A new palace in the diplomatic quarter
The Leela name: the group was founded by Captain C.P. Krishnan Nair, who named it after his wife, Leela.
The idea: a palace-style hotel for the capital, drawing on the domes and grand scale of Lutyens' New Delhi.
- Opened
- 2011
- Group
- The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts
- Neighbourhood
- Chanakyapuri, Delhi's embassy district
- Inspiration
- The grand architecture of Lutyens' Delhi
- The setting: Chanakyapuri, the diplomatic quarter planned after Independence, with wide tree-lined avenues and embassies on every side.
- The opening: the hotel opened in 2011, and quickly became the place Delhi chose for state banquets, weddings and celebrations.
- Not a heritage building: this is a new palace, built with old-world grandeur and modern comfort. We say so plainly, because it matters for what you expect.
- Our view: after the real palaces of Rajasthan, it is a fine contrast. Before them, it is a gentle overture.
What staying at The Leela Palace is like
The architecture: domes, colonnades and a symmetrical facade in the spirit of Lutyens' Delhi.
The interiors: marble floors, chandeliers, rich fabrics and flowers arranged every day.
- The rooms: large and very comfortable, with the cocooned feel you want after a long flight.
- The rooftop pool: looking over the embassy district, the place for a late afternoon swim.
- The spa: the hotel has a spa. We book a treatment for your first afternoon.
- The service: formal, warm and attentive. Butler service is part of the Leela style.
- The atmosphere: diplomats and business guests in the week, celebrations and weddings at the weekend.
Choosing your room
For calm: a higher floor, away from the lifts and the function rooms.
For a celebration: a suite on the first or last night of a long journey.
- Our usual ask
- A higher floor, away from the lifts
- For a celebration
- A suite, booked well ahead
- For families
- Connecting or nearby rooms
- Busy times
- Winter and the wedding season
- For families: connecting or nearby rooms, which we request when we book.
- For an early flight: a room ready for a late arrival, and a wake-up call timed with your car.
- For the wedding season: we ask the hotel about large events on your dates, and choose rooms away from them.
- Our honest view: if Old Delhi matters most, The Imperial is closer. If grandeur matters, stay here.
Dining at The Leela Palace
Jamavar: the hotel's Indian restaurant, serving dishes from across India in a rich, formal room.
Megu: a Japanese restaurant, for a change from Indian food after a long journey.
- The Qube: the all-day restaurant, for breakfast and easy meals.
- The bar: a calm, wood-panelled bar for a drink before dinner.
- Restaurants change: venues and menus evolve, so we confirm what is open when we book your table.
- Outside the hotel: our Delhi food guide covers the city's best restaurants and street food.
- Book ahead: at weekends and in the wedding season.
Spa, pool and rest
First afternoon: a treatment at the spa, then a swim on the roof.
The midday rule: sightsee early and late, and keep the hottest hours for the hotel.
- A quiet lunch: in the hotel, rather than fighting the city traffic at noon.
- Before a flight home: a last night here lets you shower, rest and pack calmly.
- More on spas: our spa and Ayurveda page covers the spas on our journeys.
Delhi from Chanakyapuri
Qutub Minar
- What it is: the soaring minaret begun by the first Delhi Sultans, with the Iron Pillar and the Alai Darwaza beside it.
- How: a short drive south, early in the morning.
Lutyens' Delhi
- What it is: Rashtrapati Bhavan, the Secretariats, Kartavya Path and India Gate.
- When: a drive at dusk, when families come out to walk.
Lodhi Garden and Humayun's Tomb
- What they are: a park of Sultanate tombs and the great Mughal garden tomb.
- When: Lodhi Garden at dawn, Humayun's Tomb at sunset.
Nehru Park
- What it is: a large green park in Chanakyapuri, close to the hotel.
- When: an early walk with Delhi's joggers and birdwatchers.
Old Delhi
- What it is: Shah Jahan's walled city, with the Red Fort and Chandni Chowk.
