The Imperial, New Delhi: A 1936 Landmark of Lutyens' Delhi

The Imperial, New Delhi opened in 1936 on Janpath, at the center of the city Edwin Lutyens designed, and it has been a fixture of Indian history ever since, its corridors hung with one of the country's finest collections of colonial and post-colonial art. Few hotels anywhere so completely embody a city's past.

The dining is a landmark in its own right. The Spice Route, its walls hand-painted over years, traces the ancient spice trail across Asia; 1911 serves all-day Indo-European fare beneath colonial-era charm; San Gimignano is a beloved Italian with a pergola terrace; and the bars are legends, from the Patiala Peg, the only bar in the world to pour the 120ml measure, to the 1911 Bar and the wood-panelled Hardinge Bar. The Atrium handles afternoon tea.

For a first stay in Delhi, or a return to its history, The Imperial has no real rival.

Planning Delhi? Book your stay with me for preferred-partner perks.