Review: Aloft New Delhi Aerocity
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This trip of barely a week to India was planned somewhat unexpectedly, in order to surprise my parents in Mumbai at the end of their cruise that had left Sydney a month earlier.
And as long as I had to go as far as India, I took advantage of Aeroplan’s multidestination options to make a 2-day stopover in New Delhi, a 24-hour stopover in Udaipur before finishing with 2 days in Mumbai.
And yes I admit, it’s a bit short and a bit crazy, but I still have wonderful memories of my time in India, not to mention that my parents’ surprise at seeing me there was totally priceless.
You can check out this article to know how you can get many free hotel nights in India with Marriott Bonvoy. And if you need advice on visiting this country, check out our guide about India.
Booking
Aloft New Delhi Aerocity Hotel is a category 2 hotel in the Marriott Bonvoy program, categorized as 5 star. You could stay there from 10,000 points a night, a bargain for the quality and service offered.
Location
I chose the Aloft New Delhi Aerocity as my first base in Delhi because it is located in the airport area, just a few minutes from the Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL), in a commercial area where several other hotels are located.
It should be noted that I had booked my flights before Aeroplan’s changes and so I was trying to avoid the heavy surcharges imposed by Air Canada in particular. On the outbound trip, I did not have the direct 1pm flight offered by Air Canada that leaves at 7pm at YUL and lands at 7pm local time at DEL.
I had rather chosen Swiss (YUL-ZRH) with a stopover in ZRH. So as I landed in Delhi (DEL) at 0h45 after the ZRH-DEL segment, I wanted a hotel close to me in order to go to bed quickly.
Indeed, the very day of my arrival, I had booked a private tour with Viator to visit the Taj Mahal, located in Agra. Remember that Agra is located 4 hours drive south of Delhi. I had to do this because I was in Delhi on a Thursday and a Friday and the Taj Mahal is closed on Friday. The visit was scheduled for Thursday, the day I arrived.
Finally, I had warned the hotel, at the time of my check in, that I would have to leave early in the morning, thus missing the lunch. The hotel was kind enough to prepare a « breakfast » box which was waiting for me at the reception when I left for Agra at 6:00 am. It’s always good to talk to the staff about our plans.I’ll let you discover it in pictures since a picture is worth a thousand words!
Hotel reception
Our room
The hotel has 7 types of rooms and I had a Studio 1 king size bed, City View.
Bathroom
General impression of the room
The suite is very pleasant and large (37 m²). As it is a corner room, two of the sides are completely glazed, allowing a lot of natural light to enter.
In the evening, large blinds imitating a tapestry make it possible to practically convert the windowed sections into opaque walls. The illusion is quite successful because when I entered my room the first time at 2:00 am, I had not noticed these windows.
The sofas and armchairs allow you to relax in the room, while the desk provides a very adequate working space.
I also liked the layout of the large, long bathroom with its large countertops and mirrors.
- Annual fee
- $120
- Our valuationMilesopedia first-year estimate First-year valueWelcome bonus$600Total$600$100 deferred bonus, excluded from the first-year estimate and not counted in this total.Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
- $600
- Welcome offerAfter $3,000 in 3 months
- Up to 70,000 points
Apply Now
on American Express's website
Apply with confidenceCheck whether your application will be approved before you submit it, with no impact on your credit score*When you apply for a personal American Express Credit Card, we will tell you whether you are eligible without affecting your credit score. So you can apply with confidence.*Instant decisions are only available for consumer Card applications (also called “personal Cards”).
Hotel services
Breakfast
I spent 2 nights at this hotel. As mentioned earlier my first night was only a few hours as I was leaving early for Agra (Taj Mahal) and so I missed lunch.
On the other hand, on the second morning I was able to enjoy the full breakfast offered at The Nook restaurant.
Swimming pool
The outdoor pool is beautiful and very pleasant. It is located on a roof terrace and as it is rather hot in India, to cool down there is a pure happiness.
There are deckchairs, sofas in the shade and many tables. The pool was a nice surprise for me.
Fitness room
- Annual fee
- $120
- Our valuationMilesopedia first-year estimate First-year valueWelcome bonus$600Total$600$100 deferred bonus, excluded from the first-year estimate and not counted in this total.Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
- $600
- Welcome offerAfter $3,000 in 3 months
- Up to 70,000 points
Apply Now
on American Express's website
Apply with confidenceCheck whether your application will be approved before you submit it, with no impact on your credit score*When you apply for a personal American Express Credit Card, we will tell you whether you are eligible without affecting your credit score. So you can apply with confidence.*Instant decisions are only available for consumer Card applications (also called “personal Cards”).
My general impression of the hotel
Aloft New Delhi Aerocity is a convenient hotel especially if you want the proximity to Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL), which was my case considering I arrived around 1am.
The Suite is pretty and very bright during the day, while in the evening the blinds imitating a tapestry provide a « cozy » effect.
Given my schedule, this hotel was perfect for my day trip to Agra to see the Taj Mahal. The staff was super courteous even preparing me a « breakfast » box for my early morning departure at 6AM.
The swimming pool on the roof terrace is very pleasant and the saucette at any time of the day, a refreshing pleasure.
If our objective is more to visit the city of Delhi, a more central hotel is a better option. That’s what I did when I went to Le Meridien New Delhi.
Go further with Marriott Bonvoy
To maximize your stays and points earning, check our complete Marriott Bonvoy program guide and our best Marriott Bonvoy credit cards ranking. For personal use, see the Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card. For business expenses, the Marriott Bonvoy Business American Express Card earns points on every business purchase. And if a points purchase promotion is running, take advantage via our Marriott Bonvoy points purchase guide.
