The Imperial, New Delhi — The Complete 2026 Guide

Overview & Heritage

There is a particular quality of grandeur that belongs exclusively to hotels built in an era when architecture was considered an act of civic ambition — when a building was expected to make a statement about civilisation itself, not merely provide rooms for sleeping. The Imperial, New Delhi is one of the finest surviving expressions of that ambition anywhere in Asia. Standing on Janpath, New Delhi — 110001, at the heart of Lutyens' planned imperial capital, this extraordinary property has been receiving guests since 1936 and has lost none of its power to astonish, seduce, and impress in the nine decades since.

Operating as a proudly independent hotel — one of the very few remaining grand independents in India of this scale and stature — The Imperial answers to no international chain, follows no corporate template, and makes no concessions to the generic international luxury aesthetic that has homogenised so many of the world's great city hotels. The result is a hotel with an identity so singular and so fully realised that guests who have stayed once tend to return with the devotion of pilgrims.

The building itself is an architectural masterpiece of 1930s Art Deco design, executed with the confidence and material richness of an era that believed in making things to last. Wide colonnaded verandas, soaring ceilings, geometric detailing, immaculate white facades, and gardens of a quality rarely encountered in any city hotel combine to create an atmosphere that is simultaneously grand and deeply hospitable. But the architecture, magnificent as it is, shares the hotel's identity with something even more remarkable — one of the finest privately held art collections in India, displayed along the hotel's corridors, public spaces, and dining rooms. Lithographs, oil paintings, antique maps, period photographs, and artefacts documenting the history of Delhi and the subcontinent create a museum-quality experience that guests can explore between meals or on their way to the pool.

Royalty, heads of state, Nobel laureates, celebrated authors, film stars, and the world's most discerning independent travellers have all found their way to The Imperial. The guest register reads like a condensed history of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. This history is worn lightly — the hotel is warm and welcoming rather than intimidating — but it informs every detail of how the property presents and conducts itself.

Address: Janpath Lane, Janpath, Connaught Place, New Delhi, Delhi — 110001, India

Group: Independent

Total Rooms: 233 rooms and suites

Founded: 1936

Starting Room Rates: ₹15,000 – ₹38,000 per night (2026 rates; Presidential and Heritage Suites priced above this range)

Full Contact Information

The Imperial, New Delhi Janpath Lane, Janpath, Connaught Place, New Delhi, Delhi — 110001, India

Primary Telephone: +91 11 4150 1234

Official Website: https://www.theimperialindia.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/imperialdelhi/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ImperialDelhi

For restaurant reservations, room bookings, and event enquiries, the hotel switchboard at +91 11 4150 1234 is the primary contact point. The hotel website carries a direct booking interface. Dineout and EazyDiner carry listings for the dining outlets — verify current availability on these platforms. For Spice Route specifically, advance reservation is strongly recommended and can be made via the hotel switchboard or website.

Architecture, Art & Atmosphere

Walking the length of The Imperial's colonnaded driveway for the first time is a moment that travellers with considerable hotel experience consistently describe as arresting. The white facade, the symmetrical geometry, the mature trees lining the approach, and the sheer unhurried scale of the building prepare you for something exceptional — and the interior delivers without reservation.

The art collection deserves particular attention because it is genuinely extraordinary in a hospitality context. The corridors display 18th and 19th century lithographs and engravings of Delhi, India, and the subcontinent — many of them rare, some of them unique — alongside period maps of breathtaking cartographic beauty, colonial-era oil paintings, and antique photographs that document the city's transformation from Mughal capital through British imperial centre to modern republic. Walking the corridors of The Imperial is simultaneously a hotel stay and a private museum experience of the highest quality. Knowledgeable guests request the hotel's art walk — a guided tour of the collection that can take the better part of an afternoon.

The gardens maintain the standard of the building — immaculate, lush, and large enough to create genuine separation from the city noise outside the walls. The swimming pool, set within the garden, has the character of a private estate pool rather than a hotel facility.

