Staycation at The Dusit Devarana, New Delhi

The Dusit Devarana is a gorgeous property nestled away in a quiet stretch of Delhi only a few minutes from the International Airport and from Gurgaon’s busy business district. The luxurious property is interspersed with so much foliage and so many waterbodies that you can’t believe that you are in Delhi when you arrive. The hotel offers a tranquil oasis for businessmen, frequent fliers and families and their state of the art ‘Aheli Spa’ is a must visit to get rid of all the fatigue and the aching muscles.

Unlike business hotels and city hotels, The Dusit Devarana, New Delhi stands out because of its languid resort vibe where you can check in to relax, unwind and soak in the surroundings with no intrusions. The hotel has 50 well appointed rooms with views of the lush verdant landscape and the pool and rumour has it that they are working on a presidential suite soon. The room facilities are all connected to an ipad that allows you to order in room dining, work the television, draw the blinds and switch off your lights at bed time. The rooms are spacious, well lit and are the largest in all of NCR region ensuring you have a comfortable stay.

Dining at the Dusit Devarana is a multi sensory experience. Guests can choose from a comprehensive menu in their rooms and order in via in room dining. I highly recommend the chilean sea bass, pomelo salad, thai red curry and penang curry. For nibbles, a quick lunch meeting or a languid bite in the outdoors you can opt for Kiyan where Chef Nishant Choubey will whip up a feast using a lot of produce and herbs from the kitchen garden while Chef Anand will curate a dessert tasting platter that is often too pretty to eat. Kiyan has recently curated a detox menu for your dosha type that consists of healthy wholesome salads, soups, palate cleansers and a healthy dessert free from processed grains and added sugar. I tried the ‘vata’ menu for lunch which had the a delightful trio of summer soups to hydrate you and a quinoa salad. I have to warn you about a dish that you might not be able to get enough of. The resort grows its own pomelo and chef Nishant prepares a Thai inspired pomelo salad with cashew nuts and jaggery that is a real cracker. It is spicy, sweet and tart and the pomelo makes for such a refreshing salad irrespective of the season. I love the perfect marriage of flavours and the nuttiness from the cashews. I was at the Dusit for a little over 24 hours and had the pomelo salad three times – yes it is that good.

The bar lounge is a great space for drinks post work or a date night with your #bae if you want to linger over a couple of whiskeys or sip a G&T. The Bar Lounge has a wide selection of single malts, wines and liquors to choose from and you can ask the mixologist behind the bar to prepare a heady concoction using fruits, herbs and spices.

Chi Ni is the real culinary highlight that opened after all the other dining establishments at the Dusit Devarana New Delhi. Gourmands and food critics were waiting with bated breath for this space to launch and open its doors to the public. Inspired by Michelin Star Kai Mayfair of London, Chi Ni is a chef focused restaurant with Chef Lauah Ban under the helm.

The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner and has a beautiful space with a lot of natural light with two private dining venues. The service is exemplary and the food is a real treat to the eyes and the palate. We started with the blanched spinach and miso which was absolutely gorgeous with a just a hint of umami. The produce was so fresh and it was so flavourful. I was accompanied by Shreya Dhawan and she swore by the wasabi prawns so we ordered them too. Glistening golden parcels of prawn with a liberal drizzle of wasabi- this dish was absolutely spectacular and the pungency of the wasabi didn’t overpower the prawns. For our mains, we ordered the ‘seaweed chicken’ with cashew nuts which was appropriately seasoned and quite a large portion for the two of us but the real winner was the steamed chilean sea bass. The fish was cooked to perfection and absolutely succulent served in a fiery and tart thai chilli sauce. I would definitely go back for second and third helpings just so I can eat the fish.

Mind you, if you aren’t tolerant to spices you might want to ask the chef to temper them slightly but if you do dine at Chi Ni- this should definitely be included. For dessert, Chef Anand brought us each a healthy rendition of the baked yoghurt – a play on the ‘mishti doi’ from bengal with a raspberry coulis and served with a chocolate disc on top. Shreya had hers with the mango and a scoop of the sorbet but I enjoyed mine sans ice cream. The yoghurt cheesecake is melt in your mouth delicious and has the right amount of tart and acidity from the yoghurt but isn’t cloyingly sweet like its bengali counterpart. I can’t wait to come here to try this again and make my way through the vegetarian dishes too including the mock meat and the mock chicken.

The ‘Aheli spa’ has one of the only Hammams in the city – a treatment fit for royalty and I think everyone must experience it at least once. I wrote about it a while ago and can’t wait to try it again. You can read about my experience here
https://wanderingforwellness.com/2016/08/08/indulge-in-a-hammam-and-channel-your-inner-goddess-at-dusit-devrana/

I was at the hotel for the night and decided to go in for the ‘Aheli signature massage’ which is a popular 90 minute treatment that incorporates aromatherapy, thai massage, lomi lomi in kneading strokes to boost circulation, alleviate stiffness and promote lymphatic drainage. I usually opt for the deep tissue massage wherever I go but I was happy I went ahead with the treatment. Adorned with purple walls and large windows, the spa is a gorgeous space with a lot of natural light that has a comprehensive range of therapies from ayurveda and thai, swedish and aromatherapy. If you aren’t pressed for time, you can opt for a longer half day treatment with an indulgent scrub and wrap followed by an invigorating massage or facial.

The spa also houses a salon on the floor below that is fitted with all the amenities for hairstyling, haircuts, express manicure, pedicures and sari draping if you have a function to attend later that day. I asked Mr Manjit Singh to assist me with my hair extensions while I treated myself to an indulgent hair spa.

When you exit the spa, you’ll be able to see the open air yoga platform for the motivated yoginis to practice every morning- weather permitting. The space also has a small gymnasium with a treadmill, bike and a stepper with a weight rack and it overlooks the lush greenery that surrounds the resort. The resort has a lot of water bodies but boasts a 102 meter swimming pool that covers a large expanse. It’s the perfect place to lounge around and unwind in the evenings and if you feel like you need a real workout you can always swim some laps. This pool also happens to be the largest pool in the NCR region making it a real highlight for residents and guests who come and spend time at the property.

I highly recommend the Dusit Devarana for a staycation or a weekend away with your loved ones and friends. When you do come in, book yourself a session at the Hammam, a meal at Chi Ni and definitely spend an afternoon at Kiyan. I can’t wait to be back for my favourite pomelo salad, the baked yoghurt and another massage (or two). Undoubtedly my favourite resort the city has to offer, the Dusit Devarana offers an experience that is unparalleled with impeccable service standards, fabulous dining establishments and a highly sought after spa. To read about my experience at Kiyan, you might want to read- https://wanderingforwellness.com/2014/09/02/champagne-brunch-at-kiyan-dusit-devrana/

Many thanks to Mr Ankur Bhatia, Birgit Holm and Shreya Dhawan for organising this staycation and to Chef Nishant, Chef Anand and Chef Lauah. All the staff here was warm , friendly and hospitable and I want to thank you all for making my stay here memorable. Until next time..

Quick Notes-

Dusit Devarana,

21st Milestone,

Samalkha,

NH-8,

New Delhi

Contact: +911133552211

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/DevaranaNewDelhi

Website: http://www.devarana.in/dine/chi-ni/

Tariff starts at 15000 ++

Photo Credits- Dusit Devarana, New Delhi

Lead Photo Credit- Karan Narang