The Leela Palace Jaipur

Absolutely incredible! Loved every single moment from check in to arranging everything for our family of 8 plus all of our kids 4 of them under 12 we truly had a magical time.

Aryan pande was our butler and DAILY he coordinated our travels, our schedules, our itinerary and while the rest of our fam was at a farm house, he supported birthday surprise for my husband, plus getting medicines for my daughter when she fell ill. He went above and beyond!

Truly, the hospitality is out of this world. The fact that u can swim in your swimsuit (I’ve been to many hotels in India) and feel fully comfortable is also telling.

Plus the ode to our rituals and culture like the amazing puppet show our kids saw daily, (such a must by the way!!!) was so magical. Learning how entertainment was done pre screens SOO important!

Plus all of the activities and dance. We couldn’t recommend a better hotel.

We had a great stay at Leela Palace Jaipur

Dining at Sheesh Mahal, The Leela Palace Udaipur, was a truly wonderful experience. The restaurant has a beautiful ambience, an elegant setting, and the overall experience felt very special.

A special mention to Ravi, the Restaurant Manager, who made the evening even more memorable. From the moment we arrived, he welcomed us warmly and personally ensured that everything was taken care of. His hospitality, attentiveness, and professionalism were exceptional, and he went above and beyond to make sure we had a comfortable and enjoyable experience.

The service was impeccable, and every little detail was handled with great care. Ravi’s genuine warmth and hospitality truly stood out.

Thank you to the entire team at Sheesh Mahal for such a memorable evening. I would definitely recommend Sheesh Mahal to anyone visiting Udaipur and looking for a beautiful dining experience with exceptional hospitality.

this is a new standard in hotel hospitality for us. It will be memorable for all of the right reasons. I saw a video on Instagram from a vlogger who was at the hotel during the off season. He was raving about the incredible service and the affordability. So, we decided to try it out. We booked a Palace suite with half board (breakfast and either lunch or dinner). I also cashed in some hotel points that made this a laughably cheap stay for us. When we got to the hotel, we were upgraded to a Palace suite with a plunge pool. It was exceedingly nice. The hotel also assigns a "butler" to each room. We got Dev. He was also incredible. He was proactive when we weren't contacting him and very quick to respond when we did have reason to contact him. This is another level of service we've never experienced before. The breakfast and dinners were buffets, so there was plenty of choice. But I will say that, at least at dinner, there were more choices that were Indian dishes...and some quick chilli hot. Service in the restaurant was also above and beyond expectations. I will name a few of the people who made our experience outstanding: Kumari, Ajay and Nima. I'd love to say that we'll make the Leela Palace an annual getaway. But, I'm afraid that this was such a great experience that we may be disappointed next time. Our expectations may just be too high!

Excellent Service

Had a wonderful dining experience at Jamavar, The Leela Palace, and a special mention to Anchal for her warm and attentive service.

She was extremely courteous, professional, and genuinely helpful throughout the experience. Her attention to detail and friendly approach made our dinner even more enjoyable. It’s people like Anchal who make an already great restaurant experience truly memorable.

Thank you, Anchal, for taking such good care of us. Highly recommended!

We spent 45K for one night and one dinner reservation at their Jamvar restaurant and they were not able to honor their own 2000rs complementary fnb promotion.
We felt so cheap having asked about it at each of their resturants, the peacock lounge, the Aravali and the jharokha and we were not able to utilise it as non of the staff was knowledgeable or didn't want us to use it.
Next day we mentioned this at checkout and the staff kindly said that please feel free to use it now if you like. I had some emails to send so we spent some time having more food and beverages at their resturant. But at billing time they were unable to do so even after speaking to multiple staff. I ended up paying just to get it over with.
This felt so CHEAP. Never going again.
There are so many more smaller issues like excessive tip behaviour, delays in small requests, odd mixture of gaudy paint, fake plastic marble, poor pillows, too many pigeons, extremely long dark overly chilled corridors with just one lift area etc
The buffet breakfast and the pool were very good.

Molto bella

In January 2026, I discovered India through my stay at THE LEELA PALACE BENGALURU.

It was my first time in India, and I could not have chosen a better introduction to the country. THE LEELA embodies and cultivates a culture that introduces guests like me, in the most wonderful way, to the beauty, traditions, values, elegance and hospitality that make India utterly unique in the world.

I am not speaking here about the architecture, the craftsmanship, the interiors, the design, the sculptures or the gardens — although I would have every reason to do so. In all of these areas, THE LEELA sets standards.

I am speaking about the people.

The team. The individuals.

From the moment my car door was opened upon arrival until the day it was closed again when I departed, I encountered people in a way that made me understand something that I had never experienced quite like this before:

**This is India.**

This is what makes India so utterly unique among all the countries and cultures of the world.

Already on my first day, I thought to myself:

*I do not need to leave THE LEELA to immerse myself in the riches of India.*

So when I set out again in August 2026 to return to the country that had made me so profoundly happy, there was no question where I would stay.

