The Leela Ambience Convention Hotel Delhi — Hotel in Shahdara CBD

I had an absolute amazing stay. Outstanding!!! I have never had such a great experience as in this hotel and i'm travelling a lot!

The entire hotel is extremely clean and well maintained.

The rooms are really spacious and have air conditioning, a shower and bathtub, very good Wi-Fi connection, a free safe, free bottled water from the hotel's own water plantation every day, an ironing board, an iron, etc.

The hotel has a cafe where breakfast is also served, a bar, a restaurant, pool area, gym, ATM, wellness and SPA area etc.

The staff is more than amazing!! All of them are so extremely friendly, helpful and attentive. It doesn't matter from which area/department of the Hotel (Reception, Concierge, Cafe Knosh, Security, Housekeeping....)

I stayed at this hotel for a whole week and never encountered an unfriendly employee!

A very special thank you goes to Rahul (Leading Member of Cafe Knosh, the Staff Member of Housekeeping responsible of the 12th Floor - Area Room 2920) and the night crew member at the reception during my stay from the 30th of April until the 7th of May, responsible for the reception above Gate 6. The work of these three employees especially should be rewarded, recognized and promoted by the hotel through higher positions.

What I didn't like at all, however, were the extremely overpriced tour offers, for example, for the Taj Mahal. I'm fully aware that if you book tours through the hotel, they're always a bit more expensive, but here they charge double or triple the price.

I highly recommend comparing prices with tour providers like Tripadvisor, Viator, local tour guide offices, and Get Your Guide. You'll save a lot of money by choosing one of the first four options.

Furthermore, I didn't like the fact that when I book an overpriced city tour, I'm forced to visit three shops like "Art of India" for souvenirs, carpets, and scarves. That's an absolute disgrace. When you look at the online reviews of these three shops, which clearly state that they're tourist traps, it's a complete disgrace.

At this point I would like to clearly state that I have thought long about whether to rate the hotel one or two stars less.

However, this would be more than unfair to the excellent staff.

I think this is a Hotel Leading / Management Problem where you should urgently something change!!!

The Holders of these stores are definetely no poor people. Quite the opposite! It was clear that they belong to at least the average earners in India. I'm actually quite certain that they already belong to the wealthy ones.

The shop owners practically force you to buy something there. A very unpleasant experience!!!!! It is known that these shops pay a commission, offer a discount or a points system to intermediaries like tourguides, Tuk-Tuk, Riksha- and Taxidrivers).

I don't know if the hotel benefits from these advantages or just the driver, who is employed by the hotel itself.

I just find this unbelievable!!!

I saw countless homeless children on the streets of India. They didn't even have shoes on their feet. They searched for food in mountains of garbage!! It was heartbreaking!!!!!

These are the problems of India and not some shameless store holders making themselves even richer and richer by supporting them!!

There are several organizations right there in Delhi that help these children. Why don't you support them or encourage cooperation?

I'm so sorry, but I simply had to say...

An Abysmal Experience at The Leela: Avoid at All Costs

Our recent stay at The Leela was nothing short of a disaster. As a frequent traveler who has stayed at premium properties worldwide, I am appalled by the abysmal standards and outright negligence displayed by this so-called 5-star hotel. Here’s a breakdown of the unacceptable issues we faced:

Gross Hygiene Failures • Hair in Food: During breakfast, my wife was served a plate of mango with a hair embedded in it. This is not just a lapse—it’s a glaring failure in hygiene. Despite clearly stating that we did not want a replacement, the staff ignored our wishes and brought another plate, showing a blatant disregard for our comfort and concerns. • Foreign Object in Dinner Plate: At a corporate dinner we hosted for esteemed guests, another hygiene breach occurred when a foreign object was found on my plate. This was humiliating and completely ruined the evening. For a 5-star establishment, this level of carelessness is unforgivable.

