The Imperial New Delhi

New Delhi's Grand Hotel Tradition, Centred on Janpath

New Delhi's luxury hotel market splits, broadly, into two camps: the modern five-star towers built for the international business circuit, and the older, architecturally rooted properties that predate the post-liberalisation construction boom. The Imperial belongs firmly to the second category, and within that category it sits at the reference end of the spectrum. Designed in the 1930s by a collaborator of Sir Edwin Lutyens — the architect responsible for Rashtrapati Bhavan and the grid logic of New Delhi's ceremonial core — the building carries a civic seriousness that more recent properties cannot replicate. The address on Janpath, a short walk from Connaught Place, positions it at the geographic and symbolic heart of the capital's planned city.

In 2026, La Liste awarded the property 92 points in its Leading Hotels ranking, placing it in an upper tier that includes properties competing on heritage and atmosphere rather than newness. Membership of Leading Hotels of the World, confirmed for 2025, adds a further credential signal. Among New Delhi's comparable grand addresses , The Claridges, Taj Mahal New Delhi, and The Oberoi , The Imperial is generally regarded as the most emphatically colonial in character, a distinction that works strongly in its favour for a specific kind of traveller and less so for those seeking contemporary Indian design.

What the Rooms Actually Deliver

With 229 rooms, The Imperial operates at a scale large enough to sustain its resort-style amenity set , outdoor pool, full spa, multiple dining venues , while remaining smaller than the large-footprint business hotels that dominate the Delhi market. Room rates begin at approximately $418 per night, positioning the property in the same bracket as Taj Palace and The Lodhi, though each of those properties offers a materially different architectural and atmospheric experience.

The room inventory spans two broad stylistic registers. The older-wing rooms lean into colonial English references: dark wood, traditional furnishing proportions, a pace that resists the language of the modern hotel room. The Art Deco-inflected rooms take a more contemporary position within the same period aesthetic , geometry over ornament, but still rooted in the building's original decade. Both categories are generously sized, and the specification reflects the property's premium positioning: Porthault linens, Fragonard bath products, and marble bathrooms that contribute meaningfully to the overnight experience rather than functioning as mere amenity checkboxes. It is worth understanding that The Imperial's room product is less about technological integration or minimalist design than it is about material quality and historical atmosphere. Guests who arrive expecting the spare, light-filled language of The Leela Palace or the resort-modern logic of The Lodhi will find something deliberately different here.

The Public Spaces as the Hotel's Real Argument

Grand hotels in the Lutyens-era tradition were designed to be seen in as much as slept in, and The Imperial has always understood this. The marble lobby, the colonnaded verandas, and the garden , genuinely quiet despite the central location , function collectively as a kind of urban resort that gives the property a character that exceeds what the room count alone would suggest. Where newer Delhi luxury hotels concentrate their investment in room technology or F&B programming, The Imperial concentrates on the ceremonial experience of moving through the building.

The 1911 Bar is the property's most discussed public space, and its reputation among Delhi's drinking circuit is consistent across sources. Named for the year the capital transferred from Calcutta, it operates as a colonial-era drawing room in physical form: a space whose aesthetic is historically legible rather than designed-to-feel-historic. For visitors tracing the New Delhi bar scene from its older establishments through to newer addresses, the 1911 Bar represents the founding archetype rather than a competitor to contemporary cocktail programming. The dining offer across the property is similarly varied; for broader context on the capital's restaurant scene, The Imperial's multiple venues sit at the more formal, occasion-oriented end of New Delhi dining.

Planning Your Stay

Rates from $418 per night reflect high-season pricing in a market where demand spikes during the October-to-March winter period , the months when Delhi's air quality and temperatures are most hospitable. Booking direct or through a recognised travel programme is advisable during this window, as the property's reputation and central location make it a consistent choice for both leisure visitors and those using the capital as the entry point for a broader India itinerary. The Janpath address gives direct access to Connaught Place, the diplomatic enclave of Chanakyapuri, and the main Mughal-era monuments. For travellers extending beyond Delhi, the property is a logical base before moving to Agra for The Oberoi Amarvilas, or west toward Rajasthan via The Johri in Jaipur, Amanbagh in Ajabgarh, or Suján Jawai in Pali. Those looking for Himalayan alternatives might consider Ananda in the Himalayas or Amaya in Solan, while Goa-bound travellers have options such as Baale Resort Goa. Wildlife-focused extensions work well through Aman-i-Khas in Ranthambore or Alila Fort Bishangarh. On the broader New Delhi hotels guide, The Imperial occupies a distinct position within the heritage category that nothing newer quite replicates. For experiences and activities beyond the hotel, the New Delhi experiences guide covers the city's specialist programming.

Internationally, travellers who respond to The Imperial's model of historic-building luxury will find comparable logic , if very different contexts , at Aman Venice or The Fifth Avenue Hotel in New York. The Aman New York operates in a similar upper bracket, though with a contemporary rather than period approach to atmosphere. For India's other flagship palace-era hotel, The Taj Mahal Palace in Mumbai is the closest peer in terms of architectural pedigree and public-space ceremony. For wineries and further programming, the New Delhi wineries guide covers the regional scene.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most popular room type at The Imperial New Delhi?

The Art Deco-style rooms, which offer a more contemporary interpretation of the building's 1930s period character, tend to attract the widest range of guests. They align with the property's La Liste 92-point (2026) standing and Leading Hotels of the World membership, combining historic atmosphere with a specification that includes Porthault linens and marble bathrooms. Rates begin at approximately $418 per night across the 229-room inventory.

What is The Imperial New Delhi leading at?

The Imperial's clearest strength is its public-space experience: the colonnaded verandas, the garden, and the 1911 Bar constitute a ceremonial hotel environment that is rare in a city of New Delhi's scale and pace. La Liste's 92-point score (2026) and Leading Hotels of the World membership both reflect this, placing the property in a tier defined by heritage and atmosphere rather than contemporary amenity.

What is the leading way to book The Imperial New Delhi?

Booking direct through the hotel is the standard approach, and given the property's Leading Hotels of the World membership (2025), recognised travel programmes affiliated with that network can offer additional benefits. New Delhi's peak season runs from October through March, and the property's central Connaught Place address and La Liste ranking (92 points, 2026) make early reservation advisable during that window. Rates start from approximately $418 per night.

Who tends to like The Imperial New Delhi most?

The property appeals most strongly to travellers who value architectural history and period atmosphere over contemporary design or technology-forward rooms. At rates from $418 per night and with a La Liste Leading Hotels score of 92 (2026), it attracts visitors using New Delhi as the entry point for a broader India itinerary, as well as those specifically interested in the Lutyens-era built environment. The 1911 Bar and garden consistently draw guests who treat the public spaces as a destination in their own right.

Is The Imperial New Delhi a good base for exploring Lutyens' Delhi and the main monuments?

Yes, in practical terms. The Janpath address places the hotel within the planned ceremonial district that Lutyens designed, meaning Rajpath, India Gate, and the major government buildings are accessible without leaving the historic core. For visitors whose itinerary combines the Mughal monuments with the colonial-era architecture, the hotel's location on this axis is more useful than comparable properties positioned further toward Chanakyapuri or the newer southern districts. The property's own architectural lineage , built by a Lutyens associate in the 1930s , gives the base itself contextual weight beyond its amenity set.