My weeklong stay at the Tara Palace was just alright. It also could be that I just didn't like Delhi in general and that jaded me toward the Tara Palace, but there were several things I didn't like about the hotel. But let me start with what I did like:

-Airport pickup was great. No problems here. A little more expensive than a prepaid, but you can't really complain about that.

-Hotel was clean. Rooms were made every day and soap/shampoo was replaced most days.

-A good location. Near the Red Fort and Chawni Chowk metro. Some don't like the location in the middle of the dirty old city, but I didn't really mind.

-Free breakfast! It's a nice breakfast, too.

What I didn't like:

-They seriously don't know how to make a bed. Someone needs to teach them. The sheet only covered my midsection and the blanket covered my feet. It was weird.

-I always got the feeling they were trying to sell me things. Packages and such. Every I was asked where I was going. You could chalk this up to friendliness, but it seemed to have ulterior motives.

-The guy who works the desk at night is a jerk. Not helpful at all and almost misleading. The first night I was there he told me I owed 100 rupees for using the computer for one hour. No where in Delhi charges more than 50 rupees an hour for the internet and he was clearly going to pocket the money I gave him. I didn't give him anything and told him to bill it to my room. I talked to other travelers in the hotel and they had similar negative experiences with him, also.

All in all, the stay was just ok. I liked a lot of things about the hotel but didn't like some other things. I think that puts it about neutral, right?

Clean hotel, good service depending with who you're talking, but in a sketchy location. If it's your first stay in Delhi, you'll be surprised. Not too safe during the night if you wanna go out.

Pros:
Perfectly Clean, and they seem to clean your room everyday (a plus in India it seems)
Great Location - 5 minute walk to Red Fort, subway station, McDonalds, and ATMs
Very helpful front desk
Quiet inside
Nice construction for the price (white marble floors, etc.)
Good free breakfast included (proper breakfast, not muffins and juice boxes)

Cons:
Neighborhood is very, very dirty, and very, very poor. It's really a bit horrible your first time. Much of Delhi is that way though.

Conclusion:
Our favorite of 4 hotels we used in India, and ironically the cheapest. Aside from the disgusting neighborhood, everything about it is great.

The hotel is clean and comfortable and the staff are lovely. It's located in a small alley in the back of Old Delhi which may be a bit overwhelmng for a first-time visitor, but I found it to be one of the more interesting neighborhoods in Delhi.

The service was inconsistent, which was a real let-down. I waited an hour at the airport for the prepaid pickup and when nobody arrived set out on my own. 2 hours, one taxi and one rickshaw later I finally located the hotel. Note that their booking confirmation forms have no address or phone number on them so write them down separately!

The hotel solicited information about my plans then recommended a travel agent who turned out to offer very poor value. The first day he sent a driver in a non A/C car that rattled all over Delhi. I'd asked for hotels like Tara Palace and although I was charged similar rates, got some substandard hotels in Agra and Jaipur and a replacement driver who insisted on taking me to commissioned "crafts shops" despite the owner's insistence that they wouldn't. If Tara Palace is going to quiz their guests about plans then send them to a recommended travel agent, they should make sure the agent is delivering what he promised and value for money.