It could only be THE LEELA.

This time, my destination was Jaipur.

Vartika, who had looked after me in Bengaluru, informed THE LEELA PALACE JAIPUR that I would be arriving — and, in particular, Ragini from Events. What followed was a wonderful chain reaction that resulted in my being welcomed in Jaipur like royalty.

I will not describe the welcome ceremony here. Experienced travellers already know that THE LEELA's welcome is the gold standard among India's leading luxury hotels.

But what touched me even more was the personal, warm and direct attention.

It began days before my arrival, with messages from my brilliant butler, Varun, and even a phone call.

I was escorted to a Royal Villa, although I had booked a standard room.

There, a beautifully prepared welcome table was waiting for me, with a personal greeting card quoting my own greeting, “Kuckuck!” — a tiny but extraordinary detail that could only have happened because of the connection between Vartika in Bengaluru and Ragini in Jaipur.

There was also a magnificent bouquet of red roses and countless other lovingly thought-out details.

And then, over the following days, I encountered the most wonderful people.

**Arpita** from Kolkata — or, as she called it, “The City of Joy” — from the reception team.

**Akshat**, the night butler, who brought my newspaper to my villa and personally accompanied me to yoga at 6:30 in the morning.

**Upasana**, with whom I attended numerous yoga sessions.

**Anish** from Agra, who looked after me at breakfast.

**Tangh** from Meghalaya, who served my dinner in the PEACOCK LOUNGE. During one of those dinners, Varun suddenly appeared and presented me with a new Rudraksha mala. My first Rudraksha mala, which had accompanied me to Bengaluru and had felt like a blessing throughout my journey — something that had helped keep my heart soft and open to India — had unfortunately been damaged.

**Uma Saini**, who expertly stepped in for Upasana as my yoga teacher on two occasions. During the second session, Uma sang mantras for me for several minutes. For me, it was absolute bliss.

**Amkit**, who manages the restaurant and kindly allowed me to invite a friend from Jaipur to breakfast one morning. I was deeply grateful for this gesture — and when I tried to pay for my friend's breakfast, I was told that there would be no charge. It was THE LEELA's gift to me.

**Chander** from Kashmir, who looked after me at the AMBER TERRACE and with whom I immediately became friends. It simply could not have been otherwise. After dinner, Chander gave me a gift. When I tried to give him a tip, he refused to accept it.

**Anchal** from Agra, from the reception team.

**JJ Janmayjai** from Rajasthan.

**Vivek** from Jaipur, from Housekeeping, who cared for my Royal Villa with such affection and imagination — with surprises, personal greeting cards, small framed pictures, flower petals on my pillows and so many other thoughtful details.

**Anoop Pandey**, the General Manager, who asked me repeatedly how I was doing and patiently listened to me for many minutes when I told him about my experiences in Jaipur. I was also deeply honoured to stand beside him in the group photograph during the Independence Day ceremony.

**Avirial**, who describes herself as Tangh's chosen sister. They come from the same tribe and from Shillong, the capital of Meghalaya. She looked after me at breakfast.

**Kishan** from Manipur, who served me breakfast.

**Ayusi** from the state of Jharkhand, who also served me breakfast.

**Kunari** from Bhutan, who, when I asked her what it was like to live in her country, simply answered:

**“Heaven on Earth.”**

**Ankit** from Mumbai, at the reception, who somehow organised an iPhone charging cable for me at 12:30 at night after I had managed to leave my own somewhere in Jaipur.

And **Bhanti Lama** from Nepal, who welcomed me to my final yoga session with these words:

> “We know that today is your last yoga session at THE LEELA. We want to make it a very special experience for you.”

And that is exactly what they did.

There were colourful fabrics for the yoga mats, neatly rolled face towels on every mat, bottles of water, and numerous members of the team setting up a beautiful bar with tea, juices, nuts and other wellness offerings for the minutes after the yoga session.

The effort was considerable.

The effect was enormous.

After yoga, Bhanti Lama appeared again at the bar.

“Before you leave, we would like to have your fingernails repainted.”

A small disclaimer may be appropriate here: I always travel with my fingernails and toenails painted. It may not be the standard for a 66-year-old German man, but it is simply one of the ways I make myself happy.

So Bhanti Lama arranged an appointment for me at the Spa at 11:00 a.m.

When I arrived, just one hour before my departure, **Nandini** from Mumbai, the Salon Manager, was waiting for me. For a full hour, she took extraordinary care of my nails, with patience, precision and an almost touching attention to detail.

When I asked her to put the cost on my hotel bill, she simply said:

> “We are not going to do that. We want you to feel good when you get into the car to Delhi. THE LEELA will take care of it.”

And when I was saying goodbye, Bhanti Lama appeared once more — simply to ask whether I had been happy with the Spa service and to say goodbye.

