THE LEELA GROUP UNVEILS INDIA’S MOST AWAITED HOTEL Delhi’s first purposefully designed hotel for Gold Leed Certification

A majestic palace designed in the architectural style of Lutyens’ Delhi, The Leela Palace, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi, is now open. Located in the heart of the prestigious Diplomatic Enclave area, The Leela Palace New Delhi offers unparalleled luxury combined with state-of-the-art technological guestroom facilities providing guests with superlative services and the very best in traditional Indian hospitality. The hotel exemplifies the splendid tradition, grace and elegance of Lutyens’ Delhi with the serene ambience of a personal palace. The 260 oversized guestrooms and suites, equipped with the most advanced in-room comforts, are the largest in the city, with the smallest room measuring over 500 square feet. Apart from its extravagant offerings and opulent environs, the hotel also features a 6,500-square-foot spa by ESPA, a heated infinity pool on the rooftop, a whisky and wine bar and a tea lounge making it the perfect destination for discerning business and leisure travellers. Guests at The Leela Palace New Delhi can choose from an array of five superlative restaurants and lounges. The Qube is housed in a glasshouse and features ‘live kitchens’, with chef preparing international cuisine, pizzas in a wood–fired oven and wok–fried specialities. Indian specialities are the highlight at the Jamavar, whilst the iconic New York restaurant Le Cirque opens its first Asian restaurant on the 10th floor of the hotel, with Italian cuisine and wonderful views over the Chanakyapuri skyline. Megu, featuring modern Japanese cuisine and sushi complete the culinary choices, with The Library Bar providing a unique and a relaxing sitting for a drink or meeting in stylish surroundings. Speaking on the launch of his seventh luxury hotel in India, Capt. C. P. Krishnan Nair, chairman of The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts, said, “The opening of The Leela Palace New Delhi has strengthened our presence in the northern region of India. This property will be our flagship hotel, setting new benchmarks for luxury in the hospitality industry in India. As we enter the 25th year of our operations, The Leela Palace New Delhi is a befitting landmark in our journey towards excellence. We look forward to welcoming you to our Palace.” Spanning over three acres in Chanakyapuri, the hotel is located near the Diplomatic Enclave which is home to a majority of foreign embassies and diplomatic missions in the capital, making The Leela Palace New Delhi an ideal choice for Heads of State and delegations visits. With dazzling Murano chandeliers from Italy; hand-woven carpets from Turkey; an art collection valued at US$5 million; majestic royal-elephants hand-carved using sandstone from Qatar; miniature paintings by the craftsmen of Rajasthan and bidri work from Uttar Pradesh adorning the walls and ceilings and a gold-leafed dome similar to the one at the Rashtrapati Bhavanm, the hotel is truly a modern marvel. Contributing to its unique design, has been leading architectural and interior design firms of the world such as Smallwood, Reynolds, Stewart and Stewart (SRSS) Group from Atlanta, Georgia, USA, being the key architects along with KNA, US, Design Spin Studio, Japan and Lim Geoffery, Singapore. The Leela Palace New Delhi is the first hotel to be designed for Gold LEED certification. Every aspect of the design, including the use of gas turbine with vapour absorption machines, rain – water harvesting, solar energy application and a sophisticated sewage treatment plant address the need for sustainable development and environment conservation. About The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts is owned and operated by Hotel Leelaventure Ltd, headquartered in Mumbai. The luxury hotel group manages seven award-winning hotels in India which include prime urban locations in Bangalore, Gurgaon, Mumbai, New Delhi and magical holiday escapes in Goa, Kovalam and Udaipur. Properties under development will open soon in Chennai followed by Agra, Jaipur and Ashtamudi, Kerala. The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts is dedicated to extending warm, gracious, anticipatory service in settings that ideally capture the essence of India. The group has marketing alliances with Germany-based Kempinski, US-based Preferred Hotels & Resorts and is a member of Global Hotel Alliance based in Switzerland. For further information, please visit www.theleela.com Rooms at The Leela Palace New Delhi start at £192 per night BA operates flights to Delhi from Heathrow twice daily, from £580.30 return For further press information please contact Katerina or Emily at Ann Scott Associates: 0207 823 9988 katerina@annscott.co.uk / emily@annscott.co.uk