The LaLiT New Delhi

Wonderful ambience, great service, very clean room and amenities. Highly recommend a stay here and we will be back next time.

Good stay. Sumptuous Breakfast. Staff supportive

Rooms were quite average. Not worth give star. All others were good

I chose to stay at The LaLiT New Delhi because I have had good memories of The LaLiT properties in Srinagar and Bangalore for the past 16 years. Unfortunately, my recent experience in New Delhi was extremely disappointing. The hotel has clearly degraded in terms of professionalism, protocol and customer handling. The hotel is very prompt when it comes to blocking or charging a customer’s money, but surprisingly there seems to be no equally prompt and clearly defined protocol for releasing that money. On 30 August 2026, my European clients checked in late evening, and the hotel blocked ₹10,000 as a security amount. Everything was smooth at check-in. On 31 August, we cleared all extra charges and checked out, expecting the blocked amount to be released. When we returned to the hotel on 2 September for another stay, I asked the front desk to check the status. Initially, I was told that the amount had already been processed on 31 August and would reflect within 48 hours. I insisted that they verify it again. After checking, Mr. Akhand apologised and confirmed that the release had not been processed on 31 August at all by the executive who handled the checkout. He then processed it on 2 September and again told me it would reflect within 48 hours. On 3 September, Ms. Riya again told me it would take 48 hours. Today, at checkout, I asked a simple question: “It has already been 48 hours, so why has the amount still not reflected?” The answer changed again: 72 hours for processing and up to 15 days to appear in the printed bank statement. This is where the problem becomes serious. My Simple Questions Why does the hotel never forget to block a customer’s money, but forgets to process its release at checkout? Why was the release not processed on 31 August, when there were no outstanding charges? And most importantly, what assurance does an international customer have that their money will actually be returned after they have left India? There is apparently no clear written timeline or standard explanation. Every time I ask, I receive a different verbal answer. One More Thing That Really Disappointed Me I also fail to understand why some of the front-desk staff and duty managers are taking my follow-up personally. I have absolutely no personal issue with any staff member. I am simply asking a legitimate question about my client’s money: Why was it not processed on 31 August, and when exactly will it be credited? If the hotel made a mistake, the professional response should simply be: “Yes, we made an error. We apologise, and this is the confirmed process and timeline for correcting it.” Instead, the customer is made to feel as though asking repeated questions about his own money is somehow a personal problem. My Advice to The LaLiT Management Please establish a clear written protocol for security deposits/pre-authorisation releases. * Release the blocked amount immediately at checkout when there are no outstanding dues. * Give the guest written confirmation/reference of the release. * Communicate one clear and consistent timeline. * If the hotel makes an error, acknowledge it rather than giving changing explanations. * Train front-desk staff and duty managers to treat legitimate customer follow-ups professionally, not personally. This is not about ₹10,000. It is about trust and professionalism. I came to The LaLiT with 16 years of positive memories of the brand. Sadly, this experience has made me question whether the level of professionalism and customer service that I once associated with The LaLiT still exists. Blocking a customer’s money is a responsibility. Releasing it on time is an equally important responsibility. I sincerely hope the management takes this feedback seriously and improves the process before another international guest has to go through the same experience.