We often get asked about the wonderful hotel selections we make on our adventures, and The Imperial in New Delhi is a fine example of the types of properties we love to feature on our trips.

Many of PWA’s India Photo Adventures begin and end in New Delhi at The Imperial, an impeccably detailed 5-star heritage hotel. We enjoy the elegance of this property and all it has to offer, including its 5-star restaurants and beautifully appointed luxury spa (a World Luxury Spa Awards winner). For architectural and interior lovers, this property also provides excellent photographic opportunities.

Chosen as India’s best ‘Luxury Historical Hotel’ by World Luxury Hotel Awards, The Imperial is an iconic property in Delhi’s 5-star hotel category and the most distinguished address in the heart of the capital, reminiscent of the halcyon days of the Raj. A luxury hotel with an iconic and awe-inspiring heritage interwoven in colonial elegance, it dwells in its modern delivery of old-style class, magnificence, and many luxuries. Built-in 1931 by Blomfield, one of Sir Edwin Lutyen’s associates, and inaugurated by Lord Willingdon in 1936, it is New Delhi’s landmark Hotel on Janpath, the erstwhile Queensway. The Hotel is steps away from Connaught Place, the renowned shopping district, and is close to the city’s major attractions.

IMPERIAL HOSPITALITY

An oasis of calm and comfort sums up the understated luxury of Lutyen’s masterpiece- The Imperial New Delhi. One approaches down a drive flanked by tall king palm trees with immaculately dressed doormen waiting to greet. With its modern delivery of old-style class and luxuries aplenty wrapped in colonial elegance, The Imperial invites you to the halcyon days of the Raj when opulence was the order of the day. Two hundred thirty-five elegant rooms and suites, the 24 king palms, the pillared verandahs, The Tea Lounge, The Royal Ballroom, and the verdant gardens at The Imperial have played host to some celebrated moments between the British and Indian aristocracy.

Awash in white, The Imperial is a unique blend of classic and contemporary, successfully preserving its historical aura and providing its guests with a lifetime of memories. It is a marvelous mélange of Victorian, Colonial, and Art Deco styles in its interiors. The spacious high-ceiling guest rooms, stunning crystal chandeliers, sparkling marble floors, large mahogany tables, and the impressive wealth of original 18th and 19th-century art collections adorning the hotel’s corridors are priceless heritage. Its Presidential Suite spans over 3,000 sf, including spacious, luxurious dining and sitting areas, an expansive main bedroom, and a study. Fragonard amenities, a unique program for single lady travelers- Eliza, and breathtaking flower arrangements by renowned French Artists all bring a touch of 21st-century luxury to the impeccable Imperial experience.

Praise is lavish for cuisine at The Imperial, which offers eight places to dine or lounge—including award-winning Southeast Asian fare at The Spice Route to Tuscan Italian at San Gimignano, Pan Indian embracing the journey of Thomas and William Daniell at Daniell’s Tavern to world cuisine at 1911 and classic European cuisine at Nostalgia, 1911 Brasserie along with High tea at The Atrium. Two luxurious Bars -the 1911 Bar, with more than 500 beverages, and the Patiala Peg – The Royal Polo Bar and La Baguette- a French Patisserie, make for a stellar dining experience at The Imperial.

The award-winning Imperial Spa, exclusively for resident guests at the Hotel with its bespoke international and Ayurvedic rituals, offers a holistic environment embedded in breathtaking architecture, an ode to the wellness world.

The Hotel is connected to a fascinating part of India’s history. It is currently managed by the firm M/s Akoi Saab and is owned by Sardar Hardev Singh Akoi and Sardar Jasdev Singh Akoi, the late Sardar Bahadur Ranjit Singh’s grandsons who built the hotel. Conceptualized in 1934 by Blomfield and inaugurated by Lord Willingdon in 1936, The Imperial is a fine confluence of a rich historical past and a slick international appeal. The 24 king palms that lead up to the porch are an integral part of and witness to the very creation of New Delhi. The Hotel was designed to be one of the finest monuments of Lutyens’ grand vision of the Capital City’s original master plan, presenting a unique blend of Victorian, Old colonial, and Art Deco styles. The Hotel was named and conferred the exquisite Lion Insignia by Lady Willingdon. It was the first amongst the legendary “Four Maidens of the East”, some say included The Strand Hotel in Rangoon, Raffles Hotel in Singapore, and The Great Eastern & The Oriental in Calcutta.

The Imperial was placed on the nation’s second most important social boulevard, the prestigious Queensway, now called Janpath, the first being the grand and ceremonious Kingsway, now known as Rajpath. From the time it opened its doors in the 1930s when India was beginning to write the last chapters of its saga on independence, there was little space in New Delhi for an Indo-British rubbing of shoulders. The Imperial provided such a space. Pandit Nehru, Mahatma Gandhi, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, and Lord Mountbatten met at The Imperial under congenial conditions to discuss the partition of India and the creation of Pakistan. The Nehru family had a permanent suite here.

If only walls could speak, here indeed was a repository of fascinating anecdotal material for romantic and detective fiction authors. It was here at The Imperial, where you could clink your glasses on the same table as the King to the war efforts or Gandhi to the quit India movement, to the strains of Blue Dambe or the belly act of a belle from Beirut with an orchestra from London to serenade you at lunch and invite you to take the floor with candlelit dinner in the evening.

Silver tea service, tableware from London, Italian marble floors, Burma teak furniture, original Daniells and Frasers on the walls, a vision of undulating green lawns, and turbaned servers in red all create the aura of an early 19th-century English Manor in the heart of Imperial Delhi.

While traveling to distant lands on photo adventures, we feel it’s important to experience the people, their culture, architecture, unique hotel properties, restaurants, and watering holes.

AWARDS & RECOGNITION 

– The Imperial has been awarded the preferred ‘2023 Hotel of the Year’ – South Asia, Middle East, and Africa by Preferred Hotels & Resorts.

– The Imperial’s San Gimignano Restaurant “Best Italian Cuisine” by Delicious Dining Awards by Travel + Leisure India & South Asia.

– The Imperial Spa at The Imperial New Delhi has been honoured by World Luxury Spa Awards 2023 in three exquisite categories.

– The Imperial has been awarded the prestigious World Luxury Hotel Award for being the best “Luxury Historical Hotel in India” in the country winner category.

– The Imperial has been chosen as the “Best Heritage Hotel” by Travel + Leisure India’s Best Awards.

– The Imperial has been chosen for Excellence as a Hot 25 Leisure Hotel/Resort in Asia by the readers of SmartTravelAsia.com.

– The Imperial Spa and Salon has been awarded the prestigious World Luxury Spa Award and chosen as the “Best Beauty Salon in India.”

– The Imperial has been awarded the prestigious ‘Luxury Hotel of the Year’ award by Luxury Travel Guide Global Awards. 

– The Imperial has been honored with ‘Best performance in the five-star luxury category in Delhi/NCR’ by Booking.com.

– Reflecting great reviews on TripAdvisor consistently, The Imperial has been recognized for numerous Certificates of Excellence.

Join us on one of our INDIA PHOTO ADVENTURES for the photographic adventure of a lifetime!

We look forward to seeing you very soon.

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