Globalista

A densely populated metropolitan sprawl, Delhi is the capital of a rapidly changing India. It was once considered by many as just a boring, bureaucratic hub, but in recent years Delhi and its 18 million people have emerged as a rival to Mumbai as the country’s most energetic city. Though divided into two – overcrowded Old Delhi, the former Mughal capital, and next to it the wide tree-lined avenues and parks of New Delhi founded in the 1920s at the height of the Raj – the city is the gateway to northern India and the first stop on many travellers’ itineraries into the Golden Triangle. On one hand Delhi is a hectic, dirty and frustrating place; on the other it’s the exciting, exotic capital of one of the world’s next superpowers.

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An ode to the British architect Sir Edwin Lutyens, The Imperial hotel is a beautiful blend of Victorian, imperial and art deco style in eight acres of perfectly manicured gardens close to Connaught Place. The decor harks back to the glamour of the 1930s Raj with teak and rosewood furniture, beautiful works of art and stunning marble floors. There are 232 rooms and suites, a new spa and four restaurants including the Spice Route which is reckoned one of the city’s best. The Taj Mahal hotel is a Delhi institution whose ornate style is the antithesis of minimalism. Its intricately carved domes and panels, marble fountains and Mughal artefacts, together with impeccable butler service worthy of Jeeves and its five restaurants, make this 294-room hotel special; it is being renovated in parts, so when booking ask for a newly refurbished room. The 440-room ITC Maurya is a well-oiled machine that also has Bukhara, the city’s best restaurant. In the heart of the diplomatic enclave, the service is fantastic. Ask for one of the newly renovated rooms.

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 Globalista’s Pick of the Press

10 May 2009 - The New York Times - New Delhi's Book-Party Scene
09 May 2009 - The Times - City Style: Delhi
24 January 2009 - The Times - To India with my eight-year-old son
16 January 2009 - The Times - Tuk-tuk it easy in Delhi

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