India's Amarvilas

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"It was a challenge to develop a hotel so close to the Taj Mahal," architect Prabhat Patki says of Amarvilas, the Oberoi Group's newest hotel, in Agra, India. "We chose to modify traditional designs and add Asian elements." The forecourt of the ceremonial entrance pavilion is lit by torches.

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"We conceived the lobby as a visual frame to the Taj,"says designer Jeffrey A. Wilkes, of Lim, Teo + Wilkes Design Works. A crystal chandelier hangs from the Mughal-style dome, which was painted with cobalt-blue pigment and then gilded.

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"The tea lounge is distinctly feminine," says Wilkes. "We clad the arched window walls in beaten brass to add elegance and sheen." The settees and armchairs, which are covered in cotton-and-silk and silk brocade fabrics, were handcrafted in India.

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European and Asian pieces fill the living room of the Kohi-noor suite—one of seven suites at the hotel. Two sandstone planters frame the entrance to the dining area, where a wall hanging depicting a tree of life is displayed. A 19th-century tapestry is at right.

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"Many of the guest rooms have terraces with spectacular views of Agra's monuments," says Wilkes. One such room features a teak armoire, a Burmese table with bone inlay and an Indian bed. The quilted bedcovering and turquoise pillows were made in Delhi.

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Bill Bensley, who landscaped the grounds, created the steps and terraces of the pool area. "They were inspired by the gardens at Mandu,"says Patki. Onyx wall lights illuminate the sandstone walkways, which lead up to the entrance pavilion and forecourt level.