The Imperial New Delhi

The exterior of the hotel and the public portions of the hotel are nothing short of amazing. It is like a marble palace filled with beautfully framed colonial-era prints and other paintings as well as beautiful sculptures and other exquisite objects. The furniture in the public portions of the hotel are equally sumptous. The swimming pool gets an 11 out of 10! The service is over the top although I did feel on a few occasions that a tip was being sought when there may not have been merit for it. That said, people bend over backwards to serve and you definitely know you are in a 5-star hotel! The food was amazingly good and the buffet breakfast is fantastic. The other restaurants at the hotel are top-rated. The cost of food a la carte outside of the buffet was a little on the pricey side but nothing out of the ordinary for such a magnificent hotel. The only 4 stars given was that the mattress was a little dated and could probably use an upgrade and strangely enough the shower area was well below average. I never managed to get the temperature to be correct and they have cheap acrylilc tubs with roughly caulked edges. The photos look amazing but once you see it in person you will not be impressed. That said, I would say the shower or bathtub area was like a well-maintained 3-star hotel. Another guest confirmed that their bathtub / shower was the same. Otherwise, be prepared to be treated like Lord and Lady Grantham with all the antiques, art and general luxury!