The Lodhi is an urban oasis in the heart of New Delhi that has raised service stanards with its bespoke experiences that far exceed high guest expectations
BY MARRYAM H RESHII
No other hotel in the National Capital Region boasts of as convenient a location as The Lodhi does. It is situated on the axis between Lutyen’s Delhi and South Delhi, both premium areas. It is a short walk from a few key government offices down the road; it is a short taxi ride away from Khan Market, the city’s main hub of Connaught Place and the Central government ministries.
The Lodhi is within sight of well-known historical monuments like the 15th century Humayun’s Tomb and the 16th century Khan-i-Khanan’s tomb along with lesser-known Mughal and Lodi dynasty monuments in the vicinity.
There are temples, churches, gurudwaras, mosques and shrines within sight of the hotel, as well as a unique urban village that has been extant from the 14th century.
Inside the hotel, the pale beige sandstone cladding on the pillars and walls interspersed with the jaali pattern that imparts liveliness and dynamism to the external walls, give The Lodhi an elegant appearance: timeless and ageless, rather than ethnic or heritage.
After the chaos of the city, The Lodhi stands like a serene sentinel; an oasis of modern luxury.
Every floor is perfectly level, giving the entire hotel universal access. This is part of the original design, obviating the need for hastily erected ramps for guests with reduced mobility.
Contemporary art is everywhere. The paintings in the lobby and other public areas are changed periodically by the art gallery partner. They provide explosions of colour throughout the hotel.
ROOMS WITH A VIEW
By contrast, guest rooms are oases of serenity. Supremely comfortable, they lead the city in terms of the average size: 1,350 square feet, which is considerably more than the competition.
Out of the 96 rooms, 52 have plunge pools that are accessed from within the room. They are completely private, and exclusive to the occupant of that room only, completely covered overhead, so that cleanliness is optimally maintained.
As the pools are open in the front to the view outside, yet covered overhead, guests can enjoy the feeling of being out in the open, though the water in the pool is never susceptible to rainwater or dry leaves, as in an outdoor pool, and hence maintains the water at a maximum degree of purity. The water is temperature controlled, making it a treat all year round.
The rooms themselves have, in addition to a seating area on the far side of the bed, a verandah with chairs, to enjoy the view of Delhi’s green cover and a sprinkling of monuments and places of worship: gurudwaras, temples, mosques and a church.
RECREATIONAL TREAT
The lower ground floor of the hotel is dominated by the members-only gym, the outdoor swimming pool and the spa and beauty salon. The fitness centre and swimming pool are for members only: together, the area is considerably larger than any gym, fitness centre or health club in any of the hotels in the National Capital Region.
Each of the spa therapy rooms is 560 square feet which include includes a suite with a massage table, day bed, shower, bathtub and steam area. Not only that: some spa therapy rooms are built to accommodate a couple rather than a single guest.
Needless to say, the sense of space and of not being hemmed into a cubicle is refreshing, to say the least, quite apart from the soothing massage itself.
The staff-to-guest ratio too is far higher than the city’s average whether in the spa area, the salon or the gym area.
The Techno Gym treadmills, cycling, spinning studio, Pilates studio are spacious – at 3,100 square feet the city’s largest – and it is not difficult to find a time slot that suits your schedule and yet allows you a degree of privacy at off-peak hours.
Outside, under the sky, the 50-metre-long lap pool – the longest in the city – is the one feature that is enormously popular, having temperature control: you will find swimmers even in the coldest winter as a result.
The Lodhi is the only hotel to have a tennis court; that too there are three of them, all hard courts. They have 400 club members of which 70 percent use gym.
The Lodhi prides itself on being a safe, comfortable haven for its guests that include members of the athletic club. The exclusive membership club makes you feel that you are in the presence of kindred spirits and a supremely comfortable atmosphere reigns here.
A small pantry is maintained here as well, for a truncated list of small bites and beverages for post workout.
CULINARY HAVEN
The Lodhi has an all-day diner, Elan that is a favourite of a wide swathe of people, from political heavyweights and the swish set to tourists, residents of the hotel and families who cannot do without their weekly visit to this well-located landmark restaurant.
The menu has something for every preference and something for every time of the day, from breakfast to mid-morning coffee with cookies to a la carte lunch and dinner, accompanied by a glass of something chilled. The Oriental section is the most popular, with the dimsum lunch being an all-time favourite.
For a relatively modest amount, diners have a clear soup of the day plus a variety of dimsum that are baked, pan-fried, steamed or deep-fried. There are a total of 20 varieties, equal varieties of vegetarian as well as meats and seafood.
At this sunlit dining area that looks out onto the garden of the hotel, mac and cheese goes out to as many tables as does steamed seabass with ginger and soy.
The charming aspect of Elan is the wide swathe of humanity that one sees there: ladies who lunch, bureaucrats, elderly couples, tourists from overseas, the cognoscenti and families from the neighbourhood with children.
On Sundays, there is a buffet that is set out in the lawn outside, when the weather is fine. Very popular with Delhiites who make the most of the sunshine and the array of dishes, it is one of the most popular buffets hereabouts, owing to the possibility of sitting out in the winter sun.
The menu is a continuous work in progress. Post COVID, there is a clear preference for Western and Oriental food, with even something as homely as the superb mac and cheese being a frequently ordered dish, among children and adults alike!
The Indian section is likely, in the near future, to have more regional food from states that have hitherto been less known for their cuisine.
Because of its location that is easy to access from all parts of the city, Elan, the all-day diner flooded with natural light through the day, has developed a set of regular customers that visit at specific times of the day, with mid-morning and pre-dinner being as full as, say, lunch or dinner.
Perbacco, the lower ground floor Italian restaurant with its own wine library and private dining room is a sought-after luxe space to have a special lunch menu with soup, salad and mains: three courses plus dessert, for snappy business meetings.
At dinner, the fine wines and the languorous meal can be spread over considerably more time, making it the sort of evening that you would have in, say, Milan or Bologna.
On the same floor is the Safari Lounge, with its motif of wildlife and the outdoors. Opening hours are from 5pm to 2am that sees familiar faces that have showed up with such regularity that it seems to be akin to a club – which, of course, it is not.
At the very entrance of the hotel is the cake shop with pastries, savoury pies and quiches. Order a special occasion cake and it will be customised for you. Or just sit at the dainty tables set just outside the delicatessen and nibble a sandwich.
So what’s in store as far as F&B offering is concerned? “We are currently working on making our Indian section more cutting edge, with recipes from hitherto unknown regions, such as Garhwal, where the use of less well-known spices like jamboo and bhang seeds (not addictive!) are used for a delicate flavour,” informs Executive Chef Vijay Thapliyal.
“Our aim is to introduce discerning travellers to different cuisines while playing with the ingredients,” adds Dharmen Makawana, the new Corporate Chef, DLF. “At The Lodhi, we are adding a nouveau touch to the menus, and that being said, we look forward to introducing a rich palette of new flavours at the hotel while also elevating the current offerings.”
Ask the new General Manager Abhimanyu Singh Lodha what it takes to run this magnificent property while continuously setting service standards and pat comes his reply: “The Lodhi has played a pivotal role in painting the luxury hospitality landscape across culture, culinary, wellness, architecture, and lifestyle experiences. The brand evokes a sense of contemporary sophistication and my vision is to take this legacy forward and take it a notch higher by creating innovative travel experiences for our patrons.” he quips.
Abhimanyu couldn’t be more right. By all accounts, the newly appointed GM has his work out for him as he strives to raise the bar to exceed high guest expectations at the iconic hotel.