The public spaces — lobby, dining rooms, colonnades — carry the natural authority of great architecture. High ceilings, polished marble floors, period furniture, and fresh flowers arranged with genuine artistry create an atmosphere that lifts the mood simply by being inhabited.

Location & Connectivity

The Imperial's address on Janpath places it at the geographical and symbolic centre of New Delhi — Lutyens' planned capital, the zone of wide avenues, diplomatic missions, and grand institutional buildings that represents India's grandest urban planning achievement.

Nearest Metro Stations: Rajiv Chowk (Blue and Yellow Lines) — one of Delhi's most central interchange stations — is approximately 800 metres to 1 kilometre from the hotel, making it a comfortable walk or a very short taxi ride. This station provides direct metro access to virtually every part of Delhi, including connections to the Airport Express Line at New Delhi Station for IGI Airport. Janpath Metro Station (Violet Line) is also in proximity — verify current walking distance directly.

Distance to IGI Airport: Approximately 12–15 kilometres to Terminal 3, translating to 25–40 minutes by car depending on traffic. The hotel's airport transfer service uses a curated fleet — arrange through the concierge for guaranteed timing, particularly for early morning departures when Delhi's notorious fog can affect both road travel and flight schedules during the winter months.

Nearby Landmarks: Connaught Place (CP) — Delhi's premier commercial and dining hub — is essentially adjacent, a few minutes' walk. India Gate is approximately 2–3 kilometres, easily reached on foot for morning walks or by a short taxi ride. Rashtrapati Bhavan (the Presidential Palace) and the Parliament complex are within the same Lutyens' zone. Jantar Mantar (the 18th century astronomical observatory) is a few minutes' walk. National Museum on Janpath is practically next door — a natural cultural complement to the hotel's own art collection.

Shopping: Connaught Place's inner and outer circles of retail, the Palika Bazaar underground market, and the Central Cottage Industries Emporium on Janpath itself are all within easy walking distance. Khan Market is approximately 4–5 kilometres south.

Business Districts: Connaught Place commercial hub is adjacent. Bhikaji Cama Place is approximately 8 kilometres south. Cyber City Gurgaon is 20–25 kilometres via NH-48. The hotel's central location makes it arguably the best-placed major hotel in Delhi for access to government ministries, which are clustered in the surrounding Lutyens' zone.

Rooms & Suites

The 233 rooms and suites at The Imperial were designed and furnished to complement the architectural ambition of the building — spacious, beautifully proportioned, and appointed with a quality of finish and material that reflects the hotel's independent, uncompromising character.

Luxury Rooms at the entry level are meaningfully larger than the standard offering at comparable five-star properties — the building's 1930s construction allows for ceiling heights and room proportions that modern hotel towers cannot replicate. Each room is individually considered in its furnishings and art placement, avoiding the identical-room monotony of chain hotel design. Premium Wi-Fi, flat-screen televisions, fully stocked minibars, in-room safes, blackout curtains, and quality toiletry brands appropriate to the hotel's positioning are standard across categories.

Heritage Rooms occupy the most historically significant parts of the building and carry the strongest sense of period character — high ceilings, period-style furniture, original architectural details, and in some cases views across the garden or the colonnaded verandas that frame the building's exterior. These rooms are the most sought-after by guests who come specifically for the heritage experience and are worth requesting by category at booking.

Suites at The Imperial range from spacious Junior Suites through to the grand Imperial Suite and Presidential Suite — the latter representing the full pinnacle of the hotel's offer, with expansive living spaces, private butler service, multiple rooms, premium art placement, and a level of privacy and appointment appropriate for heads of state and global business leaders. Suite categories feature soaking tubs alongside rainfall showers, premium toiletry brands, pillow menus, and the kind of attentive service that the hotel's intimate independent character makes achievable in ways that larger chain properties struggle to replicate.

