Luxury Escapes Await: Hotel O Singh, New Delhi & NCR
Luxury Escapes Await: Hotel O Singh, New Delhi & NCR - A Review You Actually Need (and Probably Didn't Ask For)
Alright, buckle up, buttercups. I just spent a whirlwind few days at Hotel O Singh in New Delhi, and frankly, I have thoughts. Lots and lots of thoughts. This isn't your run-of-the-mill, sterile hotel review. This is real, messy, honest – and hopefully, helpful – insight into what you can (and should) expect. Let's dive in, shall we?
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First Impressions (and the Luggage Saga):
The lobby is… well, it's impressive. Gleaming marble, a chandelier that could house a flock of pigeons (if it were a pigeon-friendly chandelier, which I doubt), and staff buzzing around with a level of polished professionalism that made me question my own rumpled travel attire. The airport transfer was smooth – a definite plus, especially after the delightful chaos of Delhi traffic. Speaking of which, the included car park is a godsend. Parking in Delhi is a contact sport.
But the luggage… Oh, the luggage. Let's just say our bags took a scenic route. Finally, after a slightly frantic phone call to the front desk (more on their responsiveness later), they appeared, looking surprisingly unscathed. Little things, right? But they set the tone. The beginning of an adventure, and it started with a luggage-related hiccup!
Accessibility:
This is where Hotel O Singh actually shined. I was really impressed. They’ve clearly put some serious thought into this. Wheelchair accessible throughout the property is a huge win. Elevators? Plenty. Ramps? Check. The public areas (lobby, restaurants) were easily navigable. I didn’t personally need any specific accommodations, but the attention to detail gave me a truly great impression. Facilities for disabled guests are definitely a point in their favor.
Rooms: A Sanctuary (Mostly):
My room? Ah, my room. It was a non-smoking room, which, thank goodness, because I like to breathe clean air – and the soundproofing was surprisingly effective. The blackout curtains were a lifesaver. Jet lag hit me like a ton of bricks, and they allowed me to sleep through the midday inferno. The bed? Luxurious. And there were slippers! Little things, but they make a difference. The free Wi-Fi was speedy (crucial!), and the complimentary tea/coffee maker was a welcome friend.
Okay, now for the imperfections. The in-room safe box was a bit… fiddly. It took me about ten minutes and a minor meltdown to figure out how to work it. And the view… well, let's just say I wasn't staring at the Taj Mahal. But hey, a solid room is a solid room. And hey, while I was there, I was able to unwind in the bathtub, after a long day of exploring Indian sites!
Things To Do, Ways To Relax (and My Spa Confession):
The spa… now, that’s where things got interesting. I swear, the moment I stepped inside, all my stress melted. They had a sauna, steamroom, and pool with a view. I definitely indulged. The massage was heavenly. Seriously, I nearly fell asleep on the table. My therapist, bless her, was both professional and incredibly kind, working out all the knots of my travel-weary shoulders.
And yes, I had a body scrub and a body wrap. Don't judge me! After battling Delhi pollution for a day, it was necessary. It felt so good that I felt completely new!
The fitness center was impressive, filled with modern equipment. Didn't use it, though. Let us chalk that one up to personal flaws.
Dining, Drinking, and Snacking (My Stomach's Journal):
The food at Hotel O Singh? A real mixed bag. Let's start with the good: the Asian breakfast option. Oh, the parathas! Fluffy, buttery, and absolutely addictive. The buffet was extensive, with a mix of international and Asian cuisines, and the service was generally attentive.
The restaurants? I tried a few. The quality varied. The vegetarian restaurant, surprisingly, was fantastic. So flavorful and inventive!
And the poolside bar? Perfect for a sundowner. (Though I can't quite remember the specifics… perhaps I had one too many? Don't tell anyone!)
The room service was excellent, available 24-hours. And yes, I took full advantage of it at 3 a.m. with a cup of tea. Also, the bottle of water was much appreciated in the stifling Delhi heat! I loved the hotel providing essential condiments!
The Imperfections:
- Occasional inconsistencies in food quality.
- The Happy Hour was a bit, ehh, lacking.
Cleanliness and Safety: The COVID Reality Check:
Okay, let's be real. Travelling during a pandemic is… well, it's an experience. Hotel O Singh certainly made an effort. There were definitely a lot of hand sanitizer stations. The staff were masked, and the daily disinfection in common areas was evident. I appreciated the individually-wrapped food options at breakfast (though it created a significant amount of waste). Did all of it make up for what I know about COVID? No. But was I happy? Yes.
The staff trained in safety protocols, and the safe dining setup? A reassurance.
