The Leela Palaces and Resorts are planning an expansion of the group, with five hotels planned to be built in Gurgaon- New Delhi, Udaipur, Chennai, Hyderabad and Pune, in the next three years.

Gurgaon, which houses some of the biggest international corporate houses and IT companies, and is part of India’s National Capital Region, will be the first to open.  The new landmark hotel will be managed by The Leela Group and hallmark the essence of India for which The Leela is renowned.  Opening will take place in September 2007 and the hotel will feature 319 rooms and suites with a further 90 residences.

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-Hotels-Resorts is investing US$ 72 million in this new development.

Pune, the economic hub, is one of the fastest growing regions in all of India. The Leela Palaces-Hotels-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.

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 82 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.

The group will also set new standards for five star luxury hotels to cater for a growing number of women business travellers by designing a secure level in the hotels around the specific needs of this segment.
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