Kempinski and Leela expand Hotel Agreement in India

Kempinski Hotels and The Leela Palaces & Resorts are extending their Management Alliance in India. In addition to The Leela Kempinski hotels in Mumbai, Bangalore and Kovalam, a further five hotels in New Delhi - Gurgaon, Udaipur, Chennai, Hyderabad and Pune will be included in the agreement in the next four years.

The agreement was signed by the heads of each group, Reto Wittwer, President & CEO of Kempinski, and Captain C.P. Krishnan Nair, The Honourable Chairman of The Leela Palaces & Resorts. The two groups have been working together in India since 1987. Reto Wittwer shared his delight at this Management Alliance, “The Leela Palaces & Resorts are an excellent match for Kempinski. Captain Nair and his team share Kempinski’s goal of creating a unique experience of the destination for our guests, through personal service and an individual approach.”

The first of the new hotels under this agreement has already opened in 2005 and will be rechristened as The Leela Kempinski Kovalam Beach Resort. This five star deluxe resort is in the coastal city of Kovalam, which for many visitors is one of the top three tropical paradise destinations on the South Indian coast, along with Goa and Mallapuram. Kerala’s largest resort covers 64 acres and offers 194 exclusive rooms and suites, of which 64 in the Sea-View Wing have been designed according to The Leela’s new Club concept. Guests can enjoy a selection of restaurants and lounges as well as a library and a traditional Ayurveda centre. Built on a rock-face and cradled between two wide sweeping beaches, the resort has a panoramic view of the famous Kovalam coastline and two stunning infinity pools overlooking the sea.

In the north of the country, India’s capital, New Delhi, will see the opening of a new landmark hotel from the Indian luxury hotel group in Gurgaon. The hotel will feature 319 rooms and suites with a further 90 residences. Pune, the economic hub, is one of the fastest growing regions in all of India. The Leela Palaces & Resorts is part of this development and the group will invest US$ 36 million into building a 260 room luxury hotel, set to open in 2009.

In the harbour city of Chennai, formerly Madras, a 15-storey Palace with 360 rooms is being constructed and will open in 2008. The Palace will not only be the largest in the city, but its conference centre, which will cover some 1600 m2, will be the most important in Chennai. The Leela Palaces & Resorts is investing US$ 72 million in this new development. 

The group will also cater for a growing number of women business travellers; a secure level in each hotel will be designed around the specific needs of women business travellers.

At the same time, a further investment of US$ 70 million will be made in a luxury hotel in Hyderabad, in the heights of the Deccan plains. This new 300 room property will welcome guests to a central location in the city.

A new palace hotel at Lake Pichola in Udaipur is under construction, with some 68 oversized guest rooms and Royal Suites evoking the life and times of the Royal past. An array of restaurants and lounges, a state-of-the-art spa and banquet facilities will cater to both the growing social as well as Meeting and Conference markets.

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