The Taj Mahal Palace & Tower, Mumbai (Bombay), India

If I think of luxurious and outstanding hotels, the Hotel Meurice in Paris, The Dorchester in London and the Waldorf Astoria in New York immediately spring to mind. Reputedly the classiest hotel in India, the recently renovated and renamed Taj Mahal Palace & Tower in Mumbai (Bombay) is another such place.

Last year was the hotel’s centenary year, and since it first opened in 1903 the hotel has amassed an enviable – by other five-star hotels at least – stack of hotel registers, listing the names of famous, wealthy and powerful guests from around the world.

Most visitors to the Taj pass through the more conspicuous portico entrance of the 70s Tower Wing. Awaiting them is the busy marbled lobby at the base of the 23-storey tower. Stylishly modern rooms have all the mod cons. City-facing rooms, however, have undesirable views over Mumbai’s filthy rooftops and squalid back streets.

A walk through the boutique-lined, ground-floor corridor takes you into a different world. A staircase wraps around the interior of the six-storey main atrium of the original building. Alcoves and relief plasterwork ornament the walls.

Here, as in the rest of the hotel, hang examples of the hotel’s collection of artwork by famous Indian artists, such as MF Hussain and Laxman Shreshtha.

Releasing us from the chains of many household chores is a basic hotel function, but the Taj’s recently introduced butler service on the Taj Club floors eliminates even more humdrum tasks from the daily schedule. Having only one butler, however, may disappoint some clients, such as wealthy Indians, who may already employ up to forty servants at home.

Of the hotel’s twenty theme suites, the Rajput Suite is one of the most remarkable. Prince Charles stayed here, and so too did John Lennon and Yoko Ono. Ornate Rajasthan craftwork in dark wood, brass and enamel covers the walls and furniture. Securing a view of the Gate of India from the Rajput’s own swing will cost around £764 ($1,400) per night. Guests requiring more space can stay in the 165-square-metre (1,777-square-foot) Presidential Suite.

Even the politest of requests, however, could not gain me entry into the exclusive Chambers Club for the Indian elite. Membership is by invitation only. Industrialists and CEOs count among its 700-strong members.