Services and Conveniences: The Little Things That Matter:
The concierge was great. They helped me book a last-minute tour and offered some stellar restaurant recommendations. The daily housekeeping was efficient. The laundry service was a lifesaver (Indian dust is no joke!).
For the kids: I did not have kids, so I skipped this!
The Not-So-Good (and the Annoying Bits):
- The coffee shop could be slow sometimes.
- The air conditioning in the common areas felt like a refrigerator. (But, hey, better than the Delhi heat!)
- I tried to use the gym/fitness once, and it was crowded. But that's on me, not them.
The Verdict (and the Overall Vibe):
Hotel O Singh is a solid choice. It's not perfect, but it’s a comfortable and well-equipped hotel. The location is convenient for exploring Delhi, the staff were generally very helpful. The accessibility is outstanding. The spa is worth the price of admission alone. And while the food had its ups and downs, the good definitely outweighed the bad.
Would I recommend it? Yes, absolutely. With a few caveats. Pack your patience. And be prepared to indulge in some serious pampering. Because you deserve it.
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Okay, buckle up, buttercup. This ain't your glossy travel brochure itinerary. This is the REAL. DEAL. My attempt to navigate the chaotic, beautiful, and sometimes utterly baffling world of Delhi and the NCR, with Hotel O Singh Home as my beleaguered base camp. Prepare for a whirlwind of spice, dust, and possibly a bit of existential dread. And a whole lot of me talking to myself.
Hotel O Singh Home: Delhi & NCR Adventure - AKA "Send Help (and Maybe Some Tums)"
Day 1: Arrival & Immediate Regret (Just Kidding… Mostly)
- 8:00 AM (ish): Landed at Indira Gandhi International Airport. The air already feels thick, not just with humidity, but with… possibility? And also pollution. Let’s be honest. Took an Uber to Hotel O Singh Home. The driver was blasting Bollywood, which I think I liked, but I was too overwhelmed by the sheer volume of everything to be sure. Also, pretty sure he tried to upsell me on a "special massage" along the way. Hard pass, buddy. Maybe tomorrow when I have enough courage.
- 9:30 AM: Arrived at the hotel. "Home" is perhaps a stretch. More like a clean, slightly clinical holding pen. The staff are incredibly polite, though, and the AC is gloriously, life-savingly cold. Immediately collapsed on the bed. Needed about 20 minutes of staring at the ceiling to remember how to breathe.
- 10:00 AM: First order of business: Chai. Ordered it from room service. It arrived in a surprisingly elegant ceramic cup. Sipped it, sighed, and realized I’d already sweated through my shirt. This is going to be a journey, folks.
- 11:00 AM: Attempted to leave the hotel. Stepped outside. Felt like I walked into a furnace. Abandoned mission. Retreat back to the AC. Realised i'd forgotten my suncream. facepalm
- 12:00 PM: Lunch at the hotel restaurant (Chicken Tikka Masala, of course. Tourist, I know. But I needed it.) Surprisingly good. Almost cried with happiness.
- 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM: Napped. Slept fitfully. Woke up convinced I’d dreamed in Hindi. Pretty sure I was bargaining for a mango at one point.
- 4:00 PM: Conquered! Took the Metro. The Delhi Metro feels like a parallel universe, a slick, efficient escape from the chaos above. First stop: Dilli Haat. This is some serious sensory overload. The colours! The noise! The food vendors hawking their wares! I swear I saw a woman selling live pigeons. I might have been hallucinating.
- 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM: Fell headfirst into the Dilli Haat of chaos but it was amazing. Bought a scarf that I'm sure I can't pull off but will somehow convince myself I need. Ate some street food that was so spicy I think my eyeballs might have sweated. Worth it. Absolutely.
- 7:30 PM: Back at the hotel. My feet ache. My brain is fried. Ordered another chai (I'm developing a serious addiction) and contemplating eating my weight in pakoras for dinner. Also, scrolling through Instagram. Starting to worry I’ve completely over-estimated my ability to travel. Feeling overwhelmed, but also strangely exhilarated. This place is… intense.
Day 2: History, Heavens, and Highway Robbery (Well, Kinda)
- 9:00 AM: Breakfast at the hotel (paratha, finally!). Feeling slightly less like a complete wreck. Armed with a map and a vague sense of optimism.
- 10:00 AM: Old Delhi! The pulse of the city! Took a rickshaw through the narrow, chaotic lanes around Jama Masjid. OMG the smells. The sights. This is where the real India lives! I got lost. Like, REALLY lost. But it was incredible. Saw a wedding procession, a guy making silver foil sweets, and a pigeon being sold at a live pigeon market.
