The Imperial, New Delhi

Palm trees lining the entrance of Imperial Hotel

The hotel was designed in a mix of Art Deco, Victorian and colonial styles by architect, F.B. Blomfield,[3] an associate of Edwin Lutyens, who designed the new capital of the British Raj, New Delhi. The hotel was built by S.B.S. Ranjit Singh, son of R.B.S. Narain Singh, honoured by the British Raj, at the Coronation Durbar of 1911, when New Delhi was declared the new Capital of India.[4][5]

The hotel was officially opened in 1936 by Lord Willingdon, the Viceroy of India. Also present was his wife, Lady Willingdon, who chose the hotel's name and conferred its lion insignia upon it.[6]

The hotel was restored by its General Manager and Vice President, Mr Harvinder Sekhon, between 1996 and 2001. During his tenure, the Imperial hosted the Queen of the Netherlands, Hollywood actors and actresses, adventurers, and tycoons. He also opened the six restaurants and bars which are called "Spice Route", "Patiala Peg Bar", "1911 Restaurant and Bar", "Daniells Tavern" and "San Gimignano". Please also refer to the "New Delhi Hotel Opens Door to Art, Los Angeles Times, December 7, 1997, Associated Press" and "India: Fishlock's empire" by Mr. Trevor Fishlock, Daily Telegraph, London, 27 November 2000.

Today, the hotel has the largest collection of colonial and post-colonial art and artifacts anywhere in Delhi, and has a museum and an art gallery.[7] The Imperial was awarded Travel + Leisure India's Best Award for Heritage Hotel in 2017,[8] awarded Best Heritage Hotel by Outlook Traveller in 2018[9] and listed in the Conde Nast Gold List of best hotels in 2018[10] in amongst multiple other awards.[11]

The hotel contains nine restaurants and eateries ranging from fine dining to bars, three function rooms, a spa, salon and nine styles of accommodation.

Hotel Imperial, New Delhi is well known for its heritage and legacy. It has a well known bar called 'Patiala Peg'. It was this hotel and the bar where Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Mahatma Gandhi, Mohammad Ali Jinnah and Lord Mountbatten met to discuss the Partition of India and the birth of Pakistan. It is also the name of a school in Aligarh.[2]

• List of hotels in Delhi

• Andreas Augustin (2007). The Imperial, New Delhi. Vienna Austria: The Most Famous Hotels in the World. ISBN 3-900692-17-3.
• William Warren; Jill Gocher (2007). Asia's legendary hotels: the romance of travel. Singapore: Periplus Editions. ISBN 978-0-7946-0174-4.
• Kim Inglis; Jacob Termansen; Pia Marie Molbech (2004). cool hotels: india, maldives, sri lanka. Singapore: Periplus Editions. ISBN 0-7946-0173-1.

• "'Lodged' in the heart of New Delhi". Hindustan Times. 30 August 2011. Archived from the original on 31 August 2011.

(http://www.hotelsofnewdelhi.com/five-star-deluxe-hotels-in-new-delhi/imperial-hotel-new-delhi.html)

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