Review: Experiencing imperial opulence at The Imperial, New Delhi  


A palatial stay is the stuff of bucket lists. During my recent stay at The Imperial, New Delhi, I had a chance to experience exactly that. The efficiency and warmth of the hotel staff came through right from the airport where a representative of The Imperial was waiting for us at the baggage counter and ensured our pick-up was as smooth as it could get.

Lobby Coridor

The Imperial Room

As I make my way inside the majestic virginal-white hotel, the wide glass doors lead me into an airy uncluttered lobby detailed with the original heavily molded high ceilings. Awed by the understated luxury across every nook and cranny, a swift check-in follows. My haven for the night is the Imperial Room which wins me over with its colonial layout with high ceiling, king size bed having posturepedic spring mattress with exclusive linen from Porthault, France.

The beautiful marble bath-tub with Fragonard bathroom amenities quickly became one of the best bath areas I’ve luxuriated at. For lunch, I sample some delicacies via in-room dining. The Imperial Salad, the grills and the Imperial Dal are my star favourites from the lunch experience and rest assured that they are too ‘imperial’ for words.

Post lunch, it was time to experience the renowned Imperial Spa which is the hotel’s crowning glory. Intricate Moroccan architecture interwoven with Moghul and Indian motifs characterise the space. The exquisite tikri work embellishes the walls of the labyrinth of arches, while poetic verses engraved at select points peppered with inspiring phrases are enough to evoke the zen in me and immerse my senses.

My treatment at the spa is the Imperial Depth- an hour-long luxurious signature massage that embraces my areas of stress and tension by integrating deep tissue techniques with subtle ‘Pranic Healing’. The massage experience is like floating in a fragrant and pampering reverie, seducing all the senses. Taking on the problem areas and solving every ache, pain and stress, one at a time. The preening continues with an excellent hair wash at the Imperial Salon and I feel spoilt to the core while gearing up for my dinner at the Spice Route restaurant housed by the hotel.

The ravishing restaurant has been designed to reflect the journey of spices from the Malabar Coast in Kerala through Sri Lanka, Malaysia, and Indonesia to Thailand and Vietnam. Designed by Rajeev Sethi, I was told that the restaurant took seven years in the making as it is completely hand painted with vegetable and flower dyes by mural painters brought in especially from a temple in Guruvayur in Kerala with a tradition dating back to 3000 years.

The Spice Route Courtyard

Adorned with traditional Thai sculptures from the Chiang Mai region in northern Thailand, the Courtyard comes across as a visual spectacle. A water body with floating candles and thoughtfully strewn petals forms the center of the courtyard continues mesmerizing me. After being surprised visually, the culinary delicacies take my taste-buds to an eclectic gastronomic journey.

Chemeen Thoren
Phad Thai Kung

I kicked off the dining experience with the Som Tum Chae which packed health and crunch into the tangy Thai raw papaya and peanut salad. The Chemeen Thoren, Kerala style prawns, stir-fried with coconut, curry leaves and black tamarind, flavoured with mustard seeds and the Kai Phirk Thai Dum, stir-fried crispy chicken with bell peppers, flavoured with fresh roasted black pepper were the other highlights of my meal experience. For mains, the Khao Phad Chae, vegetarian Stir Fried rice hit all the right notes and is one delicacy that I would definitely frequent the restaurant for.

The day of opulence and rejuvenation ended with me sleeping like a baby. Next morning, it was time to bid goodbye to the gorgeous property but not before experiencing the lavish breakfast at 1911. I loved the architecture of the space which is embedded with elite-class interiors. The outside sitting area with a view of the garden is serene, while the food is a mix of Indian and Continental options and offers a whole host of breakfast choices, from cold cuts to piping hot and fluffy idlis and pancakes that have me still raving about them. So does the warm, drool-worthy Bread Pudding that I can’t recommend enough. With the choicest and immensely tasteful spread, breakfast has to be my favourite meal experience at the hotel.

By the end of my stay, every aspect of the hotel had awed me. I love how it encapsulates the colonial-era nostalgia and elegance so beautifully. It is also a spa lover’s dream, one that is poetry in design and a spa heaven in its therapies. The contribution of the attentive staff and culinary excellence are the other noteworthy aspects. While evoking the best memories of the Raj, the Imperial also ensures that you live like one!

Where: The Imperial, New Delhi  
Connaught Place, Janpath,
New Delhi, Delhi 110001
Phone: 011 23341234

Prices: The Imperial room costs INR 18500 on single and 19500 on double occupancy per night till 15th April 2018

Note– The critic was hosted by The Imperial, New Delhi but all the opinions expressed herewith are her own.

The luxe factor is

9 Location
9.5 Rooms
9 Service
9.5 Breakfast
9.3
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