Imperial Hotel

Both inside and out, The Imperial doesn’t fail to impress. The public areas are as high-ceilinged and charming as you might imagine, and there are no less than three art galleries dedicated to colonial and modern art, making it the largest collection in the city. There are also four restaurants serving everything from buffets to smart, pan-Indian cuisine, and a post-prandial drink in the quilted surrounds of the 1911 bar is not to be missed. Outside, the swimming pool is a lovely spot to while away an afternoon, as is the Sufi-inspired spa, a stunning, and very modern, affair with a cracking list of treatments.

The Imperial is not small and there are 235 rooms in total. They range in size (Art Deco are the smallest while Grand Heritage and the Suites are the largest) but most importantly, request one with a garden view or you might find yourself staring across the atrium to another corridor. Interiors are dark and plush with plenty of polished wood and rattan furniture. The marble bathrooms, on the other hand, are bright and glittery and come with lovely toiletries and enormous showers.

Just off Connaught Place, a hub for dining and shopping, the hotel is perfectly placed to explore Delhi. Jantar Mantar observatory is literally just around the corner, as are the sights and sounds (and smells!) of Old Delhi. The hotel will happily organise a driver and car for the day, but there are also interesting tours on offer by Segway (go in the early morning before it’s too hot) and street food explorations. At the hotel, sink into the spa or spend an afternoon perusing the galleries, with or without a guide.