Perched at the top of a hill 2,000 feet above the City of Pearls, Taj Falaknuma Palace is the former home of Hyderabad's ruler, the Nizam - once rumoured to be the richest man in the world. The vast, wedding-cake style building is unashamed in its opulence; the Renaissance-style lobby a mere introduction to the elaborate frescos, embossed wallpaper, stained-glass windows and Art Deco chandeliers that would make Versailles verdant.
Guests arrive by gold horse-drawn carriage, and Princess Esra, the former wife of the eighth Nizam, has lovingly restored each guest room, filling them with carefully curated collections of priceless antiques. In the billiard room sits one of only two ivory snooker tables in the world, while the library's shelves are filled with historic tomes. Watch the hazy city skyline light up over sundowners out on the terrace, before enjoying dinner at Adaa, the hotel's sublime Hyderabadi restaurant.
