時勢造英雄，也造就了泰姬瑪哈宮殿酒店這一孟買傳奇。19世紀末，孟買的酒店需求量激增，當時的大型酒店有的面臨倒閉，有的過于擁擠，很多已經(jīng)不再滿足潮流和時代的需求。此時，塔塔集團創(chuàng)始人，賈姆希德吉·塔塔先生公布了一項宏偉的計劃：他想要在孟買建造一個地標性的酒店，它將成為印度乃至世界酒店建筑的里程碑，讓孟買躋身世界一流城市行列。它，就是泰姬瑪哈宮殿酒店。

Jamsetji Tata built Te Taj Mahal Palace just in time. In the late 19th century， the hotels in Mumbai lef much to be desired. In the late 1890s， Mr. Tata suddenly announced his plans to build a grand hotel that would help restore the image of Mumbai and atract visitors from around the world. One of the original grand hotels of the world， The Taj Mahal Palace， Mumbai has grown to become an integral part of the city’ s history， and indeed， its heart.

偉大成就于執(zhí)著

作為泰姬集團的第一家酒店，孟買“泰姬”從一開始就與眾不同。塔塔先生一手創(chuàng)立了印度的現(xiàn)代紡織業(yè)，又在孟買這片充滿機遇和前途的土地上大力開發(fā)市政建設(shè)，并建立了偉大的鋼鐵帝國。他還大膽創(chuàng)新，提出利用季節(jié)性降雨發(fā)電，并且早在他的那個時代，就開始計劃在印度南部的班加羅爾成立科技研究中心了。但他緣何要建造這樣一家大酒店？人們眾說紛紜。有故事說當時孟買兩家最豪華的酒店曾由于塔塔先生是印度人而拒絕他進入，他因而想建造一家印度人自己的、聘請歐洲人管理的、向所有人開放的超豪華酒店。還有的說1896年發(fā)生在孟買的大瘟疫使塔塔先生想建造一家奢華酒店來改變他所熱愛的這個城市的形象。他的這一愿望引來許多質(zhì)疑，甚至有朋友說他會因此破產(chǎn)，事業(yè)會因此終結(jié)。

塔塔先生無與倫比的前瞻性和睿智的頭腦向世人證明，他的選擇是正確的。1903年雄偉莊嚴泰姬瑪哈宮殿酒店建成開業(yè)，成為了當之無愧的地標性建筑，也成為了所有酒店中的“王子”。1905年，著名記者馬修斯（G. A. Mathews）見到“泰姬”時不禁感概：“她是那么宏大、奢華，以至于剛開始時我都有些窒息了?！?0年后，英國著名作家奧爾德斯·赫胥黎（Aldous Huxley）依然這樣評價道：“宏偉的泰姬酒店兼具了倫敦南肯辛頓建筑與印度亭臺的風(fēng)格，富有國際化氣質(zhì)?！边@些贊美足以說明了孟買泰姬瑪哈大酒店與生俱來的皇家風(fēng)范。

Persistent Pursuit Leads To Great Achievement

\"Taj\" is diferent from the outset. Mr. Tata single-handedly created India’s modern textile industry， vigorously developed municipal buildings in Mumbai on the land of opportunities and prospects. Ten he established a great steel empire. With a bold innovative mind， he started making use of seasonal rainfall to generate electricity and planned to set up science and technology research centers in Bangalore in southern India. Why did he build such a large hotel？ People have diferent opinions. One story says that Mr. Tata was once refused entry to two of the most luxurious hotels in Mumbai simply because of his Indian identity. Terefore， he wanted to build a super luxurious hotel owned by the indians and managed by Europeans and it would be open to everyone. Another story says that the Great Plague that broke out in Mumbai in 1896 made Mr. Tata want to build a luxury hotel to change the image of his beloved city. Tis wish led to many doubts， and even his friends said that he would go bankrupt and his business would come to an unfortunate end.

With an unmatched vision and a wise mind， Mr. Tata told himself to stick with the plan. And later it proved that he made the right choice. Te magnifcent and stately appearance of the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel has become a well-deserved landmark. Te \"Taj\" has become the \"Prince\" among all hotels. In 1905， the famous reporter G.A. Mathews saw the \"Taj\" and said， \"She is so magnifcent and extravagant that for a moment I felt my breath stopped.\" Twenty years later， famous British writer Aldous Huxley commented， \"Te magnifcent Taj Hotels possesses the style of both South Kensington architecture and Indian pavilions， and is fully internationalised.\" Tese praises are enough to explain that the Taj Mahal Hotel， Mumbai is certainly born with a royal style.

塔塔先生無以倫比的前瞻性和睿智的頭腦向世人證明，他的選擇是正確的。1903年雄偉莊嚴泰姬瑪哈宮殿酒店建成開業(yè)，成為了當之無愧的地標性建筑，也成為了所有酒店中的“王子”。

The magnificent and stately appearance of Taj Mahal Palace Hotel has become a well-deserved landmark. The\"Taj\" has become the \"Prince\" among all hotels.

