Le Meridien Delhi [Master Thread]

Old Dec 17, 2005, 1:53 pm
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Arrow Le Meridien Delhi [Master Thread]

I will be travelling to New Delhi in February and staying at Le Meridien Hotel. Does anyone know what it is like?
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Old Dec 17, 2005, 7:10 pm
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Expensive.
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Old Dec 18, 2005, 6:18 pm
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It's a nice place there... I was there for a function. I saw the flight crew of Saudi Arabian there. The staff is nice and friendly. It's a big hotel with large windows for viewing in the elevator.
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Old Jun 7, 2006, 12:44 am
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Le Meridien Delhi [Master Thread]

After one holiday, time to plan another!

I am all to familar with the pros and cons of the Maurya Sheraton, but does anyone have any post joing SPG feedback on the LeM? Rooms, upgrades, service, restaurants? I am Platinum and would most likely be burning points as USD300 for a room seems a touch steep by New Delhi standards.
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Old Jun 7, 2006, 9:51 am
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Originally Posted by Swanhunter
After one holiday, time to plan another!

I am all to familar with the pros and cons of the Maurya Sheraton, but does anyone have any post joing SPG feedback on the LeM? Rooms, upgrades, service, restaurants? I am Platinum and would most likely be burning points as USD300 for a room seems a touch steep by New Delhi standards.
SPG members -- of all status -- seem to get upgraded to the more recently renovated rooms. (Or they've renovated far more than I thought was going to happen.) Upgrades for Plats are not consistent; and upgrades for Golds seem indistinguishable from that given to SPG Corporate or SPG members in general, but all seem to do reasonably well and most non-SPG Plats/non-SPG Golds seem rather satisfied with the rooms.

Restaurants are nothing special there. The "coffee shop" service is as always -- i.e., not great and often absent -- but at least open 24 hours.

Out of the major international hotels in Delhi it is amongst the least likely -- if not the least likely of the so-called "five stars" -- to have someone open the door for your car, open the hotel door or to take your luggage at check in or upon checking out. (I guess this could be a good thing or a bad thing depending on how we approach tipping and tip-related discussions. )

The redeeming feature about the property is that it's a member of SPG and makes for decent redemption value. And they can't play the kind of games that the "Tower" thing allows at the Maurya Sheraton.

Last edited by GUWonder; Jun 7, 2006 at 12:04 pm
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Old Jan 11, 2007, 1:55 am
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Le Meridien Delhi [Master Thread]

Booked using points - the Sheraton was full and the Janpath location is a little better for sightseeing.

*Airport pick up was smooth - and a new Camry too. Cold towels, water and coke on offer by the driver!
*Meet on arrival and taken straight up to our room to check in. 1004 - a generously sized, recently refurbished one bedroom suite.
*Room was nice - good sitting area with 42inch plasma screen and bathroom. Curved shape bedroom area with another screen and a big bathroom with standlone shower and large freestanding bath.
*Style is an interpretion of Art and Tech - darker wood and more leather but still refreshingly contemporary
* No Plat amenity offered, but I did get a Plat key holder and was acknowledged as a Plat on several occasions
* Breakfast, afternoon tea and evening drinks on offer in the Royal Club lounge on the 20th floor. Slightly odd combination of original 80's decor and refur, but good service and a decent spread of options for breakfast and drinks. Lots of hovering for tips, but this is India.
* Service in the hotel was fine, save for a sluggish check out experience
* Didn't try the restaurants for dinner, went to Dum Phukt at the Sheraton
* Only major problem with the room was the water supply - eratic hot and cold made a shower rather difficult.

Overall, a better option than the Sheraton. I felt more welcomed as a Plat, and the rooms are MUCH nicer than the tired Towers rooms offered to Plats at the Maurya.
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Old Jan 11, 2007, 7:09 am
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Thanks for the trip report.

I will be using points for stay in February/March in Delhi and was debating between the Le Meridien and the Sheraton.

I think I will go for the Le Meridien!

Was the airport pick-up included in the rewards stay, or was it additional? Also, was it a 7000 point award stay?

Thanks!
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Old Jan 11, 2007, 7:47 am
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Originally Posted by id9795
Thanks for the trip report.

I will be using points for stay in February/March in Delhi and was debating between the Le Meridien and the Sheraton.

I think I will go for the Le Meridien!

Was the airport pick-up included in the rewards stay, or was it additional? Also, was it a 7000 point award stay?

Thanks!
The pick up isn't included, and was Rs1150 each way (about USD25). It was a 7000 point stay. Have fun in India.

Last edited by Swanhunter; Jan 11, 2007 at 11:44 am
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Old Jan 11, 2007, 7:51 am
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I had a slightly different experience with a paid stay at the Meridien in Delhi over New Years. No recognition at all for my Platinum status, so no upgrades. The room was very small and there is literally no soundproofing. I could hear my neigbours opening up their plastic shopping bags. The service at the hotel was awful - incredibly unfriendly staff from check-in to the coffee shop. The only friendly staff that we encountered was a bell hop. On our last day we sat in the cake shop area in the central atrium and waited 45 minutes to get a couple of tea and this was after numerous discussions with the wait staff to figure out what was going on. I agree that there is a serious problem with the water system in the hotel alternating between scalding hot and cold and also with the water pressure. At one point there was no water at all while I was taking a shower. Not a relaxing way to start the day. We ended up leaving early and moved to the Shangri-La across the street. I would definitely suggest staying at the Sheraton rather than the Meridien if you need the SPG points. Everything about the Sheraton was vastly superior to the Meridien.
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Old Jan 11, 2007, 11:41 am
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Originally Posted by Swanhunter
The pick up isn't included, and was Rs1150 each way (about USD250). It was a 7000 point stay. Have fun in India.
You have a typo above as there's a zero above in the USD$ amount that shouldn't be there. Rs. 1150 is closer to a $25 (US) equivalent.

