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One of India’s finest luxury hotel groups, is also one of its fastest growing upscale brands. Last year, The Leela Hotels, Palaces & Resorts opened two new five-star properties in Udaipur and Gurgaon, outside of New Delhi and will add a new luxury hotel in New Delhi this fall and another in Chennai in 2011. In the next few years, four more luxury hotels in Agra, Hyderabad, Pune and Lake Ashtamudi in Kerala will join the original four award-winning properties in Bangalore, Goa, Kovalam (Kerala) and Mumbai.
The group’s most ambitious project to date, The Leela Palace Kempinski New Delhi will debut right in time for the 2010 Commonwealth Games in October. Located in the Diplomatic Enclave and near the Central Business District of Delhi, The Leela will be close to all of the city’s historic monuments as well as its embassies and corporate offices. With 260 expansive rooms and suites, The Leela will have four restaurants serving Indian, Japanese (India’s first Megu) and Italian cuisine, two bars, an ESPA spa, a fitness center and a heated roof-top swimming pool.
Measuring 550 square feet, guestrooms come equipped with large business desks, two-line IP phones, Sony high-definition LCD televisions with Blue-Ray players, Boise iPod docks, broadband high-speed Internet access, Wi-Fi and phones and TVs in all bathrooms. Three Royal Suites will have private pools, and the Presidential Suite will measure an impressive 4,000 square feet. More than 10,000 square feet of meetings facilities are spread over two ballrooms and eight meeting rooms and boardrooms.
Opening its doors in 2011, The Leela Palace Kempinski Chennai will be the first on the city’s seafront overlooking the Bay of Bengal. Set on six acres on the beach and with a design inspired by the nearby Chettinad Palace, The Leela will be Chennai’s largest business hotel boasting 360 suites and rooms as well as extensive meeting facilities.
The Leela Kempinski Gurgaon, Delhi (N.C.R.) which opened last July has become the most popular hotel in this fast-growing satellite business and shopping district near the capital, running at over 90 percent occupancy. A collection of contemporary Indian art fills the 322-room property which features three restaurants, including the dramatic Spectra with seven “live” kitchens; a spa offering Ayurvedic treatments; a fitness center with yoga and aerobic studios; a large heated outdoor pool; 26,900 square feet of banquet and meeting space, and a 24-hour business center.
Then last October, The Leela Palace Kempinski Udaipur celebrated its grand opening, the first luxury hotel to debut in this historic Rajasthani city in seven years. Lying on the banks of Lake Pichola, in one of India’s most romantic destinations, the luxurious modern palace is designed to evoke the life and times of India’s royal past. The hotel has two restaurants, a lounge, a swimming pool, a fitness center and a spa by ESPA offering traditional and Ayurvedic treatments in nine dramatic spa tents set in the gardens.
The Leela brand is renowned for having some of the largest guest rooms in India, state-of-the-art spas, excellent cuisine and cutting-edge business facilities. The company has also made a serious commitment to preserving the environment. Three hotels are tranquil green oases in the heart of bustling cities, while the resort properties are surrounded by acres of palm trees and exotic tropical flowers.
“As the Indian economy rebounds and the influx of international business and leisure travelers continues to come to India, we will see a demand and growth in the luxury premium category. We see this as a tremendous growth opportunity and have invested heavily in the country’s various destinations,” said Vivek Nair, Vice Chairman and Managing Director, The Leela Palace Hotels and Resorts.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
