Taj Ganges by Sarah Anderson

Being greeted with a bead necklace and a lime drink and having lunch magically provided, is a good sign on arriving at a hotel, but having the lifts consistently getting stuck between floors diminished the initial good feelings.

Although the 130-room, recently renovated and modern Taj Ganges, part of the Taj leisure group, is rather characterless, it is set in 40 acres and is a peaceful and much-needed haven from the hectic streets of Varanasi.

The smallish bedrooms with hard beds have nice prints by James Prinsep, the early 19th century artist, among others, but the furniture is heavy and gloomy. Varuna, the specialist Indian restaurant, has flavoursome food and the Chowk coffee shop serves international fare.