Urban Crayon
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>1 Janpath, Connaught Place (Opposite Cottage Emporium)
Tel: 011 2334 1234; 011 4150 1234
Rates: From US $271 low season; US $364 high season
Web: www.theimperialindia.com
ITC Maurya
This hotel’s location is a tourist’s delight. The Red Fort, National Gallery of Modern Art, Jantar Mantar, Delhi Golf Club, Qutab Minar, Crafts Museum, Dilli Haat and Rashtrapati Bhavan are all nearby. The award winning restaurant, Bukhara, hosted President Clinton and his daughter Chelsea. There are 440 rooms including 29 suites. The Maurya has a swimming pool, spa, babysitting and can arrange for other activities.
>21, Diplomatic Enclave, Sardar Patel Marg, Chanakyapuri
Tel: 011 2611 2233; 011 2611 3333
Rates: From US $247 low season; US $449 high season
Web: www.itcwelcomgroup.in
InterContinental Nehru Place
Within a stone’s throw of the ITC Maurya, the InterContinental Nehru Place is also centrally located to many tourist attractions. There are 218 guest rooms, all with broadband internet access and there’s wireless connectivity throughout the hotel. Geared toward the business and leisure travellers, 170 newspapers are delivered daily, the staff is multi-lingual, the restaurants are multi-cuisine and there’s a multitude of recreational activities to participate in, including a 24-hour fitness centre.
>S-2, International Trade Tower, Nehru Place
Tel: 011 4122 3344; 011 4133 1700
Rates: From US $188 low season; US $326 high season
Web: www.intercontinental.com
The Lalit New Delhi
(previously known as the Intercontinental Grand) Located about 15 miles from Indira Gandhi International Airport, the Lalit is near India Gate, Parliament House, the National Museum, Lodhi Gardens, Rashtrapati Bhavan, Jama Masjid, the Red Fort and the Lotus Temple. The 457-room super luxury hotel has 24-hour room service, babysitting and 7 restaurants. There’s an outdoor all-weather swimming pool with a special kids dip pool.
>Ground Flr, Barakhamba Road, Connaught Place
Tel: 011 2341 1001, 011 4444 7777
Rates: From $336 in low season; $396 high season
Web: www.thelalit.com
Leela Kempinski
The Leela is out of the way from the heart of Delhi, but it is only 5 kilometres from the international airport. The rooms, even the most basic ones, are deluxe with a capital D. The restaurants serve Indian, international and Italian cuisines. The hotel offers babysitting, has a luxurious spa and a state of the art fitness centre. It is recommended that families of 4 book into a double room or the executive room. Baby cots and/or a rollaway bed can be provided.
>Ambience Island NH-8, Gurgaon
Tel: 0124 477 1234
Rates: From US $283 low season; US $403 high season
Web: www.theleela.com/hotel-gurgaon.html
Le Meridien
The hotel is 2 kilometres from Rashtrapati Bhavan, Parliament House, India Gate and Connaught Place. Le Meridien’s location puts tourists in the centre of the action. The list of amenities is endless, the restaurants offer superior food, the spa is world class and the stay will be memorable.
>Windsor Place, Janpath, Connaught Place
Tel: 011 2371 0101; 011 2371 4545
Rates: From US $161 low season; US $339 high season
Web: www.lemeridian.newdelhi.com
The Metropolitan
Located near Connaught Place, this hotel is in a shopper’s and foodie’s haven. With 185 rooms, the Metropolitan is super modern and has 3 fabulous restaurants to choose from. The Japanese restaurant, Sakura, serves the best authentic Japanese food in town. There’s a travel desk as well.
>Bangla Sahib Road
Tel: 011 4250 0200; 011 2571 8433
Rates: From US $212 low season; US $666 high season
Web: www.hotelmetdelhi.com
The Oberoi
The award-winning luxury hotel, The Oberoi, overlooks the prestigious Delhi Golf Club and is a stone’s throw from Humayun’s Tomb. The Oberoi’s top-end service, décor, cuisine and both the outdoor and indoor pools may make the family give up on sight-seeing altogether, though the location puts guests within minutes of Lodhi Garden, India Gate and Connaught Place. Odd-numbered rooms face Humayun’s Tomb. Threesixtydegrees, the coffee shop that has all of Delhi patronizing at least once a week, will make guests carve out some serious gym time. The young staff, who probably don’t even have kids yet, treat the littlest guests like they are the ones with the credit cards. Great value, even better service and definitely worth a repeat visit on another Delhi jaunt.