In the lobby, **Vivek** and his supervisor **Sheeshram**, from Jaipur, were already waiting for me.

Not because they had to.

Simply because they wanted to say goodbye.

And yes, I know: I should actually write much more about everything I experienced with these wonderful people and about the extraordinarily individual way in which they cared for me.

For the sake of brevity, I will limit myself to my butlers, beginning with **Varun**.

Varun did not merely accompany me to a temple ceremony. He participated in it himself. The following day, a framed photograph of Varun, the priest and me was waiting for me in my Royal Villa as a memory of that experience.

Varun messaged me several times every day, asking whether everything was alright and what my plans were.

He picked me up and accompanied me to restaurants.

Whenever I had dinner at the PEACOCK LOUNGE or the AMBER TERRACE, Varun would appear simply to make sure that I was well.

He not only gave me a new Rudraksha mala. He also offered to have my damaged mala repaired because he had noticed how much it meant to me.

And it meant — and still means — a great deal to me.

In fact, if there is one thing about my stay at THE LEELA PALACE JAIPUR that I deeply regret, it is that I did not accept Varun's incredibly meaningful offer to have it repaired.

When Varun said goodbye to me on Sunday, 16 August 2026, at 10:00 p.m. at the AMBER TERRACE — he was leaving the following day for fifteen days in his home region — I was deeply moved.

And at the same time, I felt immensely happy and grateful that this wonderful human being had been at my side for several days.

**Dev from Delhi** then took over from Varun and cared for me during the remaining days as my butler, with extraordinary dedication, infectious friendliness and wonderful good humour.

And finally, I want to mention **Anish from Agra** once more.

I often had him around me at breakfast, and, for reasons I cannot quite explain, I feel a very special connection to him.

I have tried to note the place or region of origin of every member of the team I mention here. I sincerely hope that I have recorded everything correctly. If I have made any mistake, I would be grateful for your correction — I will immediately incorporate it into my review.

Why is this important to me?

Because I would ask you to read the opening of this review once again.

**At THE LEELA, you discover India.**

**At THE LEELA, I discovered India.**

Through the diversity of its people — a diversity that reflects the extraordinary diversity of India itself.

I will return.

To India.

To THE LEELA.

And I will return because of these people.

For some travellers, it may be possible to build connections to sights and monuments that change their lives.

For me, it is encounters with people — and the connections I build with them — that have the power to change me.

THE LEELA has created and nurtured a culture in which this is possible.

I have never experienced anything like it in any other hotel.

And for that, I will remain profoundly grateful.

Of all the stays we have experienced over the years, this has been one of the most memorable. The hospitality was simply brilliant, and we had a beautiful vacation at The Leela Palace Jaipur. True to the legacy of the Leela, it really upholds the name.
And the property itself is breathtaking. The way it has been designed, the interiors, the beautiful courtyards and the detailing everywhere you look are simply stunning. There is so much beauty in the little things, and you can really see the thought and craftsmanship that has gone into creating this place.
The hotel was really packed when we arrived, but the check in was so smooth. They had coordinated everything with us over the phone before arrival, and our room was ready.
We had booked the Royal villa with a small private plunge pool, and oh, it was beautiful. A lovely courtyard with a beautiful villa like setup, just the perfect size. Each and every detail had been looked into. The service was first class, the amenities were top notch, and honestly, they left no room for error.
The food was 10 out of 10.
A very special thank you to Kalyani, who is truly a genie. Whatever we requested, she was prompt and would get it delivered .Thank you, Kalyani, for making our stay so comfortable.
The spa experience was top notch , entertainment, music, the restaurants..We only wish we had more time to explore everything the property had to offer.
Our dining experience at Jamavar was breathtaking. . The ambience, the decor, the service and our host, whose name we unfortunately did not get, were all spot on. The food was so rich and true to the Rajasthani style.
The chef made a lovely gesture of meeting all guests personally.
Breakfast, even though it was a fully packed weekend, was managed beautifully by the staff. A special thank you to Praveen, who was so knowledgeable about the dishes and quite persuasive in making us try all the local specialities. We were very impressed.
And a special message for Shelan. Your eagerness to please your guests and that innocent smile really touched us. Keep up the good job. Your smile literally lit up our table.
It is very evident that this place is being managed by youngsters, and that is really commendable. The discipline, professionalism and genuine warmth of the team were so refreshing to see. Honestly, some of the other five star hotels could take a leaf out of their book.
The Leela Jaipur, you are definitely one of our favourite places. We had such a wonderful stay and are definitely
coming back.
Mrs DrT
Thank you for making our vacation so special.

Visited the Spa today for a guided meditation and sound therapy session. Upasana was amazing. I feel totally relaxed and centered. The ambience is beautiful. I would highly recommend it.

Satyaki was very warm and helped us have a wonderful experience. The food was amazing.

Neat and clean

Everything from the ambience to facilities to staff and all

Very good experience with the Aravali dining at Leela...Satyaki he is very good person