A pre-paid A/C taxi arranged for at the airport -- and not using the hotel's service -- would have the cost at about half that price.

The service at LeMeridien Delhi is not as good as the service as the Sheraton, but the rooms and location of the LeMeridien have some pros over the Sheraton.
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Old Jan 11, 2007, 11:47 am
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Originally Posted by GUWonder
You have a typo above as there's a zero above in the USD$ amount that shouldn't be there. Rs. 1150 is closer to a $25 (US) equivalent.

A pre-paid A/C taxi arranged for at the airport -- and not using the hotel's service -- would have the cost at about half that price.

The service at LeMeridien Delhi is not as good as the service as the Sheraton, but the rooms and location of the LeMeridien have some pros over the Sheraton.
Good point on the typo.

I'd never considered the pre-paid options at the airport - is still an a/c Ambassador or have they graduated to the Indica? 1150 doesn't feel like great value, but half that for a tatty slow Ambassdor doesn't either.

I had no complaints about the Meridien service, and have had a few niggles with the Sheraton over the last couple of years. But it would certainly seem that the LeM isn't consistent.
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Old Jan 11, 2007, 12:10 pm
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During my last trip (June 2006) I took a pre-paid taxi. The prices started from Rs 350 for Indica and I negotiated Rs 550 for a Tata Sumo (had a lot of luggage - 3 passengers).

BenDC - I stayed at the Shangri-la and I agree it was superb! Awesome rooms and excellent service! No one bothered for tips and you were greeted by name in the lobby (eben though it was my first time there).

I am trying to use points this time for a "free" stay at either Sheraton or Le M.

Thanks to you all for the helpful information!
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Old Jan 13, 2007, 7:27 pm
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Upcoming trip to Delhi - Hyatt, or Meridien?

The Sheraton Maurya seems to be pretty booked (and more expensive); my company travel office has reserved rooms in the Hyatt Regency for about the same $ as Le Meridien - currently about $350 a night (which seems like a lot, btw - why are hotels in India even more expensive than hotels in London?). Can any of you experienced travelers in India comment or compare the Meridien vs the Hyatt? I'm a complete novice to Delhi (or all of India, for that matter) - advice would be much appreciated.
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Old Jan 15, 2007, 5:03 am
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Originally Posted by SportsTech
The Sheraton Maurya seems to be pretty booked (and more expensive); my company travel office has reserved rooms in the Hyatt Regency for about the same $ as Le Meridien - currently about $350 a night (which seems like a lot, btw - why are hotels in India even more expensive than hotels in London?). Can any of you experienced travelers in India comment or compare the Meridien vs the Hyatt? I'm a complete novice to Delhi (or all of India, for that matter) - advice would be much appreciated.
I've been doing Delhi over the years and then some. Rates are high now because of a shortage of higher end hotels in and around Delhi. It's a limited hotel room supply situation that hasn't kept pace with the rapidly growing demand in the past couple of years.

LeMeridien is more centrally located (which might not be useful depending on where you'll need to be going once in Delhi) than the Hyatt there.

Personally, I like the Hyatt hotel better still; but part of that's because I have a longer relationship with the Hyatt and the pool and gym at the Hyatt is more to my taste than LeMeridien's.

Rooms-wise LeMeridien is pretty good post-renovation, but nothing spectacular still. Here I am only comparing it to Hyatt's Regency Club rooms, which while decent and contemporary enough (save the bathrooms and their accursed low shower heads) are still nothing great either.

Hotels in Delhi are not a great value anymore.
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Old Jan 15, 2007, 4:40 pm
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Originally Posted by GUWonder
I've been doing Delhi over the years and then some.
I've noticed that you're an experienced Indian traveler I've been studying the posts on the India travel forum to pick up tips from you and the other folks who know the territory. I have to say I'm more unsure about this visit than any trip in recent memory - not nervous, just expecting India to be very "foreign" relative to the Anglo-European countries I'm familiar with. I've been spending a lot of time in London including 'banglatown' and other parts of the East End, but I suspect this is poor preparation for the real thing. And I LOVE Northern Indian cuisine, so I really would like to find ways to sample it without GI distress. Is the restaurant in the Sheraton Maurya really the best Indian food restaurant in Delhi?

Originally Posted by GUWonder
Rooms-wise LeMeridien is pretty good post-renovation, but nothing spectacular still. Here I am only comparing it to Hyatt's Regency Club rooms, which while decent and contemporary enough (save the bathrooms and their accursed low shower heads) are still nothing great either. ...Hotels in Delhi are not a great value anymore.
I have status w/SPG, none with Hyatt, so would get a lot more SPG points out of a stay at LM than I'd get from the Hyatt Passport program. Location, for the first 4 days anyway, isn't an issue - I've left them open to "adjust to the time difference". And get a chance to see the city, of course. From a sightseeing and shopping standpoint, would the LM location serve me well? Appreciate the dialogue (and I'll move any future locale questions over to the India forum.)
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