Imbibing all the cultured Indian nuances in its ethos, the quintessential Gujarati tradition sees guests as gods, ‘અતિથિ દેવો ભવ:’ ‘Athithi Devo Bhava:’ Inculcating the entire vibrant Gujarat in its very soul, The Leela Gandhinagar receives guests from all over India and abroad to let them experience the eternally enchanting ગુજરાતી hospitality in its entirety.
With all the love, compassion, and pride, Vikas Sood, General Manager, appeals, “Welcome guests! Into our homely hospitality as big as our hearts. Blending modern splendour with the vibrant old-world traditions of Gujarat, we present to you The Leela Gandhinagar, a resplendent 318-room 5-star hotel in Gandhinagar, built atop the concourse of the Gandhinagar railway station, only minutes away from the Mahatma Mandir Convention and Exhibition Centre managed by The Leela.”
“Located thirty minutes from the Ahmedabad airport, it is close to many business hubs and the perfect destination for corporate meetings and conferences. Our cutting-edge, versatile, indoor and outdoor meeting spaces are well-equipped to host small and large-scale conferences and meetings.”
The Icon of Gandhinagar
“Located only forty minutes away from the hustle and bustle of the city, we invite you to satisfy your inner wanderlust with a relaxing break at The Leela Gandhinagar, the ideal destination for a spontaneous getaway. The hotel offers many facilities, from a world-class spa, a swimming pool, and a state-of-the-art fitness centre to exceptional dining venues spanning various cuisines in an idyllic setting. The hotel also has an exclusive Roya Club where guests experience royalty at every step when you stay in our Club Rooms and Suites with exclusive access to The Royal Club Lounge. The lounge offers numerous exclusively curated VIP amenities, such as private check-in and check-out at the 8th floor reception to hosting high-profile private board meetings at our well-equipped, state-of-the-art Chairman Boardroom or at the Sabarmati Meeting Room. Indulge in our sumptuous all-day breakfast spread or mouthwatering Tapas consisting of a bespoke mélange of Continental, Indian, Oriental, and local Gujarati cuisine. You can relish the oven-fresh spread comprising of exclusively curated bakes to go along with your freshly brewed, all-day hot and cold beverages. The Royal Club also boasts of a private Library Lounge and an exclusive social meeting and dining room with a stunning Central Vista view.”
“Flooring inspired by Vav or the archaeological stepwells, traditional textiles and beadwork, local crafts, and architectural elements can be seen throughout this magnificent hotel. Influenced by the state’s rich flora, fauna, culture, design and architecture, you can explore a wealth of art décor stories during your stay at the heart of the vibrant capital of Gujarat. With the legendary Leela hospitality and signature services, this iconic hotel promises to become the quintessential stopover for the sophisticated global traveller to this multifaceted state.”
The Leela Gandhinagar is the luxury hospitality destination in Gujarat’s capital of Gandhinagar, near Ahmedabad, and manufacturing hubs such as Kadi, Kalol, Sanand, and GIFT City. The Leela Gandhinagar symbolises luxury, inviting sophisticated global travellers to experience luxury and opulence like never before. “We are also the first luxury hotel in India to be built on the airspace of a conventional railway station. It seamlessly blends the romance of travel with the grandeur of world-class hospitality,” informs Mr Sood.
Reflecting an Enriched Cultural Tapestry
With 318 tastefully appointed spacious rooms with contemporary interiors providing a feeling of grandeur, The Leela Gandhinagar takes pride in offering the largest rooms in the twin cities of Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad. With eight Royal Suites and four Presidential Suites, the hotel ensures guests experience unrivalled opulence and luxurious amenities. The authentic Indian luxury, uniquely inspired by vibrant Gujarat, charms even the most sophisticated global travellers.
The Leela Gandhinagar offers a visual journey through Gujarat’s rich culture and diverse heritage with a perfect blend of modern splendour and vibrant traditions. The hotel’s architecture and interiors pay homage to the state’s traditional arts, drawing inspiration from local elements like the famous Adalaj ni vav, traditional glass beadwork, Bandhej, Ajrakh, and Batik textile craftsmanship. Vavs, the traditional stepwells of Gujarat, inspire the flooring. Each corner of the hotel serves as a gateway to Gujarat’s soul, inviting guests to immerse themselves in the region’s artistic legacy.
Culinary excellence is an integral part of The Leela experience, and The Leela Gandhinagar delivers it lavishly with various dining venues spanning global cuisines served in picturesque environs. “The Leela Gandhinagar is ideal for weekend getaways, family holidays, and the suave business traveller,” says Mr Sood. He has over 25 years of experience in the hospitality industry and has been a part of leading hospitality chains. He is a dynamic and highly result-oriented professional who has proven himself in his earlier roles at The Leela Gandhinagar and elsewhere.
The Leadership of Inclusivity
Mr Sood has extensive domain expertise in hotel operations, conventions, and management, F&B operations, supply chain management, and guest service operations. Over the years, he has also cultivated exceptional knowledge and understanding of large-scale events, exhibitions, and business meets. He also has extensive experience in heading operations for top convention centres.
Since taking over as General Manager of The Leela Gandhinagar, Mr Sood has undertaken a host of initiatives to further enhance The Leela experience that The Leela is known for. He has demonstrated a passion for excellence, consistently achieving high guest satisfaction, reducing attrition, and maintaining a courteous and professional work environment. He has also been key in developing long-term business relationships with important stakeholders.
