When royalty comes calling, especially from oil-rich Saudi Arabia, one would expect the hotel picked for the monarch's stay to bend over backwards to satisfy his every whim. But that is not so at the Maurya Sheraton here.

When King Abdullah and his vast entourage checked in to the hotel - occupying 300 of its 500 rooms - they found everything in order as the hotel is quite at home hosting world leaders.

The hotel has previously played host to an array of presidents, prime ministers, corporate honchos and movers and shakers, but never has it played host to royalty of the level of the Saudi king and his entourage, arguably comprising some of the richest men in the world.

"No special demands were made on us. Over the years we've upgraded our services to the extent we can anticipate what a particular dignitary will expect. Thus, when an advance Saudi team visited us a month ago, they found everything in order," a hotel spokesperson said.

That was because the extras - satellite kitchens, heightened room service, personal valets and special parking areas - had already been factored in.

"We've never had royalty like this in the past. We are deeply honoured the king chose to stay with us," the spokesperson said.

"We know the Saudis are partial to kebabs, kormas, kalyans and salans and so there are plenty of these, apart from the standard menu," the spokesperson said.

Its raining Saudis - in their flowing white robes - at Dum Pukht and Bukhara, the two renowned eateries at the hotel. The first showcases cuisine from Avadh (modern-day Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh) and the other epicurean delights of the Frontier (the North West Frontier Province in Pakistan).

"We've retained the regular menu at both outlets but added a few specials like habibya chops, kumbara dam masala, murg kushk pardah, murg dam biryani and kagazi parantha. To cater to the sweet tooth we have a special date halwa called rangecuk," the spokesperson said.

Unlike in the past, no portions of the hotel have been sealed off because of the king's visit.

"The security agencies told us there was no need for this; that there was no need to inconvenience our other guests," the spokesperson added.

The king and his immediate family have been accommodated in the sprawling Presidential Suite, done up in Mughal style. This was the suite where President Bill Clinton stayed when he was here in 2000 and probably also where President George W. Bush will stay when he comes here in March.

A special car park has also been created near the hotel portico to enable unhampered entry and exit of the 14 cars in the king's cavalcade.

The 25-odd VIPs in the king's entourage occupy rooms in the vicinity of the Presidential Suite. Each of these VIPs has been allotted a personal valet.

The other members of the delegation have been allotted rooms on various other floors.

Catering to such a large delegation poses problems of its own, what with business meetings and the attendant coffee breaks, working lunches and working dinners seeming to flow in one seamless motion.

"The demands of such a delegation are very different from that of our other guests, largely due to the numbers involved. Over time, we've realised that its more practical to have satellite kitchens on various floors to ease the pressure on our main kitchens. We've set up seven satellite kitchens to ensure timely execution of orders," the spokesperson explained.