Luxury to me is a complete experience, every aspect has to be lavish and opulent. Whenever I plan a holiday my travels fall in either of the two categories – pure indulgence or a explorer. When it’s the former it’s all about staying in a great hotel and relaxing with a little bit of exploration and when it’s the latter it entails living like a local, discovering the uncommon places and I don’t mind staying on a budget.
When I visited Delhi a while ago, we decided to stay at one of the upscale hotels in New Delhi considering the past few weeks had been crazy due to the workload, which means it was now time to indulge. Among all the luxury hotels in Delhi I somehow never got a chance to stay at The Leela Palace at Chanakyapuri, although I did visit their coffee shop when it opened. And I must say it was a great stay.
Ideal for: City break when you want to feel like a royalty.
What: The Leela Palace, Chanakyapuri, Delhi
Where: In the midst of the city in Chanakyapuri
Interiors: Edwardian style decor with great attention to detail paid to everything. The moment you step in you feel you are dipped in luxury.
The Rooms: They have rooms and suites. I stayed in a Grand Deluxe Room which was spacious at 550 sq ft. In fact on one of the nights we even got an extra bed installed since we decided to turn it into a party night and had some friends crash in. The hotel has a Edwardian style, so the rooms felt in line with the theme – gold and glam with pure Kashmiri carpets, carved mirror and royal style work desk. Overall the decor is a nice mix of classic and contemporary.
The Bed: Comfortable and huge.
Washroom: The room had one spacious Italian marble clad bathroom with a bathtub, soft robes, the shower room and toilet. While the hotel didn’t pay much attention to the toiletries as they were the ‘usual’ hotel types – strong with artificial fragrance unlike the luxury organic brand most hotels are switching to, everything else about the bathroom was just perfect.
The Breakfast: The breakfast is served on the ground floor at The Qube restaurant overlooking their lush garden with blooming lotus. It was a nice large spread and had a nice selection even for my very restrictive diet. A very wide selection of fruits and even more amazing services the staff is very efficient and friendly and would get you whatever they can. Now that’s luxury!
The Food (restaurants & bars): They have quite a few restaurants in the hotel, so you don’t really need to leave the hotel! Although for someone like me who eats only at a pure vegetarian restaurant the hotel didn’t offer any choice. The only good place I can think of for a nice vegetarian meal in Delhi is Shraman at Ashoka Hotel at Chanakyapuri, that’s close by.
Pool: It wouldn’t be an exaggeration if I say that among all the 5 star hotels in Delhi, The Leela has the best pool. It’s temperature controlled pool is located on the rooftop overlooking the city and is simply fantastic. In fact it is also the highest elevated pool on the city.
Spa and Gym: The hotel also has a great spa and gym. Although I didn’t get time to use their services but it definitely looked very tempting and I’ve heard great reviews of their spa. Would definitely use their services next time I am in Delhi. It’s an exquisite property with equally exquisite and impeccable service. Pure luxury!
Impeccable service, courteous and very attentive staff, tastefully decorated rooms makes The Leela Palace Delhi one of the best places to stay in the city.
————-
Have you visited the Pink City Jaipur? A great place filled with history, culture, arts and amazing shopping. If you are travelling to Jaipur you must stay at the Rambagh Palace Jaipur (hotel review).
Need a long break to Europe? Here’s your Vegetarian Travel Guide to Norway.
Follow Style Destino on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest.