- 11:30 AM: Jama Masjid. Tried (and failed) to look respectful in the heat. The sheer scale of the mosque is breathtaking. Contemplated spending the rest of my life sitting in the courtyard. It was that beautiful, the architecture, the people, the sun on my face, the call to prayer fading into the sounds of the city, everything was so breathtaking and spiritual and wow… I'm suddenly really hungry.
- 12:30 PM: Lunch in Old Delhi. Street food extravaganza! Managed to eat something that looked suspiciously like deep-fried dough. It was amazing. I’m pretty sure my stomach is now a steel trap.
- 2:00 PM: Started the long trek to India Gate. The air is cleaner here, but the heat is still a monster. Took a wrong turn down a side street and had a VERY persistent man try to sell me a “genuine” antique rug. I’m pretty sure it was made last week. Politely declined… many times.
- 3:30 PM: India Gate. Wow. Just… wow. The grandeur, the history, the fact that I was almost trampled by a group of schoolchildren taking selfies. Worth it.
- 4:30 PM: The struggle to hail a tuk-tuk to head back to the Hotel. Everyone wanted ridiculous amounts. I feel a bit like I'm being ripped off, but I'm also too tired to argue. Got back for 600 rupees. Sigh.
- 5:30 PM: Relaxing. I'm trying to relax. I'm not good at it. Ordered a bottle of water. It's lukewarm. I might cry.
- 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM: Started to feel an uneasy stomach. Is it something I ate? Or am I just a delicate flower? Decided to stay in tonight and go for dinner at the hotel. Chicken Tikka Masala, again. Is there anything else on the menu? Yes, there is.
- 8:30 PM: I feel the aftereffects of the spice from earlier. Lay in bed, trying to focus on breathing. Did I make the right decision? Am I even cut out for this? I feel the beginning of a headache. Am I going to get sick? Will I have to go home? I feel as though I've lived a lifetime today.
Day 3: Agra (or Bust!), Bust (Literally), and Bliss
- 6:00 AM: Woke up at the crack of dawn. The air is unusually cooler today, which is very welcome. I hope it lasts! Pack my bag for the day, and decide to visit Agra today.
- 7:00 AM: I eat a very lackluster breakfast. I feel a little sad today.
- 8:00 AM: The train. Taking the train. The journey to Agra is not for the faint of heart. The train is late. The air conditioning is broken. The people, the food. They're amazing. I hate and love this.
- 11:00 AM: I'm in Agra! It's incredibly hot. I start bargaining, and go for a tour around the city. I was offered a guide. Should I? No. After bargaining I get the best guide ever, and have a truly amazing time.
- 12:00 AM - 3:00 PM: The Taj Mahal. I wept. Okay, I full-on sobbed. It's even more beautiful in person. The sheer scale of it, the symmetry, the history, the love story… it's overwhelming. And the crowds… the crowds are an experience in themselves. Took a million photos. Probably deleted half. Still, I can't wait to get back here.
- 4:00 PM: Back in Delhi. I just want to go to bed.
- 5:00 PM: Hotel! I change my clothing. I am covered in sweat. I get water, and sit in bed to start writing. The experience of this travel will live with me forever, and will change me forever.
- 7:00 PM: I order room service. I'm so tired that I just want a bland, uninteresting meal to eat.
- 8:00 PM: The next day is getting closer. I can't wait.
(…And so on. This could go on forever. This is where the structure dissolves into the delightful mess that is travel)
Things I've Learned (So Far):
- Bargaining is an Olympic sport. I'm still a novice, but I'm learning.
- Delhi belly is a real thing. Pack the Imodium. And the Tums. And maybe a hazmat suit.
- The chai is life. Seriously, I could bathe in it.
- I'm tougher than I thought. This city throws a lot at you, but you get back up.
- India is a kaleidoscope of contradictions. Glorious, frustrating, exhausting, and utterly captivating, all at once.
**Things I
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Okay, spill the tea: Is Hotel O Singh, New Delhi & NCR actually LUXURY, luxury? Or "luxury" on a budget?
Alright, buckle up. This is where it gets… complicated. Look, when the website says "luxury," my brain immediately conjures up images of pristine white marble, butlers who anticipate your every breath, and a hefty price tag. And honestly? Hotel O Singh… it tries. It REALLY tries. There's definitely *some* luxury in the air. The lobby is impressive, all gleaming surfaces and art that I, a commoner, couldn't tell if it was actual art or a very convincing Ikea print. The staff... well, the service is attentive, bordering on hovering, which, depending on your mood, can be either delightful or creepily invasive. I'm looking at you, Mr. "Do you need anything else, sir?" who apparently materializes out of thin air every single time I took a sip of my water.
