Le Meridien New Delhi

From the outside, the 20-story Le Meridien looks boxy and not particularly spectacular, despite its reflective mirrored windows and flanking of tall palm trees. Inside, the setting is chic and businesslike, with a white-dominated lobby accented by wine bottle-green glass decorative pieces, black chairs, and a black, white, and gray reception desk that matches a few area rugs scattered throughout. The hallways have a contrastingly warm color scheme, with red carpeting with black stripes and a few black chairs and red, gold, and gray mosaic tile features on the walls. It's primarily a business hotel with a clientele to match, though the central location and upscale features make it a reasonable choice for tourists as well, particularly those without children (there aren't many kid-friendly features here). 

Le Meridien is located in the heart of the historic central neighborhood of Lutyen's Delhi (named for the British architect who designed it). The hotel is directly south of popular shopping and dining area Connaught Place (a 20-minute walk or five-minute drive away) and a 15-minute walk north west of India Gate. There are plenty of metro stations in the immediate area. Patel Chowk is a nine-minute walk away, while Janpath takes 11 minutes to reach on foot and Central Secretariat takes 15 minutes.It's 15 minutes on foot to Jantar Mantar, a collection of ancient astronomical instruments, while getting to Gurudwara Bangla Sahib, Delhi's best-known Sikh temple, takes about 20 minutes on foot to reach. It's a five-minute drive to Delhi Golf Club and a seven-minute drive to Humayan's Tomb, one of the city's three UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The sprawling Lodhi Gardens, full of Lodhi-era tombs and meandering paths, is a four-minute drive away. Old Delhi Railway Station and Old Delhi's bustling market area -- Chandni Chowk -- are both about 20 minutes away by car, while it's an eight-minute drive to New Delhi Railway Station. South Delhi attractions such as the Lotus Temple and the Qutub Minar also take about 20 minutes by car to reach, but the journey can be much longer depending on traffic. The Indira Gandhi International Airport is about half an hour away by car without traffic, but can take significantly longer during peak hours.

Le Meridien offers 358 rooms (including 52 suites) across a variety of categories. All the rooms are around 317 square feet (29 square meters) and come in three categories: Executive Premium, Superior, and Club. All have minibars, flat-screen TVs, safes, and tea- and coffee-making facilities (i.e., kettles and French presses). Decor is modern, with dark- or light-wood floors and simple wood furniture plus wood paneling on the walls and not much in terms of decoration (though Club Rooms do have mood lighting). There are five types of suite, each with its own decor scheme, though all are business-like and modern; the Ivory Suites, with off-white and chrome decor and light-wood floors are particularly sleek. Most run around 709 square feet (66 square meters). The largest units in the house are the Luxury Suites, which run around 1400 to 1450 square feet and sleep up to five guests. These have two bedrooms plus a sitting room/dining area.Bathrooms are modern, with a fair amount of counter space, vessel sinks, and even drawers for storing toiletries. Executive Rooms have shower/tub combos, while higher category rooms and suites have separate walk-in showers and soaking tubs. Club Room and Suite guests get access to the Club Lounge, which comes with perks such as Champagne breakfasts, afternoon tea, and happy hours. 

There are plenty of on-site features at Le Meridien, including include a modern fitness center on the fourth floor with treadmills, ellipticals, and a huge rack of free weights. Headphones are provided. The fitness center leads out to the pool deck, which features a round pool surrounded by padded lounge chairs with views of the city; however, it lacks shaded areas so it might not be ideal for those who are sensitive to the bright sun.The hotel also has its own spa, The Three Graces by Amatrra, which offers a wide selection of massage and wellness treatments, including Ayurvedic specialties such as shirodhara (in which oil is poured over guests heads slowly) and abhayanga (a type of massage using long strokes to improve circulation and well-being). There's also a beauty salon, La Belle, offering hair styling and nail services. The hotel also offers a shopping arcade with books, jewelry, and other souvenirs.Meetings and events are a big part of the hotel's business, and there are plenty of venues for meetings of varying sizes, all with catering options and audiovisual equipment. There's also a spacious ballroom, Sovereign, which can be partitioned for smaller events. Other features include a 24-hour business center with two meeting rooms on the lobby level and a 20th-floor Club Lounge for Club Room and suite guests, complete with its own boardroom and workstations. On-site parking is free, as is basic Wi-Fi, but fast Wi-Fi costs extra. 

Le Meridien offers a ton of dining options. The rooftop restaurant, Le Belvedere, is touted as the highest rooftop restaurant in the city and offers views out on the historic Lutyen's Delhi neighborhood and across to the Rashtrapati Bhavan, or Presidential Palace. It's open for lunch and dinner and serves a menu of Indo-Chinese fare in a bright, open space with red chairs and muted patterned carpets along with big windows to let in natural light. Cocktails and snacks are available at the attached Henri's Bar. Also open for lunch and dinner, eau de Monsoon is an elegant Indian restaurant with a variety of dining spaces (including private dining rooms behind latticed screens) and a huge, modern wine case with hundreds of bottles visible through a glassed-in display. For something more casual, The One -- just off the lobby -- is open for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and Sunday Brunch and offers an all-day menu for those who want to grab a snack between major meal times. There's also a lobby coffee shop/wine bar, Longitude, open throughout the day as well as Nero, an all-day cocktail bar that also serves a menu of tapas.