The Ashok: A glorious journey

As the slow passage of the seasons moves over the Capital and visitors ebb and flow through the cosseted interiors of the hotel, the great open grounds of the Ashok morph as they have for millennia, before the Ridge was altered by man. The Ashok Hotel is not just a sterile, glass and chrome organisation, but it is a biome and an ecological community, in which humans, animals and plants interact in an evolving harmony which is seldom observed because it is almost magical in its cyclic complexity which turns 60 this year. The Ashok set in a prime location in Delhi’s Diplomatic Enclave is a distinctive landmark, with its rose-pink walls and arched are-turreted contours.

Named after the powerful emperor in the Indian History- Ashoka, this epitome of hospitality was primarily known to be the foremost construction as THE ASHOK, aimed to please the crowd with its royal-coated offers, centuries-old pride and astonished infrastructure. Reputed as one of the best luxury hotels in the embassy are in New Delhi, it embarks a sterile, serene and elegant ambience with the required human resources to attend to every needs of the guests. Pandit Nehru once said, “This should be a cultural centre, a place where Indian art and culture are displayed...” The Ashok emerged as a brain-child of the Indian political and cultural pioneer, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, who distinctively wanted to turn the spot-lights of international traffic on the grandeur hospitality and cultural significance of India rather than being framed as a country with snake-charmers and tombs.

  

Surrounded by the green acres and the majestic natural essence accompanying the tranquillity, the hotel was established under close supervision of the first Prime Minister of India Pt Jawaharlal Nehru, and has been operating as the Flagship hotel of the India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) ever since. Since its inception it has elevated its style and modus operandi or its approach with every progressive year it has seen and experienced. Amongst several hotels in the embassy area in New Delhi, The Ashok ranks highest with its influential architecture, culturally-rooted hospitality and symbolised grandeur. The Ashok manages a wide-framed portfolio of 550 expansive rooms, 389 well-resourced exceptional rooms, 150 luxury-coated ‘Suites’, 10 Deluxe Suites and 1 Grand Presidential Suite under its wings with 2 per cent of the total reserved for differently abled persons. With a penchant for royal décor, shimmering artefacts, fascinating ambience, and heart-warming hospitality, The Ashok has lifted the bars and expectations of the masses with its imbibing lifestyle, blended with cultural significance and has constructed itself as a symbol of evolving India. 

The Ashok commands a zenith for some lip-smacking dishes inspired from cuisines around the world. An enticing fusion of Satavic foods, mind-blowing non-vegetarian dishes, baked items, beverages, desserts and much more highlights the variety of The Ashok. Its large, well-lit and spacious banquets and conference halls provide access to multi-purposes events with equivalent gravity, lavish hospitality and creative ambience.