History of The Imperial
The Imperial Hotel is connected to a fascinating part of history of the city as well as India. It was during the year 1911 when King Emperor George V had declared New Delhi as the Capital of India. The Imperial was built and run by S.B.S. Ranjit Singh.
Presently the hotel is owned by Sardar Hardev Singh Akoi and Sardar Jasdev Singh Akoi, grandsons of the Late Sardar Bahadur Ranjit Singh and managed by the firm M/s Akoi Saab.
The 24 king palms that lead up to the porch are an integral part of and witness to the very creation of New Delhi. The Hotel was designed to be one of the finest monuments of Lutyens’ grand vision of the Capital City’s original master plan - a unique blend of Victorian, Old colonial and Art Deco styles. The hotel was named and conferred the exquisite Lion Insignia by Lady Willingdon.
One of Delhi’s landmarks and silent witness to great moments in Indian history, it was here at The Imperial, where you could clink your glasses on the same table as the King or Gandhi, having discussed the Independence and Partition of India, efforts or war or the Quit India movement. One could listen to the strains of Blue Danube to serenade you during lunch or let the London orchestra invite you to the floor to end your evening after the perfect candlelit dinner in the evening.
From the time The Imperial opened its doors in the 1930s, when India was beginning to write the last chapters of its saga on independence, there was little space in New Delhi for an Indo- British rubbing of shoulders. The Imperial provided such a space. Pandit Nehru, Mahatama Gandhi, Muhammad Ali Jinnah and Lord Mountbatten would meet at The Imperial to discuss the partition of India and creation of Pakistan.The Nehru family had a permanent suite here.
The Imperial is a fine confluence of a rich historical past and contemporary international appeal. After many restorations, it has managed to preserve its charm, and exudes it’s former glory. The original Frasers and Daniells paintings and the tavern named after them, the symbolically baptized “1911” restaurant and bar, the Royal ballroom were the places where have met and are still as popular today. The Hotel is a jewel of architecture and its location in the heart of the city makes it the ideal venue for tourists around the world.
