The Leela Palace Udaipur

Having stayed at all three of Udaipur’s iconic luxury hotels in this trip (Taj Lake Palace, The Oberoi Udaivilas and The Leela), I feel I can make a fairly informed comparison. All three are magnificent properties, each beautiful in its own way. But after our stay at The Leela Palace Udaipur, there is one thing I can say with complete conviction: The Leela stands apart and it stands apart because of its people. We stayed at The Leela for one night to celebrate my wife’s birthday. A one-night stay is perhaps the hardest assignment for a luxury hotel. There is hardly any time to understand the guest, create a connection and make the experience genuinely memorable. The Leela did it exceptionally well. The difference is in the welcome. Every luxury hotel today can create a spectacular arrival. Petal showers, beautiful settings and grand entrances are wonderful, but ultimately, design can be replicated. Genuine warmth cannot. What struck me immediately at The Leela was the number of genuine smiles we encountered. The employees seemed genuinely happy to see us. It did not feel rehearsed or transactional and that small difference made a tremendous impact. Our room was beautifully and tastefully done, but once again, it was the people who made the stay special. Prachi was an absolute delight to interact with. Gracy, who handled our check-in and gave us the room orientation, was extremely professional, warm and efficient. And then there was Vishal, our floor butler. Vishal was always around when needed, but never intrusive. More importantly, he understood something very important - we were not simply checking into a hotel, we were there to celebrate an important day in our lives. That understanding made all the difference. The hotel had also clearly taken the time to look beyond our reservation. They had gone through our Instagram pages and prepared handwritten greeting cards- not one, but several. It was such a thoughtful touch. These are the details that cannot be bought, they come from people who genuinely care about creating a memorable stay. Service that anticipates rather than reacts. Lunch at The Dining Room was beautifully handled. The service was attentive, intuitive and, importantly, never overbearing. Rosy, who looked after us, had a wonderful genuine smile and was lovely to interact with. Anil, assisting her as the supervisor, was equally fabulous. In the evening, Vishal arranged a cake cutting for my wife. It was grand, beautifully executed and yet somehow still felt extremely personal. And then came one of the highlights of the stay- the Sunset Boat Ride on Lake Pichola. It was spectacular and without doubt, one of those experiences that will stay with me for a long time. The evening was full of little surprises. The evening cultural performance is something that all three hotels offer but I felt The Leela did it particularly well. The artists were engaging, interactive and most importantly, seemed to genuinely enjoy themselves. Their energy was infectious. When we returned to our room afterwards, there were thoughtful gifts waiting for us. Another surprise ! Dinner followed, and the setting was spectacular. What particularly impressed me was seeing the Executive Chef Nishad going from table to table and even taking orders himself. It is always wonderful to see senior leadership so visible and engaged with guests. And then came another cake cutting- but this time, the presentation was completely different. It would have been easy to repeat the same celebration. Instead, the team had thought about creating another distinct moment. Kudos to Sanjay, Ruturaj and their entire team. When we finally returned to our room, there was yet another surprise waiting for us. The presentation of the dessert cocktail was exceptionally classy. And then breakfast… The following morning, the Executive Chef would effortlessly come over, interact with us without being intrusive and even serve us an omelette. Quite simply, the best omelette I had during our entire Udaipur trip. And that, for me, sums up The Leela. You can compare the three hotels on architecture, rooms, restaurants, views and facilities and there will always be room for debate. But hospitality is ultimately about people. It is the smile at the door. It is remembering why the guest has come. It is anticipating rather than waiting to be asked. It is noticing the small details. It is making a guest feel that their celebration matters to you too. And on that front, The Leela has, without a doubt, the best team I experienced in Udaipur. We came for one night to celebrate my wife’s birthday. We left with memories that will last much longer than one night. We will be back next year to celebrate her birthday at The Leela again and perhaps every year after that. I honestly cannot think of a better compliment to give a hotel. The product may bring you to The Leela. The people are what will bring you back.

Leela stands true to its name providing a fairytale stay to its guests. Luxury is offered with staff , food & altogether experience that feels homely . Here , our family stay was enjoyable & relaxing . The entire team at the dining room is very sweet , caring & generous in their service . Anshul made sure that each and every meal was enjoyed by us & taken care with utmost respect . His smile & service is being treasured even after our vacation. Ravi’s suggestion of enjoying authentic meal at nearby cafes & restaurants depicts his humanity & authenticity . Sangita’s wide smile & caring gesture along with Neha , Ankit, Ronak & each and every staff’s attention , accountability & affection needs applaud . Megha & Drashyam near the reception are extremely welcoming & sweet in their receptivity making sure once we enter the hotel , our experience becomes sweeter . Special thanks to Prajikta for making sure that our room remained equipped with essentials & taking care of my father when he faced little hiccups during the vacation . Her timely help & precaution gave us relief & made sure our father is well . Rishabh was extremely helpful & caring in providing Ice pack to my father . To all the drivers who are hired by the hotel were safe , accommodating & very sweet , special thanks to Mr . Manohar . The ones who are operating the jetties , they deserve a hats off for being ever smiling, making the guests feel comfortable & answering to each query of a guest like me who was over enthusiastic in knowing about hotel’s neighbourhood . The meal that is served & cooked by the chef tastes true to its name & is extremely delicious & very homely . It feels special how chefs each day made sure we enjoyed the meal . Kachoris , Not so Mary , baked boondi , khichdi , bajra roti , club sandwiches , kadhi , ghewar , dosa , masala chai were some of our favourites. Gurjot , Bajrang & few others at the reception made sure to take care of us . Leela is doing perfect to make its guest feel comfortable. The greetings we received by every passing employee shows the value that are embodied in each one of them . How can we miss the Rajasthan folk singers & dancers who make one’s entry & evenings soo Indian & inspiring . Special mention to the wonderful affection one gets to receive on seeing the murti of Shreenath ji , Krishan ji & little Kanha ji , it feels like divine is taking care of the premises & its guests . Kudos & keep it up :)

Awesome excellent food ambience hospitalitym

Enjoyed the trip thouroly and location is excellent.its value for money.

Beautiful location,the atmosphere is very pleasant. Very comfortable rooms with nice view and very good hospitality.