Restaurants & Dining — Full Detail

The Imperial's four dining outlets collectively represent one of the most distinctive and celebrated food and beverage programmes of any hotel in India. Two of these outlets — Spice Route and 1911 — have independent reputations in Delhi's restaurant landscape that exist entirely apart from the hotel context. The full portfolio covers fine dining, all-day casual dining, an iconic afternoon tea programme, and a premium spirits bar — a complete food and beverage ecosystem that could sustain a full day's dining without leaving the property.

1911 — Flagship All-Day Dining Restaurant

1911 is The Imperial's flagship all-day dining restaurant, named with elegant precision after the year New Delhi was declared the capital of British India — a founding year that is also, in a sense, the founding year of the world that eventually produced this hotel and this address. The name is a statement of historical consciousness that sets the tone for everything that follows.

The restaurant occupies a beautifully appointed dining room within the hotel's ground floor, carrying the period character of the building through its design — high ceilings, warm lighting, quality furnishings, and a view across the hotel's gardens and colonnaded spaces that makes it one of Delhi's most pleasant rooms simply to sit in. The art collection extends into the dining room, and guests frequently find themselves looking up from their meal to examine a particular lithograph or period map on the nearby wall.

The cuisine at 1911 covers an extensive international and Indian range — a reflection of the hotel's commitment to serving the full diversity of its international guest profile without compromising on quality in any direction. The breakfast programme is exceptional — widely considered one of Delhi's finest hotel breakfasts, with a spread that covers Continental selections, live egg stations, a full Indian breakfast counter including Masala Dosa, Aloo Paratha, Upma, and Chole Bhature, freshly baked breads and pastries from the hotel's own kitchen, an impressive fresh juice and smoothie station, and a cold cuts and cheese display of unusual quality.

Lunch and dinner cover a broad range — Pasta and Risotto prepared with quality Italian ingredients, Grilled Proteins with careful sauce and accompaniment selection, a Continental buffet that maintains standard across its spread, and an Indian section covering both North and South Indian preparations. The Sunday Brunch at 1911 has become a Delhi institution — a generous, celebratory spread that draws both hotel guests and city residents with equal enthusiasm. The Afternoon Tea service, while more fully expressed at The Atrium, also operates from the 1911 kitchen.

The signature dish most associated with 1911 in Delhi's collective food memory is the club sandwich — a seemingly simple preparation elevated to benchmark status by the quality of its ingredients and the precision of its assembly. Hotel guests who discover it at breakfast frequently order it again at lunch. The eggs Benedict at breakfast and the Chicken Tikka Masala at dinner are similarly reliable anchors.

Service Hours: Open seven days a week. Breakfast: 7:00 AM – 10:30 AM (verify weekend extended timings) Lunch: 12:30 PM – 3:00 PM Dinner: 7:00 PM – 11:30 PM Sunday Brunch: 12:30 PM – 3:30 PM — verify current pricing per cover directly 24-hour room service draws from the 1911 kitchen with a broad menu scope. Average cost for two (à la carte): approximately ₹4,000 – ₹6,500 inclusive of taxes, excluding alcohol. Sunday Brunch pricing: verify current per cover rate directly with the hotel — typically includes beverages in the premium package. Reservations recommended for Sunday Brunch; walk-ins generally accommodated at other meal periods subject to availability. Dress code: Smart casual.

Spice Route — Southeast & South Asian Fine Dining

Spice Route occupies a category entirely its own — not merely among Delhi hotel restaurants, not merely among Indian fine dining experiences, but among the world's great restaurant spaces. It has been listed among Asia's and the world's most beautiful restaurants by multiple international publications, and the claim is not hyperbole. Entering Spice Route for the first time is one of the most viscerally extraordinary experiences available to a food lover anywhere in Asia.

The restaurant's hand-painted interiors took seven years to complete and were executed by craftsmen from Kerala under the direction of designer Rajeev Sethi — a collaboration that produced a space of staggering visual complexity and cultural depth. Every surface — ceiling, walls, columns, screens — carries painted imagery drawn from the Hindu and Buddhist artistic traditions of Kerala, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam, and Indonesia, tracing the ancient spice trade routes that connected South India to Southeast Asia across centuries of maritime commerce. The result is not decoration but narrative — a visual journey along the same routes that the restaurant's cuisine explores.

