To the Manor Born
Between ho-hum hostels and the grandeur of the British Raj, The Manor brings chic modern comfort to the New Delhi hotel scene
Stepping in to a crowded New Delhi arrival hall following two back-to-back 10-hour flights, the only sight more welcome than that of your personal chauffeur is the cool face towel and bottled water he offers once ensconced in the comfort of your air-conditioned ride.
It’s the kind of no-charge extra that keeps devotees of The Manor coming back for more.
The modern, boutique hotel is a notional concept India’s hospitality industry seems unable to grasp. Amid the hordes of hostels, Sheraton-esque business behemoths and exquisitely expansive Raj-inspired palaces, addresses for the design-driven traveller are thin on the ground.
Which is where The Manor steps in.
Squirreled away in the tree-lined back streets of the well-to-do Friends Colony, the 18 room hotel is a temple to discreet cool. Outside, the two-level, Bauhaus-esque building - originally built in the ’50s as a small country hotel - is all clean lines and symmetry. And the interiors? Think polished wood, angles and the odd splash of colour meeting to create a Zen-like state of total design harmony.
Though spacious and chic suites are part of the main draw, it’s really the geometric gardens that set the hotel apart. Set on almost two acres of landscaped green space, the grounds provide a respite from the crowded city streets with none of the stiff pretension inherent in so many of Delhi’s palatial luxury residences. Take tea (if only the English made it so well) on the upper terrace as the sun dips in to a dusky sky and breathe in the scents and sounds of India: incense, dust and the cries of a city bustling with more than 10 million inhabitants. Morning calls for breakfast on the sun-bathed balcony.
In true British-Raj tradition, the barman can mix a mean cocktail. Dinner at the hotel’s Restaurant 77 is a similarly pleasing proposition. Divine masala dosas are delicately-spiced pancakes of filigreed perfection, while the light pasta and fresh salads are manna from heaven for the gastric-ly-challenged tourist. Still, it doesn’t hurt to see how the other travellers live; make use of the hotel’s chauffeur service and drag yourself (if you can) from the serene wonderland to any of the city’s top restaurants.
And fans of Aman resorts take note: the luxury, destination hotel group provides ‘operational support’ to this New Delhi hideaway. Translation? While The Manor does not make the list of official Aman hotels, it is used by the group as a one-night stop for those international high-flyers making their way west to Jaipur and the luxe confines of the Amanbagh resort.
If it’s good enough for Aman…
77 Friends Colony West, New Delhi, India. +91 11 2692 5151. www.themanordelhi.com