The Claridges — Indian Hospitality Magazine
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The Claridges

Aurangzeb Road's colonial manor — Delhi's most discreet luxury address since 1952

T

Mehra family

Founder · Est. 1952 · Aurangzeb Road (APJ Abdul Kalam Road), Delhi NCR

The Claridges opened in 1952 on Aurangzeb Road — now APJ Abdul Kalam Road — in one of Lutyens' Delhi's most exclusive residential neighbourhoods. The hotel was established by the Mehra family as a property that prioritised discretion and intimacy over scale and spectacle. In a city where luxury hotels increasingly competed on grandeur, The Claridges maintained a deliberately low-profile elegance.

The hotel's restaurant portfolio includes two of Delhi's most interesting dining concepts: Dhaba — which recreates the highway dhaba experience in a luxury hotel garden setting — and Sevilla — which brings Spanish cuisine to the Lutyens' Delhi address. Both restaurants demonstrate creative concept thinking within a heritage property.

The Aurangzeb Road address places The Claridges in the company of India's most powerful families — the street is home to some of the most exclusive residences in the national capital. The hotel's understated presence reflects its neighbourhood: quietly excellent, not loudly luxurious.

The Claridges — additional image

“We are on Aurangzeb Road. Our neighbours are India's most powerful families. We maintain their standard of discretion.”

What Defines The Claridges

Dhaba— The highway-dhaba concept — tandoori food served in a garden setting that recreates the roadside experience within a luxury hotel.
Sevilla— Spanish cuisine in the Lutyens' Delhi context — tapas, paella, and sangria.
The Garden— The hotel's garden — an intimate green space in one of Delhi's most exclusive neighbourhoods.
Heritage Rooms— Rooms that maintain the colonial-era aesthetic of the original property.
Intimate Scale— Fewer rooms than competitors — the lower density is a design decision, not a constraint.

The Experience

The entrance is understated — no grand driveway, no imposing façade. The hotel reveals itself gradually: the garden, the lounge, the rooms, each at an intimate scale. The Claridges is the hotel you choose when you want five-star service without five-star visibility.

Rated & Reviewed By

Condé Nast Traveller India · Travel + Leisure · Lonely Planet

Editorial Notes

  • The Claridges' boutique scale distinguishes it from Delhi's grand luxury properties — studying the contrast reveals different approaches to luxury.
  • The APJ Abdul Kalam Road address is one of the most exclusive residential streets in India.
  • The Dhaba restaurant concept — luxury hotel meets highway dhaba — is one of Delhi's most creative dining propositions.
  • Recommended for hospitality students studying boutique luxury and creative restaurant concepts within heritage hotels.

Getting There

Nearest Metro: Lok Kalyan Marg (Yellow Line, 10-minute walk). By road: 12, APJ Abdul Kalam Road (Aurangzeb Road).