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{{Multiple issues|{{refimprove|date=May 2020}}{{more footnotes|date=May 2020}}}}

{{short description|5-star hotel in Chanakyapuri, New Delhi}}
{{Infobox hotel
| hotel_name = Ashok Hotel
| architect = E.B. Doctor
| website = https://itdc.co.in/hotels/the-ashok/
| parking =
| height =
| floors = 7
| floor_area =
| number_of_suites =
| number_of_rooms = 550
| number_of_restaurants =
| owner = Government of India
| operator = [[India Tourism Development Corporation| ITDC]]
| closing_date =
| logo =
| opening_date = 1956
| coordinates =
| map_size =
| map_caption =
| map_alt =
| map_type =
| location = Diplomatic Enclave, 50-B <br>[[Chanakyapuri]], [[New Delhi]]
| caption = The front facade of the hotel.
| image = Ashok Hotel.jpg
| logo_width =
| footnotes =
}}
The '''Ashok Hotel''' is a five-star deluxe resort in the 50, Niti Marg, Diplomatic enclave of [[Chanakyapuri]], New Delhi. This hotel is part of [[Ashok Group]], owned by the [[India Tourism Development Corporation]].

==Description==

The hotel has 550 guest rooms and houses the largest pillar-less convention hall in New Delhi where the iconic ''Dehlvi'' family hosted the [[Shama (magazine)|Shama-Sushama Film Awards]] every year through the mid-twentieth century. Situated in the [[Chanakyapuri]] diplomatic enclave, it neighbors the official residence of the prime minister of India, and the [[British High Commission, New Delhi|British High Commission]]. It has hosted several royals and heads of state including, [[Queen Elizabeth II]], Prince [[Aga Khan IV|Aga Khan]], [[Josip Broz Tito|Tito]], [[Margaret Thatcher]], President [[Bill Clinton]], [[Che Guevara]] and [[Fidel Castro]]. The presidential suite was used for three years as the official residence of the Saudi Arabian ambassador.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/beyond-business/50-years-of-ashok-106062401009_1.html|title=50 years of Ashok|last=Sharma|first=Ravi Teja|date=2006-06-24|work=Business Standard India|access-date=2020-01-08}}</ref>

The hotel is owned by [[India Tourism Development Corporation|ITDC]], of which the Government of India owns a 87.03% stake.{{cn|date=March 2022}} The hotel is named after emperor [[Ashoka|Ashoka The Great]], who had conquered almost the entirety of the Indian subcontinent from c. 268 to 232 BCE.

==History==

The Ashok was built in 1956 by the first Prime Minister of India, [[Jawaharlal Nehru]] on 25 acres of parkland donated to the government by the [[Prince regent|Prince Regent]] of [[Jammu and Kashmir (princely state)|Jammu and Kashmir]], [[Karan Singh]] and designed by architect E.B. Doctor.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/travel/the-suite-life-when-hotels-dream-big/article20450887.ece|title=The Suite Life: When hotels dream big|last=Narayanan|first=Chitra|date=2017-11-15|work=The Hindu|access-date=2020-01-08|url-status=live|language=en-IN|issn=0971-751X}}</ref> It is an Indo-[[Modern architecture|Modernist]] architectural style landmark and was completed in 1956 to host world leaders and dignitaries for the ninth [[UNESCO]] conference held in New Delhi. Of the original 23 shareholders, 15 were rulers of [[Princely state|princely states]] that had been recently merged into India, including the [[Digvijaysinhji Ranjitsinhji|Maharaja of Nawanagar]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.rediff.com/getahead/report/the-iconic-hotel-that-nehru-built-the-ashok-itdc-india-tourism-travel/20161228.htm|title=The iconic hotel that Nehru built|website=Rediff|language=en|access-date=2020-01-08}}</ref>

In 1968, Prime Minister [[Indira Gandhi]] hosted, a large banquet at Ashok Hotel to celebrate her son [[Rajiv Gandhi|Rajiv]]'s wedding to [[Sonia Gandhi|Sonia]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.livemint.com/Leisure/CjWPfwrUmsPVXg1pqzlbqI/Ashok-the-great.html|title=Ashok the great|last=Soofi|first=Mayank Austen|date=2016-05-06|website=Livemint|language=en|access-date=2020-01-08}}</ref>

In the 1980s, film actor [[Shah Rukh Khan]] was known to frequent the hotel during the fledgling part of his career,<ref name=":0" /> and it served as the location for [[Yash Chopra]]'s motion picture ''[[Chandni (film)|Chandni]]'' in 1989.

In the 1970s, Ashok hosted one of the first night clubs in New Delhi, called the Supper Club. [[Usha Uthup]], [[Sharon Prabhakar]], [[Hema Malini]], [[Uday Shankar]] all performed at the venue prior to attaining stardom, and a notable scene from ''[[Laawaris (1981 film)|Laawaris]]'' (1981) starring [[Amitabh Bachchan]] was shot there.

The Ashok hotel received LEED Gold certification for Building Operations and Maintenance in 2017.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Rathod |first1=Mohit |title=The Ashok becomes India’s 1st govt-owned hotel to earn LEED Gold Certification |url=https://www.foodhospitality.in/latest-updates/the-ashok-becomes-indias-1st-govt-owned-hotel-to-earn-leed-gold-certification/382070/ |website=Express Food Hospitality |accessdate=29 July 2020 |date=16 February 2017}}</ref>

In May 2019, directly following the [[2019 Indian general election|Indian General elections]], and prior to forming his next government Prime Minister [[Narendra Modi|Modi]] hosted a dinner chaired by [[Amit Shah]], at Ashok Hotel for leaders of their [[National Democratic Alliance|NDA]] coalition. Those in attendance included Shiv Sena leader [[Uddhav Thackeray]], Akal Dal leader [[Parkash Singh Badal|Prakash Singh Badal]], JD(U) leader [[Nitish Kumar]] union ministers [[Rajnath Singh]] and [[Nitin Gadkari|Nitin Gadkahri]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bhardwaj |first=Animesh |date=2019-05-21 |title=Nitish Kumar and galaxy of leaders to attend NDA dinner meet called by Amit Shah today |url=https://www.indiatvnews.com/news/india-amit-shah-pm-modi-host-nda-dinner-meet-ashoka-hotel-nitish-kumar-521455 |access-date=2022-05-07 |website=www.indiatvnews.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Ahead Of Poll Results, NDA Leaders Attend Amit Shah's Dinner In Delhi: Highlights |url=https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/ahead-of-lok-sabha-polls-results-pm-narendra-modi-amit-shah-at-ministers-meet-in-bjp-office-live-upd-2040836 |access-date=2022-05-07 |website=NDTV.com}}</ref>

== References ==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Luxury hotels]]
[[Category:Hotels in Delhi]]
[[Category:1956 establishments in Delhi]]

Ashok Hotel - Revision history

UpdateBot at 20:17, 7 May 2022