In a YouTube video shared on August 21, 2026, by Curly Tales, Dino Morea and Zoya gave a tour of India’s one of the most magnificent royal residences, which has now been turned into a hotel by Taj. The architectural grandeur and historical legacy of the Falaknuma Palace in Hyderabad need no introduction.
History and origins
In fact, the famed grand staircase inside the palace was made of Italian marble and once welcomed elite historical figures, including King George V, Queen Mary, Edward VIII, and Tsar Nicholas II. The Nizam accepted, reimbursing the construction expenses and transforming the palace into his official royal retreat. And then there is the ‘Jade Room’. Once used to host world leaders and dignitaries, it was the repository for the nizam’s famed collection of jade, jewels and objets d’art. Stained glass, frescoes and a low, intimate seating plan made it both a treasury and a conversation chamber.
The Falaknuma Palace was transformed into a hotel – 60 luxurious rooms and suites – under the stewardship of Princess Esra, the last Nizam’s Turkish wife, according to Taj Hotels. The palace is also home to the world’s largest dining table, which can seat 101 people, lit by Belgian crystal chandeliers Earlier reporting noted: Step inside ₹200 crore royal residence in Hyderabad: Shaped like a scorpion and home to ‘world’s longest dining table’ High above Hyderabad, 2,000 feet up a hill, sits the extraordinary Falaknuma Palace — translated as ‘mirror of the sky’ in Urdu. In a joint YouTube video shared on August 21 by Curly Tales and Mashable India, actors Dino Morea and Zoya Afroz took viewers on a tour of the legendary estate, now the Taj Falaknuma Palace. Also read | Indian royal family gives tour of its massive 500-acre palace in Vadodara: Roughly 4 times the size of Buckingham Palace Earlier reporting noted: However, the staggering costs of constructing and furnishing the palace nearly bankrupted the prime minister. When his brother-in-law, Mir Mahbub Ali Khan, the sixth nizam of Hyderabad, visited the completed estate in 1897, he was so captivated by its splendour that Sir Viqar offered it to him. Today, preserved and operated as a luxury heritage hotel by Taj Hotels, the 60-room palace is reportedly valued at around ₹ 200 crore.
Its twin, according to palace lore shared during the tour, sits in Buckingham Palace.
Earlier reporting noted: A few doors down is the billiards room, home to one of only two tables of its kind ever made.