>Main Road, Dr Zakir Hussain Marg
Tel: 011 2436 3030; 011 2436 0484
Rates: From US $285 low season; US $489 high season
Web: www.oberoidelhi.com
The Park
Close to Connaught Place is the luxury boutique hotel, the Park. Unlike the other luxury hotels that are heavy on ornamentation and gilded everything, the Park is modern and simplistic in its approach to decadence. It is conveniently located near Jantar Mantar and The Cottage Emporium (see Shopping, p.185) and many eateries. The rooftop pool is best for lounging and not lapping as it is a bit on the small side.
>15 Parliament Street, Connaught Place
Tel: 011 2374 3000; 011 2373 3737
Rates: From US $142 low season; US $155 high season
Web: www.theparkhotels.com
The Radisson Hotel
Billed as a business hotel, the Radisson still has all the amenities that a family would enjoy, plus a swanky business centre for those who feel the Blackberry is just not enough. The Radisson has won numerous awards for the hotel layout, the rooms, quality of service, spa and swimming pool and the location near the airport also gets top marks. The rooms are spacious, the restaurants offer so many choices and you truly feel like you’re the only guest present because of the individual attention of the staff.
>National Highway 8, Mahipalpur (near airport)
Tel: 011 2677 9191, 011 2677 9090
Rates: From US $167 low season; US $276 high season
Web: www.radisson.com/newdelhiin
Radisson MBD Hotel
This Noida Radisson hotel has all of the amenities of its Gurgaon cousin, but the location in Noida puts it near The Great India Place (see Shopping, p.171) and a bevy of amusement parks.
>L-2, Sector 18 Noida
Tel: 0120 430 0000
Cost: From US $194 low season; US $372 high season
Web: www.radisson.com/noidain
Shangri-La Hotel
Located near the Purana Qila, Qutab Minar, Humayun’s Tomb, Jantar Mantar, Red Fort, India Gate and Rashtrapati Bhavan, all of the 323 guest rooms in the Shangri-La Hotel offer a view of Connaught Place. The hotel is also very close to New Delhi Railway Station and about a 45-minute drive from the airport. The amenities include in-room refrigerators and a mini bar, broadband internet access, 24-hr room service, baby sitting, an outdoor swimming pool and a spa that is bliss in a bottle. Sunday brunch may well be the highlight for the kids as they can don chef’s hats and aprons and cook with the chefs.
>19 Ashoka Road, Janpath, Connaught Place
Tel: 011 4119 1919; 011 4119 1110
Rates: From US $358 low season; US $443 high season
Web: www.shangri-la.com/en/property/newdelhi/shangrila
Siddharth Hotel
This 5-star hotel is often overlooked in favour of other more advertised brands, but it is truly a gem right in the middle of the city. Located near Connaught Place, New Delhi Railway Station and not far from the airport, the 98-room Siddharth hotel offers opulence on a smaller scale. It has all of the bells and whistles of the other places, but one thing that stands out is the menu at the Resto Café which offers more than 170 items! The restaurant frequently has live music.
>3 Rajendra Place
Tel: 011 2576 2501
Rates: From US $189 low season; US $443 high season
Taj
Mahal Hotel
The hotel is a city landmark, nestled in one of the most posh neighbourhoods in Delhi among government offices and diplomatic missions. It is within walking distance of Khan Market (see Shopping, p.167), a short drive from Lodhi Garden, Connaught Place, India Gate, India Habitat Centre, the zoo and the National Train Museum. There’s babysitting, travel services, an on-call doctor; 24-hr room service, cyber-butler and gym and a big swimming pool. The 6 restaurants at the Taj Mahal Hotel leave you spoiled for choice and provide a range of cuisine in casual to formal settings.
