Stayed in the new wing (15th floor) for 5 nights in November 2007. Overall I had a very average stay If you are willing to pay the sort of prices the hotel charges (I paid over $400 per night), I would recommend staying the Oberoi, which in my opinion is a far nicer hotel.


Positives:
Good facilities (lovely pool, lots of restaurants, spa, gym etc)
Very friendly and efficient staff
Location is good with great views of the Gateway of India

Negatives
Rooms- Given that this is a five star hotel, the rooms (I stayed in the new wing) are very disappointing. They are small and have a very damp/musty smell (as indeed do the 15th and 16th floors). I had to move rooms after my first room had an interleading door which clearly wasnt soundproofed so could here my elderly Indian neighbour give her husband a real talking to at 3am. Bathroom and furniture (in both rooms) was old

Prices- Understandably Mumbai is not cheap but some of the price charged are nothing short of extortion... never mind $400 for at best a 3* room, my $17 toasted cheese will long leave a bad taste in my mouth, and the minibar is a rip-off (which charge $10+ for local beers, chocolates etc). Even having a suit drycleaned cost $25... quite an anomolay for a country where they pay their labor an absolute pittance


Overall, I though the hotel was very disappointing, and for the prices charged, better deals can be found in Mumbai

We stayed in the Old Wing for 2 nights in November, 2007. We had come to Mumbai from Udaipur and had just stayed at the Oberoi Hotel, Udaivilas, while there which has just been rated the best hotel in the world and rightly so. So, of course, we were a little bit spoilt and it is hard to live up to the standards created by Udaivilas. All in all, I thought the Taj Mahal Palace hotel was beautiful. The Old Wing is a beautiful example of old world British colonial architecture and the decor is pretty. However, the room we were given was extremely musty and damp and the carpets were dirty. We asked to change rooms and the next room was not musty, thank Goodness, but still a bit damp with dirty carpets. The concierge is not as helpful as we would have hoped in setting up an itinerary for us to see Mumbai. Also, if you want to party in Mumbai, you are better off staying at the Grand Hyatt which is in Juhu/Bandra/Santa Cruz area. That is where all the Bollywood stars live and the hottest club in town, China House, is in the Grand Hyatt Hotel itself. We went there and loved it but it is hard to get in but not an issue if you stay at the hotel. This hotel is also very close to the airport unlike the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel. There are other nice restaurants and bars in that area too. The trouble is that Juhu/Bandra/Santa Cruz area is a 1.5 hour drive from Coloba (where the Taj Mahal Palace is). If your priority is not partying, it is ok to stay at the Taj Mahal Palace.

I have stayed in this hotel a couple of times and it is absolutely beautiful. The old part is better and the breakfast area very pleasing.

My most recent stay was disappointing because I was not told that the entire floor above my room was being refurbished. The staff were not honest with me about this when I phoned to ask why there was banging late afternoon while I was trying to sleep. It took a very long time to resolve and I was shocked by the false assurances I received. I finally got out to bed to explore and realised then that the entire floor above had been ripped out.

Shame on you Taj!!!

I've just staid in Mumbai for 2 nights at the taj mahal palace wing and I have to say that the hotel is very very good as far as service and accomodation is concerned. Being in the old wing is a very nice esperience and I would go back again for sure. The only minus is the size of the rooms: very small for the hotel standards, but the bathroom is very nice and also very clean as the rest of the hotel. You can even check in and out in your room and the staff is very helpful and terribly kind and the service is first quality and also prompt.
There are also some very nice brand-name shops.
I've been tothe Oberoi few years ago, but this is much better, or at least the old wing is.