I loved this hotel so much I put in a special request to review it. I have to say it didn't look like the photo on the listing so just to be clear, this is for the Oberoi at Dr Zakir Hussein Marg in Delhi.
WHEN AND WHY WAS I THERE? ************************************* In November last year I had a really tough business trip to India to launch a range of new products in Mumbai and Delhi. This involved presenting to about a thousand local bakers and pulling together two big launch meetings in hotels so we worked like demons. If you believe in karma, then staying 4 nights at the Oberoi New Delhi must have been payback for every good and worthy thing I've done in my life. It's an absolute dream of a hotel and one that really sticks in the mind.
Now just in case you are tempted to down-rate me for being such a lucky soul and getting to stay here - bear in mind, I just lost my job and writing this sort of review is a painful reminder of what I've given up.
THE HOTEL ************* The Oberoi New Delhi has nearly 280 rooms and suites. When I visited they were charging top-whack of about £180-220 per night - partly because they were full due to a summit between the President of India and the President of Indonesia - well, if it's good enough for Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono , it's good enough for me.
WHERE IS IT? ****************** The hotel is one of the 'Leading Hotels of the World'. It is in a relatively quiet part of the city (this is Delhi - it's all relative) and is set in large grounds over-looking the golf course. It's not the best place to be as there's nothing much to walk to round there so you'll need to take taxis - if you have the money and you want something central, I'd recommend the Imperial just off Connaught Circus, opposite the Cottage Industries Shop. But if you want to hide out and relax after some hard work, this is a great place to be.
You approach the hotel up a tree shaded driveway and pull up in front of the doors where one of the tall handsome turbaned doormen - one of them told me that they are mostly ex-presidential guard - will open your door. Entering the lobby, the check in is on the left hand side and there are lots of carved wooden chairs and plush sofas. Round to the left there are some fancy schmancy designer shops and a little deli (A Delhi Deli perhaps ;-)). To the right there's a book shop. However, I noticed none of this when I first arrived. The overwhelming sensation was the beautiful smell of citronella and lemons - they burn oils and use lemon scented polish and it smells divine.
Past the check-in desk there are large picture windows looking out over the pool and if you carry on past the lifts, there are a couple of restaurants, a ballroom and other meeting rooms. We were there in the height of wedding season so there were lots of people getting married and some stunning outfits on display.
Check-in was straightforward - calm and professional and they dealt with my request for an extra night although the price was even higher for that day.
THE ROOMS ************** I stayed in a fairly standard one but it was still beautiful. There was a big desk with all the state of the art computer connectivity. The bed was big and high off the ground. It was furnished with a bedspread and cushions in beautiful fabrics and there were local carvings and paintings around the room. The wardrobe and drawers were large and plentiful and the wardrobe had a safe deposit box and a basket to put your shoes in when ever you want to get them polished. There's plenty of free bottled water and the minibar is not too outrageous if you are sticking to cokes and avoiding the imported spirits. The TV had a good range of international channels. The bathroom was a vision in marble and wood with lovely smellies and a shower so powerful it could flail the skin off your body. There was a soft long bathrobe. I could happily sell my house and all my possessions and go and live in that room (not for very long - probably).
The Corridors had deep carpets, beautiful paintings and pretty vases and carvings.
RESTAURANTS ***************** Business hotels in India need to offer a lot of restaurant choice - this is because half the people who stay there are too chicken to go out and experiment in the local restaurants. Or sometimes too tired to go exploring. The breakfasts are served on the ground floor restaurant at the far end of the building. The coffee is outstanding and there's an enormous range of food to choose from.
I also ate with colleagues in the Chinese Restaurant - called Taipan - which was hushed and discrete with fabulous food. At the table next to us was a politician - my colleague said he was a controversial education minister that he was quite in awe of. I also ate alone on my last night in the Three Sixty restaurant - they gave me a nice quiet table in a section with two other ladies. I think this was done to make me feel more comfortable and I appreciated their thoughtfulness. The food again was lovely. In each case the cost of the food was high by local standards but no more than you'd pay in the UK for something quite ordinary.
SPA & FITNESS ****************** As mentioned there's a good sized outdoor pool - I must have been going native by that stage because I was horrified to see a European lady in a string bikini - had she NO shame! There's also a well equipped gym and spa treatments are available.
EXTRAS ********* There are some nice little touches - the free shoe shine, the water, and free hotel transfers.
RECOMMENDATION ********************** If you can afford to stay here - please adopt me and leave me some money in your will. Better still if you don't have your own wealth persuade your employers to let you stay there at their expense and have a ball. It's exquisite.
It's not the real India - absolutely not - but sometimes, we all appreciate a little luxury. Go on - as they say in the L'oreal adverts - You're worth it!
ADDENDUM - take a look at my photos of me and Pooh enjoying the hotel and Delhi life
