The Hindu : New Delhi News : Luxury gets a new address

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Wednesday, Apr 20, 2011
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New Delhi

Luxury gets a new address

Madhur Tankha

Delhi's Leela Palace set to create new benchmarks in hotel industry

- Photo: Rajeev Bhatt

Opulence all the way: The central lobby of The Leela Palace which was inaugurated by Leelaventure Chairman Capt. C. P. Krishnan Nair at Chanakyapuri in New Delhi .

NEW DELHI: Billed as a majestic palace in sync with the architectural heritage of Lutyens' Delhi, The Leela Palace at Chanakyapuri here is now all ready to open its gates to guests. Equipped with state-of-the-art technological facilities, it has 260 oversized guestrooms and suites. Even the smallest room measures over 500 sq. ft.

According to Leelaventure Chairman Capt. C. P. Krishnan Nair, the flagship hotel will set new benchmarks for luxury in the hospitality industry in India. “We will entertain Heads of State, corporate kings and scientists. I have seen to it that everyone who visits our hotel will get a glimpse of India's cultural heritage. We believe in Atithi Devo Bhava: a guest must be treated as God.”

Noting that the opening of the hotel in the city has strengthened The Leela Palace's presence in the Northern region, Capt. Nair said: “As we enter the 25th year of our operations, this hotel is a befitting landmark in our journey towards excellence.”

Recalling his own journey in the hospitality business, Capt. Nair said Karnataka Chief Minister Ramakrishna Hedge once entertained him at the grand old Mysore Palace during Dussehra. “It was a magnificent spectacle and Mr. Hedge told me to build a similar palace in Bangalore. I invited architects from California and our hotel in Bangalore was labelled as the eighth best in the world by Forbes. The standard guestroom tariff in Bangalore was Rs.8,000 those days but I priced our guestroom at Rs.9,000 yet we had full occupancy. Our mind-sets need to change. Why should we expect cheap rooms in five-star hotels in our country when we have such exorbitant rates abroad?”

To resuscitate the dying indigenous art forms, Leelaventure has been providing a platform to artists to produce works of art that occupy pride of place at its various properties.

“We pay our artists directly and adequately. With over 200 guestrooms I cannot go to Paresh Maity to do 500 works. All original works with artists' signature are on display,” said Leelaventure Interior Design and Operations Director Madhu Nair.

Besides dazzling Murano chandeliers from Italy, hand-woven carpets from Turkey, an art collection and majestic royal elephants hand-carved using sandstone from Qatar, there are miniature paintings from Rajasthan and bidri work from Uttar Pradesh adorning the walls and ceilings and gold-leafed dome.

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