After the Jaipur Polo Ground, another iconic building in Delhi is under threat—the Ambassador Hotel, located near Khan Market. For decades, this quiet boutique hotel has been a favorite of Delhiites. The land surrounding the hotel and the affluent Sujan Singh Park area is disputed.
On June 11, the Land and Development Office (L&DO) of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs issued an eviction notice to the hotel management under the Public Premises Act, 1971, declaring them unauthorized occupants. On June 17, the hotel owners filed a petition in the Delhi High Court challenging the eviction notice and requesting a stay on the proceedings.
This latest development is part of a seven-decade-long dispute between the hotel management and the union.
This latest development is part of a seven-decade-long dispute between the hotel management and the union.
In February 1959, the government first alleged that the hotel violated the terms of its lease, which stipulated that the land be used only for residential purposes.
Since then, the union has accused the hotel of violating the terms, making it legal to terminate the lease, or “re-entry.”
However, Sir Sobha Singh & Sons Private Limited, the real estate company that built and operates the Sujan Singh Park Complex and owns the Ambassador Hotel, claims the land is under an attempt by the government to acquire it.
On June 9, a district judge of the Tis Hazari courts overturned a 2009 decision that had ruled in favor of the hotel owners, effectively upholding the government’s position. Subsequently, the L&DO issued an eviction order, prompting the real estate firm to approach the DHC. Justice Tejas Karia accepted the appeal against the appellate court’s ruling.
Advocate Sandeep Sethi, representing the hotel, stated that the hotel was in danger of being evicted and sought a stay order. However, Justice Karia felt that no interim order was needed at this time. The matter will now be heard on July 23.
The hotel was built in 1945 by British architect Walter George. It was originally established to house British soldiers during World War II and later opened to diplomats and travelers. Today, it is an INTACH-listed heritage site located in the heart of Lutyens’ Delhi.
The building has witnessed the city’s transformation over the decades and has housed many iconic buildings, such as the high-society nightclub Jewel Box, the Art Deco bar Insomnia, the fine-dining restaurant Larry’s China (a favorite of Delhiites for many years), and, of course, the Yellow Brick Road Cafe.
Renowned for its old-world charm, the hotel came under IHCL Selections in 1990. The hotel offers a seamless blend of the past and contemporary dynamism and is located in the intellectual, social, and cultural hub of the capital.
The latest eviction notice has been seen by many as a move by the government to free Delhi from its lingering “colonial mindset.” However, not everyone agrees.
Delhi lawyer Nikhil Mehra said in a post, “I don’t know what the government’s plans are for rebuilding Delhi, but I have no doubt that it will be completely ruined.