Iconic Oberoi hotel reopens after 2 years
The Oberoi, New Delhi has been re-imagined as a more contemporary version of its old self and will debut a new look on Jan. 1, when it reopens following a nearly $100 million renovation that kept the property shut for more than 20 months — the first closure in its history.
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The Oberoi, New Delhi, which initially opened its doors in 1965, is set in the city center, overlooking the 16th-century garden tomb of Emperor Humayun, a Unesco World Heritage Site. Rai Bahadur M.S. Oberoi founded his eponymous brand, the Oberoi Group, in 1934, and although the Delhi location was the fourth hotel in the company’s portfolio (there are now 32), it was the first that he actually had built from the ground up in an undertaking that lasted four years. Mr. Oberoi’s wife, Ishran Devi, laid the building’s foundation stone but before doing so, she placed five gold coins in the pit for good luck.
Prithvi Raj Singh Oberoi, the company’s current executive chairman and Rai Bahadur M.S. Oberoi’s son, said that, compared with the Oberoi’s other properties, the New Delhi location has the greatest sentiment for the Oberoi family.
The interiors are a contemporary interpretation of Sir Edwin Lutyens’ New Delhi architecture. The hotel is also equipped with state of the art clean air technology which promises air quality on par with global standards.
The hotel now has 220 larger rooms and suites, from previously a total of 283, inspired by Lutyens’ New Delhi design, with authentic furnishings and handpicked artwork. All rooms and suites feature large picture windows which frame unmatched views of Delhi Golf Course on one side and the UNESCO World Heritage site of Humayun’s Tomb on the other. All accommodation radiates luxury. From the rich polished teakwood floors to the spacious walk-in closets, magnificent Italian marble bathrooms and oak wood desks. Each room also has comfortable seating and complimentary high speed Internet. In case you hunger for a gourmet midnight snack, we offer 24 hour in room dining and have 24 hour butlers waiting to serve you. Premier Plus Rooms and all suites have complimentary access to the exclusive Resident’s Lounge. To help counter New Delhi’s increasingly problematic pollution, the hotel will have an indoor air purification system that it says prevents the entry of harmful air particles into the building. “Our guests will breathe the cleanest air possible,” Mr. Oberoi said.
Restaurants at The Oberoi, New Delhi include the completely redesigned threesixty° main restaurant, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. Omya is the authentic speciality Indian restaurant, mentored by the internationally acclaimed Chef Alfred Prasad, while the world renowned Chef Andrew Wong is the mentor chef at Baoshuan, the rooftop Chinese restaurant. There is also a new open-air rooftop bar, Cirrus9, which promises to be one of the most sophisticated and fashionable destinations in New Delhi.
Enoteca, the temperature controlled wine cellar at the lobby level offers a specially curated selection of fine wines and champagnes. The Club Bar serves a wide range of premium international alcoholic beverages and a new Cigar Lounge offers the finest selection of cigars.
The 24 hour Business Centre has seven meeting rooms and two private offices, equipped with the latest technology. Events and conference facilities include a ballroom that can accommodate up to 300 guests and three spacious banquet venues for personal and professional events.
Wellness facilities include The Oberoi Spa, heated indoor and outdoor swimming pools and a 24 hour fitness centre.
The acclaimed New York City-based interior designer Adam Tihany is behind the property’s new, more contemporary aesthetic throughout the public spaces and in the guest rooms. “I wanted to bring the Oberoi into the 21st century without disrupting its DNA,” he said. “That means a look that’s brighter, less elaborate and a mix of old and new.”