>1 Man Singh Road, Defence Head Quarter
Tel: 011 2302 6162
Rates: From US $263 low season; US $422 high season
Web: www.tajhotels.com
Taj Palace Hotel
Just a 10-minute drive from the airport, even in heavy Delhi traffic, the Taj Palace Hotel is as beautiful as the Taj Mahal in Agra. From the sweeping lobby to the deluxe guest rooms and multi-cuisine restaurants, a week’s stay just isn’t enough. The staff is one of the friendliest, if not the friendliest in the city, with the exception of the staff at the Man Singh Road property. Recreational activities include a 9-hole putting green and a huge swimming pool. The property is close to Purana Qila, the Red Fort and Qutab Minar.
>Sardar Patel Marg, Diplomatic Enclave
Tel: 011 2611 0202
Rates: From US $205; US $358 high season
Web: http://www.tajhotels.com
Trident
The Trident is another Gurgaon hotel that is worth a mention because of the proximity to the airport and the super-modern sleekness of the rest of the area. The deluxe rooms or suites are ideal for a family of 4 and the views are great with a choice of a garden or pool view. The hotel offers baby-sitting, wired and wireless access, multi-cuisine restaurants, currency exchange and there are rooms for guests with special physical needs.
>443 Udyog Vihar, Phase 5, Gurgaon
Tel: 0124 245 0505
Rates: From US $177 low season; US $477 high season
Web: www.tridenthotels.com/gurgaon/index.asp
Uppal’s Orchid
Delhi’s only eco-friendly hotel, the Orchid, is spread over 10.5 acres of greenery and is located very close to the International Airport. The hotel prides itself on recycling and water conservation where possible, so don’t throw those towels on the bathroom floor after one use. The rooms are comfortable and the gardens are lush with a huge variety of trees, bushes and shrubs that beg for a walk or a frolic while birdwatching. The pool is huge and has a swim up bar. The Chef and I restaurant is aptly named as guests can interact with the chef to have meals prepared exactly to their liking.
>National Highway 8
Tel: 011 2506 1515
Web: www.orchidhotelnewdelhi.com
Vasant Continental
The separate kids’ swimming pool in the shade which also has spouts that spray water that allow kids to do a rain dance, is the highlight for this hotel, for the kids anyway. Although, climbing down the 2 flights of stairs with swimming gear can get tricky. The adults would love the spa and the dining options at the Vasant Continental including the round the clock Eggspectation restaurant (see Eats, p.125) with more than 170 vegetarian and non-vegetarian options. The entire brood will delight in the hotel’s location next to the Basant Lok Market which has a Choko la (see Eats, pp.124–125, p.134, p.157), Sony store, Le Marche grocery store that stocks imported goods of all kinds including meats and cheeses, and a McDonald’s.
>44 Community Centre, Basant Lok, Vasant Vihar
Tel: 011 2614 8800, 011 2614 1177
Rates: From US $199 low season; US $520 high season
Web: www.jaypeehotels.com
Four-star Hotels
What separates the 5-and 4-star hotels in Delhi is negligible. The 4-star hotels are a 4-tier warm chocolate cake and the 5-star hotels have a cherry on top. There are plenty of 4-star hotels that could have gotten a mention here, but for the fact they were not worth the money spent for the services and/or amentities offered. Some were dated in appearance and upkeep; had unfriendly harried staff, no windows that opened to the outside but into the hallway instead, or had no pool. The following 2 made the cut, mainly because they have swimming pools. Kids are more manageable and usually ready to nap after a good swim in the hot sun.
Ambassador
Choose a deluxe suite for a family as they are roomier. The Ambassador Hotel has the same quality standards for a Taj brand with white-glove service and a wonderful staff. Amenities include broadband and wireless internet access, mobile phones that can be rented, multimedia computers, baby-sitting, a swimming pool and book shop. There are three restaurants: the most popular, The Yellow Brick Road (See Eats, p. 153) is open 24 hours and is a slice of Americana, though that shouldn’t be held against the quite good eatery.
>Sujan Singh Park, Cornwallis Road
Tel: 011 2463 2600
Rates: From US $293 low season; US $584 high season
Web: www.tajhotels.com
Sheraton New Delhi
The family can definitely become mall rats due to the location of the Sheraton. It is located in Saket right near Select Citywalk Mall, DLF Place and MGF Metropolitan Mall (see Shopping, pp.171–2). It is also 15 minutes away from Qutab Minar and 35 minutes from the airport. There are 220 rooms that are spacious and modern and come with DVD players. The hotel has a large swimming pool with a tropical island feel with the greenery and fake rocks and all. The restaurants are OK, but the food courts and restaurants at the nearby malls are a great option.