The food at Spice Route matches the ambition of its setting. The menu travels the spice trade routes of South and Southeast Asia — Kerala coastal seafood preparations, Sri Lankan sambols and curries, Thai aromatic dishes, Vietnamese fresh preparations, Indonesian satays and rendangs — drawing on the culinary traditions of communities connected by centuries of shared trade, religion, and cultural exchange. This is not fusion cooking; it is a serious, research-grounded exploration of distinct regional culinary traditions presented under one roof with exceptional ingredient quality and technical precision.

Signature dishes that have defined Spice Route's reputation over its years of operation include the Kerala Prawn Curry — a preparation of extraordinary depth, the coconut and curry leaf base enriched with the patience of traditional Kerala cooking. The Sri Lankan Crab preparation is theatrical and intensely flavoured. The Vietnamese Fresh Spring Rolls with their delicate rice paper wrapping and herb-bright filling offer a moment of textural and flavour contrast. The Thai Green Curry is prepared with fresh-ground paste from quality ingredients rather than commercial preparations — the difference is immediately apparent. The Chicken Rendang from the Indonesian tradition — slow-cooked, deeply spiced, the coconut milk reduced to a clinging, caramelised coating — is one of the most accomplished preparations on a menu full of accomplished preparations. The Appam with Stew from the Kerala section provides a moment of soothing comfort after the intensity of the spiced dishes.

The tasting menu is the most complete way to experience Spice Route's full geographical and flavour range — a curated sequence of courses moving through the spice route's key culinary regions, paired with wines selected to complement the aromatic complexity of the food. This is the format recommended for first-time visitors with the time and appetite to commit fully.

Chef recognition: Spice Route has received consistent coverage in Condé Nast Traveller, Food & Wine, Travel + Leisure, and numerous international food publications over its history. It has featured on lists of Asia's best restaurants and India's most significant dining experiences. The kitchen team operates under the culinary direction maintained by The Imperial's food and beverage leadership — the recipes and culinary standards represent institutional knowledge built over many years.

Service Hours: Lunch 12:30 PM – 2:45 PM; Dinner 7:00 PM – 11:30 PM. Open seven days a week. Verify current timings directly. Reservations: Advance reservation is essential — Spice Route operates at high occupancy throughout the Delhi winter season (October–March) and on weekends year-round. Booking several days ahead is advisable; during peak season, a week or more in advance is prudent. Reservations via hotel switchboard (+91 11 4150 1234) or the hotel website. Average cost for two: approximately ₹7,000 – ₹12,000 inclusive of taxes, excluding alcohol. Tasting menu pricing — verify directly. Dress code: Smart to smart casual — the grandeur of the space invites and rewards considered dressing. Private dining: A private dining room within or adjacent to the Spice Route space is available for intimate group dinners — enquire with the hotel directly.

The Atrium — Afternoon Tea, Champagne & Desserts

The Atrium at The Imperial is one of Delhi's most civilised and pleasurable mid-afternoon rituals — a traditional Afternoon Tea service held within the hotel's magnificent colonnade and garden-adjacent atrium space, combining the architectural grandeur of the building with the unhurried pleasure of the British afternoon tea tradition that The Imperial has maintained and refined since its earliest years.

The Afternoon Tea menu follows the classic structure with The Imperial's own elevated interpretation — finger sandwiches with carefully chosen fillings (cucumber and cream cheese, smoked salmon, coronation chicken), freshly baked scones with clotted cream and premium fruit preserves, and an extensive pastry and cake selection from the hotel's pastry kitchen that changes with seasons and the creative direction of the pastry team. The tea selection is serious and well-curated — Darjeeling first and second flush, Assam, Nilgiri, flavoured teas, and herbal selections, all prepared with the attention to water temperature and steeping time that fine tea demands.

