The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts, headquartered in Mumbai, India, is owned by Hotel Leelaventure Ltd. The ultra-luxury hotel group owns and manages eight award-winning properties in prime urban locations and magical holiday destinations across India including Mumbai, New Delhi, Gurgaon, Bangalore, Chennai, Goa, Udaipur and Kovalam. New properties under development include Jaipur, Bengaluru, Agra and Lake Ashtamudi, Kerala.
The group was founded by Captain C. P. Krishnan Nair, whose vision has been inspired by his strong belief in India’s ability to compete with the world’s premier travel destinations. His many business trips over the years to Europe and America exposed him to hotels with high service standards, inspiring him to enter the world of luxury hospitality.
At the age of 65, he started to build The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts which today has evolved into one of the most celebrated indigenous hospitality groups in the luxury segment.
Built in 1986, The Leela Mumbai with 390 keys was designed to showcase an urban resort. The hotel sprawls over 11 acres of landscaped gardens and is an oasis of tranquility set in the midst of the busy industrial capital of India. In 1991, with 186 rooms and suites, The Leela Goa opened its doors as a world class beach resort spread over 75 acres, cradled between the Arabian Sea and the River Sal. Recently renovated, the hotel now offers a range of 206 new and refurbished rooms replete with modern amenities along with multiple dining options.
With 357 deluxe rooms, The Leela Palace Bengaluru welcomed its first guest in 2001. Inspired by the Mysore Palace, this monument of luxury recreates the grandeur of a bygone era.
2005 saw the opening of The Leela Kovalam, Kerala’s largest resort with 183 rooms. Built on a cliff- top, the resort offers panoramic views of the Indian Ocean and the famed coastline of Kovalam.
In 2009, The Leela Group made its first forays into the northern part of India with two new hotels – The Leela Ambience Gurgaon, a 412 room property, including 90 serviced residences in the cosmopolitan business district of Gurgaon, and The Leela Palace Udaipur, located on the banks of the beautiful Lake Pichola with all 80 rooms and suites offering a fantastic view of the heritage city and the lake and the majestic Aravalli mountains.
In 2010, The Leela Palace New Delhi opened its palace gates in Chanakyapuri near the Diplomatic Enclave in New Delhi. With 260 keys, this hotel has set new benchmarks for luxury in the capital of India.
January 11, 2013 saw the opening of The Leela Palace Chennai, the city’s first sea-facing modern palace hotel. Located on Adyar and facing the Bay of Bengal, the hotel has 326 rooms with spectacular ocean views from many of its room and public spaces.
December 17, 2015 saw the launch of The Leela Ambience Convention Hotel, Delhi with 480 rooms. The hotel is one of the largest Convention and Wedding venues in India.
The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts is committed to providing warm, gracious and anticipatory service in settings that capture the essence of India. The authentic Indian experience found across the hotels and resorts exemplifies the group’s underlying philosophy to delight and exceed guest expectations through gracious Indian hospitality, known in the ancient Indian scriptures as ‘Atithi Devo Bhava or ‘Guest is God.’
The group has marketing alliances with US-based Preferred Hotels & Resorts and is a member of the Global Hotel Alliance based in Geneva, Switzerland.
