Imperial Hotel, New Delhi to get a makeover

The Imperial, New Delhi, located at the heart of India?s bustling capital and a destination in its own right, is reinventing itself. To be sure, revamping a regular hotel would mean renovation. But the exercise at The Imperial doesn't fit that description. ?We don?t do that: We don?t do that at a historical hotel,? said Louis Sailer, senior executive vice president at The Imperial, New Delhi, and an expert in turning around global luxury hospitality brands. ?Our furniture is 90 years old. It is solid teak wood. This is refurbishment. When you stay with us, you know you?re in India. When guests come back in, they calm down. Guests cancel half a day?s sight-seeing just so that they can spend more time at the hotel,? said Sailer, who was named the senior executive vice president at the property last year. Launched in 1936 as the first hotel of New Delhi and boasting a guest list spanning the who's who of politics and Hollywood, The Imperial, on the Janpath, is undergoing an ambitious ?refurbishment?. Sailer has turned around global luxury hospitality brands and operations in Germany, Japan, Singapore, China, London, California and the Caribbean besides India. He spoke exclusively to ET. The Imperial is not just a place. It's a piece of history, with 85 Maharajas and Maharanis having stood at our Imperial lawn, that served as a meeting ground for Mahatma Gandhi. Our brand message is simple: While in India, please visit the Taj Mahal and stay at The Imperial,? he said. ?We have done so many changes in accommodation, food and beverage areas, grounds, and wellness areas, as well as our service philosophies. Tangible and intangible. Some you?ll see and some you?ll feel, he added.