Champagne is offered as an accompaniment for those who want to elevate the experience further — a glass of well-chosen Champagne alongside the afternoon tea service is one of the most pleasurable small luxuries available in Delhi and is consistent with the hotel's international guest profile and its own sense of occasion. Mocktail options and specialty non-alcoholic beverages are available for guests who prefer them.

The setting of The Atrium deserves separate attention — the colonnaded space with its period architecture, garden views, and the quality of diffused afternoon light that enters through the colonnade creates an atmosphere that is genuinely unique in Delhi's hospitality landscape. This is not a tea service in a hotel lobby; it is a curated experience in a space designed for exactly this kind of leisured afternoon pleasure.

Service Hours: Afternoon Tea service typically 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM. Verify current timings and pricing directly with the hotel. Pricing: Verify current per person pricing for standard and champagne afternoon tea packages directly — rates reflect the quality of the experience and the setting. Reservations: Recommended, particularly on weekends and during the October–March peak season when The Atrium is in high demand. Book via hotel switchboard or website.

The Patiala Peg — Premium Whisky & Spirits Bar

The Patiala Peg takes its name from the legendary measure of Scotch whisky associated with the royal household of Patiala — a generous, aristocratic pour that became part of the folklore of Indian whisky culture and that perfectly captures the spirit and philosophy of this exceptional bar. The name signals immediately that this is not a generic hotel bar but a curated whisky and spirits destination with a genuine point of view.

The whisky programme is among the most serious and comprehensive in any Delhi hotel bar. Single malt Scotch whiskies from across the major whisky regions — Speyside, Islay, Highland, Campbeltown, Islands — are represented with a depth of selection that rewards serious whisky drinkers. Rare and aged expressions feature alongside accessible classics. Most significantly, Indian single malt whiskies are given the prominence and respect they have earned on the global stage — Amrut expressions including the celebrated Fusion and Peated variants, Paul John whiskies from Goa including the Brilliance, Bold, and Edited expressions, and Indri from Haryana, which has accumulated remarkable international recognition in recent years. For a knowledgeable international guest, The Patiala Peg offers a rare opportunity to explore India's world-class whisky production in an appropriate and atmospheric setting.

The cocktail programme extends the whisky focus into creative preparations — Whisky Sours with Indian malt bases, Old Fashioneds with premium expressions, and signature cocktails that reflect both the bar's heritage character and contemporary cocktail craft. The spirits programme beyond whisky covers premium gin — including Indian craft gins from Greater Than, Hapusa, and Samsara — rum, cognac, and a carefully curated vodka selection.

The bar food menu covers a concise selection of quality accompaniments — small plates suited to extended drinking sessions, drawing on both Continental and Indian snack traditions.

The bar's design and atmosphere reflect the hotel's Art Deco heritage — warm lighting, period-appropriate furnishings, and an atmosphere of unhurried, well-bred sociability that distinguishes it from the louder, trend-driven bar environments proliferating across Delhi.

Service Hours: Typically open from 5:00 PM – 12:00 AM or later. Verify current timings and any live music programme directly with the hotel. Average bar spend for two: approximately ₹3,500 – ₹6,000 depending on whisky and cocktail selections. Premium rare expressions priced significantly higher — verify current pour prices directly.

Signature Amenities

Wellness: The spa at The Imperial offers a comprehensive menu of treatments — Ayurvedic therapies, international body and facial treatments, and the wellness philosophy consistent with a property of this calibre. The swimming pool set within the hotel's extensive gardens is one of Delhi's most beautiful hotel pool environments — the combination of mature trees, period architecture framing the garden space, and the quality of the landscaping creates a setting that feels genuinely removed from the urban intensity outside the walls.

The fitness centre is well-equipped with contemporary exercise equipment and offers personal training on request. Yoga can be arranged in the garden setting during the winter months — an experience of particular beauty in Delhi's finest season.

