The Imperial New Delhi

I came here for a tea and a cake, but also to visit the hotel. The place ia amazing , the service great . Just a pleasure to spent a couple of hours here. Must visit. Maybe next time I will stay here

I had dinner at the international restaurant and had Imperial Schnitzel , breaded chicken breast , lemon , anchovy —it was wonderful. Maybe if they had added some cherry tomatoes on top, it would have been even more exceptional. Well done—great service and a fantastic mashed potato. The hotel itself is spectacular.

What an elegant hotel. We first visited 10 years ago for dinner before the major remodel and it was very cool and authentic then, if a little worn on the edges. It’s a much nicer place to stay now. If you like Art Deco and Art Nouveau architecture, this 1930s era complex is a dream… a mix of Indian and India’s English-era influences. If you’ve watched any PBS series or movie set in India during the final decades of British rule, you’ve probably seen this hotel in a shot or two. It’s a classic. The drive in from the airport is actually nicer than most cities in India and becomes leafy and leafier the closer you get to the hotel (it’s surrounded by large embassies with lush grounds). It’s almost in the heart of New Delhi, the British planned capital city of greater Delhi. New Delhi is very organized and well-laid out, with a treed, suburban-feeling whereas Delhi itself is the super crowded big city of India. What surprised me was how bad the center section of New Delhi (Connaught Place) is these days. It’s only a few blocks from the hotel and is a series of concentric circles of streets full of down-trodden shops and restaurants and banks around a large park (which seemed to be closed and almost impossible to enter). It was built to be beautiful and quite frankly, is no longer. What you have in reality are some incredible old colonial buildings that are visibly decaying and a few dozen up to a few hundred locals who will follow you and harass you and give you wrong directions if you happen to be Caucasian… I have to assume for the purposes of selling you something or robbing you later. Nothing bad happened to us but the two hours of verbal harassment was non-stop and exhausting… this is all just a couple of blocks from the gated preserve of the hotel and has nothing to do with the hotel. That said, it made our walk to the center of town highly unpleasant. I’ve never had a problem like this before in India (or in other parts of Delhi) and I don’t ever want to experience it again. We did not leave the hotel premises again and just enjoyed the beauty of the Imperial and its gardens as our stay was short and many local attractions were temporarily closed (see below). Check-in was fine… we got a not-so-great room at first but after inquiring about other choices… I believe Neha was helping us… we got something better. There are no good views at this hotel due to its highly-styled exterior design but we knew that when reserving. The windows are narrow and don’t really look out at much but the gardens. Very nice gardens they are but you can’t really see them well from your room. In fact, for some reason, I found you don’t really want to spend that much time in your room. The bathroom was nicely marbled but the shower faucet was broken so I had to take a bath. The beds weren’t particularly comfortable, either. The decor was all a bit on the spartan side. Still, it was fine and felt authentic to the time when the hotel was built. The hotel really shines in its public areas and grounds. On the inside, you kind of feel like you’re staying in a luxury 1930s cruise ship, with lots of stained woods on the walls and painted wood moulding everywhere. The great Indian style melded with a British sensibility really made it special. The Bar was fun… we had dinner there every night and it was pretty empty except for some locals coming in after work. The breakfast dining room served good food (and "gunpowder!" See my pics) and was big and overlooks the large patio which in turn looks out over a large lawn. It’s where the “in” crowd of Delhi like to lunch. In fact, we had lunch there after our ill-fated walk around Connaught Place and it definitely made up for the earlier experience. I loved the large pool area with hot tub… it is beautiful and immense and while we were there (December) empty and peaceful. Until a Russian family arrived who didn’t care how loud their kids were in the pool playing with a ball and screaming and taking over the full space. They were so annoying I left. An underground gym nearby was well-stocked and I was happy to use it. I will say the air in New Delhi is so insanely dirty it casts a literal pall over the city and there are many reasons for it. Though everyone knows it’s a problem and it could be solved (witness what China has done), it’s worse than it was a decade ago. The city itself is trying to stop air pollution but apparently the farmers around it still tend to burn fields around it even during the frequent air inversions… so all the smoke from the farms and the pollution from the cars and industry of a massive city hemmed in by mountains stays hanging over the city... it can make breathing a bit labored. If you stay for a few days, you don’t feel that bad though your eyes will burn. But living here would be very hard and detrimental to long-term health. While trying to enjoy the beautiful pool deck one day after the Russian family had checked out, I heard very loud chanting and protests next door. I later learned the locals were protesting the abysmal air quality. Good for them. Ironically, the World Health Organization was taking over the hotel just as we were leaving. I guess they’re okay with the bad air? The staff here were formal and polite though the restaurant staff was a bit more friendly than, say, the people at the front desk. The guys at the pool and gym were really nice as were the greeters at the main entrance and the security detail everywhere. I only had good experiences here with the staff but it just felt more reserved than other hotels I’ve experienced in India. It is a big government city and maybe that had something to do with it. If you’re going to visit the Taj Mahal, this is a great place to stop on the way there or back. (You kind of have to spend a night in the city to get there anyway). The Red Palace in Delhi, which I loved last time I was here and is the precursor to the Taj Mahal, was closed due to an all-day tour by who else but… WHO. I loved my stay at this hotel and it would be my pick if you’re looking for a 5-star hotel with a unique sense of history, style and elegance in Delhi. The other options are farther afield and more modern… the Imperial gives you a peek back almost a century ago and for that reason, I’m glad we came here. The Imperial allows you to time travel in style.

I loved this hotel - it has a classic colonial style, Raffles feel, a calm away from the chaotic streets of Delhi. The bathrooms are a bit tired but expected in the style of property. It felt very safe and welcoming with hugely attentive staff! The pool area is a little oasis and food was good (although I would say the Spice Route felt particularly expensive when compared to better restaurants such as Indian Accent in Delhi) We particularly loved the whiskey bar! Great stay, will return!

A very special hotel and I am a regular traveller. From the moment you pull up outside to departure, amazing attentiveness, truly luxurious and sophisticated surroundings. Not to mention the art & history of the place!