Old world luxury and charm supported by an amazingly helpful and kind staff. The hotel is gorgeous- marble floors, antiques everywhere, mahogany clad fireplaces, tapestry like rugs. You feel like you are walking into an Agatha Christie set. The staff is superior in every way and truly want to help. Breakfast room is stunning in decor and the food is outstanding. The chef makes the best omelettes. I appreciated that both women and men were engaged in multiple service roles within the hotel. The spa offerings are just perfect. The massage and facial were some of the best I have ever had. Offer yourself time by the luxurious pool or indulge in your richly furnished room with excellent linens and towels and traditional marble bathroom. The fruit basket and personally written welcome note were quite an unexpected set of treats along with cookies. Loved the “Himilayan” water. Stay here and relax from a noise filled Delhi.

This was our first stop after arriving into Delhi and it was the perfect introduction to India. Security at the entrance is understandably tight but the uniformed staff are friendly and welcoming; women are searched behind a screen. The spacious, marbled reception area exudes the calm and serenity that pervades the whole hotel. After checking in, we were given a brief tour. At every level, long polished marble corridors, lined with wonderful photographs, prints and paintings from India's past and warmly lit at night, give the hotel an aura of grandness and peace. Despite its size, it never felt crowded or busy, even when there was a wedding lunch going on. Our room, at the end of a corridor overlooking the garden, was spacious and well-appointed. The service generally was traditional and efficient with staff assigned to corridors so when we requested an extra towel, it arrived within a few minutes! Water and slippers were left out each evening and a newspaper was hanging on the door in the morning - all part of the service. 1911 is the main restaurant where we had a very tasty light lunch on the terrace outside on arrival. This was also the venue for breakfast, with a huge range of options from a buffet spread and an omelette station. Adjacent to this was a more lively bar with a TV (cricket on constant feed!), perfect for post dinner drinks and a pastry station during the day from which we purchased some tasty quiches for lunch in between forays into the city. We enjoyed evening drinks in the wonderful airy Atrium Bar and a traditional Indian meal, full of flavour, in Daniell's Tavern with live music playing in the background. The hotel is beautifully lit at night and it is well worth taking wander around the grounds. There was the occasional whiff of sewage, of which we made the staff aware, but we were in India (!) and it certainly didn't spoil our stay. Concierge staff were most helpful and the hotel is excellently positioned for exploring. One little gem definitely worth seeking out, especially for bibliophiles interested in Indian history, is the little tucked away hotel bookshop! The Imperial was the perfect oasis of calm in a busy city before we set off on our travels to discover the real India!

Everyone seems to start their Indian adventure in Delhi..the British capital from 1911 til its 1947 independence. It's not a lovely city..no "downtown", just districts, since the city combines about 15 old municipalities. Traffic is horrendous (with continuous horn-honking)..air quality the worst in the world. A few places worth seeing..old Delhi's narrow streets in a tuk-tuk ( motorized rickshaw)..full of trash, stray dogs, cows, goats, and even pigs. The war memorial India Gate framing a long park and the 320 room Viceroy's palace..now home of the Prime Minister. The hotel is a quiet oasis..low-slung with long carpeted corridors, photos and drawings of the British Raj and elegant wall sconces. A lovely panelled bar..and related casual restaurant facing a long pretty lawn..for meals or breakfast. Also, an Italian and Asian restaurant. Staff is attentive..but not so much as Taj Hotels or the Oberois. As the only taste of India's colonial past, we recommend the Imperial..also as an escape from a not too lovely Delhi outside. ps: the business about bad water and Montezuma's Revenge in India is pretty much of a myth. Top hotels like this filter water by reverse osmosis..and clean fruit, vegetables, and salad materials in chlorinated water. But don't drink from the tap or even wash your toothbrush there. Use bottled water.