Shedding light on his leadership style, which is known as the driving force behind The Leela Gandhinagar’s achievements, Mr Sood says, “I prioritize inclusivity, maintain an open-door policy, and emphasize transparent leadership.” It is appreciated a great deal and is also beneficial for the company. For The Leela Gandhinagar, characterized by its high volume and high-intensity business, it is paramount to adopt a leadership that promotes collaboration and motivates the team. This is especially crucial when dealing with high-profile individuals, as the entire team must share a passion and commitment to delivering exceptional service.
The Embodiment of Luxury
Telling more about the aspects that make The Leela Gandhinagar magnificently unique in today’s global hospitality niche, Mr Sood says that The Leela Gandhinagar is the epitome of luxury and is dedicated to delivering memorable experiences to guests with modern and luxurious rooms, diverse gourmet options, state-of-the-art amenities, and several options for holistic well-being and signature experiences. The Leela Gandhinagar has also implemented sustainable practices and eco-friendly initiatives that appeal to our environmentally conscious guests. The Leela Gandhinagar actively engages with the local community and culture to provide an authentic experience for guests.
The Leela Gandhinagar also strives hard towards ensuring energy and water conversation in line with the latest industry measures ensuring there is no hindrance in the guest experience
Tech from the Heart
Being an experienced leader, Mr Sood shares his opinion on how adopting modern technologies like AI and ML impacts the industry and how The Leela Gandhinagar adapts to the change. He says, “As the hospitality industry, we are making small progress on the technological front. For me, the uses of AI are more transactional at this point, especially in India. The reason is that it will play a pivotal role in understanding data, understanding guest requirements, and collating it in a format we can use to create an in-person experience for our guests. So, for us as an industry, I feel AI and ML will assist in creating and collating the right amount of data, analyzing it, and understanding the right sentiments to create a long-lasting impression or experience for our guests. Other than that, I think ours is a human-intensive industry. You require so much of personalization. There is still time before the algorithms and AI mature to that level and match us, but yes, they can help us enhance the experience.”
Shaping the Hospitality Leaders of Tomorrow
The workforce is the cornerstone of any successful organization. Mr Sood also believes fostering a culture of growth, skill development, and empowerment among his employees is his major responsibility. “We believe that today’s team members are attracted towards new learning, improving their skills, and sharpening their swords to become the leaders of tomorrow. And they want to do it quickly. So, we have designed certain programs that can give them a focused, intensive growth plan for associates who are at an entry-level, where they just began their careers.”
The Leela has beautiful programs, such as the leadership development program, where they get a focused and holistic approach to their own department or speciality department class and overall hotel operations. The Leela Gandhinagar developed many team members transferred to other The Leela hotels in senior positions. The hotel has a very robust mechanism to understand and track every team member and help them hone their skills. The learning and development team is also constantly vigilant about giving a meaningful journey to all their team members. Even at the HOD level, they conduct sessions that enhance the knowledge. “So, we look after each of our team members and their growth. Each of them has a personalized growth plan, chalked out and discussed with them and showcased,” says Mr Sood.
Celebrating the Positives of Hospitality
As a leader in India’s hotel industry, The Leela Gandhinagar has faced its share of challenges. However, Mr Sood proudly says that in the two years of operation of The Leela Gandhinagar and Mahatma Mandir Convention and Exhibition Centre, they have handled every important delegate and event seamlessly. Some key events that were held were, 17 G20 summits, Defense Expo, Vibrant Gujarat, Filmfare Awards, to name a few
“We have created and curated experiences for them.” No organization or operation exists, especially in hospitality, with no adversities or challenges. “But my team and I are trained to see how we overcome the challenges and ensure that the guests have no idea that any such challenge has come up. Celebrating the positives of hospitality is more important than focusing on adversities or challenges. We aim to raise the bar higher every time, and our goal is to ensure that every guest who walks in gets the best of The Leela Gandhinagar experience.”
Adore Thy Guests
In his advice to budding entrepreneurs who aspire to venture into hoteling space, Mr Sood says that the hospitality industry is all about experiences. The key to succeeding in the industry is prioritizing exceptional guest experiences. Focus on personalized services, anticipate guests’ needs, and deliver them. Much focus is also required on technology and sustainability. Cultivate a culture where every team member knows that the priority, always, is the guest. Stay abreast of the latest industry trends and adapt to meet guest preferences. The hospitality industry has changed significantly in the past few decades, but the basics remain unchanged. The basics will remain the same, and any aspiring hotelier should focus on being good at the basics.
A Future of Personalized Experiences
Looking ahead, Mr Sood says hotels are scaling in an interesting format. “When I can comment about India specifically, we have realized the differentiation of the brands and offerings. We are now evolving towards creating specific offerings for a specific in particular cities. So I think that is something which has the future where you will have a focused approach on your audience, their needs, and your offerings will be in tandem.”
He adds, “As I mentioned earlier in the question of AI and ML, I think that data mining, that granular understanding of the behaviour of our guests, will help the industry to take very cognizant and succinct calls about what structure, what offering, where should we offer it, how should the service be, and more.”
The hotel industry is on the cusp of a very interesting era coming forward, especially in India, as we all are seeing great acceleration and growth in all sectors. Mr Sood sees hospitality also evolving accordingly.
“We are an example of how things are changing. We are the country’s first-ever luxury hotel on a railway station. Thus, in a redundant, unused space, we now have a 318-room inventory with a banqueting venue close to it, 10,000 square feet cumulatively within the hotel and three great F&B offerings.”
When all of this can happen in a redundant space, this results from how data has been analyzed and how answers have been created to questions that have come out of this data analysis. “That is how we envision hotels scaling across India, and if you ask me, luxury is an answer to many questions for cities with much potential. So, we see a very structured growth that will happen in the country,” he concludes.
For more information, please visit https://www.theleela.com/the-leela-gandhinagar.
