Editor Pick
Out of the Way and Out of This World
- June 19, 2009
- Rated 5 of 5 by
koshkha from Northampton, United Kingdom
In November 2005 I had a really tough business trip to India to launch a range of new products in Mumbai and Delhi. We worked like demons and if you believe in karma, then staying 4 nights at the Oberoi New Delhi must have been payback for every good and worthy thing I've done in my life. It's a dream of a hotel and one that really lingers in my mind long after my visit.
THE HOTEL
The Oberoi New Delhi has nearly 280 rooms and suites. When I visited they were charging top-whack of about £180-220 per night - partly because they were full due to a summit between the President of India and the President of Indonesia - well, if it's good enough for Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, it's good enough for me. The hotel is one of the ‘Leading Hotels of the World’ group and more than lives up to that claim.
Watch out for the local exorbitant hotel taxes – these are based on the ‘rack rate’ rather than the rate you actually pay and can add significantly (i.e. 20-30%) to your room costs. I didn’t pay a lot of attention to the taxes on this occasion (as I wasn’t paying) but would caution anyone booking to ask how much the tax will be up-front. There’s nothing worse than spoiling a good stay with an argument about the bill.
WHERE IS IT?
The Oberoi is located on Dr Zakir Hussein Marg in Delhi. It is in a relatively quiet part of the city (this is Delhi - it's all relative) and is set in large grounds over-looking the golf course and near to the Lotus Temple (watch your wallet and possessions if you go to look at the temple).
As a tourist, it wouldn’t be the best place from which to explore the city as there's nothing much to walk to round there and you'll need to take taxis to get anywhere interesting. For a similar price if you want something more central, I'd recommend the Imperial just off Connaught Circus, opposite the Cottage Industries Shop (please take a look at my review of that hotel for more info).
However, if what you want is a good business hotel and you don’t have time for sightseeing or shopping, then this is an excellent choice and a great place to hide out and relax after some hard work. Bearing in mind that many business travellers hate India (sad but true and absolutely not applicable to me) this is the kind of hotel where you can be insulated from the harsher realities of life outside. If I felt that way I wouldn't keep going back every year but I know it is a concern to many first time visitors.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
You approach the hotel up a tree shaded driveway and pull up in front of the doors where one of the tall handsome turbaned doormen – apparently they are mostly ex-presidential guards - will open your door. Entering the lobby, the check in is on the left hand side and there are lots of carved wooden chairs and plush sofas to the right. Round to the left there are some fancy designer shops and a little deli (A Delhi Deli perhaps ;-)). To the right there's a book shop.
The overwhelming sensation was the beautiful smell of citronella and lemons - they burn oils and use lemon scented polish and it smells divine.
Past the check-in desk there are large picture windows looking out over the pool and if you carry on past the lifts, there are a couple of restaurants, a ballroom and other meeting rooms. We were there in the height of wedding season so there were lots of people getting married and some stunning outfits on display.
Check-in was straightforward - calm and professional and they dealt with my request for an extra night although the price was even higher for that day.
THE ROOMS
I stayed in a fairly standard grade room but it was still beautiful. There was a big desk with state of the art computer connectivity. The bed was big and high off the ground. It was furnished with a bedspread and cushions in beautiful fabrics and there were local carvings and paintings around the room. The wardrobe was large and there were plenty of drawers and the wardrobe had a safe deposit box and a basket to put your shoes in when ever you want to get them polished. There's plenty of free bottled water and the minibar is not too outrageous if you are stick to soft drinks and avoid the imported spirits.
The TV had a good range of international channels. The bathroom was a vision in marble and wood with lovely smellies and a shower so powerful it could flail the skin off your body. There was a soft long bathrobe. I could happily sell my house and all my possessions and go and live in that room (but not for very long - probably).
The corridors had deep carpets, beautiful paintings and pretty vases and carvings.
RESTAURANTS
Business hotels in India need to offer a lot of restaurant choice - this is because half the people who stay there are too chicken to go out and experiment in the local restaurants. Or if I want to be a little more charitable, sometimes they are too tired to go exploring. The breakfasts are served on the ground floor restaurant at the far end of the building. The coffee is outstanding and there's an enormous range of food to choose from.
I also ate with colleagues in the Chinese Restaurant on the top floor- called Taipan - which was hushed and discrete with fabulous food. At the table next to us was a politician - my colleague said he was a controversial education minister that he was quite in awe of. I also ate alone on my last night in the Three Sixty restaurant - they gave me a nice quiet table in a section with two other ladies. I think this was done to make me feel more comfortable and I appreciated their thoughtfulness. The food again was excellent and the service was discrete but efficient. In each case the cost of the food was high by local standards but no more than you'd pay in the UK for something quite ordinary.
SPA & FITNESS
As mentioned there's a good sized outdoor pool - I must have been going native by that stage because I was horrified to see a European lady in a string bikini - had she NO shame?! There's also a well equipped gym and spa treatments are available.
EXTRAS
There are some nice little touches - the free shoe shine, the water, and free hotel transfers to and from the airport.
RECOMMENDATION
If you can afford to stay here - please adopt me and leave me some money in your will. Better still if you don't have your own wealth persuade your employers to let you stay there at their expense and have a ball. It's exquisite.
If I was spending my own money and had to choose between the Oberoi and the Imperial, I have to admit that much as I love the Oberoi, I'd be off the Imperial for the sheer Art Deco grandeur and historic significance. But the Oberoi is an excellent second choice.
It's not the real India - absolutely not - but sometimes, we all appreciate a little luxury. Go on - as they say in the L'oreal adverts - You're worth it!
From journal From the Sublime to the Ridiculous - Delhi Hotels