- How: an early start, as it is the longest drive from here.
The old cities of south Delhi
Mehrauli: the oldest continuously lived-in part of Delhi, around the Qutub, with tombs, stepwells and mosques among its lanes.
Rajon ki Baoli: a stepwell in Mehrauli Archaeological Park, quiet and beautiful in the early light.
- Hauz Khas: a medieval reservoir with a madrasa and tombs on its bank, now ringed by cafes.
- The Lotus Temple: the Bahá'í house of worship, open to all faiths, in the shape of a lotus.
- How we do it: a half-day with a guide who knows the Sultanate story, ending with lunch in Hauz Khas or back at the hotel.
- Why it matters: these cities show the Delhi Sultanate before the Mughals, the background to many Rajput stories you will hear in Rajasthan.
The city that inspired the hotel
Rashtrapati Bhavan: Lutyens' Viceroy's House on Raisina Hill, now the home of the President of India.
The Secretariats: Herbert Baker's twin blocks of red and cream sandstone on either side of the hill.
- Kartavya Path: the ceremonial avenue, once called Rajpath, where the Republic Day parade passes each January.
- India Gate: Lutyens' memorial arch to the soldiers of the Indian Army who died in the First World War.
- Indian details in a classical plan: look for chhatris, the domed pavilions, and jaalis, the carved stone screens. You will see their originals across Rajasthan.
- When to go: a drive at dusk, with a stop to walk the lawns near India Gate.
- Ice cream at India Gate: on warm evenings, Delhi families gather on the lawns with kulfi and balloons. Join them for half an hour.
Shopping from Chanakyapuri
Khan Market: books, design shops and cafes, a short drive away.
Dilli Haat: an open-air market where artisans from across India sell from small stalls.
- Central Cottage Industries Emporium: the government crafts store on Janpath, with fixed prices.
- The state emporia: state-run craft shops on Baba Kharak Singh Marg, each selling its own region's work.
- Our rule: no commission shops, ever. We take you where we would shop ourselves.
A new palace or an old one?
What a new palace gives you: modern bathrooms, quiet air-conditioning, large rooms and no creaking stairs, with grandeur in the design.
What an old palace gives you: history in the walls, the family portraits and the sense of sleeping where a ruler slept.
- Why both work: a cocooned start in Delhi makes the character of a heritage palace easier to enjoy later.
- How we balance a journey: we mix polished hotels like the Leela with heritage houses such as Deogarh Mahal or Samode Palace.
- Read more: our palace hotels guide explains the difference between true palaces and new ones built in palace style.
A Delhi day from the Leela
- More plans: our Delhi itinerary and Delhi in two days have longer versions.
Morning, the Sultanate cities
Early: Mehrauli Archaeological Park and Rajon ki Baoli at opening.
- Mid-morning: Qutub Minar, the Iron Pillar and the Alai Darwaza.
- Late morning: coffee by the lake at Hauz Khas.
Afternoon, the hotel
- Lunch: back at the Leela.
- Rest: the spa, or the rooftop pool.
Evening, the Mughal garden
Late afternoon: Humayun's Tomb in the golden light.
- Dusk: a drive past India Gate and up Kartavya Path.
- Dinner: at the hotel, or a table we book in the city.
Families and celebrations
Honeymoons and anniversaries: a suite, flowers in the room and a private dinner on the first or last night. We arrange the details with the hotel.
Big birthdays: a long lunch for the family, then the spa for the guest of honour.
- Children: large rooms, a pool and staff who are used to families.
- Grandparents: lifts, calm halls and a short drive to the airport.
- Our family journeys: explain how we pace Rajasthan for three generations together.
Your first evening after a long flight
At the airport: our representative meets you at arrivals with the car.
The drive: usually about thirty minutes at night, one of the shortest of the central hotels.
- At the hotel: a quiet check-in and straight to your room.
- First hour: a long bath, a pot of tea and an early room-service supper if you prefer.
