Where to stay in Delhi: the best neighbourhoods and hotels

Connaught Place, known to everyone as CP, is the bullseye of New Delhi: concentric rings of white Georgian-style colonnades packed with shops, bars, restaurants and touts. It is busy and a bit frayed at the edges, but nowhere is better connected. The metro interchange sits beneath it, Janpath market runs off to the south, and both Old Delhi and India Gate are a short ride away.

The hotels around it are landmarks in their own right. The Imperial is the legend, a 1930s grande dame mixing Victorian, Art Deco and Lutyens styles. The Park, in the thick of CP, is the contemporary one, hung with modern art. Shangri-La Eros sits in landscaped gardens looking towards Connaught Place, and The LaLiT is within five minutes' drive of the Jantar Mantar observatory.

South of Connaught Place, Delhi suddenly goes quiet. This is the imperial capital that Edwin Lutyens laid out a century ago: broad avenues shaded by neem and jamun trees, white bungalows behind high hedges, and the ceremonial sweep from India Gate up to the presidential palace. Next door, Chanakyapuri is the diplomatic enclave, all embassies and lawns. Lodhi Garden, with its domed tombs, and smart Khan Market are close by.

This is where Delhi keeps its finest hotels. The Taj Mahal Hotel looks out over the leafy boulevards of Lutyens’ Delhi; Taj Palace is a few minutes’ drive from Lodhi Garden; The Claridges is a long-standing favourite set in greenery near the ministries; and ITC Maurya is home to Bukhara, one of the best-known restaurants in the country. Expect serious spas, serene pools and prices to match.

Old Delhi is the city at its most intense. Shah Jahan built it in the 17th century, and his Red Fort and Jama Masjid still tower over a maze of bazaars where each lane has its trade: spices, wedding saris, silver, paper. Chandni Chowk, the main artery, is the place to eat your way through kebabs, parathas and syrupy sweets.

Few visitors sleep in the old city itself, but you can. WelcomHeritage Haveli Dharampura is a restored mansion deep in the lanes, as atmospheric as Delhi gets. Otherwise, stay on the edge of New Delhi and dip in: the Novotel New Delhi City Centre is a minute's drive from New Delhi Railway Station, and The Connaught is within five minutes' drive of Jama Masjid. Go early, go hungry and take a cycle rickshaw.

South Delhi is where well-heeled Delhiites live, shop and eat, and it shows a softer side of the city. Residential colonies are broken up by parks, upmarket markets and some remarkable monuments: Humayun's Tomb, the soaring Qutub Minar, the lotus-shaped Baha'i temple. The nightlife and boutiques of Hauz Khas sit beside a medieval reservoir.

Hotels here suit a second visit or a longer stay. Eros Hotel is a short walk from Nehru Place metro station, with an outdoor pool; The Suryaa is handy for both Nehru Place and the Lajpat Nagar market; Crowne Plaza Okhla serves the southern business districts; and The Athena, in New Friends Colony, has a rooftop terrace within ten minutes’ drive of the Lotus Temple. You will lean on the metro and taxis for the central sights.

Aerocity is a cluster of modern hotels, restaurants and offices built right beside Indira Gandhi International Airport. It has none of old Delhi's romance and all of the convenience: you can be in your room minutes after clearing customs, and the Airport Express metro line runs straight to New Delhi station. Late arrival, dawn departure or a single night before the train to Agra? Stay here.

The JW Marriott is the plushest, with an outdoor pool and a full spa. The Pullman and the Novotel share one large complex of 670 rooms, five minutes from the Airport Express; and Roseate House is the design-led alternative. The big malls of Vasant Kunj are a short drive away, and Gurugram is next door.

Gurugram, still Gurgaon to most people, is the boomtown south-west of Delhi, about 30 minutes from the centre on a good day. It is a city of glass office blocks, vast malls and gated towers, home to the bars and restaurants of Cyber Hub and several golf courses. Tourists rarely choose it, but business travellers often have no choice, and the hotels are excellent.

Trident Gurgaon is the standout, with a spa, a steam room and an outdoor pool. Le Méridien is beside the Aravali Biodiversity Park; the DoubleTree by Hilton is on Golf Course Road, ten minutes from Cyber City; and The Westin has a nightclub as well as a spa. The airport is closer than central Delhi is.

Noida lies east of Delhi across the Yamuna River, a planned grid of sectors, offices and malls linked to the capital by metro. Further out, Greater Noida is home to the India Expo Centre. Stay here if work brings you: Radisson Blu Noida has a spa and a seasonal pool, the Mosaic is a 48-room business hotel, and Greater Noida has its own golf and spa resorts. For sightseeing, stay in Delhi proper.