The Westin Sohna Resort & Spa

The Westin Sohna Resort and Spa is a remote, self-contained resort property in the countryside outside of Delhi and Gurgaon. The entrance is strikingly futuristic, with two parallel sets of stairs separated by a stepped cascading fountains that lead up to a redbrick turret-like entrance crowned by a round awning. The resort itself is spread out over 37 acres of grassy lands, with lots of local trees and shrubs. While the grounds are manicured, it's not to the point of overkill often found at golf courses, so expect some patches of brown grass during the drier summer months. There's even a small zoo with ducks and bunnies, plus emus that roam the property. Red-brick buildings housing the rooms and villas dot the property and are connected by flat, paved pathways, but the immensity of the resort may prove challenging to some (though there are golf courts available to ferry you around). There's no real reason why international tourists would stay here, and most guests are either couples or families looking for a resort getaway within easy reach of Delhi or business travelers and office groups on incentive and team-building trips.

The Westin Sohna Resort & Spa is essentially a getaway property for those living and working in Delhi and the National Capital Region. It's located off a highway in a rural area, far from anything of interest for international tourists to India. It's east of the village of Sohna, which has a temple complex and some shops, but there are no real attractions to speak of in the area. The South of the Delhi suburb city of Gurgaon is about 45 minutes away by car, while the Indira Gandhi International Airport takes over an hour to reach without traffic. Delhi proper can take upward of two hours to reach by car.

In-room decor is consistent throughout the property and features primarily earth-toned color palettes with wood accents, rattan lampshades, and natural-fiber upholstery spruced up with a few soft-colored throw cushions. Amenities include 32-inch flat-screen TVs, minibars, tea- and coffee-making facilities, and safes. Bathrooms are large and luxurious, with vessel sinks atop dual vanities and ample use of marble. All have separate walk-in rainfall showers and deep freestanding soaking tubs, and bathrobes and slippers are provided. The Westin offers Premier Rooms plus three types of Villas (including a single Presidential Villa). Premier Rooms run around 450 square feet (42 square meters) and are housed in blocks of four, but each has a private patio with views out onto the property's garden. The next category up, Premier Villas, measure around 590 square feet (55 meters) and have four-poster beds in the bedrooms plus separate living rooms. Luxury Villas measure around 1,250 square feet (116 meters) and have two bedrooms plus dining areas, while the huge Presidential Villa (measuring 8342 square feet/775 meters) comes with two bedrooms, a study, and a private garden with its own swimming pool.

The Westin offers plenty of on-site facilities aimed at both business travelers and vacationers. There is a wide range of dining and drinking options along with room service. The Living Room is the hotel's main restaurant and features breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily, plus brunch on Sunday in a casual space featuring homey wood paneling and woven chairs. Mix Lounge and Bar next to the Living Room serves snacks and all sorts of wines, beers, and cocktails and has its own library with large glass windows looking out on to the property. Xiao Chi is a tad more formal and serves all sorts of traditional Chinese food cooked up in an open kitchen at lunch and dinner. The poolside restaurant, Splash, is another good option for casual dining and offers light meals and drinks a la carte, delivered right to guests' poolside lounge chairs. For something more formal, The Pavillion offers fine dining in an intimate pavilion-style structure at the center of the resort. Fitness facilities are extensive here, and include a large, 24-hour gym with cardio equipment and free weights, a jogging track, and a tennis court. Personal trainers can be requested and, typical of the Westin chain, New Balance workout gear is available for travelers who didn't bring their own clothes and shoes. Heavenly Spa offers a huge variety of treatments, either in the 18,000-square-foot spa itself or in the privacy of guest rooms. There's also a meditation pyramid at the center of the spa as well as a yoga room where classes are held. The Westin also has three outdoor pools -- including a lap pool and a huge freeform lagoon pool -- all surrounded by grassy grounds full of palms and local trees and flanked with parasol-shaded lounge chairs. Other recreational activities include cycling, cricket, and horseback riding as well as Zorbing (rolling about in giant transparent hamster ball-type apparatuses) inside the hotel's splash pool. There's also a kids' club, Westin Family, with an X Box and organized activities plus a kids' pool and a playground. The hotel even has its own private lake within walking distance of the property, and fishing trips, picnics, and parties can be arranged here for a fee.Event facilities include three meeting rooms, two pre-function spaces, and a ballroom that can be divided into up to three rooms. There's also an amphitheater and plenty of lawn space for outdoor parties, and wedding planning services are available. Wi-Fi is free throughout the hotel and as most guests come here by car, there's plenty of free on-site parking.