ATAUDI is one of those princely names that excites much interest in India, and the starched white walls and regal domes of the The Pataudi Palace just 60km from New Delhi have provided a stunning backdrop of pomp and pageantry both for historic movies as well as the stream of holiday snaps by nostalgic visitors.

Operated by the Neemrana Hotels group, this is among the best India palace hotel escapes and its proximity to Delhi makes it a breeze on any itinerary, however tight. Pataudi Palace is the home of Indian cricketing legend and royal scion, Nawab Mansur Ali Khan, better known to his fans as, simply, Tiger. Being married to Indian movie star Sharmila Tagore has only added to the charm and cachet of this princely estate. Pataudi Palace sits amidst green landscaped gardens in Haryana, an oasis where wild roses bloom and lazy fountains play. Take in the views from lovely colonnanded verandahs, peruse old family photos, swim, play billiards or badminton.

This is a conference hotel with a difference, redolent of the past, yet with enough modern conveniences to make for a useful and exciting company meeting venue. Talk stocks and shares under generously high ceilings. Later, seal the deal during an evening post-prandial stroll. As an India heritage hotel, Pataudi Palace competes with the best. It stakes its place in the pantheon of great lodgings not only through its "royal" line of distinguished cricketers, but through the obvious, if understated, charms of the sprawling grounds, the authentic colonial building dating back to 1935, the spacious old-world bedrooms, and art deco flourishes.

Gourmets will enjoy fine Nawabi cuisine with Bhopal-Rampur flavours and others more ascetic can settle in with a good book under blue laundered skies on the lawns. Enjoy a grand Indian palace hotel that transports you back to the days of maharajahs. Says Conde Nast Traveller, UK, "The Neemrana Hotels group is India's best kept secret and offers a range of extraordinary places to stay."