, Asian vases, an original French gold-encrusted ornamental grandfather clock, and a fountain spouting water into a dark marble koi pond. Rooms are elegantly appointed with fine linens, old-world paintings, and some with chandeliers. The lake and pool facing suites on the Taj Club floors are the best, with a host of amenities. (
Note:
Bear in mind that the Taj group has a cheaper, less opulent but comfortable brother in town.)

Rd. no. 1, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad 500 034.
040/6666-2323
or 040/2339-2323. Fax 040/6666-1313.
www.tajhotels.com
. 261 units. $375 deluxe double; $480 Taj Club (includes breakfast and airport pickup); $715 deluxe suite; $900 luxury suite; $1,500 presidential suite. AE, MC, V.
Amenities:
4 restaurants; bar; tea lounge; nightclub; airport transfer (Rs 1,900); badminton (by arrangement); concierge; currency exchange; doctor-on-call; golf (by arrangement); health club; Internet (Rs 200/hr., Rs 600/day); outdoor pool; room service; squash (by arrangement). In room: A/C, TV, minibar, Wi-Fi (Rs 200/hr., Rs 600/day).

WHERE TO DINE

In Hyderabad, food is as important as life itself (a world-view no doubt inherited from the
Nizams,
who reveled in culinary intemperance) and known for its
dum
-style
cooking (its origins in Lucknow): the practice of sealing the pot or dish and gently simmering its ingredients over a slow fire, thereby increasing the absorption of aromatic spices. Lavishly decorated in vibrant blues and distinctively Hyderabadi objets d’art,
Dum Pukht
(ITC Kakatiya Sheraton & Towers;
040/2340-1032;
www.welcomgroup.com
; Rs 550–Rs 1,500) is the city’s most celebrated upmarket restaurant, and known for its
dum
-style dishes. (
Dum Pukht
literally means cooking by locking in steam.) Try the chef’s
kareli ki nahari,
mutton shanks cooked in their own juices and marrow, tinged with cardamom and saffron. Melt-in-the-mouth
kakori
kebabs prepared from finely minced mutton, green papaya, cloves, and cinnamon are skewered, chargrilled, and eaten with
sheermal,
saffron-and-milk-infused flaky bread.

One of the best examples of
dum
-style cooking is
biryani,
Hyderabad’s most time-honored dish, best made with marinated mutton which, together with basmati rice and spices, is prepared in a sealed pot for an aromatic result—see tip box below/above.

Best Biryani