Shocking Billing Practices and Deception • Exorbitant Hidden Costs: The hotel charged nearly £100 for a single old-fashioned drink with Hibiki Japanese whisky without any prior disclosure. This is blatant exploitation. Such predatory pricing is an insult to guests. • Repeated Overcharges: The corporate discount negotiated by my wife’s company was ignored multiple times. Each bill required tedious back-and-forth arguments to fix errors that should never have occurred. The final bill was astronomically high and riddled with discrepancies.

Disrespectful and Inept Staff • Unprofessional Management: The duty manager, Amit, greeted us with hostility during our second check-in, immediately demanding payment for unresolved bills without even welcoming us back. His attitude was combative and insulting—a disgraceful representation of the hotel’s management. • Service Failures: Despite requesting a non-smoking floor, we were placed on one that reeked of cigarette smoke. When we raised concerns about noise disturbances at night, the staff did nothing to address the issue. Basic customer service principles were utterly ignored.

Disregard for Guest Comfort • Substandard Dining Service: Cold tea served in used cups, inattentive staff, and an unwillingness to rectify basic issues revealed a systemic lack of care for guest satisfaction. • Embarrassing Corporate Experience: The poor service, coupled with hygiene issues at our corporate dinner, damaged our professional reputation. The hotel’s failure to address this situation adequately is inexcusable.

Final Thoughts

This was, without exaggeration, the worst hotel experience I have ever had. The Leela failed spectacularly on every front: hygiene, transparency, professionalism, and service. For a brand that markets itself as luxurious and world-class, this property operates with the standards of a third-rate establishment.

I will be recommending our corporate office cease all ties with The Leela and encourage others to do the same. There are countless better options in Delhi that actually respect their guests and uphold basic standards of hospitality.

Warning: Stay away from The Leela if you value your money, time, and dignity. This place is a disgrace to the...

I visited India after 25 years and started my journey at Leela Hotel. I was travelling with a group of 12 ladies who also happen to be my family. I don’t enjoy giving negative reviews but I feel I have no option but too. I was quite happy with the hotel when I arrived . I booked a beautiful King Room for myself . My hotel room was not linked to anyone else in my group . I strictly wanted privacy. The ambiance was absolutely gorgeous and service was good at first . I also booked a spa with Sunil and he was excellent ! Two people that stood out was Mark manager in breakfast and Bimbal door man. Both were lovely with enthusiastic! Long story short . One of the nights my sister in law came into my room because I allowed her for a few hours . While I was sitting alone in my room my sister in law was able to ask for a door key to my room from front desk staff and enter my room. I was absolutely shocked and disgusted . I was also very scared . I asked her how she was able to get the key and she said she asked front desk she was part of the group and they were more than happy to provide her a key . The very next day I address the issue to the manager who visited our room to hear me . I explained that ny room was only registered under my name ! Strictly under my name ! The hotel did not check ID before providing a key to my room. I had major concerns about my safety and others in my group. Considering India doesn’t have the best reputation when it comes to sexual assault my anxiety went through the roof. The manager apologized and said he would look into this and get back to me ! Well he didn’t get back to me . The situation was swept under the carpet ! More than 24 hours later I approached the front desk and talk to another manager and his colleague a women . I also addressed the situation . At first there was excuses that because I was travelling with a group the front desk had a miscommunication. Which is absolutely absurd! Every person who asks for a key card should be asked for ID (Mandatory) and Leela Hotel failed to ask for it ! Leela hotel assumed someone was staying in my room and I was ok with it . Leela Hotel failed to protect me and my safety while being their guest for 5 nights ! After speaking to the manager again and explaining my situation I got no call back with an explanation! No one called me back. No one provided any sort of compensation. Just a small gesture like flowers or anything to show you were sorry did not happen. Leela hotel im so disappointed in you! I will never stay with you again ! Considering you’re 5 star property shows me how incompetent your staff is including the two managers that spoke to me ! In Canada I was born and raised we have strict policy. Checking Id is mandatory. Pls do better next time and follow through with complaints so you can avoid...