- Next morning: Qutub Minar or Lodhi Garden early, when jet lag wakes you anyway.
- Then: a slow lunch, the spa, and the road to Rajasthan the following day.
What most visitors miss
The flowers: look at the arrangements in the lobby each day. They change, and they are part of the house style.
The embassy avenues: an early walk along the tree-lined roads of Chanakyapuri, quiet and green.
- The National Rail Museum: in Chanakyapuri, with old steam engines and royal saloons. Children love it.
- Mehrauli's lanes: many visitors see only the Qutub. The ruins around it are just as rewarding.
- The rooftop at dusk: most guests swim at noon. The pool is most beautiful at sunset.
When to stay at The Leela Palace
October and November: warm days and clear evenings. Air quality can dip in November, so we plan more indoor time when needed.
December and January: cool, with fog some mornings. Flights can be delayed, so we keep a buffer.
- Best months
- October to March
- Foggy mornings
- December and January
- Hottest
- April to June
- Monsoon
- July to September
- Busiest
- Winter, and the wedding season
- February and March: Delhi's spring, with flowers in the city's gardens.
- April to June: very hot. Sights at dawn only, and the afternoons inside.
- The monsoon: green and humid, with heavy showers.
- Month by month: our guide to the best time to visit Delhi has more.
Who will love The Leela Palace, and who won't
Celebrations: a honeymoon, an anniversary or a milestone birthday at the start or end of the journey.
First-timers: a cocooned first night after a long flight.
- Families: large rooms and attentive staff, with connecting rooms on request.
- Early flyers: a shorter drive to the airport than the hotels further north.
- Guests heading south: easy access to Qutub Minar and Mehrauli.
- You may not love it if: you want history in the walls, a garden setting or Old Delhi close by.
- Alternatives: for history, The Imperial. For calm beside a golf course, The Oberoi, New Delhi. Our Delhi hotels guide compares them.
How The Leela Palace fits our journeys
Rajasthan for Two: our couples' journey can begin or end here with a celebration.
Honeymoons: our Rajasthan honeymoons often finish with a last night at the Leela.
- The Leela in Rajasthan: continue the style at The Leela Palace Jaipur and The Leela Palace Udaipur.
- The real palaces: contrast it with a true heritage palace such as Rambagh Palace in Jaipur.
- Our role: we meet you at arrivals, brief you on the first evening and stay with you on WhatsApp throughout.
Getting to The Leela Palace
From the airport: usually about thirty minutes at night, longer in the day. We meet you at arrivals.
By train: the fast trains to Agra and Jaipur leave from New Delhi and Hazrat Nizamuddin stations.
- Airport
- Usually about 30 minutes at night
- Daytime traffic
- Can double the drive
- To Jaipur
- Four to five hours by road
- To Agra
- Three to four hours by road
- To Jaipur: four to five hours by road, often less on the new expressway.
- To Agra: three to four hours on the expressway, or by fast train.
- More detail: our airports and flights guide explains timings.
What we tell friends before they stay
Book dinner ahead: the restaurants are busy with Delhi families, especially at weekends.
Ask about events: in the wedding season, we check what is booked on your dates.
Keep an eye on the air: in November and December, check air quality and carry a mask if sensitive.
- Dress for shrines: a scarf for the head and shoulders, for mosques, gurdwaras and temples.
- Dry days: on some national holidays, alcohol is not served. Our dry days guide explains.
- Keep the first day light: one sight, a long lunch and an early night set you up for the road.
- Shop calmly: for crafts, our shopping guide lists the fixed-price emporia we trust.
- Carry small notes: for shoe-minders at shrines, rickshaws in the old city and small tips.
- Let jet lag help: if you wake before dawn, go to Mehrauli or Lodhi Garden at first light. It is the finest hour of the Delhi day.
- Plan your exit: for an early flight, we time the car around the traffic and ask the hotel for a packed breakfast.
- Tell us the occasion: a birthday or anniversary helps us arrange the small touches with the hotel.