But the "true" luxury? It's... patchy. My room was spacious (kudos!), but the bathroom... let's just say the shower pressure was less "power wash" and more "gentle spring rain." And, and, AND! There was a tiny, barely noticeable stain on the wallpaper. A *tiny* one. That, for me, completely shattered the illusion. It's those little imperfections, the cracks in the facade, that whisper, "You're not *that* rich, pal." The breakfast buffet? Decent, but the coffee tasted suspiciously like it had been brewed in a rusty pipe. (Okay, I might be exaggerating a *bit* there).
So, is it truly luxury? Hmmm. I'd say it's aiming for it. It's "aspirational luxury," the kind you get when you're trying to impress someone, but you secretly know you're a little bit faking it. It's… good. Not *jaw-droppingly* amazing.
Let's get down to brass tacks: What about the location? Is it convenient for getting around Delhi & NCR?
Location, location, location! It's everything, right? And with Hotel O Singh, it's… well, it *depends*. It's in a decent area, not *terrible*, but not exactly smack-dab in the middle of the action. I'm notoriously bad with directions, so I'm always reliant on taxis and auto-rickshaws. Finding them wasn't a *huge* issue, but it wasn't exactly a smooth, tap-and-go experience either. There's a bit of a walk involved, a bit of haggling required, and a general sense of "Oh, I hope I don't get scammed today." I remember one time, I swear the rickshaw driver took me on a scenic route *specifically* to rack up the fare. I could practically *feel* the meter ticking away the entire time. I swear, I could have walked faster! Okay, maybe not, it was Delhi. Everything is a little chaotic.
So, conveniently? Meh. Accessible? Yes. Prepare to be slightly annoyed by the transportation situation? Absolutely. If you're the type who doesn't mind a bit of a challenge, or if you're comfortable using ride-sharing apps, then it's manageable. If you want to be literally steps away from everything? Might I suggest maybe a different hotel, a little closer to the action.
The food! The all-important food! What did the restaurants serve? Any recommendations or horror stories?
Right, the food. This is where things get *interesting*. There's the main restaurant – a sprawling buffet setup that, as mentioned before, had some issues with the coffee. The choices were *vast* – everything from Indian classics to… well, things that *tried* to be Western classics. The Indian food? Generally, pretty good. Comforting, familiar flavors, well-spiced. I loaded up on butter chicken and naan like it was my last meal on Earth. No regrets.
Now, the Western cuisine… Let’s just say, it varied. The "spaghetti carbonara" was, shall we say, a *unique* interpretation of the dish. It was, in my humble opinion, mostly cream, some mystery meat, and a baffling lack of black pepper. It tasted... of nothing? Maybe I caught them on the wrong day. But the memory still haunts me a little. (I’m a pasta purist, what can I say?). The salads? Fine. The deserts? Also fine, but nothing to write home about, other than one particularly dry piece of cake.
My advice? Stick to the Indian food. It’s safe, reliable, and delicious. Embrace the butter chicken. Avoid the carbonara. You have been warned!
Room service: Yay or nay? What's it like?
Okay, room service. This is where my experience turned into a comedy of errors. I ordered it one night, because I was feeling particularly lazy. I just wanted a simple club sandwich, a pot of tea and to watch some terrible reality TV. Sounds lovely, right? Wrong. Oh, so wrong. I waited. And waited. And waited. Seriously, I think I aged a year while waiting for that sandwich.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, a knock! The sandwich arrived. It looked *decent*. But… there was no tea. And the person delivering it, bless their heart, seemed genuinely confused when I asked about the tea. "Tea? Sir, no tea." "Yes, tea! I ordered tea!" "No tea, sir." *Facepalm.*
So, I ate the sandwich, which, to its credit, was actually pretty good. But my tea-less existence loomed over me. I called room service again. Another long wait. Finally, the tea arrived. Unfortunately, it was the wrong kind of tea. I had ordered a simple English breakfast, and received...something else. Something with a strong floral scent. And it tasted...odd. I think it was jasmine. Not exactly the comforting, caffeine-fueled experience I had envisioned.
So, room service at Hotel O Singh? It's a lottery. You *might* get what you ordered. You *might* get it in a reasonable amount of time. You *might* not want to order tea. I wouldn’t. Seriously, order the club sandwich. But don't hold your breath.
Any hidden gems or things you wouldn't have expected?
Okay, here's a funny one. One of the things I remember most fondly wasn't in the brochure, or anything I'd anticipated. It was the *gardener*.
I'm not even kidding. The Hotel O Singh had these beautiful, albeit slightly dusty, gardens. And there was this gardener, a little old man with twinkling eyes and hands stained green. Every morning, *without fail*, I'd see him out there, meticulously tending to the plants. He’d be whistling some tuneless melody, wiping the sweat from his brow, and coaxing life into those flowers. I have no idea how long he'd been at the hotel, but it was very clear heJet Set Hotels
