HOTEL: The newly opened Leela Palace Kempinski in New Delhi’s Chanakyapuri had swept that status even before it’s completion. Now that it stands proud and tall, Captain CK Krishnan Nair, the 88-year old owner of the hotel, believes it is most definitely India’s most expensive hotel. The cost of building this monument is a staggering Rs. 17 billion. The 260 room hotel has been built on a 5.5 acre land-site. The smallest rooms have a floor area of 550 square foot which is a new record for Delhi. The hotel’s motto is prompt service and personalised care. And this is achieved by a staff ratio of 3:1 per room. One of it’s special features is that of a special escort service for women travelling alone. The rooms rank from the measly Grande Deluxe Room to the exclusive Maharaja Suite. Every room is decorated and furnished to give it’s guests the feeling of absolute luxury: Pearl inlayed furniture, rich brocades, Italian marble, HD TV’s with Blue-ray Players and a Butler Service. There is a fleet of limousines available for guest airport transfers. The Maharaja suite is an apartment of it own. The six bay suite comes with state-of-the-art facilities and amenities such as a complimentary chauffeured Rolls-Royce, 24 hour butler service, spa rooms, jacuzzi, walk-in wardrobes, private gymnasium and unparalleled service as per guest. Understanding the guest’s need for privacy and enhanced security, the suite is equipped with bullet-proof glass and a direct private elevator. The least one would shell out on a room would be Rs 30,000 per night going upto the super exclusive Maharaja suite Rs 550,000 per night. The new Leela Kempinski of New Delhi is, perhaps, the most expensive hotel ever built in India. It will soon be the most expensive to stay in. So, if anyone wants to taste the comforts of this India’s most expensive hotel, the right time is now.
MOVIE: Rajnikanth-starrer Endhiran/Robot cost R 150 crore. Special effects by the Terminator and Jurassic Park team. Costumes by the designer for Batman, and stunts by the team of The Matrix. This is India’s, even Asia’s, costliest film ever. And, it’s not even a Bollywood produce! Directed by S Shankar, the sci-fi flick stars Rajnikanth in a double role — a man and a Robot — and Aishwarya Rai as the female lead. Elaborate song sequences have been shot in exotic locales of Vienna, Machu Picchu (Peru) and Brazil. Other films known for their extravagant budget include Mughal-e-Azam, which took nine years to complete and cost Rs 12 crore back in 1960, Razia Sultan, which cost R 23 crore back in 1983 and Yash Chopra’s 2006 action flick Dhoom-2, reportedly made on a budget of R 55 crore.
RESTAURANT: An explosion of wealth in India’s biggest cities has spawned a culinary revolution--and a raft of luxe and exotic restaurants to serve it. Importing gourmet ingredients, top wines and seasoned chefs is costing Indian diners big-time. Some of India’s upscale eateries could soon become far more expensive than even New York’s toniest restaurants. The Zodiac Grill at The Taj Mahal Palace & Tower (Mumbai) is India’s most expensive restaurant. Outfitted with Cristofle gilt-edged cutlery and hand-blown Reidel crystal, Zodiac Grill oozes elegance. Dubbed the “Best Continental Restaurant” by the Times of India, the hoity eatery lives up to the moniker with its lavish nine-course meal that includes apricot duck and New Zealand lamp chops.
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