Escorted to our room by an elegant receptionist, the folds of whose sari swished across the checkered marble floor as she walked, we passed through a library lined with teak and rosewood bookshelves and furnished with a table inlaid with marquetry of breathtaking intricacy and skill.

FORBES: Taj Falaknuma Palace: A New Experience of Palatial Splendor

When our predawn wakeup call came the last morning, the receptionist told me it was minus-12 degrees--and said this without a hint of dismay.

FORBES: Magazine Article