Concierge Services: The Imperial's concierge team is among Delhi's finest — deeply knowledgeable, multilingual, and capable of accessing experiences and reservations that reflect the calibre of the hotel's guest profile. Art collection guided tours, heritage walk arrangements in the surrounding Lutyens' zone, cultural programme access, and connections to Delhi's finest standalone dining experiences are all within the team's capability.

Business Facilities: The hotel's meeting and event spaces have hosted diplomatic receptions, state-level functions, corporate conferences, and private celebrations of the highest order. The combination of architectural grandeur and modern technical capability — AV equipment, dedicated high-speed internet, secretarial support — makes The Imperial the most prestigious corporate event venue in central Delhi. The hotel's proximity to government ministries and diplomatic missions makes it the natural choice for events with government or diplomatic dimensions.

Wedding & Events: The Imperial's garden, colonnade, and formal dining spaces make it one of Delhi's most photographed and sought-after wedding venues — the combination of historic architecture, art collection, and garden setting is exceptional. Intimate weddings and receptions of 50 to 200 guests can be accommodated in settings of extraordinary visual quality.

Services: 24-hour front desk, valet parking, express laundry, airport transfers, and butler service for suite categories. The hotel's independent status means that the service culture is shaped by the property's own standards rather than a chain's minimum specifications — the difference is perceptible in small details throughout the stay.

Pricing Structure

Starting Rates (2026): ₹15,000 – ₹38,000 per night for room and standard suite categories. Heritage Suites, the Imperial Suite, and Presidential Suite are priced above this range — enquire directly.

The Imperial sits firmly in the Luxury to Ultra Luxury pricing tier, with the justification being not merely thread count and square footage but the irreplaceable combination of heritage architecture, priceless art collection, landmark dining outlets, independent service culture, and a central Delhi address that no amount of money can replicate at a newer property.

Peak Season (October – March): Delhi's finest weather season and the period when The Imperial is at its most compelling — outdoor dining at The Atrium colonnade, garden-adjacent breakfasts, morning walks to India Gate and Jantar Mantar, and the full social season of the capital. Rates reach their highest during this period, particularly around Diwali, Republic Day (January 26), and the New Year. Advance booking of 4–8 weeks is advisable for preferred room categories and restaurant reservations during peak season.

Shoulder Season (April, September): Reasonable availability, moderate pricing.

Off-Season (May – August): Best room rates. The hotel's air-conditioned interiors and pool are genuine assets during Delhi's extreme summer heat. The Spice Route's interior drama is entirely independent of weather — one of the few Delhi dining experiences that loses nothing to the summer season.

GST: 18% applicable on room rates above ₹7,500 per night. Verify current applicable rate.

Loyalty Programme: The Imperial operates as a fully independent hotel and does not participate in any international chain loyalty programme. Direct booking via the hotel website is the recommended channel for the best available rates and direct communication with the reservations team.

Insider Tips for Imperial Guests

Request the art collection guided tour from the concierge on arrival rather than deferring it — most guests who mean to explore the corridors properly run out of time by the end of their stay. The Spice Route tasting menu is the single most complete dining experience in Delhi's hotel restaurant landscape and is worth building an evening specifically around rather than squeezing in as an afterthought. For Afternoon Tea at The Atrium, the garden-facing seating during November through February is Delhi's finest mid-afternoon experience — arrive at 3:00 PM rather than 5:00 PM to make the most of the afternoon light. Finally, The Imperial's swimming pool on a quiet weekday morning in January — the garden at its most beautiful, the air cool and clear, the Art Deco facade reflected in the still water — is one of those hotel experiences that rewards the effort of being somewhere extraordinary.

Disclaimer: All prices, operating hours, restaurant concepts and menus, chef assignments, and contact details are subject to change without notice. Readers are strongly advised to verify all information directly with the property before travel or making reservations. Rate ranges quoted reflect 2026 market conditions and will vary with season, availability, and booking channel. The Imperial's dining programme and operational details may have evolved since publication — always confirm with the hotel directly at +91 11 4150 1234 or via https://www.theimperialindia.com/