The Taj Mahal is extraordinary as much for what it is as how it has escaped the banality of cliché. For 350 years, this monument evokes a sense of wonder. Only by being there can you witness its true majesty, its symmetry, its setting and the delicacy of its carved marble inlaid with precious stones. Now just suppose you were to overlook it from your hotel room? The Oberoi Amarvilas is 600 metres from this tribute to love. The lavish interiors and elaborate gardens add to the serenity of the scene. The guestrooms are palatial: all have magical views and are luxuriously furnished with traditional fabrics, white marble, hand-crafted ornaments and every modern amenity. There is a luxury spa offering a range of therapies, a swimming pool where snacks and drinks are served; an ornamented ballroom and fine restaurants to suit the international palate. But the lobby lounge is a feast for the eye designed, as it was, around that glorious view of the Taj Mahal.