Courtyard by Marriott Agra: Our Favorite 5-Star Hotel in All of India | India Purple Travel Guide

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Unlike most Courtyard Marriott hotels, the Courtyard by Marriott Agra is officially a 5-star hotel that provides an oasis of modern, international comfort in the historic city of Agra. It is a large, well-maintained property that manages to balance its corporate backing with genuinely warm Indian hospitality, offering a perfect haven after a long day of sightseeing.

We are proud to say that this was, in fact, our personal favorite hotel in all of India. We have only met super-nice hotel personnel across India, but somehow the staff of the Marriott was even nicer, super polite, and they treated us like royalty, even though we only booked a normal room.

Location and Accessibility

The hotel is located on Fatehabad Road, which is the main hospitality stretch in Agra. This means it is very well positioned for your visits to the main attractions Agra has to offer:

• Taj Mahal: The Courtyard is an approx. 10–15 minute drive by Uber, taxi, or auto-rickshaw to the East Gate of the Taj Mahal. This easy access is crucial if you plan to visit the Taj Mahal at sunrise.

• Agra Fort: The historic Agra Fort is also only about a 15–20 minute drive away.

While the hotel is not in walking distance to any major attraction, it is located in a secure, developed area that makes travel efficient and comfortable.

Design and Comfort

The hotel is bright, modern, and spacious, adhering to the high international standards expected of a Marriott brand. The architecture is contemporary, often utilizing Indian stone and traditional motifs subtly to provide a sense of place.

Our room was a comfortable 344 sqft (32 m2), and it had the standard Marriott Courtyard room design. The bedding and climate control were excellent, the bathroom was modern and clean, and the rain forest shower had good water pressure. Our room had a lovely pool view.

Like the other 5-star hotels, you can expect two complimentary bottles of water daily and in-room tea and coffee facilities.

Dining and Facilities

As with the high-end hotels in Delhi, the breakfast buffet here is exceptional. It features an enormous variety of both Western, Indian, and other global breakfast items, all prepared with quality ingredients. The staff in the main restaurant (MoMo Cafe) were attentive, kind, and clearly a highlight of the overall experience. We had an excellent chat with them.

One thing you need to do: Take advantage of the specialty restaurant, Anise, for a romantic dinner in the evening. They have a live show of traditional Indian music in a romantic setting, and as in MoMo Café, they treat you like royalty! As expected, the restaurants are on the expensive side, but the taste and high-quality service make the experience completely worthwhile.

The hotel’s facilities are pristine, centered around a large and beautiful outdoor swimming pool surrounded by lush greenery, which is a wonderful place to relax in the afternoon heat. It also includes a well-maintained fitness center and a full-service spa.

Verdict

The Courtyard by Marriott Agra is a top-tier 5-star choice in the city. It offers a perfect blend of Marriott’s global standard of comfort and a genuine sense of relaxed, Indian hospitality. Its convenient location for accessing the Taj Mahal and Agra Fort, combined with exceptional dining, amenities, and some of the best hotel staff that gave us the royal treatment, is why we rate it as our favorite hotel in India. It is the ideal place to ensure your experience of Agra is as luxurious and stress-free as possible.

Here are some photos that we took:

Here at Backpack and Snorkel Travel Guides, we promote self-guided walking tours.
But we realize that not everybody likes to walk by themselves in a foreign city. So, just in case that you rather go with ab guide: NO PROBLEM! Please see the GuruWalk and Viator tours below.

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Author: Rudy at Backpack and Snorkel

Bio: Owner of Backpack and Snorkel Travel Guides. We create in-depth guides to help you plan unforgettable vacations around the world.

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