Welcomhotel Delhi Palace

Welcomhotel Delhi Palace sits like a tired aristocrat in the heart of New Delhi’s Connaught Place, its faded colonial façade a reminder that the city once dabbled in Edwardian restraint before being swallowed by traffic and neon. Book a room on the seventh floor if you can tolerate the occasional clatter of the shaft‑lift and the faint scent of mothballs that still cling to the antique brass door handles – the view over the Patel Chowk market is worth the compromise, especially at sunrise when the low sun gilds the surrounding 19th‑century mansions. The in‑house restaurant, Ye Olde India, is a decent stop for a mishti lassi and butter chicken at 8 pm; the kitchen’s claim to “authentic Mughlai” is more nostalgic than accurate, but the paneer tikka will keep you fed until you can brave the street stalls of Connaught Place. Skip the afternoon tea; the lobby’s tea service is a perfunctory nod to tradition and the biscuits are stale. The hotel’s location is ideal for a two‑day itinerary – walk to Rajiv Chowk Metro for Red Fort, then wander south through Chandni Chowk on foot, but be prepared for the relentless honk of scooters at night. Avoid the monsoon months of July and August: the leaky roof in the heritage wing lets in more water than you’d expect from a five‑star label. If you’re after sleek modernity, look elsewhere; if you relish a dust‑and‑golded slice of Delhi’s layered past, this is the only place that feels like a genuine, if slightly under‑cared‑for, palace.