This hotel was the place we stayed at the end of our trip, awaiting our flight back to London from Delhi. We arrived here late at night from Agra, our flight having been delayed by some hours. The hotel we went to first, nearer the airport, was full, and we then came further into town to the Ambassador. It was a very good choice – despite our arriving hot, smelly, and tired at 11pm, the reception was welcoming and completed the necessary formalities with the minimum of fuss. We were shown to our single rooms on the first floor – except that single room is a misnomer. My room consisted of a hall, bathroom, dressing room, bedroom and living room – suite would be a better description! The bathroom was tiled white with pink edges, and had a power shower and bath. The toiletries provided were good quality and comprehensive, including not only soap and shampoo but talc, razors and shaving cream, toothpaste and brush, comb, and shower cap. There was even a washing line should you wish to rinse out some clothes.
The dressing room contained wardrobes and drawers, and a fridge with complementary bottles of water. There was also a kettle and tea bags, milk, and coffee. The bedroom had twin beds (my mother’s had a double bed), television with BBC World, CNN, ABC, and the Discovery Channel, and a powerful, easily adjustable air-con unit. The living room had another television, a desk, two 4-seat sofa, a couple of armchairs, and a coffee table, and various magazines and local guides to Delhi were provided. The whole place was newly and tastefully decorated, and the furnishings were universally comfortable. Altogether a very impressive place, I only wish we could have stayed a little longer!
The night we left, our flight was 2am, and we had to check in a couple of hours earlier. The hotel allowed us to check out at 11pm for a half-day’s charge, and we then had dinner downstairs until the time came to take our taxi to the airport. There were other facilities downstairs – safety deposit boxes, with one key given to the guest so that the security is certain (don’t lose it!), internet and e-mail, room service, housekeeping and laundry. The staff were all extremely helpful. Telephone calls could be direct-dialled out, although rather irritatingly direct-dial between rooms was only allowed if the receiving room had a man in it – I therefore had to go through the operator to ring my mother’s room and vice versa.
It’s not cheap, the Ambassador, but neither is it ridiculously expensive, and the facilities and standards make it good value. I would certainly stay again, and will recommend it to my father when he goes to India on business later this year.