Recently,for the long weekend we decided to stay at The Leela Hotel at Kovalam.
The Leela is located on a cliff top right next to the beach,overlooking the Arabian sea.
It was designed by Charles Correa in 1960s and 70s,and built by the Government of India.The ‘Kovalam Ashoka Beach Resort’,as it was called then,still stands as a beautiful property .What we loved most about the property was the view from any part of the property was breathtaking and serenity surrounds it,even though it was fully booked ,there were no noisy sections to the hotel.The property is huge and there are chauffeur driven buggies to take you to and froth.It seats 183 guest rooms and suites built on rock face and spread over 40 acres of land cradled between two beaches.
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| The Lobby +The Leela Kovalam |
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| lounge @The Leela Kovalam |
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| Traditional welcome and Serene surroundings-Experiences +The Leela Kovalam |
Rooms:Our accommodation was in Superior sea view villa.The doors to which opened into the view of the sea.It had a step down bath tub(which my kids absolutely loved) and an open shower area.Also our porch had two garden chairs and a table ,giving us a beautiful sit out option.My only hitch was that the room was a bit small for a family of four and if we kept the doors open ,people walking by could easily peek into our room without even trying to pry,as the bed faces the door.
Amenities:The property has two infinity pools ,an area dedicated to kids(with all books,toys,games) and a state-of-the-art spa.When we booked the room,they gave us an all inclusive package with meals,and at 12k per night(including taxes)It was reasonably priced.
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| Kids Playroom and Infinity pool +The Leela Kovalam |
Service:It is immaculately maintained and the service staff was very attentive to our needs.We needed a lot of extra towels,glasses,toiletries and the list goes on,as we were travelling with kids and all our demands were met with a smile.
Spa:The Divya Spa at The Leela ,gives you huge range of options of Thai,Swedish and traditional ayurvedic massages.Holiday for me, isn’t complete without a spa treatment .Her, I tried something unusual,called ‘Chavutti Thirummu’,which is basically massage by the legs.Here the therapist literally hangs by the rope suspended from the roof and massages oil on your body with her feet.You can also try the very famous ‘Shirodhara’,which is oil being poured onto your forehead and creating mental imagery.What I loved about the spa room was that it did not have air conditioning rather ,the windows opened into the sea and you can hear the waves.
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| Divya Spa +The Leela Kovalam |
Restaurants:The terrace(24hr multi cuisine) ,The tides(Pan Asian and sea food) and the Skybar(cocktails and more).This was the only bit which did not impress me much i.e. the lack of variety of restaurants.After a few meals it gets a bit boring to eat from just these three options.
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| Restaurants +The Leela Kovalam |
Tip:If you are staying in the club rooms ,you have access to the best views,services and a private infinity pool and deck and a private butler.This is an option, I would definitely consider the next time we stay with them.
Did I forget to mention that every evening at the Leela there was a cultural performance?Here is a taste of Kalaripayattu ,Kerela’s martial art form ;
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