Delhi...the city of history..of myth...of fables and gables.
Whether one is in search of history or for the present...for faqirs or for sants...qawalis or bhajans..Delhi has it all.
The city of Sufis..the neighbor to Kurukhshetra and Mathura.
Silent witness to the rise and fall of ancient and modern kingdoms. Delhi. The city like no other in the world.
And within this city...a hotel surpassing all other hotels in this city.
(Yes....unfortunately this piece is about something so mundane as a hotel) :)
Leela Palace. What a hotel!
Leela Palace has recently opened its hospitable doors for the discerning traveler to Delhi...and is a welcome respite in a city which has so much to offer but until recently was lacking in the hotel department.
The argument goes, of course, that the inimitable "Imperial" is in Delhi! With the Imperial there why would anyone want to stay anywhere else?
The response to that argument would be...one has to stay at both the Imperial and Leela Palace to compare the difference...which this author has done.
Imperial of course wins hands down on the colonial structure and the nostalgic feeling of "British Raj" but as far as hotel services go it seems that it is still stuck in the British Raj! The crisp feeling of being in a luxury hotel is missing at the Imperial.
The only other comparable for the Leela Palace would be the ruling luminary of the Delhi Hotel World "Oberoi", which of course is and will probably remain a close contender (considering it is Oberoi) however in this comparison as well Leela Palace will get extra points due to the "newness", excellent service and comfort of Leela Palace. And lets be honest its not as if the Oberoi Delhi is the Amarvilas! For those who have not already experienced it, Amarvilas (Oberoi Agra) is an experience in itself!
When extolling the virtues of Leela...the biggest problem is..where to begin...(and that unfortunately makes this piece a difficult to write. Its just plain boring to go on and on and on saying this was good and that was great...but ... unfortunately for this piece..and fortunately for Leela..thats how this piece is going to turn out).
So where does one start...with the beautiful interior...or the impeccable service..or the incomparable eye for detail that is displayed everywhere you look (but only for those who note)..the feeling of luxury...the amazing food... where does one begin?
Well..lets get all the mundane and boring stuff out of the way first.
The approach and the entrance. The imposing elephant structure is unusual in a modern hotel and definitely merits a second look. To be honest, the staff that greets you at the entrance of all Delhi hotels is excellent, super courteous and helpful and Leela is no different.
The lobby has a feeling of newness to it and the welcome ritual is very Indian and if you haven't already drank in the feeling of being in India during the drive from the airport to Leela...than the welcome ritual with the tilak and the mala will definitely welcome you to India in a very Indian way.
The rooms are a treat. Why? Well, there are the basics and the essentials in every hotel room, the bed, the tv, the desk, the chairs etc...etc. Depending on the level of luxury the basics and essentials fluctuate. So without wasting words on the obvious let it suffice that the basic essentials met the expectations. What was special about the room at Leela were the finer details. The lights and the light switches for example which were controlled from both sides and were simple and not complicated. As any traveller knows, there is nothing more frustrating than struggling with a hi-tech light console when you are sleepy and tired. No such problems at Leela. The iPod / iPhone deck is definitely worth a mention.
Then comes the bathroom. Here too without wasting words on the basics and the essentials (which were yet again as expected...although it has to be added that the towels were nice and fluffy) the finer details won the day. The winner was the clock. It is unusual to find a clock in a bathroom but it is one thing that travelers require the most when getting ready. Well Leela has taken care of it and provides you with that essential luxury.
Now that the mundane and boring is out of the way...lets start on the interesting stuff.
The staff can make or break an establishment. Whether it is the people that you come into contact with or the ones that you don't actually see but whose presence you are aware of...the housekeeping staff. The housekeeping staff at Leela require a special mention. They are impeccable to say the very least. The newness of Leela is further heightened by the efficiency of its staff.
Dervish found the silver pieces gracing the halls of the hotel quite fascinating. The statue of Ganpati in the lobby with the silver filigree backdrop is a beautiful piece. Just like the Garudas.
To sum it up, Leela Palace the building, is a fascinating piece of architecture...and for Dervish..it embodied India as it is today...a beautiful blend of India's historic and cultural heritage and the modern India of today.
This is a critique based on actual hotel experience.