>District Centre, Saket
Tel: 011 4266 1122
Rates: From US $229 low season; US $927 high season
Web: www.itcwelcomgroup.in
Guest Houses
Guest houses and Bed & Breakfast inns are a great option for those families who don’t need the bells and whistles of deluxe hotels such as pools, restaurants and bars. But they provide an economical and homey place to stay for families who do not want to pay the price associated with fancy hotels. It is a great option if you want to experience local hospitality and cuisine at affordable rates. Most advertise themselves as boutique hotels, with daily tariffs of between Rs 1,200 and Rs 10,000. Many, if not all, are child friendly and often the owners themselves have a pet or young child who could be great company for your kids. A list of Bed & Breakfast accommodations that are certified by the Ministry of Tourism is available at www.incredibleindia.org. The list, however, is limited to the NCR area. A good place to check for guest house listings is Cleartrip.com (www.cleartrip.com) which has over 150 home stays across India and (www.bharathomestay.com). Often, the owners stay on the property, prepare the meals, interact with the guests and offer a personal touch that sometimes cannot be found at bigger properties. Though a swimming pool is likely not an option, the price is worth it. See Playground Paradise, pp.76–8 for swimming pool options.
Ahuja Residency
Located in the heart of South Delhi in Golf Links, the Ahuja Residency is a well-appointed guest houses ideal for a long-term stay. The rooms are nicely furnished and several rooms have attached balconies. Some amenities include breakfast, laundry facilities and 24-hour Internet access. There’s a second property in Defence Colony, also.
>193 Golf Links
Tel: 011 2461 1027
Rates: Rs 5,100 a night double occupancy
Web: www.ahujaresidency.com
>C-83 Defence Colony
Tel: 011 2461 1027
Amarya Garden
Once a mansion, the 4-room Amarya Garden now lives another splendid life as a boutique hotel. With 2 suites and 2 deluxe guest rooms, each unique in layout and design, guests would probably book in for a few days and stay a lot longer due to the modern amenities, calm oasis of the lawns and general vibe of the place. Meals to order are available 24 hours a day. Other facilities include currency exchange, free wireless broadband and satellite television.
>C-179 Defence Colony
Tel: Reception 011
4656 2735;
Alex 98716 73666 or Mathieu
99100 01409
Rates: Rs 9,250 for suites; Rs 8,200 for deluxe rooms, breakfast included and free wi-fi.
BNineteen
Guests of BNineteen can check Humayun’s Tomb off the list as the bed & breakfast is located directly across from the monument. The 5 rooms are big, have all the modern amenities and there’s a terrace and numerous balconies. All meals are charged at a nominal fee. There’s also a kitchen on each floor with a refrigerator for stocking bubbly, baby food or some Delhi delicacies.
>B-19 Nizamuddin East
Tel: 011 4182 5500
Rates: Rs 6,000 low season; Rs 6,750 high season
Web: www.bnineteen.com
Eleven
Located a 5-minute walk from Humayun’s Tomb, free internet and wi-fi, satellite TV, sumptuous breakfast included (other meals on request).
>11 Nizamuddin East
Tel: 011 2435 1225
Rates: Rs 3250 to 3500 for double occupancy; Rs 750 for extra bed.
Web: www.elevendelhi.com
Email: elevendelhi@gmail.com
Jorbagh 27
Jorbagh 27 is in desperate need of a furnishings makeover, but that does not take away from the hospitality, warmth and personal attention. The double deluxe room will easily accommodate a family with room to spare. Each room has a TV with cable and a sitting area. There are 3 lounge areas and a huge beautiful lawn. Guests also have access to free Internet. Children below age 6 are not charged if sharing a room with the parents. It is located right down the street from Lodhi Garden; Lodhi—The Garden Restaurant, India Habitat Centre and Khan Market.
>27 Jor Bagh
Tel: 011 2469 4430
Rates: From Rs 4,300 per night for a double room; Rs 5,000 for suites
Web: www.jorbagh27.com