Delhi — Neighborhood Guide
Lutyens's New Delhi — with its grand avenues, colonial bungalows, and the ceremonial spine of Rajpath — is the administrative heart of India and home to its most storied luxury hotels.
Quick Answer
Lutyens's New Delhi — with its grand avenues, colonial bungalows, and the ceremonial spine of Rajpath — is the administrative heart of India and home to its most storied luxury hotels.
4 hotels reviewed · Price range: $$$$ · Last updated March 2026
About This Guide
Designed by Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker in the early 20th century, New Delhi is one of the world's great planned capitals — its wide tree-lined boulevards and symmetrical vistas providing a counterpoint to the organic complexity of Old Delhi nearby. Hotels in this zone are the city's grandest, positioned to offer easy access to Connaught Place, India Gate, and the Diplomatic Enclave.
Insider Tips
The Airport Express Metro is the fastest and most reliable way to reach New Delhi from the airport.
Book Dilli Haat visits in the morning to avoid the afternoon crowds — the crafts market is an excellent introduction to Indian artisanal traditions.
Connaught Place's inner circle offers some of the city's best all-day café culture; Bar-B-Q and Wenger's are historic institutions.
Our Picks
4 hotels · Updated February 2026
New Delhi
A white-columned 1936 masterpiece on Janpath, The Imperial is the finest Art Deco hotel in Asia and the social heart of Delhi's establishment — its 1911 Brasserie, Patiala Bar, and private art collection of over 5,000 colonial-era works make it far more than a hotel. The lawns, shaded by ancient palms, feel like a permanent Lutyens party that has been running since independence.
New Delhi
Modelled on the Rajputana palaces of Rajasthan, The Leela Palace commands a prime position on Diplomatic Enclave Road — a neo-classical jewel of hand-cut stonework, gold-leaf ceilings, and a level of attentive service that makes other five-stars feel pedestrian by comparison. The MEGU Japanese restaurant and Le Cirque are among Delhi's most celebrated dining addresses.
New Delhi
Built in 1978 to stand in dialogue with Lutyens's imperial vision, the Taj Mahal Hotel New Delhi is defined by its sweeping views of India Gate from the upper floors and by a culinary programme — spanning House of Ming, Machan, and the Varq restaurant — that represents some of the finest dining in the capital. The pool deck is serene, the service characteristically warm.
New Delhi
The Oberoi New Delhi, recently renovated with a new restaurant wing and reimagined interiors, remains the gold standard for businesslike luxury in the capital — a hotel where the service is quietly brilliant, the rooms are among Delhi's finest, and the addition of the three-Michelin-starred Omya restaurant has given it a serious culinary identity to match its impeccable rooms.
Common Questions
New Delhi is the safest, most visitor-friendly base in the capital — well-policed, centrally located, and home to the best range of luxury hotels.
Rajpath (now Kartavya Path), India Gate, Rashtrapati Bhavan, Connaught Place's shopping and dining, and the Diplomatic Enclave.
New Delhi is approximately 30 minutes from Indira Gandhi International Airport on the Airport Express Metro Line — one of Asia's most convenient city-airport connections.
More Destinations
Prices and availability change daily. Lock in the best rate by booking early — most of our top picks offer free cancellation.
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