About Us
The story of The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts began when its founder Late Capt CP Krishnan Nair opened The Leela Mumbai in 1986. For over three decades, The Leela has been on a journey to delight guests by providing unparalleled luxury in captivating environs ensconced in the lap of nature, wrapped in the graciousness of Indian hospitality.
Headquartered in Mumbai, the brand today, is owned by a Brookfield Asset Management-sponsored private real estate fund and operates twelve award-winning properties in major cities and leisure destinations across India. These include the flagship hotel in the capital city of New Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai, Udaipur, Jaipur, Gurugram, East Delhi, Mumbai, Gandhinagar and now Kovalam and Ashtamudi in Kerala. The Leela celebrates each hotel through its unique location, art, culture and cuisine with thoughtful services, celebratory rituals, and immersive experiences. The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts was voted the World’s Best Hotel Brand twice in a row by Travel + Leisure, USA, World’s Best Awards Survey, 2020 and 2021. In 2023, the brand has once again been featured in the top 3 World’s Best Hotel Brands. An epitome of true Indian luxury hospitality, The Leela is committed to providing guests with unforgettable stays in settings that capture the essence of India. The brand has a marketing alliance with US-based Preferred Hotels & Resorts and is a member of the Global Hotel Alliance.
Some journeys can be summed up in a photo, a tweet, a souvenir. But others are so filled with inner riches, they defy easy description. For our guests, this has always posed a challenge: How to best capture the world of luxury that is The Leela? For one visitor, it’s a lobby – and a welcome that makes her feel like royalty. For another, it’s discovering a hidden garden, guided only by the scent of jasmine. To some, it is small touches that few others notice – the warmth of a gesture, the extra care in the simplest dish. Finding the right words for this distinctly Indian luxury brand is made all the more difficult because it is constantly being refined and enhanced.
From the start, we have been on a continuous journey to delight each traveller who crosses our threshold. It is The Leela’s goal to provide the most demanding guests with memorable, magical stays that deliver the essence of India and allow them to discover a true Indian luxury experience found only in India, and only at The Leela.
In a span of over three decades, The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts has grown to comprise a world-class collection of eleven award-winning luxury hotels spread across key destinations in India with many more on the anvil. These include the flagship hotel in the capital city of New Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai, Udaipur, Jaipur, Gurugram, East Delhi, Mumbai, Gandhinagar and Kovalam. Each hotel celebrates its unique location, art, culture and cuisine with thoughtful services, celebratory rituals and immersive experiences to curate distinctive experiences that captivate the hearts of the most discerning global travellers.
Across The Leela properties in India, we practice the 8 ‘Leela Dharmas’. A doctrine of duties and simple virtues which are to be followed by each individual associate. Derived from the deep-rooted Indian tradition of hospitality ‘Atithi Devo Bhava’ (Guest is God as translated from Taittiriya Upanishad), these Dharmas stand for what The Leela Group firmly believes in. These are a doctrine of duties and simple virtues which are to be followed by each individual associate, principles that orient our associates and form the foundation of our code of conduct – with the organization, towards each other and with our most cherished heritage, our guests.
This outstanding experience has been recognized with numerous prestigious awards and accolades and forms the core of our brand ethos.
The Pride Pin is The Leela signature monogram, an emblem of everything that the brand stands for. It is a badge of honour earned by every associate as a reaffirmation and commitment to The Leela ethos of “Atithi Devo Bhava” … Guest is God. By wearing this badge of honour, the associates reaffirm their commitment to living the 8 Dharmas and the 19 Habits that define our service philosophy and form the foundation on which the brand is built.
Every associate is a custodian of the brand and in many ways the best ambassador of the brand. The Pride Pin reiterates this responsibility that rests on the shoulders of each associate… to protect and build the reputation of the brand as The World’s Best Brand and carry forth a legacy that has been created in over three decades.
Alliances
Global Hotel Alliance
Founded in 2004, and based on the airline alliance model, Global Hotel Alliance (GHA) is today the world’s largest alliance of independent hotel brands. GHA uses a shared technology platform to drive incremental revenues and create cost savings for its member brands, and operates a multi-brand loyalty programme, DISCOVERY, which has over seven million members. The alliance has over 40 member brands encompassing over 800 upscale and luxury hotels across 100 different countries. For more information visit gha.com.
DISCOVERY programme is about making travel unforgettable. Members of the programme receive recognition and rewards across 800 hotels, resorts, palaces and spas. Local Experiences, the innovative rewards of the DISCOVERY programme, are unique, authentic experiences, which are curated by each hotel to give a taste of local traditions and culture. Members also receive stay benefits, such as complimentary Wi-Fi, room upgrades and enhanced personal recognition as they move through the membership levels, each and every time they stay within the portfolio. For more information visit discoveryloyalty.com.
Preferred Hotels & Resorts
Preferred Hotels & Resorts is the world’s largest independent hotel brand, representing more than 750 distinctive hotels, resorts, residences, and unique hotel groups across 85 countries. With nearly 40 offices worldwide, the company brings strategic advantage to hotel owners, operators, and management companies through brand prestige and global operating scale, supporting the goals of its member hotels by providing strategic group, corporate, and leisure sales, integrated marketing solutions, comprehensive revenue management, global connectivity through reservation services, progressive distribution technology, and individualized guest support. Every property within the portfolio is required to maintain the high quality standards and unparalleled service levels required by the Preferred Hotels & Resorts Integrated Quality Assurance Program.
Through its five global collections – Legend, LVX, Lifestyle, Connect, and Preferred Residences – Preferred Hotels & Resorts connects discerning travellers to the singular luxury hospitality experience that meets their needs and lifestyle preferences for each occasion. For more information visit preferredhotels.com.
Future Openings
The Leela Agra
Experience a world of grandeur and splendour at The Leela Agra. Located at a driving distance of 200 km from New Delhi, the hotel is within easy reach from Agra Airport. All 140 rooms will enjoy the view of the magnificent and historical, Taj Mahal. It will have an array of multi-cuisine speciality restaurants, a techno-gym, several meeting and conferencing facilities.
The Leela Hyderabad
Spread over 2.5 acres, The Leela Hyderabad will be a 158-room hotel located in Banjara Hills. The Hotel will have an array of fine dining restaurants offering signature dishes and exquisite roof top dining experiences. The interiors will be luxuriously built in true Nizami grandeur. Bespoke banquet areas with a 7,000 sq. ft open-to-sky terrace will be made available for small and large scale events. The Hotel will also have an Annexe building with a state-of art Wellness Centre which will include a spacious spa.
