The Leela Palace Jaipur – Insta Perfect Luxury Hotel

The Leela Palace is the newest luxury resort in Jaipur, Rajasthan, India. Flanked by Aravalli Hills on one side, this luxury resort has emerged out of the plains making an impressive landmark in the outskirts of Jaipur City.

Though new (just 8 months old…), it is fully operational. You will be able to choose from 200 spacious luxurious rooms.

Be forewarned that you will have a tough time choosing one. Because as per their statistics the hotel has a good 70% occupancy and this is not even the peak season. It is advisable to book early for choice rooms.

Some of these rooms have their own private plunge pools and gardens.

Staff of The Leela Palace Jaipur

I was taken aback by the massive lobby with its rich furniture, marbled floors, a water fountain right at the centre and an impressive gigantic chandelier. The smiling hostesses in their leheria sarees greeted us with chilled towels and cool fruit juice.

Thereafter it was a smooth check in and then we were whisked off for a poolside breakfast. The all day eatery here, Sukh Mahal as it is called, serves up world cuisine from local curries to other exotic dishes.

More about food and restaurants in another post: Experiential Dining in Jaipur.

Property Tour of The Leela Palace

Later we were taken for a property tour which took good 2 hours or may be more. That had to be because The Laeela Palace Jaipur is HUGE. The property spread over 51,000sq.ft of area!

Indoor Venues for Parties and Meetings

This includes the mammoth indoor venue – Vikramaditya Ballroom! Interesting to note here is that there is not a single pillar supporting the ceiling of this hall. An architectural marvel indeed!

Another interesting art work we saw here is that of a huge wall panel made of small beads. (Please see in the slide show.)

The resort is an ideal venue for business meeting and team events with their fully equipped meeting halls – Nahargarh and Jaigarh. (Psst… another secret… Film director Vidhu Vinod Chopra plans to shoot a part of his upcoming movie in JW Marriott Jaipur in the coming months!!!)

Bead work on Panel – The Leela Palace Jaipur

Outdoor Venue for Weddings

The resort’s outdoor venue measures 22,000 sqft and can accommodate 2000 people at a time for parties. Chandrashekar Joshi, General Manager, JW Marriott Jaipur Resort and Spa said that more than 15 weddings have taken place here. This is a BIG number considering the fact it is open for only 8 months now.

Interestingly there is temple within the premises. As most Hindu weddings have several rituals it was thoughtful on their part to construct one temple within the premises itself. It is so similar to the concept I have seen in Anvaya Beach Resort Bali.

Welcome – The Traditional Rajasthani Way

The space right at the entrance to The Leela Palace Jaipur is used for this. When VIPs arrive the fire columns are lit amidst drum beats and dances the traditional welcoming is done with immortal welcoming traditions and gestures like Namaste, Aarti (lit lamps arranged on a plate rotated in a circular direction in front of the person to be welcomed), Tilak on forehead, and Garlands of flowers and sometimes of currencies.

Soothing Music for Welcome and Entertainment

Music is an integral part of welcoming rituals in Rajasthan. The Leela Palace has done well by including local musicians in the hospitality team of the Resort.

There are 16 spots within this property where musicians sit with different musical instruments. It is so pleasing listening them playing soothing music throughout the day.

Special places on either side of the doors are specifically designed to seat them. I have a small video here of two musicians playing the music of old popular Hindi song of 1960s – Pallo latke re mahro.

If you have not heard ravanahatha, the ancient bowed stringed instrument yet you can listen in this video. Second artist is playing ravanahatha. The first artist is playing the tabla, a membranophone percussion instrument that originated in Indian subcontinent.

Best Artworks in Interior Design

All art works, traditional artefacts, décor pieces are made by locals. Some of the paintings on display there are made by the hotel owner’s wife. Immense talent there I will say!

Throughout they have maintained a color theme with shades of yellow, white and blue. This has enhanced the visual appeal of the entire place. Huge wall panels with blue floral designs and jharonkas with blue patterns, poolside couch chairs, restaurant furnishings all are in a soothing shade of blue.

The color prompts you to dress in those shades of the colors. I found myself and my friends donning blue and white outfits during our time there.

Fountains and Pools

There are more than 100 water bodies and that reminded me of Alhambra in Granada, Spain. You will find one at entrance, lobby, courtyard, rooms, pathways and more. You will lose count of them by the time you reach your room from the lobby of The Leela Palaceof Jaipur. Lush greenery all around with colorful flowering plants! So much that weaver birds have started owning the place and I saw a tree with several of their nests. (See pic.)

Peacocks in Decor of Hotel

Oh! I almost forgot to mention the peacocks! As you move around the property you will find huge peacocks painted on the walls. Peacock is the national bird of India and is found in plenty in Rajasthan. Whatever the reason it is such a joy to see the peacock murals there!

This luxury resort is so INSTA-PERFECT! This is the new age palace built with the idea of people coming to experience the royal factor. Right now my insta feed is full of pictures from The Leela Palace Jaipur.

Visit here: indranipics. Else you can search with hashtag – #indranipics_theleelapalacejaipur.

Rooms and Villas of The Leela Palace Jaipur

The range of rooms is mind blowing! You have a good choice from 85 royal rooms, 22 royal terrace rooms, 11 royal family rooms, 16 palace studio suites, 23 royal courtyard rooms, 41 royal pool rooms (I stayed in one of these.) 1 palace suite and 1 presidential suite.

All rooms have perfect combinations of trendy and classic decor and offer a great blend of comfort and design details. Here is a slide show of my room, a Royal Pool Villa, in The Leela Palace Jaipur.

Amenities in Hotel

4 fixture bath rooms, 24 hour in-room dining, 49-inch LED TV, Alarm clock and iPod docking station, Climate controlled air-conditioning, Iron and ironing board, Electronic safe in rooms, Mini bar, Telephones with voicemail, Tea and coffee making facilities, Wireless internet access.

One of the amenities that I thought was particularly helpful is the hotel’s shuttle service within the property. The 4 to 8 seat red buggies are of big help to get across from one end of the property to another.  Not many of the hotels in Jaipur can boast such an awesome amenity I am sure!

If you bring a car you can park it in their huge parking area at no cost.

Parting Thoughts

I came away with a belief that the hotel, The Leela Palace Jaipur, has a soul – that of warm hospitality seamlessly integrated with traditional royal lifestyle complete with modern amenities! Be warned once more that you will get too comfortable and find it difficult to tear yourself away just the way I did!

All opinions are my own and reflect my own personal experience. I was on invite for a stay by The Leela Palace Jaipur at this hotel. You can save this pin for later.

Read also: Must see sights of Jaipur: How many have you seen?

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