Arriving in India was a great experience. The Lufthansa flight was on time, and I was fortunate enough to have paid to travel in business class, so I was almost the first one off the plane. LH business was great, an almost flat bed, great service and wonderful food.
Anyway, at the top of the jetway there were two smiling Greaves Tours representatives, to help and. They walked me through the airport with one handling my carryon bags, and took me through a special line at immigration. My luggage arrived quickly, and so again through a special customs line to the waiting vehicle at the kerb, and off to the hotel. Delhi Airport, new for the Commonwealth Games a couple of years ago, is a great, well laid out facility.
The traffic at 1.00 am was still busy but moved well, and we quickly got to the ITC Maurya Hotel, (a Starwood luxury brand property) a beautiful property with some of the most service oriented and happy staff I have ever stayed in. Set up with three buildings, the original, older one has pleasant rooms and suites, with numbers in the 1000’s. I stayed in the concierge block, with rooms in the 2,000s, a special “EVA” floor for ladies, and a breakfast lounge ion the top floor, while the newest block, with rooms in the 3,000’s has an even better breakfast lounge and wonderful rooms with lots of space. Almost suites.
My room was extremely well laid out, with both the big, and little things to make ones stay as comfortable as possible. Particularly pleasant was every room receives two pieces of free laundry, and even nicer was the basic cost of laundry was very reasonable. Shirts for example were around $4.00.
I slept well, and then used the excellent tea service in the room to make me a welcoming breakfast drink while reading one of the two English language newspapers delivered to my room, before heading to the restaurant for one of the best and most interesting breakfasts I have ever experienced. A simply enormous buffet, with lots of cold fruits and yoghurts and cereals in one area. The best part was the central buffet with a pair of chefs preparing omelets and surrounded by various sections of hot food. Typical western fare in one spot, Indian Vegetarian fare in another, Indian non vegetarian fare in another and Chinese food in a fourth space. A fabulous breads and pastries sections completed the array, and I enjoyed, as I did every day I stayed there, a wonderful primarily Indian vegetarian breakfast. Great.
I rounded out my morning using the excellent internet connections in the room to catch up on my office work, and having a walk around the area of the city the hotel is located in.