Shanti Home

Facilities

• Dining: The excellent rooftop restaurant, Lantern Terrace Garden, dishes up breakfast (included), lunch and dinner. There's also a 24-hour room service menu
• Communal areas: There's a communal lounge on each floor, plus a TV and movie lounge complete with an enormous flatscreen television and a library of Hollywood and Bollywood flicks. The lovely reception area has a sandstone Jaisalmer fresco and chairs made from Rajasthani ox carts
• Internet Access: Free WiFi is available throughout the building (and on the roof terrace) and there's a laptop and scanner in the Level 1 Krishna lounge that are free for guests to use. There's also a small in-house business centre
• Swimming Pool: None
• Spa Treatments: Patra, the small in-house spa, offers traditional Indian Ayurvedic massages and facials. There's also a steam room
• Recreational: Krishna lounge is a quiet reading room. There's also a gym with a treadmill and cross trainer, and a small art gallery in the basement with works for sale by up-and-coming Indian artists from the Shantiniketan college of Fine Arts
• Weddings and Celebrations: Not really suitable
• Meetings/Functions: There are no corporate facilities, but staff are happy to accommodate groups that might want a meeting space
• Disabled Access: None
• Pets: Not accepted
• Languages Spoken: English, Hindi

Also...

• Shanti Home provides same-day laundry and dry-cleaning services and a travel desk that can help with all travel requests within India
  
• Also on offer are 'Mehendi' (henna) designs and complimentary mobile phone or SIM card hire. There's also an in-house tailor, Darzi, who will custom tailor designs within 24 hours

Environmental Policy

Shanti Home minimises waste in all forms, has individual air conditioners so as not to waste any energy, and uses CFL bulbs wherever possible.

Social Responsibility

The hotel supports a potters village nearby and sends guests to visit and buy souvenirs.

When to go?

The best time to visit Delhi is from late October through to March, when you can expect cool days and sunny skies. This is also when some of India and Delhi's most colourful festivals take place, including Diwali and Holi. During December, January and February it can get quite chilly (and foggy) in the mornings and evenings and jumpers / jackets are required. Delhi's summers run from May to July and are best avoided, with temperatures rising to an unbearable 45C. The monsoon breaks in July and lasts until September, although the last few years have seen less and less rain.

Author's tips

Shanti Home is popular with all nationalities. Most people stay 2 nights at the start or end of their India trip. Bring good walking shoes, suncream, a hat, and a jacket or jumper for the cooler months. Delhiites dress up for dinner but there's no need to if you're dining in.

Features include:

• Restaurant
• Room service
• Bar
• Vegetarian menu
• Breakfast
• Walk to restaurants (offsite)
• Guest lounge
• Internet access
• WIFI internet
• Guest computer
• Business centre
• Spa treatment rooms
• Steam room
• Gym
• DVD library
• Concierge service
• Communal TV
• Off street parking
• Airport Transfers