始于孟買，走向世界

560間客房的規(guī)模在當時的亞洲十分罕見。在這里，你會看見英國總督與印度王公們暢談閑聊，國會議員和右翼黨派領(lǐng)導(dǎo)人激烈辯論，而上岸休假的水手們也會與高發(fā)髻女子眉來眼去。泰姬瑪哈宮殿酒店雖然高貴，但卻不拒絕任何一個懂得享受，熱愛生活的人。

幾度春秋輪回，孟買泰姬瑪哈宮殿酒店終成大器。憑借其公信天下、無以復(fù)制的標桿物業(yè)，泰姬瑪哈宮殿酒店以主人的身份招待了諸如比爾？克林頓、杰奎琳？肯尼迪和“貓王”在內(nèi)的無數(shù)國家元首和社會名流。正如黑格爾所說，“越是民族的，就越是世界的”。融合印度北方拉其普特風(fēng)格、伊斯蘭摩爾風(fēng)格、歐式佛羅倫斯和英倫愛德華風(fēng)格于一體的孟買泰姬瑪哈宮殿酒店，深深了解印度特色對世界各地游客的吸引力。宮殿式的宏偉外觀，充滿故事的傳奇客房，標志性的餐廳以及舉行過重大歷史會議的場所都被小心謹慎地維護與翻新著。如今，泰姬瑪哈宮殿酒店已經(jīng)成為連接孟買過去、現(xiàn)在與未來的紐帶。

From Mumbai to the World

A trendseter at the turn of the century， it was the frst hotel in India to have electricity. At the time， it was probably the only place in the world where a British Viceroy could rub shoulders with an Indian Maharajah， where the Congress could debate with right wing leaders， and where sailors on shore leave could firt with the Pompadour Follies. Predating the Gateway of India by almost two decades， it was the Taj that welcomed the world to the city’ s shores.

As the decades passed， and its reputation spreaded， the guests grew even more varied. It has been home to heads of state and celebrities， kings queens and Hollywood royalty， Maharajahs and rock stars. Even as the glorious blend of Moorish， Oriental and Florentine styles in its grand exterior structure remains comfortingly the same， things have changed inside its doors. Te legendary rooms and suites， iconic restaurants and historical meeting spaces have been restored， keeping both the hotel’s legendary grandeur as well as Mumbai’s always throbbing， always modern pulse.

宮殿式的宏偉外觀，充滿故事的傳奇客房，標志性的餐廳以及舉行過重大歷史會議的場所都被小心謹慎地維護與翻新著。如今，泰姬瑪哈宮殿酒店已經(jīng)成為連接孟買過去、現(xiàn)在與未來的傳奇紐帶。

The legendary rooms and suites， iconic restaurants and historical meeting spaces have each been restored， keeping both the hotel’s legendary grandeur as well as Mumbai’s always throbbing， always modern pulse.

殿堂享受，貴族禮遇

當賓客的飛機剛剛降落，酒店的豪華專車已在機場外等候多時。穿梭過往于市區(qū)的大街小巷之時，訓(xùn)練有素的私人管家會給賓客指出坐落于各處的公園、寺廟等風(fēng)景名勝。抵達位于市中心的酒店后，占地6英畝的風(fēng)景園區(qū)散發(fā)出的濃郁自然氣息撲面而來。宮殿式建筑融合了地方傳統(tǒng)和現(xiàn)代舒適的設(shè)計風(fēng)格，給人一種高雅的享受。

進入酒店，富麗堂皇的陳設(shè)令賓客仿佛置身印度皇室的行宮：不盡其數(shù)的藝術(shù)珍品貫穿于整個酒店的內(nèi)部空間，長長的拱廊親切典雅，中央樓梯莊重威嚴。當你還在驚艷于這雄偉殿堂的奢華時，一場傳統(tǒng)的印度歡迎儀式已在你眼前開始，婀娜多姿的少女為你獻上花環(huán)，沾上伴有特殊香味的顏料，于額頭輕輕一點。此刻，你仿佛已不再是一名異國他鄉(xiāng)的賓客，而是出行多日的主人，回到了自己的宮殿，準備安然享受一切貴族所應(yīng)該得到的奢華待遇……

Be an Aristocrat in Your Palace

When the long-awaited plane lands， you are picked up by a limousine at the airport immediately. As the car drives past the streets of the city， a well-trained butler pointed out parks， temples and other atractions to you. Upon arriving at the hotel in the city center， a landscape covering six acres emits a strong natural favor. Te palace building is mixed with local traditions and comfortable modern designs， a perfect location for an elegant experience.

Entering the hotel， the magnifcent furnishings make you feel like they are in a royal palace in India： countless art treasures to be appreciated throughout the hotel’s interior space， with long gracious arcades and an elegant， dignifed central staircase. When you are still amazed by the luxury of this majestic palace， a traditional Indian welcome ceremony has unfolded itself in front of you： you are ofered graceful garlands by the girls， and a light tap of special favored paint on your forehead. At the moment， you are no longer a guest in a foreign country， but the safely returned master of the palace， ready to enjoy the luxury treatment that all nobles deserved.

正如塔塔先生本人給予的以及他的后人精心呵護的那樣，“泰姬”的純潔與高貴在一個世紀里沒有任何改變。歷史令她豐盈，但她卻絲毫沒有停留其中，顯赫了百年的她仍然引領(lǐng)著現(xiàn)代都市的品味潮流，并用那強大的精神力量維護著當代印度人心中的民族情感。

With the intensive care given by Mr. Tata and his descendants， \"the Taj\" remains pure and noble without any change in the past century. History made her rich， but she doesn’ t stay in the past. She continues to lead the modern urban trends and safeguard the national sentiment in the minds of the contemporary Indians with her strong spiritual will.