Shangri-La’s Eros Hotel

Housed in a tall building overlooking Central Delhi, Shangri-La's Eros Hotel is both elegant and business-functional. The lobby is chic, with golden statues, white marble floors with black accent tiling, and huge crystal chandaliers suspended over tables with floral displays. The hallways of this luxury hotel feature gold and red styling, a nod to the Shangri-La chain's Hong Kong roots. The grounds are lovely, with a large expanse of grass flanked by trees and hedgerows with a patio area for congregating and a fountain off to one side. The hotel primarily attracts travelers in town for work, though its central location does draw in a smattering of tourists.

Shangri-La's Eros Hotel is located in the heart of the historic central neighborhood of Lutyen's Delhi (named for the British architect who designed it). The hotel is directly south of popular shopping and dining area Connaught Place (a 20-minute walk or five-minute drive away) and a 15-minute walk north west of India Gate. There are plenty of metro stations in the immediate area. Patel Chowk is a seven-minute walk away, while Janpath takes 12 minutes to reach on foot and Central Secretariat takes 15 minutes.

It's 12 minutes on foot to Jantar Mantar, a collection of ancient astronomical instruments, while getting to Gurudwara Bangla Sahib, Delhi's best-known Sikh temple, takes about 18 minutes on foot. It's a five-minute drive to Delhi Golf Club and a seven-minute drive to Humayan's Tomb, one of the city's three UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The sprawling Lodhi Gardens, full of Lodhi-era tombs and meandering paths, is a four-minute drive away. 

Old Delhi Railway Station and Old Delhi's bustling market area -- Chandni Chowk -- are both about 20 minutes away by car, while it's an eight-minute drive to New Delhi Railway Station. South Delhi attractions such as the Lotus Temple and the Qutub Minar also take about 20 minutes by car to reach, but the journey can be much longer depending on traffic. The Indira Gandhi International Airport is about half an hour away by car without traffic, but can take significantly longer during peak hours.

The Shangri-La Eros has 320 rooms and suites across multiple categories. The base category Superior Rooms and the next level up Deluxe Rooms measure around 290 square feet (smaller than the standard rooms at Le Meridien next door), while the Premier Rooms are around 365 square feet and have walk-in closets. Horizon Club Superior and Premier Rooms are also available and come with access to the hotel's Club Lounge, which comes with perks such as free breakfast, all-day non-alcoholic beverages, evening canapes and cocktails, and two hours of meeting room use per day. Late check-out is also available for the rooms. Executive Suites are a good choice for business travelers, with separate bedrooms and living areas spread over around 473 square feet, while Deluxe Suites have similar amenities but are closer to 688 square feet. There's also a huge Presidential Suite (1345 square feet) with two bedrooms, a kitchenette, a dining room, and a huge bathroom. 

Decor is consistent throughout the rooms and suites, with lots of dark wood furniture and wall paneling and a predominantly gold and off-white color scheme, with gold patterned rugs on dark-wood floors, gold upholstered chairs, and muted gold bed runners and throw cushions. While it sounds gaudy, the colors are muted enough for it to not be overly blingy. All units, irrespective of category, come with flat-screen TVs, desks, tea- and coffee-making facilities, safes, and minibars. Suites also have DVD players. Bathrooms are done up in black and white marble, with large vanity areas, and some have windows (with roll down privacy screens) that look out onto the main living areas. Superior and Deluxe Rooms have shower/tub combos, while Premier Rooms and higher have separate walk-in showers and separate bathtubs.

The Eros is primarily a business hotel and offers a huge ballroom that can be split up into up to four conference and function rooms, all of which are equipped with phones, big plasma TV screens that can be hooked up to computers, and teleconferencing facilities. The hotel also has a pre-conference room and catering is available. There's a 24-hour business center and Wi-Fi is free throughout the hotel.

The hotel's swimming pool is among its most pleasant features and is surrounded by lush greenery with plenty of seating options both on lounge chairs and at tables with chairs. There's also a large hot tub with little alcoves with jets for guests to relax. Other features include a large, modern 24-hour fitness center with a good selection of weight-training machines, plus personal training sessions. There's also a spa with a sauna and steam room that guests can use free of charge, even if they aren't planning on booking a massage or treatment. On-site parking is also free.

Dining options include Sorrento, an Italian restaurant managed by an Italian expat and offering all kinds of pizzas and pastas. Tamra is the hotel's 24-hour restaurant and serves a huge selection of food including Indian, Japanese, Southeast Asian, and Western dishes; note that there is a smoking section, which may put some diners off (and entice others). There's also a branch of the Shangri-La chain's Shang Palace here, which offers authentic alternatives to the typically Indianized Chinese dishes found in most of the capital's Chinese restaurants. In addition to its restaurants, the Shangri-La offers Grappa, a cocktail bar with indoor and outdoor seating and an extensive wine list. A tea lounge, Mister Chai, serves teas along with quintessential Indian street food specialties. Room service is available 24 hours a day and children's menus are on offer.