The Leela Ambience Convention Hotel, Delhi

The Leela Ambience Convention Hotel is an enormous business property in a modern off-white and gray-toned two-tower building that does little to hint at the hotel's luxury vibe and amenities. Even the lobby areas are understated, but lovely, and both the Tower A and Tower B lobbies feature brownish marble accented by decorative, colorful wall hangings and pale blueish-gray chairs and accent pillows (a similar color scheme reappears in the 480 rooms and suites). 

A similar decor scheme extends to the lobby bar, which has additional seating and incorporates a few more earth-tone shades into the upholstery. Things are a little different in the hotel's other common areas, notably its bars and restaurants. The huge Cafe Knosh, the all-day buffet restaurant, is more casual, with red accent chairs and prints of fresh ingredients on the walls. Dilli 32 tweaks the vibe by adding paisley etched glass wall panels and bright-fuchsia seats. Brighter still is Mei Kun, the pan-Asian restaurant, with lime-green and pink seats and a few brass statues of apsaras. 

As it's primarily a business hotel, and due to its location in northeastern Delhi away from major tourist attractions and corporate centers, the hotel is most popular with convention-goers attending on-site events plus the occasional business guest needing access to the nearby suburb of NOIDA, a business-park dominated expansion of Delhi located due south of the hotel. More often than not, guests here are of the high-flying Indian business set, and most international travelers in town to see the sights would be better off staying somewhere in the center of town, such as the Leela Palace in South Delhi, which is run by the same company but is arguably more opulent.  

The Leela Ambience Convention Hotel is located in a suburban area of northeastern Delhi known as Vivek Vihar. It's removed from any real tourist attractions of interest or even main business areas, although the planned suburb of Noida, which does have a lot of business parks, can be reached in 25 minutes by car -- not too far by Delhi standards.

The closest attraction is Akshardham, an enormous temple complex a 20-minute drive away. The nearest metro stations are at Jilmil (for the Red Line), a 10-minute drive away, and Karkarduma (for the blue line), about eight minutes away by car. From Karkarduma, it's about 25 minutes to Connaught Place by metro; the journey takes about half an hour to 45 minutes from the hotel by car depending on traffic. 

The Red Fort, one of the city's three UNESCO World Heritage Sites, is a 25-minute drive away, while Humayan's Tomb, one of the earliest and finest examples of Indian Mughal architecture takes about half an hour or so to reach. Qutub Minar is about 45 minutes away by car. Old Delhi Railway Station and Old Delhi's bustling market area -- Chandni Chowk -- are both about half an hour away by car, while New Delhi Railway Station and the adjacent backpacker enclave of Paharganj take 45 minutes to reach. Indira Gandhi International Airport is about an hour away by car without traffic, but can take even longer to reach during peak hours.

The Leela has a total of 455 rooms and 25 suites, though decor is almost uniform across the board. The style is handsome and modern, with details including dark hardwood floors, dark brown padded headboards below muted gray-teal accent panels. These match gold and muted Tiffany-blue bed runners, while off-white linens, upholstered chairs, and walls keep things bright. The overall look is suitably businesslike, but a tad more elegant and polished than the average business hotel. The cream-colored marble bathrooms are gorgeous, with elegant vanity areas made of dark, veiny marble, large soaking tubs, separate walk-in showers with dark-brown mini-tiles and huge rainfall showerheads, and separate toilet cabins. Bathroom amenities and layouts are similar in rooms and suites (though suite bathrooms have larger vanities and more floorspace), and all have windows looking out from the tubs into the main area that can be blocked off with screens. 

The hotel's entry-level rooms, Premier Rooms, come in with about 37 square meters (398 feet) of space and include 40-inch flat-screen TVs, electric kettles, safes, and large marble desks with plenty of outlets; Premier Rooms with Balconies are nearly identical, but all are located on the fifth floor and come with furnished balconies. Executive Suites are twice the size of rooms, and have separate living rooms with large picture windows plus plenty of perks including free breakfast and high-speed Wi-Fi. Little touches in these higher category rooms include bath salts and optional butler service (for a fee). These rooms look out on the gardens or city, whereas their slightly larger counterparts, Deluxe Suites, have views of the pool and adjacent park. These 79-square-meter (850 square foot) spaces also have walk-in closets. Finally, the Leela offers a single Presidential Suite on the top floor that measures 220 square meters (2,368 square feet) and includes a massage room, a butler, a whirlpool hot tub, and free airport transfers.

As the name suggests, The Leela Leela Ambience Convention Hotel is primarily a convention and meeting property, and features over 70,000 square feet (6,503 square meters) of conference space on the ground floor, including three outdoor lawn areas and a number of meeting rooms and board rooms that can fit anywhere from six to 3,600 people. Wi-Fi is available throughout the hotel, though it's only free for those in suites.

Shanaya, the on-site spa, offers all sorts of treatments ranging from Swedish, Balinese, and Thai massage to hydrotherapy. There's also a salon for haircare and mani/pedis. A modern fitness center includes modern Technogym-brand ellipticals and treadmills, plus a rack of free weights and a few weight-training/resistance machines. The outdoor pool, while not particular large, is also pleasant, with multicolored mini-tiles in various of shades of blue that add a luxurious sheen.

The Leela has three restaurants and a bar. Cafe Knosh is the main all-day dining casual option, with an enormous buffet featuring Indian and international food at breakfast, lunch, and dinner, plus la carte items until late. Dilli 32 focuses on rich dishes influenced by Awadhi cuisine (a style of rich cooking originating in the North Indian city of Lucknow) and food from the Northwest Frontier Province on the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Mei Kun offers fare from Southeast Asia. Cherry Bar just off the lobby focuses on beer, wine, and cocktails, but also has some snack items.