Leela group plans pan-India presence

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Luxury hospitality player Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts has drawn up plans to open hotels in Chennai and New Delhi next year.

The group recently made a foray into Rajasthan with the opening of the Leela Kempinski property in Udaipur. Leela group chairman Krishnan Nair said the 80-room modern palace hotel with a view of the Pichola lake was designed by world-renowned architect Bill Bensley and interior designer Jeffrey Wilkes.

The Leela group now has resorts at Mumbai, Bangalore, Goa, Kovalam (Kerala), Gurgaon and Udaipur. Company officials said the plans to open new properties was part of having a network of hotels in key business and leisure destinations and charting a pan-India presence in the near future.

They said the group���s properties reflected a blend of aesthetic sensibility and modern amenities, reflecting the essence of India.

Besides the proposed hotels in Chennai and New Delhi, the group has drawn up plans to develop hotels in Agra, Hyderabad and Pune. The Leela group has alliances with Kempinski of Germany and US-based Preferred Hotel Group.